{but wait, there's more}

after my post yesterday i realised there were quite a few pieces missing.  by my calculations i painted somewhere around 50 paintings in the last 12 months, give or take.  i'm pretty bloody amazed by that figure.  i'll be interested to see what transpires next year in amidst returning to full time work and other plans and goals that i have.

i have a few more things to say about 2010 before i put it to bed, but i'll save it for another day.  it's hot and i'm ready to put my feet up, kick back and welcome 2011 and all it has to offer {please 2011 don't offer too many difficult life lessons!}.

happy new year peeps, happy new year!

****************************************

ps. i've given the blog a little new year's makeover.  come on over and take a look.

{five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes}

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love? 

Measure in love.
Seasons of love. 

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes!
Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned, or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned, or the way that she died.

It's time now to sing out, tho' the story never ends
Let's celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love!
Remember the love!
Seasons of love!

Measure your life in love.

                                       525,600 Minutes - Rent

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR...

{taking it easy}

A Little Dream

Acrylics on board

8 x 8 inch

stars shining bright above you
night breezes seem to whisper

i love you

birds singin' in the sycamore tree
dream a little dream of me

                             The Mamas & The Papas

It's all about dreamy days filled with good things over here.

Hope it's the same for you.

{until we meet again}

may your days be relaxed and peaceful

merry christmas peeps

{side by side}

 

'juxtaposition': place or deal with close together for contrasting effect

As the year comes to an end I've been reflecting and thinking about how to sum things up.  Without a doubt this has been a year of starkest contrast.

There have been amazing highs, wonderful achievements and recognition,  and truly great adventures and rewards.  I said that 2010 would be my year to SHINE and I wasn't wrong.  I am truly amazed at the journey I have taken with my art this year, and the places it has taken me.  I will always think of this year as one of the most pivotal in my creative journey.

Alongside art my connections with family, friends and the fur peeps stand out.  With time on my side I've been able to be there when people have needed me, I've spent quality time with people and fur people that I love and care about, and my relationships are richer and stronger for the gift of time.  For this I am truly grateful.

Then there's the other side to this year.  The side that has been by far one of the hardest I have experienced.  I have learned difficult lessons in nearly all areas of my life.  Career, health, friendship, home.  There have been so many challenges that have completely overwhelmed me and brought me to my knees.

I carried another word/theme through 2010 with me.  Early in 2010 the word SURRENDER showed up in my consciousness and firmly asserted it's place.  This word has been a touchstone for me this year.  Whenever I have wanted to fight the lessons, rage against the universe or try to push forward against the insufferable waiting that has been a feature of the last 4 months I've reached for that word and breathed it into my soul.

As I sit here now, with 2011 beginning to show it's face and already looking so completely different from 2010, I'm smiling.  I see that I have ridden the grandest of roller coasters.  I realise that I'm stronger and yet somehow gentler for the ride.  I'm exhausted yet somehow rested.  I'm world weary and cautious yet somehow open and trusting.

'juxtaposition': the state of being close together or side by side.

{being seen}

A while back now I entered a piece of work 'Amongst It' in the Chapman & Bailey 2010 Belli Arti Award.  

On the day after they announced the winner I popped over to the Chapman and Bailey website to see who'd won and to see if I could spot any pictures of my piece hanging in the exhibition.

I was completely fascinated by the picture above that shows the judges examining a group of paintings, including the winner's painting (a portrait by Lewis Miller) and also my piece.  What is the story behind this picture I wondered?  What are they doing?  What is my painting doing there in the same group as the winner's?  I even showed it to Cam and speculated about what it might mean.

A couple of weeks later, on the day the exhibition closed, I received a phone call from Chapman & Bailey.  They wanted to know if they could keep my painting for a few weeks longer for a mini exhibition of pieces that the judges had shortlisted when deciding the award. 

Detail from Amongst It

Full picture here

Yes, that's right, my painting was shortlisted, in an art award! How absolutely stoked am I?

{on knowing exactly what to do}

there was a moment yesterday when everything became so crystal clear it was stunning.  this, i thought, is exactly what i'm meant to be doing. sharing hope. now. not waiting till i'm 'fixed' or 'perfect' or 'ready', but right now in amidst all my imperfectness and all my brokenness. nothing in a long time has felt as clear as that moment when i realised that you can simultaneously offer hope whilst also receiving it.  that you can be uncertain and afraid, and still have important gifts to give.  i think it was this post by jen lemen that opened my eyes and my heart. it gave voice to something that i have been trying to put words around for such a long time.

i've felt so disconnected these past few months.  i've been here and there, but often not really present.  i've really noticed it on the blog.  that i've been showing up, but a part of me has felt completely absent.  i think sometimes when it all goes pear shaped we close off part of ourselves.

i've been thinking how this period has been such a time of solitude for me, and how strange it has been for an extrovert like myself to spend 7 months largely alone.  i've been thinking how this time has been a journey with my painting and with myself.  me in my studio with the cats and my paint brush for company.  i've been thinking about how necessary this time was, but also how ready i am for it to be over.  how ready i feel to do more than spend my days quietly painting.  how ready i feel to connect with the world again, to write more and to think more about breathing life into this idea of sharing hope. it is compelling me.

i am so completely energised and honoured by those who contacted me regarding my post yesterday.  packages will be going out soon, full of hope, love and care.  thank you.  together we do make a difference.

