A beautiful mess

Unravelling our stories through art.

“Art is Messy” …Jeff Kleon understands this so well and I loved this little illustration of his. Art is messy because it’s paint and media that naturally requires clean up as part of the process. ..but it’s more than that.

Art is…

Art doesn’t just suddenly appear complete and perfect on the page

1. Art is messy and explorative as we step into the unknown of creating something new. This art you are creating has never existed before.
2. Art is an archaeological dig into our stories and a way to shape news stories.
3. Art is a searching and explorative process as the artist connects with all the details of whatever it is we are creating.
4. Art is all our history filtered into this story that we are allowing to take form and be share with the world.
5. Art is soul pieces translated into form.
6. Art is all the journeys we have taken along the way filtered into this one expressive form.
7. Art is and a series of questions that continue until that point where we actually feel complete as we step back and view our creation.
8. Art is about feeling your way through the form and becoming it so you can shape that inner image onto the page in a way that resonates, not only with your inner artist but with the future audience.
9. Art is a guided process and when we get out of our own way, we get to create something amazing.
10. Art is an experience of the sheer joy of play and possibilities as we discover new connections

Art is  all these things and so and so much more .

Show ready?

What on earth is show ready…what is this flutter of inner panic as I work towards the perfect show…I know that doesn’t really exist but…

Im getting ready for a solo show in September at a wonderful little art space called ArtSpace@ArtSpace2b. I know I have enough art to showcase tomorrow if needed but I am evolving. The me I was when I painted these pieces no longer exists. That means that i need to dive back into visual stories which I had thought finished but they are never complete until they find their new home. The process I am experiencing is the unravelling of that beautiful inner mess as I shape it onto the page into something that feels whole and flows with that sense of connection. This feeling of complete is what I am always moving towards but it is the process that is what it is all about.

These finished pieces that are ‘ show ready’ have gone through many stages in their becoming. I am sharing soul parts and as Julia Cameron would attest… this is ‘an archaeological dig’. This is about reaching inside and finding me in all the images that flow and reshaping the spaces between until I feel complete. It is messy because it is about shaping something that has never been before and that space of birthing something new..and yes it is new every time. If it doesn’t have that feeling if newness, I hesitate to call it art.

Art stretches you

Art stretches you and you grow with it and there are growing pains. The struggle in unearthing a new idea is real but it is also the joy and surprise of it all. That is what calls me…this desire to discover these new spaces that are connected and joyful. I breathe into these spaces in all their messy possibilities and uncover so much more than I thought possible. Art continues to surprise and delight me…sometimes I have to walk away as the flow seems to have stopped. I know if I give it space that I will come back to it and be able to move forward again and shift out of the mess I had become stuck in. Art and life are really a lot alike. Art will continue to challenge and delight me as I go through a process of mess to flow until I feel complete.it is the contrast that keeps calling me back as I seek to get closer to the inner imagery through this intuitive, guided art space.

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  What if...?

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  In my studio

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  Collage pieces spread out ready to create.

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  Art is...

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Connecting to art is a choice of course and not everyone is ready to listen to that inner stirring to create an image through an art process. Art owners are the people who buy art as they resonate with the visual story that has been created. Part of them resonates with the message in the art and they are called to the shared story. Perhaps it is a desired thing or feeling or perhaps it simply reminds them of a special time. Whatever it is that calls a person to an art piece is that inner connection that wants to continue the story.

Art Stories

The story of an art piece is never really complete until it has found its home and added your story to its own. Every art piece has multiple stories and many ways to connect with them as you find your own story within them.

As an artist I am painting my inner world and shaping my vision. As a viewer I hope to inspire you to connect to the stories and add your own. You see the piece is never quite complete until it connects with someone else’s story. You impact the energy of the art as it becomes part of your world.

Do you create art and have your own beautiful messy creative play space? Or do you share the joy of collecting art that calls to the story within you? Do you seek a art that has a strong political message or challenges you or do you seek to be inspired by beauty and connection. We are all drawn to art in different ways as the joy of art is in its uniqueness. Stories are what inspire me to create as they are all about connection and choices along the way. How we choose to find our next best step. I teach  Art Inside Out story writing so if you are curious about finding your art stories as you become part of the art story follow the link.

Discover your art story connections.

Art and life

Whatever way you choose to have art in your life is perfect as it enriches our world. Today consider the beautiful mess that is art and how it connects to your own life. What is it that draws you to a piece of art? What is it that attracted you to this art post? Then give yourself the space to look at an art piece that calls you and breathe into the feeling and story it creates. It doesn’t take long to connect with an art piece now as the web brings everything to us. If you have a special piece you have created or a puece you own then spend time exploring the details of the piece. What part of your story do you recognise in this piece of art that you chose.  Breathe deeply and let this be a space for mindfulness where you can slow down and reconnect. Art may be messy but it helps bring us back to our center when we pause long enough to remember who we are and all the special connections along the way.

Art is messy and playful and the perfect space to be surprised by joy as you discover new perspectives and find your story waiting.