In January 2024, just one week into leaving my career to focus on art, I collapsed, physically and emotionally. I couldn’t create, couldn’t function. It took months to understand that this wasn’t a sudden fall, but a long-overdue stop. I had been holding everything up for years. Recovery has been slow, and life has hadContinue reading “After the sky fell in…….”
Tag Archives: Mindfulness
How a Messy Accident Rekindled My Artistic Flow
Yesterday, I experienced what could have been a minor studio disaster. While tidying up before a painting session, I knocked over an entire bottle of green ink. For a moment, I froze. Not so long ago, this kind of accident would have been devastating. I would have spiralled into self-criticism, lamenting the waste of ink,Continue reading “How a Messy Accident Rekindled My Artistic Flow”
What is mindfulness?
Is it a religion? A cult? Something dangerous that could mess with your head? Mindfulness and meditation are often misunderstood, but they are a significant part of my life and essential tools that helped me recover from chronic fatigue. My mind is busy and frantic, and I need to calm it daily to create peaceContinue reading “What is mindfulness?”
The Art of Bimbling: Navigating Creativity with Ease
Bimbling A gentle, meandering walk with no particular haste or purpose. Wiktionary With the speed of modern life where we rush around from morning till night to achieve everything, the concept of “bimbling” feels like a lost art. I rediscovered it recently as one of my tools to recover from chronic fatigue – a gentleContinue reading “The Art of Bimbling: Navigating Creativity with Ease”
Sketching the unseen…
Some artists venture beyond the visual and look into the other senses that shape our daily lives. Drawing your senses – sketching and painting the nuances of sound, touch, taste and feelings stretches the boundaries of conventional artistic expression. I invite you to explore this area and uncover more connections between art and the humanContinue reading “Sketching the unseen…”
Procrastination – what are you avoiding?
So, my tip to stop procrastinating? Reflect (journal even) on why, what are you avoiding? Are you giving yourself valuable thinking space before making your next move?
Listen to the silence…..
I have long had an interest in mindfulness and drawing but today was a first when I took part in an online Zoom meditation drawing session guided by artist Katie Solohub. Whilst I have a daily meditation practice, I have not ever tied my art and my meditation together before. However, it makes sense thatContinue reading “Listen to the silence…..”
Does a drawing have to look like somewhere?
This week I have been thinking about drawing – specifically the need to recreate a visual scene accurately or at least semi accurately. For the past few weeks I have been going to the same spot most days and drawing. But nothing I have drawn would be recognisable as the physical place. However for meContinue reading “Does a drawing have to look like somewhere?”
A Mindful moment – sound drawings
I am working on extending my new series based on Forton Lake and developing some more work based on the area. I have been spending a lot of time, mindfully recording what I see, what I hear and what I feel when I walk around the shores of the lake. An interesting exercise to doContinue reading “A Mindful moment – sound drawings”
The Lake
Standing by the edge of the lake,Breathing in the serenity and calm,The sun rose in the distance,And the frost touched my cheeks.A stranger asked if I was ok,I smiled and said I was fine.I must have looked melancholy,Soaking in the beauty of the lake.
