Blooming Magical

I'm just gathering my self together to reflect on my trip to Estoril, Portugal.  

Where to start?  I'll start with the kitchen window as this just made me take a breath.... Oh to have windows that open inwards (why do they not do that in the UK? )   I was staying in a lovely Portuguese guest house apartment above Margarida's language school and it really was so charmingly lovely...  

I took the time before the workshop to write, journal, rest and recharge before Flora Bowley's Bloom True workshop, which took place in Margarida Alberty's  Art Studio.  

It was all just truly bloomingly lovely.  

Effortlessly, Flora coached us to not fear the blank canvas, to move with music and to begin by mark-making.  Such FUN.   I have never done anything like this before.  I have never been to an art class, nor have I painted 'large'.  She also planted the seed of non-attachment within a painting. What she meant by this was - to 'let go' within the painting and to not become attached to parts of the painting but to BE BOLD and MOVE forward as the painting constantly changes.  We were always turning the painting, to see what we could see, from another direction.  We also spent time looking back, from the other side of the room and this had a huge impact on me.  

In fact, it was quite an Aha Moment!

I reconnected with an urgency to paint and to have Flora's experience by my side, it was just wonderful.  We were only 9 in the class, so we had so many opportunities to watch her, ask her and just bathe in the lushness of her artistic flair.  

Changes to canvases were happening by the minute!

At the end of day one. Phew, that was some painting class.  

10am till 7pm

 

I began to see swirls and circles wherever I walked that night.  This was the local supermarket boarding.

Watching Flora paint was meditative, to say the least.

After 2 days, one of my canvases looked like this.  I would have liked to spend more time on this piece but I think I may leave her now and start on a new canvas, a much bigger one and just 'go for it'.  I love painting this way and I'm sure it will add to my Jules Dolly Art, but this releases another part of me that I never knew about!

My two finished pieces.  

Our group: (Margarida is taking the pictures) 

To complete the weekend, we went to a lovely Portuguese restaurant where we laughed and laughed (and enjoyed some sangria!)

I'm still floating and there's more for me to reflect upon, but I felt that I wanted to post my initial, raw, thoughts from the workshop in Portugal.  Thanks Flora, Thanks Margarida and Thank you creative spirits that were in the group.

Off to Portugal

Flora Bowley

On Wednesday I'm off to Portugal.  Take a breath Jules... it has come round sooo quickly and I'm not quite prepared for what I'm about to do.

I'm going to Bloom True, to take a 2 day workshop with Flora Bowley.  I have loved and do love her work and I'm pretty excited to be learning a different stylee of painting.  Having had no real painting tuition, we're going to be completing 2 big canvases (by big, around 75cmx75cm).   Wow.  How on earth am I going to get them home on Easy Jet.

I had really wanted to go on the Do What You Love Retreat in Yorks organised by Beth Nicholls, which happened recently, and from the feedback from my friend DillyBoo Swirly Girl that looked amazing (Flora did a 3 day workshop there) Check out Dilly Boo's painting, it's amazing!  So I saw the workshop that was suddenly put on in Portugal and in talking it over with Will, decided that it could be a real retreat for me.  A Re-Treat.   So I'm going Wednesday, returning Monday and will have 2 days on my own there, 2 days to explore Lisbon and the area where I'm staying, which I think is called Estoril?  I'll be back on Monday and hopefully have in my possession 2 canvases.  Here's hoping so. xx

A bit about Flora Bowley: 


She is an internationally celebrated painter, teacher, inspirationalist, and world traveler. Flora believes there are no mistakes in the creative process and strives to do something new in every piece.  Her unique process of layering free-flowing color with natural forms and expressive mark-making combine to create lush paintings born from the present moment; chaotic, subtle, mystical and ever-changing.  

Flora lives and works full-time as a painter in Portland, OR, where she is inspired by magical forests, abundant gardens and a thriving community of fellow artists. Throughout the year, Flora enjoys traveling, painting, and teaching her “Bloom True” workshops in colorful locations around the world.  Her work can be found in numerous galleries and also on a variety of unique products made in collaboration with the uber-groovy paper goods company, Papaya.  She is currently working on a top-secret book due to be released in the Spring of 2012.

