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I finally shared with you yesterday the first painting of this new series, Abigail. However, I did not get into details about the series on itself, why I am committed to it and why it is so dear to my being.

My Nixies are all a little (or a lot) part of me. We share common traits. But I wanted to go further, now that they are back in my heart (remember, I announced a few months ago I was going away from them).

I read quite a lot about archetypes, I wanted to be a psychanalyst (yup) and am still passionate about the human being and it mind… I have been doing Soul Searching, Soul Work for over a decade now, and know that I am just touching it from the tip of my fingers. Still a lot to discover, to dig up. But you know, the more you want to know who you truly are, the stronger Fear is.

Earlier this year, I painted two customed Nixies for my Golden Customer, they were two of her persona and I freaked love seeing them coming to life. It was scary but thrilling. It inspired me to let my own come to life on canvas. But I think I was not ready until now.

What is «Pieces Of Me» really about ?

Each of the Nixies in this series will be a part of me, a real one. Like the kid I wanted to be when I was 7 years old, the Shaman I was, the young Priestess in Avalon… and every other persona that create the real Me. I know it may sound totally crazy, oh yes, and this is why I pushed doing this for so long, but you know I’m not (cookoo it is).

I  already know some of the next ones I want to create, but you know how I roll: it never happens as I intend it to in the first place. Unexpected is always on my shoulder.

I want to finally «see» them, other than in my mind and in my heart. I want to bring them to life, so to speak. Their stories matter, maybe you will connect with them on some level.

I will begin each painting sessions with extra Reiki. And I will charge them once done as well.

Letting them in. Letting my Visions come to reality. Knowing it is what I need to do right now.

Can’t wait to keep going 🙂

Yaay !

I added two more new original paintings in the shop. If you follow Inner Voices on Facebook, you have already seen them around this week or so.

«Already Within»

«Already Within» was created on a 6×8″ cradled wood panel. This is a very textured painting, and if you become her new owner I highly encourage you to run your fingers on the surface to also appreciate her by touch.

This Nixie embodies the power of introspection.
She knows in her bones and in her heart that she already holds the answers. That she already has the stregnth to move forward, to move pass the obstacles, that she is way greater than she thinks.

«Ameenah»

«Ameenah» is slightly bigger in size, she was also created on a cradled wood panel, 8×10″.

She is very strong too. After living years in regrets, and then in putting every single drop of hope in tomorrow, she realized this patterns needed to stop because none was making her happy, fulfilled. When she wondered how come, to find a solution, it occurred to her that the answer was oh so simple: the only moment that matters is Now (you can hold the positive experiences close in your heart. you can dream as big or as little about tomorrow than you want, it does bring joy; however, you need to focus on what you can do now, what you need on that precise moment to find your long lasting happiness).

What direction ?

I am still working on this blogpost that I started weeks ago. I am.

It’s also been weeks since I really painted. I did work in my Art Journal but that is kinda it. I don’t know what to do (this is a recurrent theme in my life).
I feel totally lost. Confused. I feel like I am fighting, whatever it is (Fear, Indecision, Sadness). I feel alone, and lonely; even if I know deeply I am not really.

This is not the first time I have plenty of weird thoughts, questioning my path, my career (if we can call that this way…), myself. But it does not last that long.

So I am pushing my limits, trying some new things in my art. And see where that goes…

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

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):