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I am attached to every single one of my paintings at some level. Sometimes it happens instantly, but it can also take more time for it to happen. Whatever it is, I stay open to the outcome. Always. Trusting and surrendering, receiving so much joy (and frustration) from the process itself.

*Medea” (sold)

This is what happened with this Nixie, Medea.

See, when I am in a funk or under too much pressure (often self-inflicted) I have one solution or two. One of them: pick a big surface and paint just for you, just for the fun and thrill of seeing whatever wants to emerge. Abstract, Nixie, Sprixie… really: whatever.

I shared many steps she is composed of on my Instagram feed, and I have the impression that people connected with her very easily. Same on facebook, where she received many praises.

Can’t wait to see what her new owner feels when she opens her package and discovers her in real life !!!

It is not the outcome that matters when I start this sort of painting…

…and this is why most of them takes way longer than what I usually need to come to fruition. And that is totally fine with me, because I don’t have any deadline to meet for them to come to life.

Medea was created with all the techniques I know and that make my heart flutter with happiness and giddiness (is that even a word ? well if not, now it is !). Texture, stencils, splatters, lines… I noticed that it is okay too to stay into the boundaries of the known, the unknown does not have to be explored within every.single.painting. It can, but it does not have to.

Do not forget the shimmers…. I had fun playing with Silk glazes and some Primary Elements powders from ColourArte in her so beautifully textured hair. The two married so well together I might have done a little happy dance accompanied with squeeling 😉 not even a shame (I noticed it happens when I have a ah-ah moment).

And an obsession of mine… shapes. geometry. Sacredness. meaning. This part of the painting gave me a hella hard time. But I like how it turned out eventually.

I had to let Medea sit on my easel, in front of me, for weeks at a time sometimes. Doing a new thing, pondering if it felt right in my guts or not. If yes, good; if not, it would be covered up in the next session.

There was frustration happening but so much love for the process, so much gratitude for being able to do what I do as I please.

And her eyes that pierce right through you with such grace…

For this week’s ColourArte‘s video project, I decided to go outside of my comfort zone and to alter the papier mâché moon that has been laying in my Studio for ever… and to use the newest Silk Glaze set, Meridian Moon, for it.

I love to challenge myself, and this was one for sure. I started by adding some texture with gels and then got to play with the Silks.

She needed a crown so I added some lace that I colored with two different golden colors of Primary Elements, the pigment powders; it was exactly what was missing.

And to finish her off, I mixed the Midori Melon (the beautiful green) Silk with some crackle gel and covered her entirely with it. It brought everything together and added that little something that makes her special.

A few more photos:

Here is the list of the supplies used:

Glass bead gel	Soft Gel	Meridian Blue	Blue Bayou	Stabilo All pencil Black
Royal Orchid	Playful Peony	Terracotta Rose	Blick Artists’ Acrylic WHITE	Sunburst
Ancient Coin	Crackle Rock Candy	Midori Melon

InLinkz.com

Today I am sharing a short video in which I share my first view of the new Silk set from ColourArte, called Meridian Moon.
I show you an easy way to do a swatch-ish thing to put on your product’s lid so you know exactly the color.

Here is the video:

If you’re not familiar with the product, Silk are acrylic paints that are duo-toned: a base and a shimmer. There are highly pigmented but because they are a glaze, they have the particularity to be semi-translucent. Perfect for layering, for example !

And these colors are also available in the other lines of products, Primary Elements (the pigment powder) and Twinkling H2O (the watercolor in cake form):

Royal Orchid (Medium Lilac in Red-Violet Pearl): Silk | Primary Element | Twinkling H2O

Playful Peony (a Coral pink in red Lilac Shimmer): Silk | Primary Element | Twinkling H2O

Terracotta Rose (Brick Red-Brown-Violet in Red-Pearl): Silk | Primary Element | Twinkling H2O

Midori Melon (Melon Green in a Green Pearl): Silk | Primary Element | Twinkling H2O

Blue Bayou (Deep Water Blue in a Brilliant Blue Pearl): Silk | Primary Element | Twinkling H2O

Meridian Blue (Blue-Black in Blue Shimmer): Silk | Primary Element | Twinkling H2O

That might sound strange, but while I was enjoying the fire and all the feels at Florence + The Machine not long ago, it struck me: live music makes me a better creative person.

This photo isn’t great but, to me, it gives a good idea of how her show felt: a very shining person, yet simple (she was dressed all in white, no apparent make-up, her hair loose and almost like she did not even brushed them *ahah*). Her aura is just breathtaking: she takes you places.

It connect me to others

Being an artist working from home, I feel lonely in the vast creative ocean more than I’d like to (and me being an introvert afraid of people does not help, I guess), more than I’d admit. But when you are at a concert, people get lost in the music. You see all kind of ages and everything in term of personal style.

It makes me feel like it’s okay to be me, to be just as I am. Quirky, not fitting any mold (or never entirely). We are all part of something bigger, we are all One.

It brings unexpected inspiration

We know that inspiration tends to sneak up on us when we are not looking for it (and then goes away when we actually are waiting for her).

Even on a small concert, creativity is there. How the light goes with the music. How the singer/group is dresses. If there is any décor. If there are big screens, how the show is actually filmed to be on there.

There is so much more than *just* the music to a live concert. Even if the music is the core of it and what matters the most.

The beats bring me to life

I live for the vibration of the drum. It ignites a fire inside my chest. I can close my eyes and let my self be transported and moved by the beat.

And when I am in the Studio, or like right now on the computer trying to convey something from my heart to yours, I remind myself how it feels in my body when the drums are playing. This is the feeling that matters. Like my heartbeat drumming at its own pace, knowing this is the perfect pace.

Welcome on a new edition of my weekly ritual, Gratitude Friday (if you are not familiar with it, please go read how it came up and what it is about).

What a long and heartbreaking week it’s been around here. Being a Mom is not always a joy. I discover new sides of me I had no clue existed, new sides of me tht are not that pretty… I have been mama solo this week as my Husband was in a work trip in the US.

Add to that a driving lesson that got me into a panic attack an hour before… I am exhausted.

BUT I am always (always) looking for a bright side to everything, even when I just wish I could retreat from the entire world for a while and disappear a bit. Gratitude has a huge part in me crumbling but not falling.

This week, I am thankful for:

• Long hot bath with Epsom salt, candles, crystals, music and a book.
• My Mom, always there for me and never judging.
• My husband coming home today.
• The earplug  thing on the Roku controller, allowing me to watch tv at night while my daughters were sleeping on each side of my bed.
• Words.
• Not giving up on the Whole30 during this hard first week. Feeling already that I am less bloated.
• Self-portraiture as a personal therapy.
• Being part of the ColourArte’s video Design Team.
• My bed.
• Red lipstick and slick black eye liner.
• Music.
• Hope.

I know many of you are using November as a month to be daily grateful. And I love seeing all those short lists on my Facebook wall. Tell me, what are you thankful for today/this week ?