One of Flora's many paintings "Deep Peace"

Jules Dolly Workshop Success

Anyone who delivers workshops know that the preparation and toolkit required can be quite hefty.  I have spent my fair share over these last 10 years delivering and facilitating workshops within employment and within my own self employment. Workshops based on a self-development theme, e.g. Vision Board, lots of activities that require preparation and group work.

However, it NEVER ceases to amaze me how much stuff I take to a Healing Art Workshop! 

I love it!  

The colour and the textures, the shapes and the smells.  

I have a checklist and tick things off as I gather my supplies.  Never forgetting incense, my playlist and ipod speakers plus my tibetan symbols to clear the energy.   Setting up, the room looked like a children's tea-party.  I was only able to access the room an hour before, and boy, could I have done with 2 hours? Yep!

It looked great.  Coverings on the floor, coverings on the back of each seat and lovely wash away tablecloths.  

All our 8 ladies turned up, 2 from Lytham St Anne's near Blackpool, 2 from Kirkham, near Preston, and 4 from Liverpool.  I was so excited to share the process.

After introductions, I asked everyone to write down their worry on a post it note and sealed it in a silver foil dish.  Anything that may have been troubling them: "Am I good enough to do this?" "Will I find my way home after", "I should be spending time doing something else today".  Whatever their worry (and some wrote a few), they all were popped into the foil dish to be put to one side and with the aim that it would not be at the forefront of their mind during the day.  

Funny, I forgot to ask if they wanted their worry back at the end!  Maybe they wanted to take someone else's home with them?!!  

In clearing up, I put the foil dish in the bin bag - so noone gets any worries!!

 

Things got well under way and before we knew it, everyone was getting stuck in, preparing their background with collage material, tissues, papers, felt, fabric.  They had all brought a rich supply of their own, which was wonderful.   This was an introduction, however some of the ladies had done collage before, scrapbooking, acrylics, and we even had an art school grad in the mix.  So in using my Jules Dolly template everyone created such a different end result.  Don't you just LOVE it when that happens?

We had to break for lunch, and it gave everyone a chance to have a walk around the wildflower centre, visit the little gift shop and enjoy the break in the rainy clouds - they were so kind to us yesterday, just when we stopped for lunch.  

You know what it's normally like when you go to workshops, everyone drags themselves back into the afternoon session, feeling the affects of the lunch, people tend to droop.  Not this GANG! Oh no!

They were back in before our lunch time had finished and eager to carry on with their dolly canvas.

The room was a real healing zone - a meditative space - contemplation was happening.  At times there was chatter, certain moments I would be talking, guiding, visiting each of them to assist and advise.  Other points in the afternoon, we listened to music, and it was quiet.  Blissful Healing Art in the Make.  

I was so taken aback by what they achieved.  In an Hour and Half just as we stopped for lunch, they had formed their background and fixed Dolly Template.  In the afternoon, they steamed ahead and by 3.30, they were finishing off and signing their names.  Truly Remarkable.    

Magic happens when healing art is given the space to appear.  I felt that happen yesterday and I'm sure they did too.  So before I write far too much - here's a round-up of all the lovely ladies and their finished paintings.  

Becky

Sheila

Tracy

Julie

Julia

Kay

Morag

Debbi

It was a special day.  

I'm planning the next one and the next one and the one after that.

With love

Jules xx

Lamplight Rennovation

The original lampshade

Have you ever looked at something in your house and thought that you could do something to spruce them up?  Well we have 2 lamps and the lampshades are looking somewhat plain.  There and then I decided I was going to renovate.  I really am on a splurge here.  It's all good!

I have lots of small pieces of paper that I use in my mixed media paintings and I wondered how they'd look if I collaged them on to the lampshade.  

So I did!

Of course it helps when the sun is shining and I can sit and stick.

I also had a shirt that I didn't wear anymore but had a lovely pattern on it, so I began cutting it up!  Very cathartic.  Nothing to waste in this house.

Here are the finished pieces.

This is the fabric lampshade

This is the paper leftovers

Lots of Love

Jules xx

Only 4 days to go until my Create your Cocoon Canvas workshop at the National Wildflower Centre

EXcited!  