{offering hope}

 

sometimes hanging on to hope seems almost impossible.  there have been times this year when hope has felt so completely out of my reach, when darkness has taken hold of me and seeped into my core.  those have been the truly awful times, the ones where i wondered how i could go on, if i could go on, what option there was but to go on putting one foot in front of the other, knowing that i would always want more.

recently though i have been gifted hope in subtle and yet profound ways.  it has opened my eyes to the amazing impact that small acts of kindness can bring and i've grabbed hold of it with all my heart.

i wondered if you might know someone who could use some hope right now.  is there someone in your life who is putting one foot in front of the other, being brave when they really want to cry or stay in bed or give up. do you think that a small act of random kindness might make a difference in their life.

together i'd like to make a difference.

email me at tinniegirl(at)optusnet.com.au with the address details of a person you would like to send some hope to.  i'll send them a small package to let them know that they are loved.  i can do this on your behalf or anonymously, whichever you would prefer.  i'm going to send out three packages of hope into the universe in the next week.

i look forward to hearing from you.

{happiness is ...}

... hanging out with my fur peeps, dinners out, art exhibitions, good chats with great friends, riding my bike, visiting markets and catching up with friends, reading good books, having hope, homemade bread, tinned tomato soup for tea, feeling full of Christmas spirit,

quiet Saturday nights at home, cupcakes, fruit mince pies, Mumsy, dreaming about trips overseas next year, painting, sock monkeys, early Christmas presents, optimism, contentment, laughter, being loved.

Thanks for the prompt Kate.

{birth - part II}

 

Tenderness

Acrylics on canvas

12 x 12 inch

On the other hand, some paintings struggle from the moment of their conception, colours bashing up against each other, fighting their way into existence.

But they all seem to get there in the end.  There are so many life lessons to be learned from painting.

Have a lovely weekend peeps.  Watcha up to?

{quick follow me}

down the garden path

into the kitchen where Ms L is making the sandwiches

and the pavlova is waiting in the fridge

have a look at the finished commission piece 

(which the buyer absolutely loved by the way)

 Asleep in the Tall City

Acrylics on canvas

36 x 60 inch

(the fabulous CurlyPops and divine Ms L with the painting)

see what i've been working on these past few weeks

and check out the lovely work of the talented Ms CurlyPops

It was a lovely night.  Great food, great peeps, great conversation. Perfect in my opinion.  Just perfect.

*********************************

I have a few paintings that didn't sell so I'm giving blog readers and facebook friends first dibs on them, all at mates rates.  If you're interested in buying one email me at tinniegirl(at)optusnet(dot)com(dot)au.

T is for ...

Collage and acrylics on canvas

5 x 5 inch

$30

(the map in the background of this piece is of Tasmania )

Belonging

Acyrlics, spray paint and gel pens on canvas

8 x 10 inch

$40

Remember Me

Acyrlics on canvas

10 x 10 inch

$50

 

Pretty Little Things

Acyrlics on canvas

10 x 10 inch

$50

Birds in Paradise II

Acrylics on canvas

11 x 14 inch

$50

And here's the finished piece from Monday's post

 

Down the Garden Path

Collage, acrylics and soft pastels on canvas

15 x 30 inch

(I can't make up my mind whether I want to sell this piece or not, but if you're interested shoot me an email and we'll take it from there)

Lastly, I've updated my Etsy shop.  I've reduced the prices of all prints to mates rates of $25AUD until Christmas.

{birth}

work in progress

Some paintings arrive without warning, demanding to be painted.  All you can do is surrender to the call and let yourself be led.  There's a magic and a depth to this kind of painting that has no words.

{summertime...}

and the livin' is easy...

                       George Gershwin

{another appearance from the studio assistant}

Aren't I lucky that when I'm really busy getting ready for markets and exhibitions and a million other things the studio assistant can always sense it?   These are the times when he sacrifices his usual routine of curling up on the bed all day to lend a hand.  Aw, bless him!

I'm off to the Buninyong Maker's Market tomorrow and looking forward to it.  Buninyong is such a lovely spot.  Every time I'm there I think "hmmn, I wouldn't mind living around these parts one day".

Today I'm off to check out the Art @ Burnley Harbour Exhibition with an artsy-fartsy mate that I haven't seen for ages.  French crepes and art exhibitions.  Sounds fancy as, right?  I've got 6 pieces in the show.  It's on from 8am - 8pm today and from 8am - 6pm Saturday and Sunday at the McConchie Reserve, Mary Street, Richmond.

Then next week it's the open studio here at my place, which I'm so looking forward to.  I'm planning on cooking and baking up a storm, and I've already been painting my heart out.  Don't forget to email me if you want to come along and need the address.

Have a great weekend peeps. As Leonie always says "Love to You and Yours"!

{laughed so hard I cried}

One minute and 47 seconds of pure cat lovers delight.

Enjoy!

******************************

Oh, and yesterday's post was just a random collection of observations and feelings.  Didn't mean to sound like I had some great secret I was keeping.