The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap

The Love Fairy

So I haven't written a blogpost for over a week and I wondered why.  Then I realised I had set myself the challenge of no TV 2 week challenge.  Here's the thing.  I haven't achieved everything on my list but I am part way to organising space and I have just been painting quite alot.  Not having TV in my life and listening to classic fm has made a subtle shift and created Space in my Soul.  I am writing about this alot these past few weeks. 

So.  I am taking part in the Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap which is being organised by Beth Nicholls from Do What you Love for Life (she's organising the fab retreat in May in Yorkshire).  The idea behind the postcard swap is to create a postcard, on the theme of LOVE and it has to contain some kind of 'stitching'.

So I have worked on my Love Fairy.  She was asking to be made so that's what I did.  Using Matt photo paper which has a durability to it, I created my background and added the Love Fairy. I used a variety of mediums, acrylic, tulips, glitter, and I have recently purchased Faber Castell Big Brush Skin Tone pens which are just divine. 

Reverse side

So the next step is I sent this off to my recipient in USA and I will be waiting to receive a stitched postcard from whomever has been given my details. We then all write a blog about the one we have got and post photos on a special Flickr album.

It's all quite exciting and something I have never done before.  A great way of meeting people and getting to know this global creative spirited community.  

On another note, I have been to see a lovely venue today in Liverpool to organise my own workshop.  A day where you can learn how to create your own canvas, jules dolly stylee and release the creative soul within.   Details to be revealed when I finalise them but watch this space.  

And so to finish off the commissions I have going on and to paint more for selling, prints and greeting cards.  *Jules does a jig* 

No TV - 2 week Challenge

I have been thinking about this for a while now - not to watch any TV for at least 2 weeks.   I don't watch that much anyway but I find with it being cold and miserable during the winter evenings, I have probably sat in front of it for too long. Sometimes, I will sketch, often I'll have laptop perched.    So I'm thinking that now the nights are becoming lighter I can go and catch up on all the things that I have been planning for the spring.  They are [in order]:

• Paint the communal hallway and re-carpet it
• Tidy up the space outside the lounge window, create a potted plant area and screen off the bins
• Find a small writing bureau or make a desk to have a craft corner somewhere tucked into this home of ours.  (although that is a challenge as there's not alot of free standing space).
• Re-organise the bookshelves and the book space.
• Re-decorate the second bedroom which is a dressing room/drying room/mini storage area [and a bit yuk]. 

That's quite a long list.  And at the same time, there's work to go to, things to develop; paint more, write more and live more. 

I treated myself, (have been saving up for this one) and I'm going to start the Soul Restoration 6 week online course written by Melody Ross in USA.  It all kicks off April 5th so will hopefully get my supplies organised, my desk space sorted, the painting done, just in time for this.

Hence, No TV.

Have a lovely week 

Jules xx

Barefoot Doctor's Healing Music

No doubt you've heard of Barefoot, supercharged Taoist healer, author of ooh I think it's something like 13 books; he's someone I have known for a long while, been on a few tai chi retreats where I have learnt the entire short form yang style with him.  Two of them were in beautiful Cardigan Bay on Angel Mountain, and one was in Barcelona Girona.  

Anyway, it has been a real rainy day here today in Liverpool, but me and Lucy went for a walk and I thought who shall I listen to today as I'm walking?  I find that if I listen to inspirational music I walk longer. 

