hearts

December 17, 2011 by Tara 8 Comments

I’ve always been what I suppose you might call a thoughtful gift giver. I don’t see the point of dashing to the shops at the last minute and buying something that’ll ‘do’; I’d rather give nothing at all.

I’m sure I’m preaching to the converted here, but I do know people for whom gift giving isn’t so much a joy and a process as it is a chore and a struggle. Each to their own, but that seems a shame to me.

There is so much joy in seeing someone’s face and knowing you totally nailed it. Obviously receiving is joyful too, and as my teacher would say ‘in truth giving and receiving are the same’, but I’ve always preferred the act of giving.

I nearly started a business a while back based around thoughtful gift giving. The intention was good but in practical terms it wouldn’t have worked, so I put the ideas I had into practice for my friends and family instead.

It’s not rocket science or anything. I just get a huge kick out of really thinking about a person and who they are, what they would love, what would make them feel ‘seen’, in modern parlance. And for the most part I’ve succeeded; people know me as ‘good at presents’.

Sometimes that means I make the gifts, sometimes I buy them, and I tend to pick things up throughout the year when I see them rather than waiting til a birthday or other event is coming up and freaking out in last minute panickness. In recent years I’ve really enjoyed putting together gift bags with several small things inside. An adult’s version of a stocking if you like!

So that’s what I’ve been doing over the last few weeks; slowly gathering small things here and there until I have a small pile of gifts for each person that say ‘I’ve thought about who you are and what you love and I created this to reflect that.’ {God, is it me or am I sounding incredibly worthy today!}

One of these things is a tiny heart painting I’ve done for my teacher’s bag; it’s very simple but I hope she’ll see the love that went into it. We had a conversation the other day about how she loves soft greens at the moment, and because all her teaching is fundamentally about love, of course there had to be a heart. So although it only measures 10 x 10cm, it’s bursting with significance!

Another thing I’ve learned from her is that we are not bound to keep the gifts we’re given. This is quite challenging in a way because if you spend time and effort thinking about what someone would love, you kind of feel they ‘ought’ to not only love it, but keep it forever and ever amen!

But by that rule you must also keep the gifts you don’t love too, and you know how crappy that can make you feel. So I give now knowing that the love and thought behind the gift are what will be absorbed and appreciated, and that the physical bunch of atoms that are the gift itself will end up wherever it most needs to be.

Filed Under: hearts, mixed media art, mixed media painting, painting, process Tagged With: gifts, giving, heart painting, mixed media painting, process, tiny painting

December 13, 2011 by Tara 4 Comments

Today you can find me over at Creative Every Day, where I was asked to do a guest post about winter for the blog. If you’ve been hanging around here for a while you’ll know how much I love Leah’s work, and how I like to participate in the group she started of creative and lovely people who share art and inspiration over there. I was very touched to be asked to contribute, and I see that I am in some amazing company!

This also seems like a good moment to adopt Leah’s new button for Creative Every Day 2012:

Still no painting this end, but lots of heart (and now snowflake) stones and cooking, which, in the spirit of my guest post, TOTALLY COUNTS.

Filed Under: cooking, hearts Tagged With: blog feature, creative every day, guest post, heartstones, leah piken kolidas, quiche

December 9, 2011 by Tara 3 Comments

Well, there’s been not a drop of paint spilled since I finished the lotus painting, but then I’ve been very busy with my stones…

And of course the time it takes to find and collect them…

{I took this photo by accident!}

And getting sidetracked by pretty shells and suchlike….

Don’t forget tomorrow is the last day for the 20% disccount in my Etsy shop when you type in LOVEYOU at the checkout.

Happy weekend to you.

xoxo

Filed Under: brighton, hearts, the beach Tagged With: brighton, hearts, heartstones, shell, stones, the beach

December 7, 2011 by Tara 9 Comments

I’ve had an immensely happy day. Many of my days are contented or peaceful or just quiet lately, some are more uncomfortable but it’s been a while since my last Really Bad Day.

I put this down to the constant {well, mostly!} vigilance I have to my thoughts, my responses, and where I find myself in the world these days.

I meant that figuratively, but since I find myself literally here {taking these photos} a lot, I’d say that tips the balance considerably in my favour.

