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This Nixie taught me to take the time to listen to her.

I usually paint what comes, whatever it is. But this was different, I started the Nixie as a project for ColourArte. And then, I did not really know in which direction to take her. It is not the first time it happens, and it won’t be the last either.

I persisted, however. I am glad I did, because she taught me that it was okay not to hurry a painting. To let her sit for a while until I was ready for her.

I shared with you how I made her rainbow hair using a fun controlled pouring technique and then in the second part I share how I made her face come to life. Doubts creeped in, I waited and waited before just going for it.

I hope you’ll enjoy watching my creative process in these two videos.

PS: would you like more videos like this, on which I let you peak at my brain while creating ?

Here is part 1:

And there is part 2:

Hello !

This new video is a bit different because it was a collaboration between a poet and art journaler from Pakistan, Tehreem Fazal, and I.

I worked in my handmade 1-sheet art journal again (I love how less intimidating it is, and how quick it will be to fill). I did an abstract-ish mountain painting on one side: I did not aim for accuracy but for “this is how I feel“.

Here is the video:

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I want to focus more on feeling than doing.

Maybe because I am getting older and want to create the life I know I want to live. I told you in a previous vlog that this year is focused less on selling stuff. Even though I feel that at 32 going on 33 years old, I NEED to be earning some real money.

This is why this spread in my art journal was not about being filled with realistic images and a lot of details. I painted with my fingers because it makes me happy; it brings me home.

Which creative technique makes you the most happy right now ? Which one do you go back to when you just want to feel happy ?

More photos:

Hey Love Beans ! This week, I wanted to share with you my process to create a colorful cover for the first Art Journal I’ll be using in 2018 (PS: as you’ll see in the video, I use a very easy handmade journal. If you’d like me to cover how I did it with a quick video, tell me in the comments here or on Youtube).

Here is the video:

I truly came back to my first loves: layers. finger painting. texture. colors. This year, I am creating to bring joy back into my life. Last year, I was in a deep creative drought.

After long periods of analysing what I was going through, trying to understand, some few points came up:

• I was putting too much pressure on myself to create to please, to create to sell.
• Also, I was passing time comparing my path with other artists’ paths. This is never a positive thing to do.
• I lost my personal creative voice.

My solution was to go back years ago, to the techniques that truly speaks to my Soul and make my Heart sing. This art journal cover embodies all of this.

The products I used:

Some shots:

I got my first tattoo when I was 16. I have been pushing it on my Mom for two years before she gave in. She knew I would get one eventually and that it was better for her to be there than to keep saying “no”. At the time, I was fully involved in the francophone esoteric sphere and felt like I needed some extra protection. My first tattoo is a pentagram with an eye in its center, a double circle and some flames. Cliché ? Tramp stamp ? maybe for you, but it was essential for me at this specific time of my life.

I now have 6 tattoos, mostly on my arms. Each is part of my essence. Of who I am. Of what I have been through. Despair, Love, Gratitude. And a whole bigger spectrum.

My body is, indeed, a blank page.

When I told my Mom about this more recent tattoo project, she had the same reaction as usual “not another one ? You know your body is not a blank canvas…!”. And my immediate answer was “But indeed, my body IS a blank page, a blank canvas”. I see it as a good surface, as anything would be. I have so many stories to tell, and things/moments/feeling to remember. This is what my tattoos are for. Not just pretty images on my skin.

Months ago, I googled “watercolor tattoo Montréal” and JF Biron’s name showed up. I fell in love with his work, that I find to be very very artistic and fluid. But I did not jump in right away. I kept following his work on social media and listened to my guts when it told me he was the tattoo artist I needed.

I knew my left forearm needed to be a reminder about how I seem to overcome sadness, grief and difficulties in general. When I got my latest tattoo in Vancouver, the artist (AZL from Rainfire tattoo Studio) told me about the Unalome symbol. We talked about incorporating it to the design I came to him for, but it did not happen. However, the symbol stuck in my heart.

In Buddhism, they are the visual image of reaching enlightnement. The spiral means our struggle with life, while the straight line shows that we have finally found harmony. Unalome are the “crowns” of the Arahants, the enlightened saints. This is a very powerful symbol of spiritual and personal quest.

This deeply resonated with me. The lotus is one of my personal symbol (I already have a lotus tattoo on my chest) so I was over the Moon (no pun intended) when JF had one design with it.

I have a fascination and obsession over what belongs to the sky, galaxies, stars… and JF’s watercolor art was what drawn me to him in the first place so it was an obvious choice.

Do you have tattoos ?

How many ? Do you want a tattoo ? What would it be ? I would love to know about your personal experience.

I told you pour painting was a never-ending technique. In this video, I share with you a plaster skull I bought on sale at my local Michaels store.

VIDEO

One thing that I apply to my fluid art that I do with any creative endeavour is simple: not liking it ? Cover it up ! It’s okay. This is what happened with this project. I was not 100% pleased with the first pour… so I used the leftover paints to do another one on top. I ended up way happier about it that way.

Sometimes, simple is best.

I tend to over complicate everything. Really. Blame it on my over achieving, perfectionist side.

The video should speak for itself but please, if you have any question leave it in the comment section 🙂

More photos: