dreaming with O...

dream with your eyes open~ journal page

illustration friday

Dearest Oprah,

It is true that you have kept me company in my art studio over the years. Listening and watching whilst drawing, gluing and painting. There was no better way for me to fill my soul. This was when I felt the connection to my best Self.

There were days when your knowledge and wisdom gave me exactly what I needed to unlock the next part of my journey. Truly, synchronicity at its best. You gave me confirmation I was on the ‘right’ track, the tools and the words to help me become the person I dream I can be.

Whilst watching your last show it did indeed feel like you were sitting in my lounge room, telling me I have an important job to do and that I need to get on with it. That my dream is worth pursuing ….because I am worth it.

Deep within my heart I know I have something special to share, a purpose beyond my own. Through my art I see others connecting to the best part of themselves…

My vision for my art is for it to reach deep inside of someone, to awaken a part of them. To connect with that special something rising inside. A heartfelt connection. It might be a feeling of being loved, a special memory returns or inspiration to make some changes in their life. Maybe it’s about just feeling so damn good about who they are that they want to keep looking, feeling…

Thank you for encouraging me to be my true soul filled self. This is who I was meant to be. And thank you for always being there when I needed you most, with the words I most needed to hear…like a true friend holding my hand, telling me “Yes, you can”.

Oprah, thank you for being all that you can be….you inspire me to be all that I can be. Truly.

With much heartfelt love

Nic Hohn

yes I emailed this to Oprah and yes I got a reply. both from O and the Universe...and I am working on being my best possible creative self I can be.

* here's some more O reading from Liv + Michelle Ward

6 Degrees Separation. Interview with Jen Crossley

The theory of Six degrees of separation has always intrigued me, knowing we are all connected to each other through people we know and through the Universe, gives me goosebumps, in a good way. As Wiki explains

"everyone is on average approximately six steps away from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer". ...

and I'm inspired to share with you some of the connections I've made with amazing artesian's, learning how they stay connected to who they are, their craft and their creative community .

And with out further a due, let me introduce you to a fun loving, creative woman who I met briefly a few years ago, Jen Crossley. Jen's the type of gal who I felt immediately at ease with, she has a huge open heart and a fabulous sense of humor!

Jen Crossley ~ A Mark in Time

How did your creative story begin?

I was only very young when I started to create. My mum used to belong to the CWA (country women’s association) so she was always making things. That’s when I started to sew a lot at the start, then it just took off from there.

How did you come to be creating the art that you are?

I have always love paper and metal I loved combining the two in pieces of art. I honed my skills with metal and moved onto a lot more metal work jewelry and books etc. I love using found objects in my work.

I love that you create with recycled elements, how do you go about sourcing these?

I love found objects, I mainly source these objects at Antique shops, Flea markets, swap meets. I'm always on the look out for that one piece.

How do know when a “find” has the potential to be something more?

It's a feeling when I find that piece it just stands out to me I have to have it. Sometimes it might be a object that I can put a picture in it, I never pay big money for them, they are usually someones junk, my treasure.

You live in Central Victoria, Australia. How do you stay connected with your creative community?

I have no arty friends where I live, an artist waste land. I always joke about it. I travel to Melbourne a lot so I try and catch up with my arty friends when I can. I also travel to teach Brisbane and Perth so I keep in contact with my friends when I teach. I have made lots of wonderful friends when I travel, we all share a passion of art. I also keep in contact on line with Blogs and facebook. My main friends are Arty People.

(Told you she's got a sense of humor!)

What motivates you to create your art?

I just find I need to create for my own piece of mind. If I haven’t created for awhile I get unsettled. I make Art for me. It helps me relax , unwind and escape for a little while.

Etched in Time

One of the piece's Jen's teaching @ Art + Soul

One of your all time dreams has become a reality and your teaching at Art & Soul, Portland this year. Huge Kudos to you! What are some of your other aspirations?

I'm so thrilled to finally reach this goal. In my art life it has been a dream for such along time. I would love to do a book one day, but we will see. I just want to share my knowledge with others, that’s what it is all about, sharing what you love.

Jen + Keith LoBue

What or who has inspired you in your creative journey?

In my early years I must say my mum did inspire me, as the years went on, a lot of my arty friends inspired me.Julie Van Oosten for my love of paper, Christine Atkins really inspires me to try even harder in my art and Linda Lynch inspire me in Life and art.

