intuitive painting

May 18, 2013 by Tara 2 Comments

TA DA!!!!

I don’t usually begin with so much pink enthusiasm, but something unexpected just happened. I finished a painting. {What the….} I’m very pleased because it’s been quite a while since I’ve a} finished a painting and b} done a process post. So yay on all counts.

As I mentioned the other day, I have a big old chunk of unfinished paintings hanging around in the studio, and I had some vague and ambitious notion to complete them all by the end of the year. As we come up to the midway part of the year I realise now that that was a hilarious moment of insanity, but I’m ok with that. {Aren’t they the best kind?!} You can see some of the piece that is underneath the painting I finished this morning.

I suppose you might say it was reworked, rather than finished, as pretty much none of the original remains. Since it was an experiment in colour and mark making I was happy to let it go and see what happened.

As you can see, the changes became more and more subtle as the painting went on. You can barely see what I did this morning because it was layer after layer of soft, pale glazes. I was quite glad I’d consolidated some ideas about how to finish a painting last week as I called on those ideas for this. In particular I went back and forth softening all the areas that were jarring to me {a benefit of having a long studio}.

Here it is hanging out with some buddies in the living room. Those colours make me die a little bit.

I’ll be putting it in the shop shortly. In the meantime, you can enjoy it here

In Flow by Tara Leaver

May 10, 2013 by Tara 3 Comments

You may be aware that yesterday was Soul Art Day, as created by Laura Hollick of Soul Art Studio. I signed up because I’m a fiend for signing up for stuff. I’m also familiar with Laura and her Soul Art Studio as I considered taking the Soul Art Certification training at one point; it wasn’t the right time then but I am intrigued by the intuitive creativity she teaches.

I don’t always follow through with the things I sign up for. But I had an agenda free day yesterday, and was in what you might describe as a Soulful Mood. And I was curious. Being in retreat is bringing things up for me that I don’t always know what to do with, so I thought, what do I have to lose by trying this?

The journey, guided by Laura with videos and worksheets, takes you from setting an intention {using a brilliant intuitive method that neatly bypasses any logical thinking and most of the inner critic’s comments} to drawing around a part of your body, to asking specific questions once the painting is completed. I particularly love this method of grounding the process in your body.

As Laura points out, the body is the home of the spirit, and using it to express ourselves in this way brings higher insights and deeper understanding and clarity into our physical reality.

Below is the lifesize painting I produced. It’s hard to explain but I’m going to try because I think this is worth sharing.

Most importantly, this painting shows exactly why art is not always about creating something lovely that you can hang on the wall.

Sometimes it’s deeply intense and personal and about the process and/or the message{s} it holds for you alone as its creator. When I look at this painting I look at it with different eyes than almost all the rest of my work. I don’t judge it or assess it in terms of aesthetics or composition or whether it’s ‘good’ or not. It’s far beyond that.

It is actually deeply vulnerable-making to share this, like showing my insides. Fear not, I won’t take you through the whole process! Suffice to say, in asking the painting questions about the messages it had for me regarding the intention I had set at the beginning, I learned some things that although not news to me, introduced a level of clarity and confirmation that crystallized some important things I’m learning right now.

Massive side order of vague, anyone?

Basically I looked at each area, the colours and shapes and symbolism used, and saw how it was a reflection of my current situation and feelings. For example, the strange symbols on the left are about the language I am learning that I don’t yet recognise, and the fact that they are on the left, the yin/feminine/intuitive side, tells me that they are indicative of my own unique inner language of Self, which is one of many things I’m learning on this retreat.

I find the painting uncomfortable to look at, which is interesting in itself. I had hoped for something more serene looking! Clearly I’m not quite at that stage yet. Because the painting is so large {four A2 pieces of paper taped together}, I painted it on the floor, and it became a full body experience of moving around, crouching down, stepping back, like a dance. I painted a lot of it with my hands. I noticed all the criticisms that came up and kept going, reminding myself that this wasn’t like my usual work and ‘didn’t matter’; it was an experiment with no desired or planned outcome. No one would ever even need to know.

This painting is a conversation I had with mySelf.

There were also videos throughout the day where Laura gathered creatives of many kinds to share and discuss aspects of making soul art; there were some real nuggets, some of which I picked out to share with you and for my own future reference.

“Creativity is life force energy, so whatever is moving in our life, that is the creative flow; and if we’re feeling angry or dark or vulnerable or blissful or whatever the emotion is, it’s not saying one is good or bad, it’s just that is the flow of life at that time. And when we let that move through us we are in the creative zone.” Laura Hollick

There was a great discussion of the Ugly Phase and a great feeling of camaraderie as everyone acknowledged it as a regular part of their creative experience.

