Denita Tizard Artist

Day 18 of Creative Everyday Month - Just clearing out the house today

2011-11-18T16:04:00.001+13:00

SARK Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy is talking on The Aware Show today - http://www.theawareshow.com/attract/sark/

The courier guy gave me a bit of shit today when he dropped another book off, what have you been buying this time he said LOL it was the coolest book Artists @ Work by Richard Wolfe, and Stephen Robinson. The cover really doesn't do anything for the book, totally a must for the book shelf! http://www.denitatizard.com/good-buys/recommended-books/new-zealand-art-books

I watched this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDVoF3zUvPQ&feature=youtu.be) yesterday about online video which was really interesting. He gave me a link to Animoto which I threw some pictures at and this happened...

My card for the day is...

I nearly booked in for a massage today, talk about a must for next week!

Day 17 of Creative Everyday Month

2011-11-17T23:28:00.003+13:00

It's been a really cool day today! I took the bed out of my studio and put back my table and all the stuff I need in there, UNCLUTTERED space YAY!!!

I also got to check out the MANDALA free online workshop it is awesome. I got inspired to go in my studio tonight and started one. I'm going into town today and get some better paper!

Here is a tip she gave us...

I have also been wanting to paint a painting with a quote in it but I haven't found the perfect quote yet any ideas? I'm hoping to start this painting tomorrow.

Here is the link to last years day 17 - denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/art-every-day-month-day-17-beauty

I had another book delivered today 73 Lessons Every Goddess Must Know by Goddess Leonie Dawson. It is fantastic, lots of yummy reading.

Leonie put on the words biggest summit last month which was wonderful. I'm pretty sure if you missed out you could still sign up and listen? Visit www.worldsbiggestsummit.com. I was just checking out some of her photos today and read about Palo-Santo-Wood-Stick, does anyone know where I can get them in NZ?

My card for the day is Oceana

You're in touch with your truth in this situation, and you need to trust your gut and lovingly assert yourself.

Dive right in! There's no need for more research or time. You can trust your feelings on this one. I will guide you through the actions that are necessary, considering the circumstances. Your main concern is to avoid procrastination at all costs. Break the situation down into small steps so that you don't become overwhelmed. Then, take those steps in regular intervals.

You already know what to do about this situation, and you have made up your mind to take action. I am here to validate that your decision is on the path of Light. Although there might be some temporary hard work or emotional turmoil, this will soon be replaced by a lightness of spirit akin to gently floating on a summer breeze.

Sometimes you may feel too emotional or tired to take action. That is because you're unsure of the 'correctness' of your decisions. Usually, unfounded guilt is the culprit that is draining your energy and happiness. This is when it's very important to call upon the angels to shore up your faith. Notice how the doors open smoothly witch each step you take. That is one more sign that you're taking the best course of action.

The clip of the day is silly...

Day 16 of Creative Everyday Month

2011-11-16T20:18:00.001+13:00

I lost the piece of paper I had on my desk to remind me of what drawing challenge I had for the day, so I'm going to chuck that idea out the window and just create stuff that I want to. I haven't painted for ages cause I had packed my studio up, as we where expecting a visitor to come and stay for 6 weeks. But last night I found out that it wasn't happening, so I can set my studio back up which I'm looking forward to doing! It was a good break and I got super organised, I'm not going to have any clutter in there.

Cause the past 24 hours have been pretty crazy I'm going to relax and read my new book Native Wit by Hamish Keith about his life, he is very funny! Today I updated my website page on recommended New Zealand Art Books CLICK HERE to check it out. You can purchase the books by clicking the link to go to fishpond website.

Here is last years day 16 link about Zentangles - denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/art-every-day-month-day-16-zentangle

My card for the day is...

Funny this card comes up cause my friend came around today and we talked about lots of different business opportunities.

My clip of the day was sent to me by a friend today. It reminded me of the time I had in my big messy studio ...

Looking forward to painting tomorrow!

Day 14 of Creative Everyday Month - draw your favourite fairytale

2011-11-14T11:00:00.003+13:00

My favourite fairytale would have to be Cinderella, I'm such a romantic at heart!

Drawing to come later hopefully!

Here is the link to last years day 14 - denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/art-every-day-month-day-14-funday the AMP show where here last weekend but I forgot all about it!

I just ticked one of the things off my 101 list, photograph the alphabet...

It was fun, I would like to do another one!

My card for the day is...

NICE!

Clip of the day is....

Day 13 of Creative Everyday Month - Comic

2011-11-13T22:43:00.000+13:00

I have never drawn a comic before so it was a bit of a learning curve which I enjoyed! Here is my drawing for the day...

Here is the link to last years day 13 about Basic Colour Theory -

denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/art-every-day-month-day-13-basic-colour

My card for the day is...

So true life doesn't flow very well when you hold on to anger!

Here is Doreen's reading for the week...

Always a lovely reminder, get some exercise! I'm looking forward to some lovely visitors travelling to me next weekend.