Painting Transformation

As I was sitting on  my hammock enjoying the sun over the last few weeks I saw our very sad, chair, hanging around in the corner.  I bought this patio furniture set in Woolworths 5 years ago when moving in.  The table has been donated to Will's allotment along with the other 2 chairs, keeping 2 here for us.

But oh dear, they look sad and not very inviting.   In a flash moment of colour, I decided I was going to do some painting, only this time - the furniture.  I had some lovely emulsion paint left over and a spare mixing pot, so here I became Miss Mixer and had a base blue and added some white.  I just love the colour I made.

Sad looking thing before

The 2 chairs looking more fun and alive

Miss Lucy always is in frame when I'm taking photos!

I also found a little stool that I had bought from Ikea ages ago and thought it would make a lovely little addition to the chair family.  So I painted the top.  Not too sure at this point whether to keep it all blue.

Then, my friend Lesley popped over for a cuppa and she said "Why don't you paint one of your girls on the top of that little stool?"  You know what?  That's a fab idea.  It didn't take me long to decide who was going on there as I have a little supply of girls for canvases etc...  So I did.

I'm soooooo delighted with the outcome.  It completely enhances our lovely little garden.  The colour blue reminds me of the sea and for some reason I feel all Mamma Mia'ish when I look out there.  They're now sealed with outdoor varnish so they're ready to spend the summer out there.  Love them.

A bouquet of hearts for you x

Lots of Love
Jules xx

Today's the day - My Book is Published!

Me holding a copy of my book!

I really must blog more as I have so much to write about.  It has been over 2 weeks since my last post, gosh, where has that time gone?  I have been so involved with my book arriving, painting, creative, getting my workshop organised for May 8th, booking a workshop in Portugal with Flora Bowley, organising my wedding in September (oh I don't think I mentioned that!) and working on some personal creative projects around the house. (plus more painting in the garden).

Need to take a breath.  Let's tackle one thing at a time.  

Firstly, I received about 200 postcards from the publisher for me to send out, which are just delightful.  When I saw them I felt a flitter (or this flutter) of anticipation and just thought... oooooooooooo wooooooooooooooow.

and.. breathe Julia ..

Then at the weekend, a package arrives on the mat.  Could it be?  Yes it was.  My book!!!!

Gosh, the feeling of opening the envelope and holding it.

A day later I received some more complimentary copies of my book.  Such a wonderful feeling.

For those who may be reading this, wondering what it's about: well it's a coaching book that helps those applying to UK universities to creatively start the blooming process for writing their personal statement. Selling themselves on paper, in a nutshell.  In alot of the work I do and have done, I work with individuals who face a blank page and just don't know where to begin.  

So whilst in France last year, I sat down and thought about all the times I have helped, supported, creatively coached people and decided I would start to dabble with the concepts.  What evolved was a seven step process.  

• Collect it
• Expand it
• Prove it
• Draft it
• Build it
• Review it
• Submit it

Hey Presto.  I submitted it to a publisher I had found in my Writers Year book, How to Books Ltd in Oxford.  Their spec seemed to fit the bill.  I sent off my proposal just as I left France to return home to Liverpool having spent 5 months there.  (writing for 3).  I received an instant thank you from the publisher, Nikki, and then about 4 weeks later, I received an email saying they would like to publish it.  

Here I am, not even 1 year later since I returned and I hold the copy in my hands.  In September 2010, I submitted the full manuscript and 7 months later, it's published.

It just shows me and proves to me what I can achieve.  I have wanted to write this for such a long time.  I really hope that it helps those people who perhaps do not get the support they need from their schools/colleges and more so, for those who apply as individuals and are doing it all pretty much on their tod.  

Now nearly being published and realising that everyone has the opportunity to read it and to critique my 7 steps, I feel the nerves of  vulnerability - people assessing what I've written thinking that it's either a load of Tosh, or Fandabidozi.

Well, let's hope mine is the latter.

Right, I'm off to watch the Royal Wedding - Today is a day for champagne all round, a toast to William and Kate plus my book.

Love, Love, Love
Jules xXx

Miss Lucy always gets in the photos!