I have had the opportunity to take some amazing classes with American tutors who have travelled to Australia over the last 3 years. I have honed my skills and feel more confident thanks to, Keith Lobue, Susan Lenart Kazmer, Robert Danick, Stephanie Lee , Nina Bagley, Michael De Mang and Mary Hettsmansperger.

What, if any challenges do you find living + creating in Australia?

This is a great question. Where I live it’s so hard to get supplies, so I go to Melbourne to find some supplies. I get so frustrated when I can’t get a certain products or tool. The internet has opened up a whole world of obtaining these items now. But I usually want them yesterday LOL.

And a little more about Jen...

Jen lives in Miners Rest, a small country town in Victoria, Australia.She's been married to Mark for twenty-six years. They have two wonderful children Nicole and Matthew.

Jen has no official degrees in the art field. She's mainly a self-taught mixed media artist. When she first started, she was interested in paper art, vintage styles (of course), and the love of metal and paper. Combining the two together became an obsession. Naturally the next step was jewerly, but Jen still combines the paper elements that she loves.

Jen's been published in many Australian paper arts magazines and published several times in Somerset Studio and Belle Armoire Jewerly and she's been teaching her art for over twenty years now, travelling through out Australia.

"Being self taught isn’t always easy, invention is the key to knowledge."

Jen welcomes visits to www.amarkintime.blogspot.com and www.amarkintime.com

reclaiming

Reclaim your wild notions ~ mixed media on paper

Inspiration Avenue Challenge

Are you up for some journaling?

Calling all you journal freaks! Yep I'm in there too waving my arms about with gusto...this is an awesome challenge you don't want to miss out on! The Sketch Book Project is a global calling for artists to journal their hearts out and then to be part of a traveling exhibit in the US, UK and drum role please....Australia.

You'll find all the deets on their website. I just received my journal, it's smaller than what I'm used to creating in, both size of pages and the amount. But that can only be a good thing!

Art Journal Stack

Journal stack~ Kind Collective

So what do you do with all those filled journals? Mine are stacked on my bookshelf once I feel they are full. And sometimes that's not about coming to the end of the journal pages. It may just be time to move on to the next. Another chapter ready to start.

I love the concept of repurposing. Everything has a purpose, I believe many purposes if you look deep enough. My art journals are no exceptions... from creative discoveries, trying new design ideas, emotional outpourings and inspired uplifting. Yep its all there between those lusious covers and crumpled, painterly edges. From time to time I'll flip through my old journals, see how far I've travelled + achieved, both creatively and personally.

or I'll just set a page up on a little easel to encourage some positive flow.

Vintage Finds

Some of my most favorite things I own, I've bought from Op shops (thrift shops). This is my all time best handbag ever! Its a hand crotchet bag with a yellow lining. Bought it for $5! and the handles are removable so I through it in the wash from time to time. I love that someone else has made it...

And here is my other fav handbag from an Op shop. This wasn't second hand, but it was so quirky I feel in love with it as soon as I saw it. and for $13 I couldn't say no. It's made from a cane like weaving, sequins on the handles and organza flowers.

whilst I few flowers have popped off, I love it!

Shopping in vintage and thrift stores is definitely like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get! But they can be as sweet as ever.....

Tropical Dreams

Tropical Dreams ~ Mixed media Collage

Inspiration Avenue

"Just living is not enough! One must have

sunshine

freedom

and a little flower!"

Hans Christian Anderson

big, unusual hair

Aren't these inspiring pics? Love the big hair and grey scale. They're from an old Culture magazine that my hair dresser gave me. I so love going to my hairdressers just to read the hair mags..hair seems to be such an important element of my portraits. but its got to be big or unusual. you know what I mean?

Universal Collaboration!

journal page

Sometimes when I sign up for things I get more than what I bargained for…yep that’s the way the Universe intended it to be, I’m sure! So here’s a little reflection…

When I signed up to do Kelly Rae’s Flying Lessons last year I thought I’d be learning about my arty biz. And I did, but I also learnt SO much about myself.

Kelly Rae’s words of wisdom shone a light onto my creative biz and I got to see clearly where the ‘holes’ were in my artsy biz dream. I also got to see where the holes where in me. I’d been giving myself messages that my art wasn’t good enough, or it wasn’t quite the ‘right’ art or maybe I should be making that seems to be selling, maybe, maybe, maybe…. many, many self defeating, thoughts. I felt I wasn’t making the progress that I so deeply felt in my heart.