Modern poppy stuffy is ok, but not really what I'm after when I'm walking.  I have a number of toons that I downloaded from Barefoots website called:

Stroll, Satellite, Get Here and Soul Cleansing.  I would really recommend you go check them out - you'll find them quite hypnotic.  He's got a great hypnotic style which the clubbers in Ibiza get the chance to hear and dance to.    

http://www.barefootdoctorworld.com/medmusic/1/  Anyway, I have just been there to have a look and there's so much more on offer.   I would recommend the stuff.  Hope you're having a lovely day.  Here's me and Barefoot when I produced an event in Liverpool called "Barefoot in the Park" in 2004.  A great night had by all with 250 people, maybe time for another?  Love and Stuff xx

Art Retreats and Amazon

I'm an Amazon fan. Now, I know that it's really taking away emphasis from book stores and I do worry about that, (especially when Borders closed) but I still love the fact that I can search for books and one thing will link me to another.  I also love the fact that amazon will remember what I have been looking at and then send me an email to tell me of books that are similar to what I have been viewing.  That's great really and opens up not only a new selection, but introduces me to new authors.  I'm finding the more I embrace my art self the more I look, read and sketch and plan.  

Today I got a whole new selection of books through from them and found myself being captivated.  Such an amazing amount of effort in these books.   I have highlighted three of them here at the bottom of this post.  What is also so lovely is William has won £50 worth of WH Smith vouchers which he has said I can use.  How fab is that.  I'm not going to use them all, (he deserves them too) but I may just treat myself to one of these books.  There's another one that I love the look of but it isn't published here in the UK yet and it is by Pam Carriker and called Art at the Speed of Life.    

Whilst walking today with Lucy, I was also contemplating my teaching again and wondered about putting on a day workshop called 'Introduction to Art Journaling' or Make your own Mixed Media Canvas'.  I would love to go on a creative art mixed media retreat, there's not that many around in the UK - tonnes - of course, in the States.  However, there is one in Yorkshire in May called 'Do what you Love for Life Retreat' - it's quite steep-price wise.  But I'd love to go.   

Then there's Brave Girls Camp which takes place in Idaho USA, but it's booked out all year, so they're offering Soul Restoration An Online 6 week Course for $99.  There's just so much out there.  What I know for sure, is that the UK is just 15 years behind the states in so many ways.  Not such a bad thing because it gives us something to aim for when we're talking 'retreats'. 

Wouldn't it be lovely to organise a creative arts retreat - meditation, yoga, a beautiful venue, gorgeous vegetarian food and classes taught by individuals who are experts in their field.  Something to ponder I feel.  

Anyway just for any of you who may be interested, here's 3 of the books that caught my eye.

Lots of love for mid week Wednesday 

Jules xxx

1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspirations  by Dawn DeVries Sokol Average customer review: Art Journals and Creative Healing: Restoring the Spirit Through Self-Expression  by Sharon Soneff Average customer review: Journal Bliss  by Viollette Average customer review:

Blog Meddling

I thought I was really clever today - technically speaking that is.  I have been thinking for a while now that I wanted to change my blog name to www.julesdollyart.blogspot.com and I discovered a way to do it.  Only to then re-discover that it has completely deleted my juliadolowicz version.   Just like that.  Kapoof.

So it got me thinking.  Shall I leave it as it is?  Will it cause confusion in blogland? I did achieve my follower goal, which was to try and get 2 by the end of this weekend.  Would it really matter if I changed my name?  I could always tell all 4 followers (I have 5 followers but one of them is me, so that doesn't really count does it.)

You see, I've always been Jules Dolly.  Tho' not normally outwardly so.  I have always been a Dolly, well my name does possess a kind of Dolly in it. My dad's best man always called him Ruby Dolly.  So I'm not bigging myself up here. The Jules, obviously comes from Julia.  I was named after my grandpa Julius, also knowns as Jules, my mums father, who unfortunately I never got to meet but I feel I know as she has kept him alive in our hearts and mind.  So I love being called Jules.  It reminds me of him.  

Add to this I am a mixed media artist and well, it just all goes together like rama-lama-ding-dong.  

So I think I'll stick with it.

Happy Mondays.

xxx

My grandpa Jules
and his daughter

Thank crunchie it's Friday

Been a busy day today - a lot of talking and on my feet.  The day started really well, I was visited by Tizzy Faerie who brought me some beautiful yellow roses, which now take pride of place on the table in our lounge.  It was and is always a lovely way to start my day.   I also met a really interesting woman today who was just visiting the health shop.  She was from the west midlands - 'just visiting'.  Maybe not, maybe sent there to meet each other.

