another in the 'happy place' series

I've decided to do another of my 'happy place' girls right away, since the first one helped get me out of my own headspace while painting her.  this girl is meditating on affirmations to get her through her 'stuff'.  I think a lot of us need minute-to-minute thinking these days, just to get by, and affirmations can help that process.

heres how she stands, unless I give her some last minute tending;

and heres how she got to that place

some color to start

I liked how the drips fell, and wanted to highlight them, so

turned the canvas

sketching in the pose

I had a couple of reference photos for this one

this sign is where I got my initial inspiration for the series

and I liked the cross legged pose

I liked the tilt of her head while looking at the viewer

and hoped to capture her slight smile

this is when I decided affirmations were in play here

and I liked the rainbow on her calf

getting color into her face, clothes and hair

getting the background ready for the affirmations

here she is again

I like her sweet face

"Affirmations as a Happy Place"

sending little love letters to the universe tells it where you want to go and is a great way to calm the mind.  it also reminds the energies around us what you wish to have happen.  saying "I am calm" is better than saying "I will not be anxious", because your brain gets confused with the "be anxious" part of the latter sentence.   be careful with the words you speak to yourself; the energies are there to meet you.

here is a good article about creating affirmations for yourself and why they are helpful.

sending you so much love!

until later,

Jenny

affirmations in the shop!

you guys!  i'm so thrilled with this idea of affirmations!  i'm going to continue making bookmarks to give away and to sell, and i'm going to bring them all into the shop for other items as well (heh, i'm a poet!).  it's so exciting for me to think of these positive words and phrases bringing joy and light into the world at this time.  oh, is it needed!

today my hero hubby put 8 of my affirmations into the shop.  the bookmarks are strangely shaped, so they work on only few items.  i'm going to have to think of a way to get the bookmarks i want while also getting the full effect on the shop merchandise.

here are a few items to drool over.

"affirmation #1;

i allow myself to be happy" 

as a print

loving how it came out as a notebook

"affirmation #2;

i choose to see the light i am in this world"

 print

how the tote worked out.  it's on my wish list!

"affirmation #4;

i fill my day with joy and share it with the universe"

print

the card came out nice

and this notebook makes me so happy!

"affirmation #6;

i matter"

 as a print

this fits nicely on most merchandise

"affirmation #8;

i am brave and strong"

 print

this tote is also on my wish list

and how's this for a strong mug?

these items and more are all in the heavenspirit creations shop!  i have a total of 8 new prints up today, some with multiple items for the affirmation.  i have more waiting to be uploaded, and a brain full of ideas.  i'd love to hear your ideas for affirmations you'd like to see as a print!

i'll keep you posted!

until later,

jenny

happy christmas, 2016!

my big craft for christmas gifts this year was bookmarks tailored to the recipient.  i chose affirmations that i wished my people would know or had more of in their life.

i started with sheets of watercolor paper and had fun with inks, acrylics and stamping a texture.  lots of layers, as thats how i like my art.

pretty!

i cut them into random sized bookmarks, cause thats how i roll.  i don't need no stinking measuring device!  organic, baby.

i knew i wanted to use book pages in the bookmarks, so tried different ideas for the affirmation phrases.  i wasn't happy until i stamped the words onto the blank areas of the book pages.  it

took a little time for me to find the look i wanted, but i am pleased with the clean look it created.

after stamping, i went over with pen to darken the ink

i added several layers of gloss medium to seal and protect the bookmarks, learning as i went along.

some in the drying phase

i added ribbon to the bookmarks, and pixel kitty helped

my book loving friends and family loved their affirmation bookmarks, and i enjoyed sending them loving energies!

from my home to yours, heres to a happy, healthy, prosperous and blessed 2017

until later,

jenny

day 30, challenge complete!

i'm so proud of myself for finishing this 30 day challenge with only 5 days of rest!  not only that, but this painting is going to be one i will cherish forever.  the skills i am using in this canvas are new and i'm just thrilled that i am achieving a level i never thought i'd get to.  onward and upward for me, as long as i keep the practice up, taking classes to gain new knowledge and opening my heart to the worlds wonders.


in the beginning of this challenge, day one, we saw me bringing words to the canvas.  words that i hoped to achieve or that i already am.  these were only positive words, as i open myself to all the good that is coming to me.

remembering day 1

and here we are at day 30

not done with her, yet

love!

she's getting there...

until later,

jenny

day 21

i'm feeling in a great place emotionally, like the universe and i are acting as a team these days and all good things are coming to me.

