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Note: this post contains a LOT of pictures, be warned 😉

As you know if you are a faithful reader of Inner Voices (blink blink), I was in Seattle last week-end to attend Flora Bowley‘s workshop called Bloom True, organized by and at Teesha Moore‘s ArtFest Annex.
Remember how I sent the intention to attend her workshop a few months ago ? Sometimes the Universe listens closer to your whispers than you think…

To be honest, I am still processing it all, all that I have started to unravel during these two days. Because it was more than painting to me. Way way more.
First of all, I really believe that like-minded Souls gather around the teacher in this kind of workshop; the twenty-ish ladies that came arrived with their stories, their background and a good reason to be there. So yes, it all begins with the “I fell in love with Flora’s art” but I’m pretty sure there is something more than just that…

Flora is passionate about what she teaches. Bloom True has more than painting techniques (but don’t worry, it IS the heart of it all). We stretch (and not only our bodies), we laugh, we connect (with others, with ourselves, with the Creative Source), we cover and uncover, we paint with our hands (l.o.v.e.)….

We painted big, which i am not used to anymore for several reasons, learning to let go, not to get too attached but to enjoy the process (ringing a bell ? Yep. A good one).. The ending creation was not what mattered the most.

To be honest, it was hard sometimes for me to stick to acrylic paint only as I am a Mixed Media artist, but it was so good. I went in and out of my comfort zone. It felt good to paint bigger again, 30×30″ was the perfect size for me: large but not making me feel like I could not achieve it all. It happened that I actually finished a painting by the end of the first day and bought another one that night so I could still juggle between two canvases the day after.

Very attentive students, drinking every techniques and explanation given to us. The class was filled with demos by Flora.

Flora filled the room with music, very different kind of styles and it was very inspiring. Just grooving on the flow, letting it guiding me, my movements, not affraid to do little happy dance while I was painting. Zero fear of judgement. My classmates on my table were happy dancing as well 😉 It just felt so natural, I am amazed.
I think I could work like that, in a studio with other artists.

I can’t wait to have my own art space (Universe…… i am talking to you there), and both my girls at school full time so I will have real long hours by myself to just let my Spirit create whatever may come.
It was amazing to be surrounded by ladies having fun (sometimes with frustration though) and be able to paint and paint and paint.

I loved making marks. Creating backgrounds (that usually become a big part of the finished painting) is something I really enjoy. Click the thumbnails to enlarge:

Can you believe that the painting Flora created over the two days developed from what you see above on the right…..to that ?:

It is just stunning !!!

Do you want to see what the canvases looked like when I left Seattle on Sunday afternoon ?:

Please, go to my flickR portfolio to see more pictures of this awesome workshop.

I loved how Flora closed the class, and the little Show & Tell by everyone, simply showing our paintings as they were, telling what we enjoyed, sharing our struggles and encouraging each other to go on.

Here are some links to what some of my classmates are saying about our experience during Bloom True (please, if you were there and have a link to share, contact me and I will add you with pleasure):

Julie Hamilton “Still inspired by… Flora Bowley”
Teesha Moore shares her thoughts & pictures
Kathie also shares her experience

Hello !

I have being dying to finally announce it to you: I will be one of the teachers in the next 21 Secrets workshop. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY !

21 Secrets is a bunch of workshops focusing around Art Journaling, created and hosted by Connie (from DirtyFootprints Studio).
«Art Journal Playground» sums it up very well. Because we have fun, we learn, we experiment, we meet new people from all over the world

I can’t believe I will be teaching among amazing artists and women. I will talk about my secret in a while, I am still working hard on it. But it will be very very good 😉

The playground registrations will be open on January 2nd 2012, it will officially open in April, until January 2013.
We will be 21 teachers, each of us sharing a secret about our Art Journaling process. For only $59. Yes, you read it right: 21 workshops gathered in the same place for that price.