Painting in the Sunshine

I find if I am to paint then there's nothing quite having a block of time to spend, lost in colour.  I tend to have more than one painting on the go - sometimes I'll be finishing off one and I'll need to add some detail, perhaps another layer, then move on.  

This is how I spent my afternoon.  Today Will spent pretty much all day on the allotment and I de-camped and set up a table outside in the garden.  The sun was just gorgeous.  As a Leo, I love it.  So I took my little table, shlepped it outside, and then whatever paints I had at home.  I still have my studio over at my parents, tho' I find that I need to be more home based these days with work, clients etc... so I have to double up on art space.

I have been working on a commission and also finishing off my paintings so that I can make prints, and create some stock for my soon to be launched etsy shop.  Started making a design for my wedding invitation, which I thought would be a lovely Julesie thing to do.......More about this another time! 

I enjoyed being outside, catching the sun and deep in thought as I played with paint, colour, layers.   I have been reading my Kelly Rae Roberts book again which I just love and spent some time earlier going through her blog post timeline and how she started her art journey and where she is to this day.  It's inspiring and I must remember that it's possible for me too.  I'm doing quite alot of soul searching these past weeks about different aspects of my life.  Focusing on much journal writing, drawing and sketching, plus looking at how I can support my book coming out on 29th April.  Got to get my head round this and put some energy there in recording video.  Yikes!  

There's nothing quite like SunDrying!

My Muse and Painting Protector

Anyway I have found a great way to store my paints which was suggested by Melody Ross over at Brave Girls ... ingenious! I'll post that soon.

Happy Sundays 

and Mondays 

xxJulesxx

  

Have you ever been to therapy?

at Dream

I suppose you could say that I'm a portfolio worker.  What this means is, my time is split between various jobs that I do.  Part of the week I'm employed and then all the rest of the time I'm self employed as a artist, writer and creative coach. I don't necessarily call them 'jobs' but they're all projects.  I have been pondering on the word 'do' for a few weeks now since I started Beth Nicholls ecourse 'do what you love' which is hitting out some very tough questions.  The very first week we were asked not What do you want to do in your life?  But, how do you want to feel in your life?  Have you ever thought of this?

So, in my employed time, I work as a careers coach in an independent school in Liverpool and I also work in a health food shop, just me, on my ownsome, advising customers about vitamin and mineral supplements etc... and the other day I  am flicking through the March edition of "Your Healthy Living" magazine, and start reading an interview with Cindy Crawford.  We all know who she is right?  The interviewer asked her "have you ever been to therapy?"  I think that's a tad nosey but ok, I'm reading it, so this is how Cindy replies:   

"It's funny because I go to the homeopathic doctor and he's a great friend of mine, I walk in and he says, how happy are you on a scale from 1 to 10 and I say to him; Jim, my goal in life is not to be happy.  I don't need to be happy all the time, I need to feel.  First of all, you can't be happy all the time.  So if that's your goal, you're going to fail.  I just want to be present in whatever it is.  Even if it's the bad stuff.  I'm not afraid of rolling up my sleeves and talking..... I want to engage with whatever it is, good or bad.  I don't measure success by happiness or by things, I measure it by whether I was there"

Thump.  I felt hit by this very short paragraph.  I have read these words so many times over the last 20 odd years, in various forms.  But for some reason, on this day, this really made me go.  'Yes.  You're right Cindy.'  (believe me, I never thought I would be writing about Cindy C).  This article has been playing on my mind which is why I'm writing about it here. 

I had realised that pretty much all the time, I do have very high expectations of myself.   

I strive to be happy, to live a peaceful life, in a certain way and sometimes, it just doesn't happen that way.   If we could buy a measuring tool for happiness - I'm sure I'd find that what is being happy for one is not necessarily being happy for another.  If I'm not feeling whatever it is I need to feel, then I just surrender to it and say to myself 'It is, what it is'.

I thought I'd have lots of children by now and I don't have any.  Does that make me unhappy?  It does, Yes.  And yet, I'm working with this one and coming to terms with it.  I'm feeling it.  I can't measure my life against it.  I don't want to measure it against my happiness.  Does that makes sense?  Does it?

