Sugar & Spice day #2, what I learned from Mindy Lacefield

I don’t know where to begin… If you read my blog on a regular basis, you know my admiration for Mindy Lacefield (aka Tim’s Sally). I have been trying to share this with you, but keep deleting and starting again, thinking it is not matching the experience… but I guess I will do my best and see where it leads this blogpost.

I love her deeply. I remember when I contacted her, telling her I was hoping she did not think I was stalking her ! (yea… I told you already: I can become very obsessed when I love something. And it happens with artists too).

I have been learning from Mindy, online, since her first class: Paint Your Story. Holy wow, let me tell you. I then signed up for Neat stuff (which focused on using art journaling to revisit childhood memories), and I just could not pass out the chance to learn a new project from Mindy every month for a whole year… so I signed up for the amazing True Free Spirit class (and… how great is that name anyway ?).

I met amazing women (not only artists, human beings) thanks to the community that gather around her classes. I became friend with Lynda in Mindy’s classes, and we planned to share a room at the retreat but lemons came her way and she had to cancel, I dearly missed at the retreat but was with me anyway (thank you technology eh !).

My heart is so tender for all that Mindy is sharing in the world.

I was excited and nervous to meet her in person. I knew, however, that she would not disappoint me in any way (I was afraid of the other way around, shhh).

Let me tell you guys, there are no word to express how learning directly from Mindy was the whipped cream to my fresh strawberries (I love strawberries, but love them even more if paired with chantilly. now you know).

She has this thing that makes it easy, she is always looking for the fun but meaningful, as Danielle she also shares her stories in her painting (she was painting while talking with Anna *our hostess extraordinaire*, and apparently their entire conversation made it in the painting. You don’t know it if you don’t know the «behind the scenes» but I find it is magical to have this ability), and words are very important in her art as well.

Some of the things I learned from Mindy’s class:

• My stories can be painted.
• It does not have to look real to be real.
• The dark places of my Soul have their importance too.
• Cover up until you really like it.
• My art needs both the calm and the busy.
• I love the background making process. A lot.
• My symbols are very important. My painting is not mine without it.
• I have way more childhood memories than I actually recalled.
• I love the word «Pompidou».
• I want more poetry in my life.
• I have things to share with the World, and will find myself through my Art (even more).
• Oracle cards are amazing starting points.
• There is no coincidence.
• I actually enjoy painting with neon colors. And even start seeing neon red appearing in Nature.
• Bunnies and Hares seem to currently have a message for me, couldn’t help but paint them.

{my art from Mindy’s class will be added soon}