“What would I do if I didn’t care about what anybody thinks about this work?” Amadea Bailey {Great question if you really let go into it!}

Another good question was ‘how can I let go more?’

Soul Art doesn’t have to be huge; it could be done in a sketchbook. I can see myself using this method again when I need to learn things my brain cannot tell me. Asking through the medium of the body produces profound insights, and the very specific satisfaction and comfort that comes from learning your own truths from inside yourself.

To see the creations of other Soul Art Day participants, visit the gallery.

Laura’s creative journey process surprised me with how much value there was in doing it. There is a lot of stuff out there that you can sign up for that doesn’t really have any effect; this was one of a few times where I found a depth and quality of experience that was really valuable to me. Sometimes signing up for everything in sight pays off.

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PS. My box of freshly printed books has arrived! If you have ordered one a} thank you very much! and b} it will be winging its way to you shortly.

PPS. There is still time to enter the book giveaway over at Do What You Love. I am overwhelmed by the quantity of responses so far and deeply moved by many of the comments. I wish I could give a book to everyone.

Filed Under: art development, creativity, intuitive painting, techniques Tagged With: soul art day, soul art painting

July 20, 2012 by Tara 4 Comments

Sometimes a painting appears that just WORKS, and you don’t even really know or remember how it came together, because your Creative Source took over and swept you along for the ride. And then you stand back at the end to survey your work, and you just sort of go ‘wow, well that came out well.’ And then you go and make a cup of tea and have a sit down.

And sometimes, none of that happens.

Sometimes you just have to accept that ‘this one was about the process’.

At no point during the creation of the following did I have the faintest idea what I was doing. I expect you’ll be able to tell.

{I painted over the half finished painting below, which had been lying around in the stude for over a year. It was basically a mixed media mess on wood panel.}

{collage pieces ~ fabric, lace, tissue paper}

{gesso, obvs}

{pastels}

{pencil and acrylics}

{ARGH. more gesso}

{acrylics and water}

{if in doubt, add Naples yellow}

{drawing with acrylics}

{ugly phase ugly phase! }

{I don’t know what the eff I’m doing and I no longer care}

Well it’s finished, but it doesn’t really feel like me, it kind of feels like ‘old me’, but that’s ok.

I have a hunch that there was more going on inside than outside while I painted this.

Filed Under: intuitive painting, mixed media art, mixed media painting, painting, process Tagged With: cloud, lotus, mixed media on wood, process, sun

July 16, 2012 by Tara 3 Comments

So.

Here’s another painting finished a few weeks ago, waiting for completion, then realising it IS complete. {There’s a life metaphor if ever I heard one.}

Yay.

My posts are a bit all or nothing lately. After all the upheaval and sad and all the not feeling good, and being scared, and things like that, there has been a series of unpredicted shifts. {Mind you if you know anything about astrology you would probably say they were TOTALLY predicted.}

There was, for example, an enormous row a few weeks ago, in the midst of which I realised that I am no longer afraid. Let me tell you, after 34 years of feeling fear and anxiety to some degree on a daily basis, having it drop away in one moment is something of a game changer.

I didn’t know I wasn’t scared any more until I said it out loud, and in that moment I knew it to be one of those Truths, and I felt I could hold the whole world, I had so much faith and courage.

If that sounds weird, it was. In the best way. So much so that I wanted to paint that feeling, and the images you see in this post are what came of it. It went through a couple of incarnations. At one point I thought there was going to be this amazing yellow woman kneeling with her arms stretched out in front of her and her hair all wild. {two images up}

But it wasn’t really happening so then I remembered some beautiful poppies I’d seen and photographed a few days previously. Yes, I thought, some vibrant red poppies.

Then I realised that I am not really a drawer of flowers {unless you’re after the ‘look what my three year old did’ look}, so back in with the gesso I went. But I kept the red. In a painting about fearlessness there should definitely be some red methinks.

And then I turned it and saw the figure.

And then in a very Goldilocks kind of way, I knew I’d found the image that felt juuuuuust right.

Some tweaking later…

{i will hold the world}

PS. I have since been reacquainted with Monsieur Fear and Madame Anxiety, but to a far lesser degree. I am assured that eventually I will live in a place where fear no longer rules my life or dictates my feelings or actions at all. Bring THAT on.

Filed Under: healing, intuitive painting, journey, mixed media art, mixed media painting, painting, process Tagged With: i will hold the world, mixed media painting

July 11, 2012 by Tara 2 Comments

This puppy has been finished for a week or two, only I didn’t know it was finished til the other night. I just suddenly ‘realised’. Which is cool because I couldn’t work out what more it needed.