Who would have thought that a simple paragraph in a freebie health magazine would have sparked these thoughts.  It just goes to show that the written word is still incredibly powerful. 

Hope this makes sense.

Phew, you made it to the end.

Love

Jules xxx

The Magic Faraway Tree

Sometimes I wish I could go down to the Enchanted Wood at the end of my garden, climb up the magic faraway tree and spend some time hanging out with Moon Face, Silky and Mr Saucepanman.  I'd be able to visit the land at the top of the tree and I'd be one lucky lady as it would always be a land that was positive, peaceful, joyful and heart warming. 

i have recently started re-reading my three Enid Blyton books which I have treasured.  I'm now reading the  above book which is number 2. (I know that because even as a young Jules, when I used to keep my own library, I wrote the order down in each of them - which came in handy as I couldn't remember!)  They're printed around 1971-72 and I love these stories.   I think that it was the escapism, magic and wonder of the world at the bottom of the garden, the connection with nature and the relationship with animals.  Sounds like me.  Not everyone thinks Enid Blyton was the best writer in the world, and I'm not here to critique her words.  I just say blah blah blah, she's fab!  If you feel a little out of sorts, or down, go and read something you used to read as a child that has warm connotations for you. You'll know when you read this right now what book you're thinking of.  Is it Pollyanna?  Emil and the Detectives?  Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH? Treasure Island? The Secret Seven.  I could go on.

The reason why I'm reflecting this evening is because there's so much going round in my mind about creating the life that I want, doing what I love, that I find I become overwhelmed with it all.  Constant dialogue and discussion with just myself.   My creative community is online and virtual. I need a creative buddy because all I manifest comes from within - which I know is a good thing - but still, I do need sparks.  

I have my book being published in late April, early May.  A book which is a workbook for creative expression and a manual to help people write an expression statement for their university application.  I have worked as a coach for all my life (if I'm truly honest).  I also seek to help, guide, support, bring forth ideas, nurture others potential.  The book emerged whilst I was in France and I'm soon going to hold it in my hands.

So why do I feel overwhelmed?  Well I need to organise the website that supports this book.  I want to create a virtual coaching course which individuals can download so this supports them to write their statement.  I can't decide to go with a blog which would be more alive than a static website.   All these ridiculous questions flying round my mind.  

All I really need *want* to do is spend time in the Enchanted Wood - I'm sure, there, I will find answers.

So, can I?  

Today whilst walking Miss Lucy in the park, I stood and watched these tiny little birds having some kind of argument. (Sorry not sure what they were but very small) Well, that's what I thought they were doing.  It looked like one was chasing the other and boy, were they chirping at one another.  I just stood beneath them, amongst the trees, watching, seeing how quick they moved and how vocal they were. It could have been a game, i wasn't going to presume. For just this moment, I just let myself be with them and listen to them, without pondering on all the chat that goes on in my brain.  

I'm hoping that I'll discover the answers.

Now go, go dig out that book you used to love to read.  If you haven't got it, go find it.

Warm sunny March love 

Jules xx

Postcard Received from USA

Well here it is!  I received this from BFree from Grass Valley California in the good old US of A.  It came through the post just like this (without any over packaging) and it really created a breath of fresh air.  I bet Mr Postie was pleased too.  You can check out BFree's blog at www.askmamabear.blogspot.com

I have really loved doing Beth Nicholls Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap and was really chuffed to have sent mine to USA too, you can see mine here.

It feels like things are all coming together these past couple of weeks with Jules Dolly Art.  Since putting out there my Create your OWN Cocoon Canvas Workshop on 8th May in Liverpool I'm pleased to say that I have only 4 spaces left! Wow, that's so great.  I'm very excited.  If you'd like to pass on this information to anyone in the Liverpool area on Sunday 8th May, then here's all the information

I have also been asked if I would be interested going to Israel to run some workshops there.  This I'm contemplating and working out if it's viable but there's a part of me that's dancing a jig when I think about that.  Just got think about the formalities of it!  

Haven't posted for a while, it has been too long.  I have not spent as much time in front of my mac - I know for those that know me, this sounds too ridiculous but it's true.    Will be back soon over the weekend - I have a weekend off!! Yay!!