We started talking about Jan De Vries Body Energy book and the hand positions, chakra points and she told me she had a clinic and did a form of therapy called, Bio Danza.  The dance of Life.  It looks and sounds amazing and something that really I'm attracted to.  Reconnecting with the body and taking the head out of the equation.  I could do with some of that.  I'm often in my head space and hold on to feelings in my body, which is why I always struggle with my weight.  (There's obviously so much more than this one feeble sentence).  She's going to be running a workshop soon which I'm quite tempted to attend, so let's see how that transpires.

I also had an email about becoming an EFT practitioner (emotional freedom technique).  Now I am normally the Julia who loves these kind of things and it's a great offer, with a £150 reduction for level 1 and level 2.  I have spent a short while doing EFT personally and with family/friends and I can really see its benefits and wonders, more so than psychotherapy and counselling.  (which is where my background started in the health field, as a counsellor).  I wonder and contemplate whether this is something I need for myself right now.  Do I really just want to focus on my writing my 2nd book, as well as my Mixed Media Art.  Do I need EFT? Do I know enough?  Do I want to practice professionally or can I just be and continue with what I know?  Is it necessary to do it?  What's the purpose?

Anyhoo, to the right (above) is a sketch that I did when I was in France, it reminds me of a time there, where I spent 5 months and the sketching frenzy I had.  I'm always sketching and colouring in and this is where my heart lies.  My mum says it's what I used to do the most of when I was 8 years old.

8 years old - always a good indication of what makes your heart sing in life.

Have a warm and gorgeous night
Jules x

Painting Day - Yay!

It has been a good day today - I have spent a little more time in my studio and carried on with this new painting - it's called Moonlight, Midnight and Best friends.  I'm loving it - it's a night scene which I haven't done before but I drew some sketches when we were away in Winchester in December.  It was dark and Lucy and I went out for a quick walk, you know the type, when the dog needs to 'go'.  The night was still - the moon was full and the stars were out.  There was no light pollution as we were staying in a log cabin on the outskirts of a golf course.  

Glorious.  

I'm really enjoying this painting - it's serene and will be going in my new catalogue of paintings which I'm working on right now.  Warm love to you all x o x 

Another commission finished

Hey there Sunday morning,  I have been excited about finishing this painting - it is for a very 'old' friend who lives in Israel, let's call her Chi.  Chi and I have been in each other's lives since we were about 3 or 4.  So we're nearly hitting the 40 years of friendship.  Although we don't see each other very often, we do keep in touch and I was so chuffed to do this painting of her and her family.   It winged its way to Israel on Thursday and I got a lovely email back that night saying:

"Sensational!!!! We love it and 'very talented' is the consensus! Thankyou very much. Laila tov" (goodnight in hebrew).  It was quite a tricky one as I knew that she wanted something on the theme of navy, they are big Dennis the Menace fans  - so I did my upmost to incorporate this into the painting.  I'm pretty chuffed with it - and I'm sure they will find the right place to hang it.

I'm getting inner cues to focus more on my art than ever before.  Have a lovely day xoxo   

An Ode to the Dees

That's my Dees 
My furry baby 
She's a little Dee
A name coined
Twelve years ago
Dee meaning D
D meaning Darling
She's a Dees
A little Dees
My little darling
Always happy to just be
I love my little dees
She's the bees dees 

A new Day

Welcome to 2011.  I realised this morning as I was beginning my journal pages that there is so much hope, optimism, confidence and newness of new years day, that I began to ponder - why doesn't this happen every day?  Why wait a year to feel optimistic, to sit and plan some new projects for the year.  It's very true to say that we have every opportunity to do this every day and yet I hesitate.  

Decided that I will blog more because it keeps me on my toes.  Have a peaceful (inner and outer) 2011 with happy times and confidence to start new things.

With love
xoxo