These progress shots don’t seem to start very early on, but it gives some idea of how it came together.

What’s also cool is it seems to be one of a building theme, which incorporates colour and figures in a slightly abstract way. I think it’s being heavily influenced by Nia actually; I’m still averaging three classes a week and it seems to impact my whole life. As my teacher says, ‘the wind blows everywhere.’ I think about dancing all the time!

It is hard to describe that internal ‘click’ I feel when I’ve added colour and lines intuitively for a while and then I SEE it, the image the painting wants to be. It’s kind of a buzz actually.

The colours in this one make my heart beat faster! I’m so happy with the figure, which just emerged on her own; I couldn’t have created that sense of a movement captured if I had painstakingly tried. It makes the paintings feel like they’re out of my control, which is both a relief and a bit frustrating at times.

Anyway, I’ve called this one ‘Move’ and it’ll be available in my shop shortly.

PS. Thank you so much for all the lovely supportive comments about the work I produced during my pen and ink class. It was really encouraging and is helping me keep the creative momentum going! xx

Filed Under: colour, intuitive painting, mixed media art, mixed media painting, paintings, process Tagged With: body, dance, figure, mixed media painting, move, Nia, reds

November 30, 2011 by Tara 14 Comments

I started a painting ages ago which was supposed to be, well actually, I’ve got no flipping idea what it was supposed to be. It was one of those testing times when the genius idea in your head is not what appears on the canvas. In the end I gave up and it languished for many moons on the floor of my studio.

Then recently, as is my wont, I decided to gesso over the whole thing and start again. Here it is, pre-gesso {not pretty}:

Gesso plus new colours at random:

The more time passes the more I’m learning about my own process. It will always be evolving of course but certain threads remain constant.

I notice that when doing certain things I am smiling or dancing while I’m painting ~ these must be ‘my’ things I guess! When I’ve tapped into creative source and it’s just flowing through me. I love this photo – so scrummy:

Shapes repeat themselves, as do colour choices. Often there is collage, although not on this one. I also get a really strong urge to draw and write on them.

I went into one of my painting trances after first consciously deciding to just dive in and pick colours, brushes and other tools as the feeling arose, not to question anything but just to keep moving and adding and wiping and smooshing.

There was already lots of great texture from the painting beneath it. I wrote ‘rise’ because I was thinking about the lotus flower and how it grows from the mud but looks so beautiful and clean. It represents purity in Buddhism.

Tara’s Genius Tip Of The Day: use chalk to draw in ideas before committing to them with paint. It shows you what something will look like and is really easy to rub off with a cloth. I painted over my chalk lines {more or less} and then rubbed away the chalk when I felt happy with it. I’m sure I didn’t invent this but I did make it up for myself, and it’s the best way I’ve found to try out composition and subject ideas that I need to see ‘down’ before I know if they work.

I’ve been wanting to paint a lotus for ages, but all my efforts looked like artichokes. There is a hint of artichoke here but I’m happy with it all the same.

So I was pleased with the composition and the areas of dark and light, but it didn’t feel quite pulled together enough. I asked the painting what it needed {yes, really} and it said ‘more white’, so I went back in with some white lines and circles, which I then went over again with pencil.

This painting took several weeks and also just a few hours, paradoxically. I’m really pleased with it! It’s in the shop now, and will live in my healing room until it finds a new home.

Filed Under: AEDM, art development, intuitive painting, mixed media art, mixed media painting, painting, paintings Tagged With: aedm11, aqua, blues, greens, lotus, mixed media painting, recycling paintings, rise

November 25, 2011 by Tara 16 Comments

I confess I have taken Leah’s inkblot painting idea and not run very far with it. In that I made some inkblots, and then let myself be entirely inspired by her own style of women in big dresses.

Plus I really like to use my white pen lately, and then use the black as contrast.

Still loving dots also.

I could do so much more here, but am not feeling too inspired the last couple of days. I just did these while watching Robin Hood (the UK series) on dvd. Not my instinctive first choice but it was lent to me by a friend and it’s good light hearted viewing.

I just noticed both these girls are looking wistfully towards the sky. I feel a bit like that myself lately; there’s a definite feeling of a cycle drawing to a close for me, on all sorts of levels, and a wondering about what comes next.

I’ve also been painting over an old piece on canvas, but so far that’s ground to a halt too. It’ll all come good. Most of my time at the moment is spent doing Reiki sessions and sends (distant healing); this time of year can take its toll on all of us. Please let me know if you’d like to be added to the list. You can find out more about how it works here.

