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Gratitude Friday is a weekly ritual I started in order to focus on all the small and big positive things that happened during my week. I invite you to join me, you’ll see how much being thankful can change your life. If you want to know more about it, read my introduction post.

Here in Vancouver we are still Friday, so I am not that late for publishing my Gratitude Frtiday blogpost !

I admit that this post was this close from not being written. But talking with my dear friend Anu, I took the time to sit and write this now.
If you did write a Gratitude Friday blogpost, please, share the link here. I love seeing the circle forming every week, even if it is one or two persons only.

But before going there, I must confess you something. It’s been two or three times since the beginning of the year that i just do not feel the pleasure in writing my weekly Gratitude Friday articles. I don’t know where it comes from, or why. Maybe I just go too far in personal details in these specific posts ?

Don’t worry, I will not give up on this. This ritual is way too important to me to be put aside. But the answer may be in writing shorter.

This week, I am grateful for:

• The book “The Replacement” Lindsay kindly sent to me, for free. Because she had two copies in hands.
• I received three things in the boxmail: a wonderful card handmade by my friend Aurore, the Girls received cards too, and my friend Paola sent Grenouille a book about Origami !
• I received my first custom order for a journal ! If my client agrees, i’ll share pics with you.
• The appointment with our bank councellor went well. Slow but steady is our mojo, praying that the Universe will send us what we need.

If you wrote your Gratitude Friday on your blog, don’t forget to enter your NAME and URL below so I’m notified and can come to read you (you can also join by commenting this post):
[linkme]

Hello !

We are back from our 2day getaway in Seattle, under a terrifying rain but safe and sound. Kind of felt like I was in a book of Stephen King :p I was able to find new supply to keep going binding books (that will end up in my soon-to-be shop).

I am currently obsessed with creating art journals. So I am learning “new to me” binding techniques. One person i really like is LK Ludwig. And I finally decided to sign up for her $15 three book bindings techniques class. Worth the money for sure. This one is easy and quick. I am about to try an alternative one as soon as this blogpost is published.
This one is faaaaaaaaar from being perfect. Really. And you can notice that I just picked what I had on hand and the colours are not that pretty together. But still, I had lot of fun doing it.

This is a view of the spine. I really like the fact that we can see the binding (of course, we could hide it if wanted).

And after all, why looking for perfection when a little girl jumps on the journal to make it her own ? My Koala (nearly 4yo) argued with her sister about who will get this new journal and won. She got it this morning and already created in several pages. It is not a fat journal so it will be filled quickly. It seems to be special to her, so it makes me even happier. I love being around her when she is drawing because she is telling her stories out loud while she is drawing, it is like i have the privilege to have the behind the scenes stories. It is purely magical. Just see:

Now, I have to create a red one for Grenouille (my older daughter) :p

Gratitude Friday is a weekly ritual I started in order to focus on all the small and big positive things that happened during my week. I invite you to join me, you’ll see how much being thankful can change your life. If you want to know more about it, read my introduction post.

Hello !

I am sorry I didn’t write my Gratitude Friday last week, I hope it didn’t stop you to do yours, online or privately. After all, I see myself only as the starter point, the tackle to make you begin and keep you going.

This week, I was showered by signs of friendship. Yes, I am shaking things to meet people here in Vancouver. It is hard for me because I am shy, I hate to be “the newcomer” in a group because i always have this bad sensation to bother people. But we arrived two years ago, and I still don’t really have girlfriends around you know (i have friends, don’t worry too much about me).

Thank you to my big soul sista Samantha Kira, to put me under her wing, to tell me face to face what I have to hear to keep moving forward, even if sometimes it is hard, so I can stay true to myself no matter what. She is my inspiration for perseverance, dedication and hard work. Just have a look at her new blog and website to see how passionate she is about what she does. It speaks for itself.

Thank you to Connie for making me see things differently to make sure I know what all my options are before taking a decision.

Thank you Paola for taking time in her busy schedule to talk with me.

Thank you Sophie for the messages she left me here and there, you’re in my heart every single day.

