Since October, I’ve been working on a monthly process, painting a large canvas, then covering it over to begin again. It’s intentional. Each layer represents a feeling or experience, painted over by the next, like life, where so much sits beneath the surface. Some months I returned the canvas to white; others I worked straightContinue reading “Six Layers (and Knowing When to Stop)”
Tag Archives: abstract
Finding connection
Last week’s word was connection: from the Latin connectere, meaning “to bind together.” It began as something physical: tying, linking, fastening, and has grown to describe everything from relationships to any place two things touch. I’ve been playing with acrylic and watercolour inks this week, wetting the paper and dropping inks and letting them findContinue reading “Finding connection”
Roots!
This week’s word is roots, quiet, steadfast things that hold life together. You rarely see them, yet they do all the work, anchoring, feeding, connecting. The word itself is ancient, from Old English rōt and Latin radix, which also gives us radical — literally “to go to the root.” I love that: to be radicalContinue reading “Roots!”
Serendipity and the Art of Letting Go
This week’s word is serendipity – those happy accidents that seem to find you when you’re not looking. The word itself comes from an old Persian tale about three princes who kept stumbling upon discoveries by chance, guided by curiosity and awareness rather than control. In my art, serendipity feels like the moment a dripContinue reading “Serendipity and the Art of Letting Go”
My Word of the Week: Curiosity
As part of my Creative Hug, I have a word a week to inspire my art. This week, I’m doing everything with curiosity – in my drawings, my walks, daily life. I have enjoyed learning the etymology of “curiosity”. Historically, curious took quite a journey. In medieval times, it was almost an insult – suggestingContinue reading “My Word of the Week: Curiosity”
One painting, over and over – seven layers of me
A Continuing Painting This winter, I’m inspired by Judy Tuwaletstiwa’s approach of returning to one painting again and again, layering it with time, thought, and presence. Instead of creating many “finished” works, I’ll be living with a single canvas — an ongoing conversation rather than a product. This idea has been bubbling away for monthsContinue reading “One painting, over and over – seven layers of me”
The Call You Can’t Ignore (and Why It Matters)
I was watching Moana at the weekend with my granddaughter. Every time, one scene in particular stays with me: Moana standing on the beach, staring out to the horizon, knowing she has to go beyond the reef. She doesn’t know exactly what she’ll find out there. She just feels the pull. Others tell her toContinue reading “The Call You Can’t Ignore (and Why It Matters)”
Art is a daily mental health boost!
Art is connection, not decoration We underestimate the power of our surroundings. The things we see every day—walls, colours, textures, shape our mood more than we realise. That’s why art isn’t just “decoration.” A painting you truly love can shift your whole state of mind. Maybe it’s a calm landscape that soothes you after aContinue reading “Art is a daily mental health boost!”
Art as an Antidote to Throwaway Culture
Say no to landfill, say yes to real art! We live in a world where so much is made to be thrown away – clothes, furniture, coffee cups…… Everything is designed for speed, not longevity. Art is the opposite. A painting, a sculpture, a drawing….. These are things made to last, with care, attention, andContinue reading “Art as an Antidote to Throwaway Culture”
What can real art do for us?
(Why Imperfect Art Might Be Exactly What You Need) Mark Rothko once said, when pressed about the meaning of his art: “You’ve got sadness in you, I’ve got sadness in me – and my works of art are places where the two sadnesses can meet, and therefore both of us need to feel less sad.”Continue reading “What can real art do for us?”
Ailsa Brims Art 