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PS. Don’t forget that until December 5th it’s 20% off anything in my Etsy shop with the code LOVEYOU. {Cause I do, innit.}

Filed Under: AEDM, intuitive painting, reiki, sketchbook Tagged With: aedm11, etsy, inkblot paintings, leah piken kolidas, reiki, sends

November 13, 2011 by Tara 4 Comments

One of things I’m loving most about this AED month is how it’s changed the way I work. I have written into my Teux Deux online diary thingo a note to do ‘art every day month’ every day, and having it scheduled into my day like that seems to be effectively ensuring I do something every day, even if it’s just something small. And sometimes the small things lead to the big surprises, right! Then when I’ve done my creativity for the day I get the pleasure of crossing it off! It’s a win win.

So in between the ‘big paintings’, when I’m low on inspiration or just don’t feel like painting big, I’ve been doing something in my sketchbook every day {bar one, where I totally skived}. Sometimes it’s just a sketch, like this one I did after a painting idea I had on the beach. This of course looks nothing like the image in my head but at least it reminds me of it should I decide to actually make a painting from it, and also I kind of like it.

This one is a mixed media number inspired by Leah; I so love the way she tells stories in her paintings {as I may have said once or twice before}, and her feminine figures and symbolism. This one wanted me to call it ‘I See You’. I don’t normally name my sketchbook work but it asked nicely so I said ok then.

Also, this one was made from a page on which I’d used up some leftover paint from a big painting. I just drew over the pink splodges and then used water soluble colouring pencils {plus water} to fill in the shapes. I didn’t have any plans except I wanted to try out figures and trees and a moon {which you can’t really see}. What is kind of interesting to me personally is how it reflects some emotional stuff I have going on at the moment without me consciously deciding to do that; even the title is significant. So that was pretty cool.

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PS. Thank you so much to everyone who left lovely comments and helpful suggestions yesterday; it was much appreciated. At the time of writing I’m on the cusp of deciding on a name…

Filed Under: AEDM, art, drawing, intuitive painting, mixed media art, sketchbook, sketches Tagged With: aedm11, blue, figures, pink, sketchbook, trees, women

November 12, 2011 by Tara 19 Comments

Well, after much to-ing and fro-ing, I finished it last night. For someone who has little patience for detail I found painting the dots strangely satsifying.

Once I’d started it was actually kind of hard to stop.

Here we are part of the way through.

Usually I find the title of a painting comes to me while I’m painting it; not so this one as it began life in my head as one thing {a woman in a huge dress} and then people started saying ‘is it a peacock?’ and ‘it looks like a veil’. I love that it could be many things but it makes naming it more difficult, and I flat out refuse to ‘name’ a painting ‘Untitled’. Just no.

{as yet untitled}

{mixed media on canvas}

{51 x 51 x 3.5cm}

For sale as soon as it has a title! {Otherwise I can’t make page for it.}

If you feel inspired by a name for this little number I would love to hear it! I’m thinking something ambiguous which allows the viewer to decide for themselves what they are looking at. What are the first things it makes you feel or think? Hit me with it people.

Filed Under: AEDM, art, intuitive painting, mixed media art, mixed media painting, paintings Tagged With: abstract, dots, mixed media painting

November 8, 2011 by Tara 14 Comments

This, I learned the other day, is a little phrase my friend’s son made up and likes to repeat to himself at various intervals throughout the day, and he is by all accounts a very happy and well balanced child. I am not particular about where I find my inspiration, and am happy to adopt the mantra of a ten year old, especially one as wise is this one. Out of the mouths of babes indeed.

{In actual fact it’s ‘I’m awesome, I’m legend, I rock’, but one of this otherwise fabulous font’s downfalls is there is apparently no option for apostrophes, hence the awkwardly full length version in the title.}

ANYway, in the vein of giving myself a double thumbs up, after yesterday’s triumph with ‘Tumble’ {and thank you all so so much for your kind words about it, they are much appreciated and I’m so glad it’s giving people pleasure} I had a tiny brainwave.

I so enjoyed the process of making Tumble that I sat down last night and did another one, on paper. It’s a very therapeutic way to create; I make no plans and put colour where it wants to go. That’s it.

And because I needed a birthday card for the aforementioned friend {whose birthday is this Friday ~ 11/11/11 ~ how cool is that?}, I cut up the painting into small pieces and made a whole bunch of cards, each one a tiny piece of an original painting.

They are so pretty! Each one looks like a miniature abstract landscape. And now I have a bunch of cards ready for impending birthdays, and celebrations of all kinds.

I am much pleased by my own genius.

Filed Under: AEDM, cards, intuitive painting, mixed media painting, painting on paper Tagged With: cards, painting on paper