a cleansing goodbye

'Medicine Woman'. Mixed media on Canvas 50cm x40cm

Seems like there has been lots of letting go around here lately. Some has been easy, others its taken real courage to acknowledge its time to move on. BuBu has definitely a challenge for my

heart. ...it could have been so easy to hang on to the comfort. bit like a security blanket that I have out grown, but I know this part of my of my biz no longer has a purpose.This has given me the freedom. to be whatever my heart + soul wants me to be. And then to find out my printer has gone into voluntarily liquidation. well that was confirmation I'd made the 'right' decision.

so what else am I saying goodbye to....

• time with family after Xmas, couldn't get to Toowoomba as roads were cut by the floods.
• a trip to Yeppon, more flood waters are keeping us at home.
• my cupboard I found for $3. loved it when I got it, but I no longer have room for it in my studio.
• loads of 'stuff' has already gone to the Op shop (that was easy to let go of)
• my pink and green heart silk flags in the garden got broken, somehow....(hard!)
• my printer has kicked the bucket.
• arty files on my computer dating from pre 2007, can no longer open them....

A great lesson for me, helping me clean up and acknowledge what I want to keep in my life and what has expired...truly cleansing.

I Am Quirky!

I Am....inspirational, intuitive, imaginative. at etsy

I've been cleaning out cupboards and organisation things throughout the whole house. Truly this cleaning up bug is lasting forever...the most challenging spot I've found, is my studio. My new cupboards are in and I've been patiently trying to paint my navy blue bookshelf white.A bit of a task. Its been so wet and humid here that I am waiting forever for the coats to dry so I can put another on.

I found this painting in my 'stash' and have always loved the background colors and movement. Today this angel got a new face. I've been playing around with some different combination of mediums on canvas...and it feels like its coming together. Shes a bit quirky, but that can be lots of fun too.

A Letter from My Soul

Dear Ego,

Thank for being the best teacher I could ever hope, wish, dream for. Truly in the last few days I have seen myself in a light that I had not been aware of before. In this moment I am feeling humble and quiet having the ability to reflect and observe without judgment. I can know see these disowned parts, the parts that were trying to make their way to the surface, wanting to let me know my inner messages.... 'you are not enough because. you don't love me because'.

You have given me a gift beyond words. A mirror for me to see my true self. I saw my vision.Of how I see things in my heart, the dream of how I would truly love to live me life.What I call my soul life, my authentic life. Life as I know it could be. And I saw the other side. My disowned traits, in all their glory. A place where I learn so much about who I am.

I saw my unloved fragments.

No better gift. Now I can acknowledge the places where I don't love myself enough. and make changes. For with awareness comes the ability to know what to change.....

Loving myself when its tough. Loving myself when it feels that no one else does.Loving myself when things dont go 'right'.Loving myself when sales are down. Loving myself enough when I've had a challenging day at work. Loving myself when a conversation goes awry. Loving myself regardless of whats going on around me. Loving myself through the lack and mis-takes.

Loving myself unconditionally.

This is the true meaning of Self Love. Practice it.Daily. There are many rewards.

with all my love

Soul.

with loads of love

BuBu Blossom Celebration

BuBu Blossom Celebration

35% of all greeting cards until 4th Jan 2011.

That means you can buy a card for $3.95!

So what is this celebration? Its a celebration of growth and with growth comes change. Through much reflection and realization I've decided to merge my two artsy business's. In the beginning it was important for me to have them separate. Why? I wasn't always sure, but looking back I can see that BuBu was the place where I did much learning 'on the job'. Its where I taught myself PS, had the courage to send my designs off to get printed and then attempted to market and sell them. I've made many amazing connections and I know in my heart of hearts that BuBu has served her purpose. the cards have been touching peoples lives in a way I couldn't begin to dream of. But now its time to bring it all together...

"There's a trick to the Graceful Exit. It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, a relationship is over — and to let go. It means leaving what's over without denying its validity of its past importance in our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving on,... rather than out" - Ellen Goodman (I found this on fb its very appropriate)

As of the 4th of Jan, BuBu Blossom shall no longer be online.My cards and other creative goodies shall be available under my Nic Hohn website after this date at the normal price.

I'm closing BuBu Blossoms door and leaving the door to my art + my heart WIDE open.

what I've learnt....

I've been reflecting on the last six months. Truly, they have been huge. I've done things I've never done before, learnt things I didn't think I ever would and embrace things about myself that I wasn't even aware of.its been a time of real growth.With much gratitude I thank the last 6 months for all that its taught me and how I've struggled but stretched also....

• top of the list.. Kelly Rae's "Flying Lessons". challenged me to speak up and join the group.so glad I did.where I learnt that I am a talented artist, I just need to balance the other elements in my biz to make my dream a reality.
• gained courage to ask for what I wanted when I was clear on what that was.
• I learn by doing. yes I'm in my 40's and I'm just acknowledging that!
• made the effort to connect with new friends and the rewards have been great.
• I cancelled a solo exhibition/workshop planned for Oct, and found out in Sept that the biz had closed. So glad I listened to that inner message.
• learnt how important planning and organization is.
• went back into the workplace for a couple of days a week where my logical brain was stretched to the point that I thought the rubber band was going to snap. In the past my brain has not been wired for codes, numbers and systems. However I can say now that that job has taught me so much and I know for sure my creative vision is better for having this experience.
• I've put in place the systems and the planning that I've learn to be so important in both my biz and personal life.
• went to Keith Lo Blue's gallery talk and learnt soooo much from his words of wisdom.
• I learnt that its ok for me to design the life I want and don't have to take whatever comes along. that has taken daily discipline but thats easier than trying to sort through the 'whatever'.
• was asked to exhibit at Art + Show and I felt validated at home for doing this event.
• I had my first ever international holiday, which brought up fear, but I was able to work through it and I was ok!
• something has shifted and I can see through the illusions, that once kept me in the fog.

so what does all this mean? changes are afoot...I'm actually going to sit down and plan the year ahead, maybe even a biz plan and there shall be changes. for the better. that I know for sure....

I am Pink Enough!

"I am Pink Enough" available on Etsy

it seems like forever that I've actually put brush to canvas. this flowed out with the idea of drawing directly on to the canvas. I'm trilled with how it looks and was able to draw into it with my biro too. her face is actually whiter than what it is pictured here. the graininess you can see on her face is the texture of the canvas. not a premade canvas, but a fame my hubby made and stretched for me (He's a joiner by trade, I'm so lucky!)

and I have been in super organizing mode. I have to confess in the past I could never really see the value of being super organized. I was ok with being a bit organized or kind of knowing where things might be. But I've truly been bitten by the bug. it almost feels like a nesting period and I am so in love with storage containers. ..and I've discovered how wonderful those bags are that you put your clothes and linen in and suck all of the air out off.marvelous!

its happening in my studio too! these doors were given to us and my hubby and I have put plans together for 3 cupboards with 6 doors. I can see I'll be painting these white, along with my bookshelf and studio table. Can't wait to get things organized and labelled in there! can you see the corner of my car in this pic? I have some swirly graphics on the side and back of our station wagon with my website addy.

all is well...

street art is sydney

some street art we noticed whilst walking the streets of Sydney. loved this painting in the doorway of the shop....

sculptures made of concrete around a sign post (my daughter spotted this one)

a little b+w man. having a closer look I discovered the top painting and this one was created by the same artist."Ears", as he's known, has a website ( yes it is valuable to write your website on your creations) he paints lots of street art as well as canvas.maybe you've seen his work before? worth a look and refreshing to see a mans point of view on portraits. you can find him here www.earstotheground.net. I love the freedom he expresses through his brush/spraycan....

and where would be be without Where's Wally? we loved spotting all these delightful creations as we walked. ah the culture of Sydney..

lovin' these fireworks!

Really love the messages and imagery in this song. Well done Katy!! Lately I've been feeling like I'm igniting, like my heart is bursting, not sure where its come from but I'm living + loving every minute of it and certainly know the difference between feeling like this and not. I'm doing what I can to stay in this state...its a happy place for sure!

My take on the Opera House

Can't wait to see the Oprah shows that are going to be taped here. I'm soaking it all up,can't get enough of Oprah in Australia....mind you when I say the word Oprah to my family they just roll their eyes. Oprah overdose! I say bring it on!!

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On a sharing note Jo Wholohan has a great give away for Christmas. Just visit her blog and leave a comment. I've seen her art up close and personal, truly beautiful and she gives so much attention to detail....go now!

one of my favorite spots in Sydney

Yep, it was right next door to we here we stayed in Sydney. We went for drinks to The Winery, after trekking many many km's around Sydney. But I knew I was in for a real treat when I saw this seat at the bottom of the stairs with cowhide and a floral cushion. The stuffed peacock was also like a neon light saying this place has got spunk!

I don't usually connect with dead animals on walls, but this was done with unusual flare, in a way that I could consider as a possibility...was it the rosary beads?

The ceiling around the bar was shrouded with chandeliers and baskets of imitation flowers. It sounds so tacky, but honestly it was over the top beautiful.

Zebra print stools, cowhide chairs and pink leather....I felt like I was in heaven.

even though I may not look it!

travel has broadened our spirits!

Hyde Park Sydney

My sea legs have finally stopped swaying. I no longer feel like I'm going to fall out of bed or that the world is slowly rocking from side to side beneath my feet! Feeling much more grounded, thank goodness!!Since we've been back we've all jumped ( or maybe been thrust) into the reality we left behind... last week at school with Xmas parties and food to prepare, end of year performance, gift giving to the kids beloved teachers, a milestone event for our 13 year old enjoying his Year 7 graduation from primary school and work.

And so to some pics + sharing about our holiday. We started with 4 days in Sydney and looking back its a bit like our own Oprah Sydney visit. We did all the touristy things and loved every minute of it. I took heaps of photo's, some of them are 'arty shots' as my kids call them, 'I didn't see that' pics or 'why are you taking a pic of that?' but its all about beauty in the eye of the beholder, right?

We loved seeing these Sydney icons from a distance and over the next few days we explored them from the inside out.The kids were great and never complained about the amount of walking we did, which was huge! We just soaking it all up, from one end of the spectrum to the other. From the grandeur of the buildings to the homeless sleeping in these beautiful doorways. it was an eye opener on many levels....

Sydney Habour Bridge

Opera House

Taroonga Zoo

Some of my favorite images from Taroonga zoo.... there is more here too.

it feels like this family trip has changed our way of thinking, seeing and feeling about so many things in our world.in a good way, that only something like this could...... its been filtering through my spirit over the last few days, like many illusions have dissolved and I can see more clearly now.... I know in this moment that our experience together has been amazing and we have all grown as individuals and as a family in so many ways. Travel broadens so much more than just the mind!

there's no place like home....

some sites from Sydney.

we're back from our family adventure. and feeling grateful and happy to be home. we spent 4 days site seeing in Sydney and then on to a 7 day cruise to New Caledonia...great experience, saw HEAPS and shared much as a family.

I have some artsy pics to share with you, perhaps over the next week. I'm still rocking from side to side as I sit here and looking forward to feeling balanced on my 2 feet again. I've come home with a renewed since of spirit and new ideas in my creative pocket.when my world steadys I'll delve further into them.

we are all enjoying our own space at home and truly there is no place like home.