Here is the list of the teachers:

Aimee Dolich    http://www.artsyville.com
Alma Stoller    http://www.almastoller.blogspot.com
Christine Mason Miller    http://christinemasonmiller.com/
Christy Tomilson    http://christytomlinson.typepad.com/
Connie Hozvicka    http://www.DirtyFootprints-Studio.com
Dale Ann Potter    http://daleannepotter.com/
Diana Trout    http://dianatrout.typepad.com/blog/
Dina Wakley    http://dinastamps.typepad.com/
Dion Dior    http://diondior.blogspot.com/
Gina Rossi Armfield    http://sweetsistergina.typepad.com/
Jenica McKenzie    http://www.jenicamckenzie.com/
Julie Fei-Fan Balzer    http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/
Karin Bartimole    http://aviewbeyondwords.blogspot.com/
Kathryn Antyr    http://www.truenortharts.com
Kelly Barton    http://kellybarton.com/
Ken Robert    mildlycreative.com
Martha Lever    http://marthalever.blogspot.com/
Nolwenn Petitbois    https://inner-voices.net
Traci Bunkers    http://www.TraciBunkers.com
Tracie Hanson    http://www.mybloominglife.com
Zom Osborne    http://pinchmetoseeifyouaredreaming.blogspot.com/

See, I was not lying. You can’t miss it, this will be amazing. And the community that gathers in the playground is fantastic (I have taken the previous 21Secrets and it is why I know this will be an fantastic adventure).

(sorry, I am just pretty much excited by all this. And intimidated. And scared because it will be my first online class ever.)

Will I see you there ?

Amelia… I would never have thought to discover her on one of my canvas, nor sharing her life story. This is with a Nixie like her that I am happy to have decided to share their stories instead of keeping them all to myself.

She is one of these nice surprises that make me pick up paint and charcoal everytime I can to meet the Nixies that come to life from it, with a specific message to tell and then to be shared with the World.

Here is Amelia:

She was made on a 8×10″ canvas board.

I began by laying some colors I was drown to on the surface. Just playing around. Then I wanted to use the «Fragmented» Canvas by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer (Made by The Crafter’s Workshop. It is a stencil I love and it offers plenty of possibilities (I used it several times in my Art Journal since I got it). This time, I kept it simple and used it with pure acrylic paint. Simple can be good too.

At first, I had in mind to paint her hair with color but needed a white base to be sure it would be opaque and not too transparent (one of my previous recent painting was a disaster, partly because of this). But then I just fell in love with this white, letting us see the background through it just enough. And of course, I decided to leave it like this.

Her top is all glittery because a Nixie with a story like hers definately needs some glitters in her life.

Amelia has this je ne sais quoi of different from the others…

Amelia is a dreamer. You can see in her eyes that she is halfway here, halfway there. Where is «there» exactly ? She will never (ever) tell it to anybody; she escapes in her inner bubble where her World is finally perfect, where she surrounds herself with protection, softness and love. Where no one will hurt her again.

She spends most of her time alone because she is afraid of letting people in. Not that she actually likes being alone, but she is sure that it is better than being in pain because of others. She knows, deep inside of her, that she should not be afraid that much, but Fear overpowers her.

Imagination is all she has, this is her secret sanctuary. This is what saves her.

She often feels shattered, broken into a million pieces because of what happened in her past. She does her best to heal though. She knows she is stronger than what she thinks. And she indeed is.

She decided to help others to overcome their past, Amelia knows the power of sharing her experience so others who have similar backgrounds do not feel alone like she does…

Of course you can buy her print in Inner Worlds, my Etsy shop.

Some details (as usual, click to enlarge):

As I told several times already, I am in love with using my phone to take pictures along the day, just to snap the moment and remember it.

I thought it would be nice to share a bit of them randomly with you 🙂

Cooking everyday:

A bit of art journaling:

And new girls being created (have I told you how in love I am with making them ???):

And happily watched my girls and my mom doing some crafts for Halloween

WOW ! I was not expected so many entries in my contest. They were all awesome.

Some suggestions came several times. As “Nolwenn’s Nymphs” or “Nolwenn’s Inner Goddesses” for example.

I printed all the comments and narrowed it to the three names I love the most… I have no idea how to make the final choice.

Here they are:

• Nolwenn’s Chepis (“chepi” mean “pixies” in Native American)
• Nolwenn’s Innies
• Nolwenn’s Nixies

I am wondering if the best way wouldn’t be to propose you a poll, and the one that gets the most votes win. I love them three, so no matter which one.

Let me a comment with your choice; the one you love the most for me. And I will randomnly chose a voter to receive a print, just as my way to thank you for helping me out.

I close it on Monday Oct. 31st 🙂