Venus favours the bold

Two years ago eight artists decided to share their art in a round robin art journal. Two years and two books later I've just finished the final pages in Tammy's journal which is now winging its way back to the southern US of A.

It has been an adventure! Every month an ever-growing art gallery has been dropping through my letterbox. Each parcel bursting with layers of paint, collage and above all love.

I know I wasn't the only one to struggle a little with these final pages. I'm not sure if it was the pressure of seeing all that amazing art that I felt I had to match, or just knowing that once this one went in the post we were all finished... I certainly don't want this collaboration to end. Shall we do another one next year ladies? Please say yes!

So, onto my pages... Tammy chose the colour theme of black, white & tan.

I started Venus before watching Lady GaGa doing her own interpretation in her undies on the X Factor at the weekend. Bonkers was the first adjective that came to mind - along with a healthy dose of respect for a woman who just does what she wants! You see, I do think a bit of bonkers is good for the soul!

It was the print of Botticelli's version at the back of Tammy's journal that provided the inspiration for this piece - rather than the scallop shell bra.

I thought that Jennifer's quote was particularly appropriate for this project:

"You know when I feel inwardly beautiful? When I am with my girlfriends and we are having a Goddess Circle."

As Ovid said - Venus does indeed favour the bold as indeed does fortune and both have done Lady G a bit of good.

I'd been saving these pages for a while to collage with...

 

My tag to add to the collection...

 

Perfect colour scheme for this owl - plus a real owl feather.

 

 

Where have I been?

 

Oh I am such a busy girl these days that my poor blog has become much neglected. The trouble is that there are just way too many distractions. I've been spending hours on Facebook groups - tut tut! I've been painting, adventuring in other dimensions, writing a vampire story, learning, reading and today I've done some gardening (and am feeling a little worse for wear as the thorns and insects scored my skin with their displeasure at my disturbing their summertime slumbers with my hedge-trimmer, secateurs and digging implements!). I've also got to level 96 on Candy Crush, but really that's nothing to be proud of! Frankly there just aren't enough hours in the day for blogging too, and when I write for a living, sometimes it's just too much to think up fancy paragraphs when a sentence will usually suffice on Facebook!

I have to say that sometimes, as much as I love it, sometimes social media can just get a little bit too overwhelming! It's also expensive. All those music, art supply and book recommendations are costing me a fortune!

However, without it I would not be the social butterfly I am. How could I keep up with my worldwide tribes of like-minded artistic souls? Today I am sharing another collaboration art journal set of pages. The theme of the latest of these is The Goddess - she who is Mother to earth, nurture, love, growth. The Goddess has been appearing in my artwork with increasing regularity over the few weeks, so it was kismet that She should be with me this week.

Chakras

A collaborative piece. An earlier artist(s) created the background and drew the figure. I coloured in her face.

A magical journal journey

Taking Gemma's journal to Glastonbury seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do - for after all, has not this group of artistic ladies named their project 'magical journal journeys'?

And just look at the cover - dragon skin for sure!

So, I carried the book of magic up to the Tor and to the Chalice Well. At the Well it took a light shower in the healing spring water - luckily dragon skin is quite water resistant!

And then, back home and suitably inspired by feminine energy, I created a homage to Mother Earth in these two pages.

I feel a change in me, a shift in the currents. Something long dormant has woken, a spell broken by another... The urge to create is strong in this one...


(I'm also sharing these sketches with the Sunday Sketchers - I have long been absent from my friends there!)

Passion

I'm bringing my Sunday Sketch a touch forward  this week since I'll be posting my One World One Heart (OWOH) piece tomorrow. I've written a little fairy story, so you'll have to come back and let me know what you think - you might even win something! (See the button in the sidebar for more info on OWOH.)

This week has been all about sensuality within my art as I finished my Goddess (painting on canvas below,  inspired by Tam's course and loosely by Klimt), created another (sketch above, and as you can see, somewhat more inspired by Klimt), then completely let rip with the paint on an unfinished piece - I'll share it later in the week. It's taking a familiar topic but with a different approach. I was totally in 'the zone' when I painted her. She was inspired by nobody but me. I surrendered totally to the passion of art and let go... Just a few finishing touches once the latest layer dries and she'll be ready to unleash.

Tam's course over at Willowing.ning is food for the soul. What a wonderful group of artists are sharing their work in the forums. I am blown away by all that I am seeing. There is creativity bursting out across the globe with so much support and encouragement from all. It's so exciting to see the magic pouring forth from every paintbrush!

I'm covered in gel medium and acrylics (there's a dusting of peelings from my fingernails surrounding my keyboard!). I wish I could put into words quite what happens when I combine music and paint (and possibly pinot grigio!). I don't care if I never sell a painting (and am beginning to understand why Van Gogh persisted for so long). I am floating, my soul is lifting. What is this potent magic? How has it enchanted me so?