Blooming True ~ Week 4

Apparently I am a little behind on my posting.  

Travel and birthday's and such diverted my attention 

for a little bit.  

Week 4 was about vulnerability,

lessons learned, work with what's working 

and stepping up to the edge being brave.  

Easier said then done for all of the above.

To have the courage to be vulnerable, like sharing layers 

of paintings when you have no idea where they are going. 

Lessons learned, like what colors mix and make 

beautiful colors.  And maybe not every step of the 

process in this course works for everyone.

Finding a color, a spot or a line that you like in 

the painting to expand upon. 

Stepping up to the edge of fear  and being willing

to step off the edge and see what happens. 

I found the below quote in week 4 and it really spoke to me.

Be willing to step up to the edge and "let go"

Which is right there with my theme for 2014

of letting go. 

Below are week 4's layers. 

Thinking at this point that Canvas 1 is going to turn

 into peacock feathers? 

Canvas One
Layer 7

Canvas One
Layer 8 

Canvas Two
Layer 7

As you've probably figured out by now,
don't get too attached to any part of these paintings
as I can promise they will continue to evolve and change! :-)
With one week of the course left to go,
I am thinking there will Not be a finished painting
at the end of next week.

Follow my progress on Instagram
Like my artist page on Facebook
Visit my Website

For more info on the Bloom True E-Course

Blooming True ~ Week 3

Week 3 of Bloom True had us finding Inspiration

What things enliven us? 

What stirs our soul?

Also finding/having Gratitude for all things.

Big. Small. Everything in Between

You are probably seeing by now, this course isn't 
just a course about painting but life as well.

Our painting days are Tuesday's and Friday's each week.

Tuesday's week 3 layer was incorporating 

personal imagery. 

For some reason this had me holding back. 

Maybe it was due to the fact I was really NOT liking

my paintings since the black and white layer. 

Maybe a little bit of fear creeping in

that I was going to make even more of a disaster

on the canvas then what was already there.

But I decided to hold off on this layer till after I
had seen Friday's lesson.

In the meantime, one of our exercises was to get out in Nature. 

Now this I can do!  

As some of you know, one of my favorite things to do

is to head to red rock canyon and do some hiking.

So off to red rocks I went to spend some time

with Mother Nature. 

Here are just 2 of the pictures I took while I was there.  

Calico Basin in Red Rock Canyon

Yes there are plants in the desert
Mother Nature's Mandela

Friday came and it was time to bite the bullet 
and add some imagery. 

Insert deep breath here.

After hanging with these 2 canvases for the past week 

and seeing if anything was speaking to me,
which honestly wasn't much!

This is what came of week 3's session.
I will say, I am not in love with the outcome 
and as you can see, I stayed away from B&W.
But as Flora says, we are exactly where we are suppose to be.
I sure hope she's right! LOL

Canvas One Layer 6 

Canvas Two Layer 6
No the face wasn't planned

A couple of things I've learned during the process so far:

 I prefer not to have music playing while I paint.
Or at least for now.

This I knew from my oil painting but it was suggested

to listen to music to help you "flow."

Apparently, my muse flows quite nicely in silence.

I prefer to paint with my fingers.

That 24"x24" canvases are too limiting and I should 

have gone with larger canvases.
I am sure there will be other lessoned learned as 
the process continues. 

Curious to see how the layers evolve in Week 4? 
Me too! 

Follow my "real" time progress on Instagram
Like my artist page on FaceBook
Visit my Website

For info on The Bloom True Workshop

Blooming True ~ Week Two

Sorry I am a bit behind with my blog post.

I had a little computer interruptous!

My trusty old (7 year old) laptop has decided she's a bit tired. :-(

Apparently, in Apple terms, she is obsolete. 

After a week with the tech, a good rest and a new computer on it's way.

I am giving it my best shot to get this post out before the old gal

decides to not work again. 

Week Two of Bloom True 

had us "Letting Go"

Which is great since that is my theme for this year as well. 

We were encouraged to RELEASE whatever

is getting in our way of being able to 

Play. Be Silly. Be Messy

When we "let go" of something we make room to "let in" something new.

As I stood before my canvases to add a third layer,

I put on some good music and did my best to 

let go of the critic in my head. 

The only rule was to be free and just put paint on the canvas.

I was hoping to show you what both canvases looked like

after the third layer.  However, I am once again

experiencing technical difficulties.  :-( 

Canvas 1
After third layer

As with the first two layers, I was able to let go more on Canvas One, 

but surprisingly I really liked both canvases and was amazed at how

different they were from each other.  Even though I used the 

same colors on both. 

I am so bummed I can't get Canvas 2 to load!

Later on in the week we were to add a fourth layer.

This time using just black and white. 

The rule for this layer was:

To commit to painting layer 4 with pure wild abandon!

I think I took the wild abandon to heart. 

However, afterwards I realized that using black and white sparingly

might have been a wiser move.

Canvas 1
B&W layer 

Canvas 2
B&W layer

After the B&W layer was done, I was definitely not liking 

these canvases as much anymore.

We had one more layer to go in week two and that was a

translucent layer. 

I thought to myself, this has got to help cover up all this white! 

Again still not loving the result.

I had definitely entered into what is called "the awkward teenage phase" 

of my paintings. 

Canvas 1
Translucent Layer

Canvas 2
Translucent Layer

What happens in week three, you get to wait just like I had to

to find out where these canvases are going?

Only time will tell.

For information on the Bloom True E-Course

Follow my progression in "real" time on Instagram

 "Like" my artist page on FaceBook

Visit my Website