Nothing makes me expand like this. Except maybe painting. I mean just look at it. Photos will never do it justice but they can still soothe you. I am spoilt by the almost daily photos and videos my friend D sends me {he lives on the seafront}. Waking up to this is a dream I’ve yet to manifest, but I consider it one step in the right direction that I’ve manifested a friend who not only wakes up to this but also shares it with me.

{my biggest and best heart stone so far ~ check this baby out!}

From my big heart to yours. May it be forever open so all the goodness can come bounding in.

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I’m not sure I’m following the rules here but I’m so inspired by Monica‘s little list that I am doing it again. {There are likely to be more of these; try it! It’s like grasping a little moment in time and then you look back and go, oh yeah! I remember how that all felt.}

hear: This Heart of Mine by the Wailin’ Jennys {yes, still. Amy I had to buy Firecracker. Please don’t recommend me any more albums!}
read: mostly the sky today, punctuated by birds
taste: homemade chicken soup with toast and melted butter
see: hearts EVERYwhere
touch: smooth stones
smell: salty air
think: thank you universe more of the same please
feel: joy

Filed Under: brighton, hearts, journey, musings, the beach Tagged With: hearts, heartstones, joy, music, the beach, wailin jennys, youtube

December 6, 2011 by Tara Leave a Comment

So I totes forgot that I was doing that little offer in my Etsy shop!

Hopeless.

It was going to end yesterday, but since I’ve managed what I believe is known as an ‘epic fail’ {a little dramatic perhaps} on that front, I’ve decided to extend it to December 10th. I don’t know why that date, I just plucked it out of the ether.

SO.

If you would like to take advantage, the coupon code is LOVEYOU, and it will magically remove 20% from anything you like in my shop.

So that’s nice.

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Also I did more stones, while watching a newly-lent-to-me box set called The Dead Zone. Verdict so far: it’s pretty dark, none of the male characters are hot, and I don’t love the soundtrack. Think I’ll wait for LoveFilm to send me Bones Series 2. Lord, I am becoming a not very secret box set freak. I should probably do something about my social life to balance things out.

In case you’re wondering, the title of today’s post is in fact Latin for ‘the amazing and fabulous offer has been extended’.

Filed Under: etsy, hearts Tagged With: discount, etsy, hearts, heartstones, offer, sale, stones

December 5, 2011 by Tara 12 Comments

Sometimes I do things exactly because I know I ‘should’ be doing something else, even if I don’t know what that thing actually is. The following is just such a thing:

They are so pretty, so fun to do in a meditative kind of way, and so utterly pointless. I’m thinking of a whole bowl of them and then visitors can choose one to keep, if they like. Spread the love and everything like that.

Also, when I ‘should’ be doing something else, I read blogs. I know I’m not the only one who does this so I feel ok about ‘fessing up to this one. One I discovered recently is called Bohemian Twilight {such a gorgeous name} by Monica, who always has something interesting to say. The blog has a very romantic, wistful, thoughtful sort of vibe. Monica does these lists and today in this mood I am borrowing from her so I can make my own:

read: just finished The Magician’s Guild by Trudi Canavan {something of a miracle as I tend to only start books and not finish them lately, plus this is the first fiction book I’ve read in months, because if it’s not self-improving what’s the point… jeez I’m a hard taskmaster!}
taste: my really fabulous banana bread {so good there’s no room for modesty}
see: the seashore covered in white foamy waves this morning
smell: dead fish that mysteriously all washed up on the beach at once
hear: The Wailin’ Jennys album ~ 40 Days, on an endless loop
think: when is something new going to happen?
feel: slightly apprehensive for no real reason

I like how it makes me notice things right here and now, including what I’m thinking about {always good to keep tabs on that one} and little things I might not have otherwise thought to notice.

I’m off to my Tai Chi class now. Laters. x

Filed Under: blog feature, crafts, hearts Tagged With: bohemian twilight, heart stones, monica, procrastinating

November 1, 2011 by Tara 10 Comments

Here I am. I am full of beans. Blurry, but beaned up nonetheless.

After a week of no beach {I really haven’t been myself!} I went twice today! I also discovered that my phone camera can make vintage style photos.

I found a good heart stone for my collection. {I have over thirty now.} What was also really nice was the atmosphere down there today; a lovely lady came and asked for a ‘peek’ at my sketchbook and we had a scrummy art chat. There was some filming going on, looked like for a music video, and a gorgeous bounding dog came to see me.

Also, I’ve been umming and ahhing about doing Leah Piken Kolidas’ Art Every Day Month, and had decided I definitely wasn’t going to do it.

