Never give up on a Wish

Last week I finally got in touch with a friend who had said they wanted to talk to me about my artwork... when this first came up I got a little nervous, unsure of if it was good or bad. 
What they said and suggested, however, was far more encouraging than I had thought. They really liked my work and could see it being something people would buy... -shocked and made speechless-  

This was the first time that I really took someone seriously. In the last few months I have started writing stories to go with paintings and designing images to go with stories. I had been thinking of putting them together into a childrens book (the stories are short children's stories) or even painting a series of pictures to make into cards to sell. 

He is also a practitioner of Falun Gong and thought that I could spread a message... something about Truthfulness Compassion and Tolerance, virtues and principles that everyone, no matter faith, culture or background, could share.  
Afterwards and over the next few days, I've ponders upon this idea and how to go about doing things. When I first started to draw and get into art properly, I had one wish, to show people a beautiful world. I really wanted to make artwork that touched people and shows them how beautiful the world is. 
That wish has now returned, the biggest different between then and now... I now have the skills and finance to see this wish come true. 

Don't ever give up on a wish if it is one that comes from the heart, and is of pure intention.

Hand it over to the universe and see what happens. I'm still in the idea stages of how to take this forwards, but having people who want to help me, and having that heart to try... they are true gifts. 

Playing with watercolour

So here is my play time, I've had a few really lovely sketches of lotus flower and water lilies sitting around for ages. Then, as it happens, wake up and the painting bug gets ya... so to see how good my skills are I chose to see how good a lotus I could paint with out painting very much.

Here is how it progressed...

Light sketch an first layer of colour wash

When you want to jump into a painting the hardest thing can be to holding yourself back. Normally I just want to start laying the colour and keep going. But to paint a white flower you can not do that.

Second layer of colour and flower centre 

 The second layer of colour was really to work on the shading a little more before adding the blue background wash. Only after adding the background did i add the last bits of shading just to get the dark tones just right...

Watercolour Lotus flower

I am very happy with how this painting turned out. The background is very unique, the paper I used was old and I think it must have got dramp. So when I came to paint you could see each brush stroke and it layered in different tones.

I think it works, even if it's just for a bit of fun.

Night Time Creation: sketch

Night time creation: crescent moon

This is what you can come up with when the Internet crashes on you and you find a sketch book of little doodles.

I really like this image, she grabbed me and enchanted me more and more as she come into reality. So for my next painting she is going to be my top one, and as I've been itching to play in oil paint again, that is what she shall be created with.

Which is great as it means I can have more than one image on the go.

Nature in my Heart - Honey Dew

Honey Dew - created in March 2013

The Story of Princesses Honey Dew and the thoughtful Bees

"Honey Dew was the youngest Bee princess of the hive, her role was to watch over the worker bees and look after the honey combs.

Honey Dew loved looking after the worker bees, she took great care and enjoyment of her tasks everyday, but she had a dream, a wish. She longed to see the flowers from which the beautiful honey was made.

She knew the smell of each flower which the bees got the nectar from, but she would sit, at times, and wonder what they looked like. What shapes were they? did they have different colours or were they even multi coloured.

Honey Dew even wondered about leaving the hive to see what a flower looked like, but, she would never leave the hive. It was forbidden for her to do so, and she did not want to risk the safety of her beloved bees.

Seeing their beloved princess spend so many hours wondering and pondering on this matter, a group of worker bees decided to put her mind to rest. Carefully they held a flower as another cut it's stem, gentle they carried the flower back to the hive where the princess was busy looking over the new honey combs.

Honey Dew was in awe of the flower, which the bees placed so carefully into her palm. It was more beautiful than she had dreamed, with petals of soft they were like the fine silk webs of a spider's web. She smelled to flower, as was whisked away from the honey filled hive to a place of green leaves, fresh air and the hum from the buzzing bees.

Honey Dew thanked the bees for their thoughtful nature and gentle kindness, in this very special gift. Which for the bees as they were so small, had taken them so long to get to her, and had tried them out so. She kissed each one which renewed the strength and off they went with a bright singing Hummmmmmmmm!"

Explosion of Projects that inspired me

This blog has sadly been neglected for too long. Over the last year (2013) my life exploded with a variety of different projects and events that I got involved with, leaving my artwork neatly put away.

The first project I got involved with was an International touring exhibition called The Art of Zhen Shan Ren (which mean the art of Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance) as it was coming to a local town called Falmouth and I know the organiser (I now live with her, she is a very inspiring women whose daughter I knew when I was little, strange how things turn out isn't) This was a breath of fresh air for me. The paintings were so beautiful that I spent lots of time admiring the 56 we had on display, there is now over 60 in the collection. The Exhibition has been touring the UK since 2008, I am still working closely with the project though my role has shifted from helping at exhibition to working on the online media. An area that I didn't think I would enjoy as much as I do.