this morning i got word that i would be able to take part in an art and yoga day that is being hosted nearby in a few short days.  i hadn't thought i would be able to work it out but things are falling into place and it's a go!

i took my happiness to the studio early in the day and some happy colors, textures and combinations exploded on the canvas that will need to be photographed with my good camera in hopes for a spot in the store.

i was still not digging the bright copper, so i dripped purple india ink over the areas, letting it drip for a while and then setting it flat to settle into other areas.  i also added the purple to the white areas.  then i concentrated on the lilies, adding another layer of color to them.

heres where it stopped yesterday;

and todays progress;

"i am a child of the universe

i shine and sparkle 

wherever i go

i am important in someones life

i attract abundant good

and my dreams are coming true"

until later,
jenny

challenge, days 3 and 4

i wasn't feeling too chipper yesterday, but i was able to put a layer on for day 3;

this one was washi tape and acrylics.  i painted in white and scraped more positive words with a pencil tip.



day 4 has me doing more drippy layers in blues.  this morning i was feeling pretty craptastic about my art in general.  just like 'why do i even bother when the whole world does better art than i do'.  then i went to the studio, flung some drippy paint at the canvas and let gravity do it's magic.  suddenly all was better in my life!

and this is why i art; because the very act of it makes me happy.  there is magic in the paint.  there is magic in the act of painting.

i've done a second go round today after the first drippage event, this time in a light green shade, and i feel like i need to have mark photograph this one for the shop, i love it so much!

the blues you see here are much more faded than what i'm seeing in the studio.  it will take me holding it outside and mark taking the photo with our good camera in correct sunlight for it to come out right.  it's gorgeous!

until later,
jenny

canvas challenge day 2

i didn't think i'd update daily, and i probably won't, but today had THE change from just words to color and i had to post about it.

yesterday ended with a canvas full of positive words about myself.  either words that i already am or words that i'd like to have in my life.  i discovered more words that i may incorporate at another point in this journey.  it's nice to have a list of positivity about yourself.

today i got into a color scheme i like, of teal and light greens and some purples and blue.

i loved the mark making but am still run down.  i thought i'd end the play here, but i couldn't stop and i got into finger painting instead

that's better

as it stands now

drippage

words are peeking, still

'joyful'

i love all the texture happening already!  this was a combination of acrylics, water spray, and india inks, with a foam brush, credit card, pallet knife and fingers.

until later,

jenny

canvas challenge begins! day 1

i had an idea for day one for a little while so today was on the easy side.  i had the idea of putting my intentions for myself on the canvas.  all the positive words i could think of to describe myself now and who i wish to be.

here's my day 1

until later,
jenny

art as a business for the introverted

i don't know how to build my art business as an introvert with general anxiety issues.  i know how others could build a business with all their contacts and putting themselves out there doing art shows, but i don't know a lot of people and the ones i do know that love my art have already been buying my art and sharing my links.  they've done their part!  and now i must think of other ways to walk the line of fear while keeping myself safe and as sane as i can be in this position.

the muse is still willing to talk to me, so i've been working that aspect of it.  sketching and plotting the newest paintings and ideas of other topics.  thats the easier of the work ahead of me if i want to build the business.

i've brainstormed who my clients might be.  those who may enjoy my artwork;

• my clients are spiritual
• they need lightness in their life
• they do body work- yoga, chakras, stones, crystals...
• they are working to better themselves or others
• they need positive affirmations
• they are close to the earth

how can i connect with these people?  how can i find them and help them find me?

• bring business cards to library see if i can leave some
• leave business cards at the 'new age' shop in town and see if they will hang a painting there
• when my Facebook groups have a 'promote yourself' day, share my Facebook page in which i post my new items to sell and newest blog posts
• try to be more social, find a group outside of the internet

some of these things will be more difficult for me and require a lot of deep breathing and good self-talk.

i'm connecting to the muse with the drippy canvas and i had been thinking of adding one of my girls to it, but the more i think of it the thought is not appealing to me.  a face just won't fit on this one.  it just has too much water energy and it doesn't even want a mermaid, it wants frogs and insects!  if there is to be a girl, it will have to be a pixie or fairy of some sort, which is a neat thought.   i'm pretty excited about this energy and what it wants to say, so i've been finding a lot of reference photos to go by before starting to paint the more difficult critters.  i hope i can let go of perfection and let it be organic.

here is progress so far

next step is pussywillows and then frogs and more lily pads.  i love that the yellow feels like the sun is setting off the canvas somewhere, casting a glow to the water!

i also put another layer on a lion canvas i'd been working on.  fun stuff!


until later,
jenny