Thank you Cocotte for the comment on Facebook, it went straight to my heart.

Thank you Alice, for showing to the World that we should never give up on our Dreams. And for the frigtastic Skype moment. Can’t wait for her visit next month !

Thank you to my wonderful husband, for supporting me moraly and physically when the world seems to collapse around me. Showing me that love and optimism are the best responses to stressful moments.

Thank you to my wonder-Mamounette, who I miss terribly (can’t wait for Winter), for the everlasting cheer-ups, for being the first one to try my fabric journal too :p

Thank you to Jo Anna for the article she wrote in her new website “The Big Sparkly Life” titled The art of Nolwenn Petitbois.

Thank you Anu for the Valentine’s card. It is the first I receive !!!

Tell me, what were the fantastic highlight moments of your week ? What made you smile ? What made you happy to be alive ?

Oh I won’t be there this week-end, we are heading to explore Seattle before our “visit permit” expires. Excitiiiiing.

If you wrote your Gratitude Friday on your blog, don’t forget to enter your NAME and URL below so I’m notified and can come to read you (you can also join by commenting this post):
[linkme]

Hello !

I try to go back to smaller painting supports. It is still part of my BIG and Fearless painting process though. It is weird because when you pull for the first time a huge canvas or paper to paint on it, you are affraid of the big amount of blank space in front of you. But once you get used to it, I find it even harder to express myself on smaller spaces as I used to. Strange !
So for conquiring this uncomfortable feeling, I bought several 11″x14″ canvas boards to play.
Yesterday (monday january 31st) I wanted to get out of my comfort zone regarding my use of colours. I love purple (that is my all time favourite with blue) but noticed that I only use it in tiny amount here and there, so I wanted to play with it in the background.

Here is the result of my afternoon creative playtime from yesterday:

Of course, I have no idea where these will lead me. I am just having fun, trying to pull emotions out of inside. Trying to shake off the pressure I am putting on my shoulders to get my art to the World, to say “hello, I’m there. My name is Nolwenn and I am an artist, you should check my artwork“. It does not happen as planned, I am facing unexpected events that force me to see things differently, to juggle with other ideas. After the frustration, the sadness and (don’t tell anyone) a bit of anger, comes the boost in my butt to move forward no matter what.

Talking of all this, as I told you recently, I will soon open an online shop. You’ll be able to buy beautiful prints of my artworks, and later this year handmade journals (and I think other things that i’ll develop). If you like what I create and want a piece of my World in yours, don’t hesitate 🙂 And if there is a specific artwork you would like a print of, email me 🙂

I am also creating a portfolio so it will be way easier to see what I do !

Wow, what a long title ! Sorry about that.

A week ago, Kira (aka Journal Girl) and I were talking together when the idea of starting together a new year-long challenge came along in the conversation. We don’t want to feel any pressure. Just have fun, and be accountable with each other.

Our goal is to paint a finished painting a week. It can be on canvas (stretched or loose), on wood, on canvas board, whatever as long as it does not belong to our art journals. It can be small if the week is busy or bigger if we feel that way. No theme or prompt to work on. Just having fun.

We’ll be glad to have you play along with us. If you are interested, you can contact her to be added in our Facebook circle. We are several ladies there now, we seek for advices, feedbacks, motivation together.

This week, I created two artworks. I’ll talk about the second one later (around Monday or Tuesday). This is the one i created with the challenge in mind:

At that stage, it was supposed to be… an owl. I was clearly seeing it.

And then, as I always do, I asked m husband “what do you think of it ?” The answer was “ooooh a dog ! see, there it’s the body, here it’s an eye”, showing it to me as he was speaking.

Of course, it became obvious that there WAS a dog hiding in my painting and that I couldn’t let him in the dark. So I traced his contours, trying to make it stand out more. Which was a failure, in my opinion. But still, i like it.

I am in a dripping period. I always LOVED dripping paint, and there is more and more.

Here is what it looks like now:

I love this eye, kind of disturbing ! I think I may work even more on it.