I had a major break in between learning and loving art at school and stepping into the shoes of becoming an adult artist. I guess you could say that life just got in the way. I remember dabbling in clay when I was at school, making a range of horrid looking pink brains for my year 12 exams and a crazy bird bath sculpture thing my parents very lovingly (hesitantly) put in their front garden. But I did enjoy a range of different mediums.
Fast forward 20 or so years, 3 children and a husband later I found myself in a workshop led by this beautifully whispy blonde artist, (the type you associate as a 'real artist') taking us on a journey into her love of mandalas and how to create our own. I also fell in love right there and then with watercolour, pencils, the paper and most of all the intuitive process.
Yes I'd reconnected with my passion for art, but more than that, I'd come in contact for the first time with this new way of creating where it didn't matter if I couldn't draw or paint perfectly. I didn't start with a picture in mind, so it didn't matter if the end product was the same. There was a process to it, a place to begin, a place to finish, it didn't matter the colours or the symbols used. It was easy, reflective and meditative. It was a way of connecting with my intuition and really feeling, listening and observing.
This led me on a journey to becoming the intuitive artist I am today. But also it formed the beginning and basis of my spiritual practice.
I began to follow what felt good. Plain and simple. If it feels good to paint triangles, I'll paint triangle after triangle until it loses its enjoyment. Then I'll move onto something else, or a different colour, different medium, whatever feels right and enjoyable.
Using this intuitive process I began setting up the children with their own paints and together we would create mandalas using watercolour and pencils, until I could hear the call of alcohol inks. I then found myself standing in our laundry in 5 minute spurts, excitedly pouring inks onto a page with no plan or idea as to what would happen, then running off back to my children. The inks are really stinky and not great to breath in so the kids couldn't join me for this one.
At some stage I wasn't enjoying it like I was, so I moved onto another modality such as gouache or collage or charcoal or even digital platforms like Procreate. Whatever medium makes my heart sing that day/week/month.
More recently I've found myself back with watercolour and markers then transferring the image to Procreate for an extra play around. From this the Rainbow Series was born which you can see some of here.
It began with a meditative journey back to my first souls incarnation here on earth, back to simpler times when we were all uniquely celebrated beings. Part of my journey centred around the energetic healing essence of the rainbow and how this forms an important part of my souls work. I began furiously painting rainbows then manipulating them digitally.
I'm really interested to see where my love for intuitive art takes me. I have a passion around sharing the processes of intuitive creation and the positive impacts this can have on your overall life. I've been lucky enough to be invited to facilitate workshops on this topic and have also just begun a membership program to inform and support people to find their own creative passion.
All people are creative beings, not just a select special few. It's about following what fills you with joy and seeing where that takes you.
Simple as that.