‘Not doing it’ apparently translates into me signing up and, in fact, doing it. I took my sketchbook to the beach, feeling massively uninspired, and did one oil pastel drawing and one pencil drawing. I am not happy with either but I am relishing the prospect of having a nudge to do something art related every day, especially as lately I’ve been doing pretty much bugger all.

What I also really love about Leah’s approach is how relaxed it is. You don’t HAVE to do art every day, it’s an encouragement and a way to share and be inspired by other people’s work. You don’t even have to join up today {or before}; you can join whenever. If you’d like to join in, the button on the right will take you there.

{oil pastel and black aquarelle pencil}

{HB pencil and a lot of rubbing out}

Happy November to you! Do leave a comment if you’re doing AEDM11 too; we can encourage each other.

Filed Under: AEDM, art, brighton, drawing, hearts, sketchbook, sketches, the beach Tagged With: aedm11, art, art every day month, brighton, sketchbook, the beach

August 9, 2011 by Tara 5 Comments

I finally produced something for the Creative Colour Challenge. Nothing like a looming deadline to get things moving!

I had this ‘genius’ idea that I’d paint the colours onto stones. I imagined them looking pretty against various natural backdrops, like grass and sand.

I didn’t realise that some of the stones would be much thirstier than others, or that purple would be so difficult to achieve!

I could go a lot further with the idea, if I had a) more time, and b) more stones….

There could be many more shades, and I could take them places and photograph them in nature.

As it is there are six stones, some lumpy paint, my roof terrace and picnik.com.

But I may take them out with me and leave them in places for people to find, perhaps with nice uplifting messages on the back.

Filed Under: hearts Tagged With: colour wheel, creative colour challenge, hearts, stones

April 1, 2011 by Tara 9 Comments

I’m going a little off piste today. Being confined to the sofa means a) I’m not painting and b) I’m doing a lot of thinking. (Uh oh!) And I’m currently thinking about self love. Everywhere I look lately people seem to be talking about loving yourself and how you must do that before you can love anyone else/give to the world etc. I totally subscribe to this concept having seen the opposite in action, and like so many things I understand it intellectually, but when it comes to APPLYING it…. well, I’m a bit stuck!Usually when people talk about self love it seems to be in the context of pampering, of doing a physical thing to ‘make yourself feel better’. I am advised to take long hot bubble baths, read, get out in nature, treat myself to things that make me happy basically.I like a bath, I love to read, and there can be no denying that nature is a great soother of the soul. But something is not clicking into place here. I’m stuck on the how. Maybe having a bath isn’t really me reminding myself that I’m loveable and worthy exactly as I am; maybe it’s someone else’s way of saying it and I need something different. How can I not know what I value enough to give it to myself?!I am not sure I know more than one or two people who really do love themselves, without conceit or bombast. Who have just quietly accepted themselves with a great and gentle love and feel no need to talk about it or prove it in any way. I know an awful lot of people who don’t; people I think are fabulous on every level who find things in themselves to criticise and reject. They are the same people who tell me all the time that I am too hard on myself. I know it. It’s a theme of my life. It’s not that I want to be mean to myself; I am just not at all sure how to change it. (Or why I even started it, but that’s another story!)I would love to know your thoughts on this! We all know we need to love ourselves more. How do you do it? How do you make the leap from a lifetime of not feeling good enough, of your worth being conditional on what you do, to a genuine deep down acceptance and love for yourself exactly as you are? I am not convinced that a bath is gonna do it frankly.I’m aware that I am still looking outside myself here; I’m asking you for what works for you, when that may not work for me. I just feel that until I make that ‘click’ of understanding, not just in my brain but in my heart and soul too, I won’t know what it really means to love yourself. Perhaps it’s a tiny step at a time kind of process. Each kind thing you do for yourself leads to love. I’m pretty sure it’s not a sudden ‘Boom! Yesterday I didn’t love you, now I do!’ kind of thing. I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with this. And I’ll keep you posted about any sofa revelations!

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I recently signed up to emails from The Daily Love. I sign up to lots of newsletters and then filter out the ones that don’t resonate for me. This one really does; its creator, Mastin, is both wise and accessible. I always seem to find something to take comfort from in the emails. I recommend it for a little boost of Good Stuff that doesn’t take long to read and gives you things to mull over as you go about your day.

Filed Under: hearts, love