Please look up this very powerful and beautiful exhibition: http://www.zsr-art.org.uk/
We are preparing our next tour now, first one is due in May 2014.

From helping with the exhibition I became connected with  a small group who were asked to visit a school as an assistant teacher was very taken by the values that the exhibition embraced. Together using a project which I have supported for a few years now called Petals of Peace, we were able to craft a morning of activities to share with the children, including stories, origami Lotus folding, group brainstorming, music and sampling the Falun Gong exercises which is what we practise and also the theme for Petals of Peace.

We have visited the school twice and have just finished putting our leaflet together ready to send to school and use at events. Our website is still under construction but to find us look for 'Petals of Peace UK' this project is one that has been spreading over the world since early 2000, predominantly aimed at children and young people but many adults also enjoy the challenge of origami folding (it's not really that hard, just looks it)  

Origami lotus flowers made ready for handing out to people at local events.

There have been small events that I have also been doing in Cornwall all linked with Falun Gong; demonstrating the exercises and talking about the background with people, and of course Petals of Peace; folding the origami lotus flowers with anyone who wanted to try.

But through all of this, the traveling and hard work, I have still found time to keep sketching and drawing when the moment takes me. Some of the paintings that I have created have been, for me, some of the best work I have done from many years. I feel that a part of me has been added to the paintings and each one has shown me something new about myself.

I hope to get this webpage/blog going again and re-vamp it to give justice to the work that I do.

Clarifying the Truth

I would like to take this Post to help clarify the truth to people about Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) and to Share with you my experiences of this wonder cultivation practice.

Firstly, I would like to tell you that Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is not "evil", nor is it a "cult". It is a cultivation practice which is part of the Buddha school, it's guiding principals are "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance" which are universal in meaning, the practice works on the mind and the body consisting of 5 basic exercises.

Falun Gong is now practised in over 100 countries world wide. We ask for no money and are happy to teach anyone who would like to learn, we do not fight back when attached but will clarify the truth about things, like what I am doing now.

Secondly, in China, July 1999 practitioners peaceful protested (They sat meditating and holding banners that read 'Falun Dafa is Good' or 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance is Good' ) asking for their right to practise Falun Gong. In response the Chinese Communist Party sent out their arm to arrest the practitioners, this was the start of the suppression of Falun Gong. Over the last 13 years police have illegally arrested and jailed people who have either practised, sheltered or opposed the CCP, they have then beaten, raped, induced forced miscarriages, and sent people to brainwashing centres for rehabilitation. Many families have been torn apparent, children have been orphaned and made homeless due to this persecution.    

Many innocent people have suffered due to lies from the CCP, but also the people of China have been lied to, the world has been lied to by the Chinese Communist Party. With the events now unfolding in China the truth about what the CCP has been doing is coming to light.

Please do not believe what the CCP has been saying about Falun Gong.
For more information on Falun Gong and the persecution visit: http://en.minghui.org/

I am a Falun Dafa practitioner and have been for almost 2 years now, from personal experiences I have found this practise to be the most uplifting and moving of my life. I have found things that deep down I have been looking for all my life, even through my artwork I have not found the wonders which I have done over the past 2 years.

It has opened my mind to the true wonders of the universe, and has given me a feeling of dignity, purpose and an honest direction on which to travel.

One dose not need to practise Falun Gong to see those wonders, I saw them in my mum 3years ago. I watched my mum and other practitioners dressed in shinning Golden clothes doing exercises down on the sea front. The feeling I got that day is one that moved me to want to know more.

I hope that my sharing this and giving you facts as well, will help people to see the truth.

Where to next?

The Show has been a great success, all the Graduating students have amazing work and I wish them all the best for the next stages of their journey.  

It has been an interesting year, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to expanded my knowledge and skills of different ways of creating artwork, and also the joy of seeing how others create and present work.

As much as I have enjoyed the change of working in a more three dimensional way, I have missed creating paintings and textured images.

With the summer almost here the Cornish landscape is reaching one of its most beautiful times of year. Now with a fresh mind and new ideas and approaches I intend to go back to the landscape and explore the wonders that are growing and blooming at this time of year. 

Along with new Idea I have been also able to find myself with access to a studio in my parents back garden. So my aim at this time is to continue creating and exploring the natural landscapes of the area around me, hoping to push my artwork foreword and get a stepping stone into the art world.