In actual fact it was not my creativity at fault…. the other components in my art biz were unbalanced ….simply. I was unaware.

Since then I’ve been looking into the ‘holes’ to make changes. I’ve began creating art that is authentic to me. Going back to basics of creating art that makes me feel good about who I am. Now I’ve got a plan as what to do and how to do it. And that makes me feel courageous and brave in my steps.

I have a slightly more realistic biz vision and I know that my art is worthy, that what I have to contribute is valuable and my internal compass is heading North to my dream. With the some more biz knowledge in hand, more self belief and self validation, my tool box is filled with practical steps. I feel authentic and courageous. To me this is immeasurable success.

Definitely more than I bargained for…

Sacred Journey

original painting, mixed media collage on canvas 60 cm x 60cm

inspiration avenue challenge

prints available here

Creativity is your own sacred journey. One that requires you to go within. It’s about getting to know your true self, allowing yourself time to grow, believing in your own creative abilities, having the courage to put something out there that others aren’t doing and most importantly accepting yourself unconditionally.

Loving the unknown

all those doors I painted really triggered something inside. and I'm wanting to paint. I haven't put brush to canvas for the longest time and have felt the inner callings to get back to it. maybe it was working through all that resistance, but I'm sure that something has unblocked and I'm feeling inspired again.

you know how much I love drawing grayscale portraits and I draw most of these on paper. I've been trying to figure out how to create these on canvas. A while ago I tried gluing paper onto the canvas+ drawing into it and that worked to a certain degree, but it didn't quite toot my horn. So I grabbed one of the canvas's I had in my studio and began reworking it. with paint, gesso and pen.

Whilst working on her face that little critical voice piped up telling me 'its not working, give up.' I thanked it for sharing and called on all the positive messages I could to affirm my creative skills. it felt like a turning point. so glad I was consious of it + I worked my way through it. so pleased I did. ahh painting can be such an emotional process....

I love where this is going. I love that I'm repurposing a canvas. I love that it feels like there is a challenge to create around what's already there, some boundary lines I can fall into.maybe for the first time I can say I am loving + trusting the unknown....

Blue Caravan...the ethical design market

Some exciting news to share with you! you can now buy my paper art goodies at Blue Caravan. Have you heard of it? Its all about Contemporary handmade, fair trade & ethical products
by independent designers, artists and artisans. It's a space with amazing creative goodies that you feel good and you just know that its an all round good place to shop. I've had a great time browsing! Here's my shop, come for a visit, love to have you pop by.I feel honored to be part of this grounded community that values all things good!

Love that nurtures

Hope all the mum's had a lovely mothers day. We had a peaceful day by the water, eating fish and chips and enjoying each others company. Love those sort of lazy days....

Here's some words that really touched my heart when I read them and seemed to make sense of the way I feel about mothering.

'You don't need to have job or even be in business to be doing your life's work. You may be raising a family as your life's work, helping to guide your children's life-force energy into higher order....' Sanaya Roman + Duane Packer.

This is an important job....

Fashion Graffiti

hello by Miss Shellie

isn't this inspiring? I loved Shellie Argeanton's creations the minute I laid eyes on her creative fashion graffiti. Shellie uses gesso and and brilliant ink on magazine pages to create one off images.

What do I love about this?

that I haven't seen this done anywhere else before, thats its about transforming an already existing image, its about recycling and its just plain different and unique..

if you want to see more, Shellie has the most amazing images at her flickr page and etsy.

painting and pushing through resistance

Another long weekend in Queensland and I was painting my heart. Not on a canvas, unfortunately, but sloggin’ it out in the garage. Do you remember these doors? Recycled from one on my hubby’s clients and they were lovingly made into cupboards for my studio.

It’s taken me a couple of months to find the motivation to paint them. Louver doors x 6! Undercoat + a couple of top coats. It was definitely a challenge for the mind to work through. But I pushed through the resistance and the excuses.There was no easy way out…just do it!

The kids had fun helping me paint for a while, our dog got a bindy spot or two and we were all tempted to give him a skunk stripe down his back.

The jobs complete and the doors look amazing and I’m giving myself a pat on the back for getting it done.Yep! Love my cupboards and beautiful white doors...