Day 12 of Creative Everyday Month - most recent accomplishment

2011-11-12T21:53:00.002+13:00

That would have to be that I am 30 weeks pregnant and I created 101 things to do list today!

Here is a photo of my bump and my other perfect 2 year old bump hiding

Here is the link to last years day 12 on basic colour psychology - denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/art-every-day-month-day-12-basic-colour

I had such a fantastic relaxing day today, which I NEEDED!!! When you are a Mum you don't get to have needed breaks, imagine having an hour lunch break each day. I read a good article yesterday on newborns www.goddessguidebook.com/guide-to-newborn. It's amazing how you really don't get having a baby until it happens! Plus I'm not very good at asking for help, so I burn myself out and get really ratty. Hopefully this time I will ask for help and it will be a little bit easier on all of us. I'm really excited about our little man's arrival and today finished organising all his clothes, talk about being super organised!

Our little one put herself to bed early tonight, giving me a few extra hours up my sleeve so I have been poking around the net looking at stuff. I found this cool site that challenges you to do 101 goals in 1001 days. I have wanted to write a list for ages so it just pushed me along - dayzeroproject.com/user/Denita. I think it's pretty cool that a New Zealander created and owns the site. I'm looking forward to ticking off my list in 1001 days. There are some things that I would have never written on my list if it wasn't for the site like doing the 100 snap shot challenge, watch every film that Johnny Depp has been in, and receive cards from 20 different countries through Postcrossing.

My card for the day is

Flow in the current of love!

Whoo hoo...

I bought myself a new pillow today, I'm really looking forward to jumping into bed and reading.
Till tomorrow x x x x

Day 11 of Creative Everyday Month - draw a turning point in your life

2011-11-11T21:53:00.002+13:00

Happy 11.11.11 everyone ❤

This is by far the coolest day of the drawing challenge! A turning point in my life was me and my packed up to the brim car, driving from Auckland to Rotorua, and seeing the lake thinking this is happening for real. That day I chose to live my life and I couldn't think of a more beautiful place to start. Thank you Rotorua for everything you gave me x

I have caught a wee cold so I'm not very with it today, hence the photo instead of the drawing.

The link to last years awesome day 11 - denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/art-every-day-month-day-11-right-is

My card for the day is

This I have been reminding myself of all week!

The clip for today is all about Rotorua (I worked on this boat, we had lots of fun!)

The boat is on Lake Tarawera a magical place! www.clearwater.co.nz

Day 10 of Creative Everyday Month - draw your favourite candy

2011-11-10T22:00:00.003+13:00

I didn't do any drawing yesterday and I'm not going to draw today either, my arm is sore and I'm in need of rest, sleep and a few days off! But I have done heaps of other stuff. I have all my building I wanted done and my studio is packed away and ready for our guest to stay. It was the smallest room but I have managed to make it feel a lot bigger...

The link for last years day 10 - denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/art-every-day-month-day-10-shapes.html

I did take some choice photos tonight...

My card for the day is

Divine Guidance is a wonderful thing!

I have been listening to a dude talk about the sound of the chakras today it was fascinating...

You can download this mp3 @ healingsounds.com just sign up.

Night night x

Day 8 of Creative Everyday Month - draw your favourite animated character

2011-11-08T22:08:00.000+13:00

My favourite animated character is Mickey Mouse. I took the day off doing the normal creative stuff and built shelving for my paintings, super happy cause I can fit more in that little space. Just got to cut a few more pieces of wood for the wardrobe and then all my paintings will all be out of harms way. I was a thinking a lot about getting my paintings back from the UK today, see what happens.

Who doesn't like tools?

Here is the link to day 8 last year - denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/day-8-writing.html

My laugh for the day was

Miss Maddy getting into my mascara

My card for the day is

Day 7 of Creative Everyday Month - draw your favourite movie

2011-11-07T07:05:00.000+13:00

My favourite movie has to be Dumb and Dumber or Meet the Feebles - I love silly movies. But the best art movie would be Pollock, I am going to ~~draw~~ paint it today...photo to come.

Day 7 link from last year - http://denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/7th-day-of-art-everyday-month-encaustic.html

Drawing is contagious in our household, Maddy and Daddy have been drawing it too...

My card for the day is...

Clip for the day...

Day 6 of Creative Everyday Month - draw your favourite book

2011-11-06T10:33:00.002+13:00

I chose 'The Artist Way' by Julia Cameron - I think everyone should own a copy. It might not be a book you will want to read from front to cover but one you can open up when you are feeling a bit unmotivated or something had upset you? The first thing I got out of this book was writing morning pages, if I didn't start writing then, I would be in a much different place than what I am today! Thank you Julia x
Julia's website juliacameronlive.com

My drawing...

Here is a link to my website where you can order the artist way along with checking out some other recommended reading for artists denitatizard.com/recommended-books/artist-self-help-books. I'm reading Art and Fear at the moment and it is AWESOME! I finished War of Art last week which every artist would also enjoy!

Day 6 link from last year - http://denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/day-6-is-about-other-artists-today.html

My card for the day is...

The clip of the day - Dr. Helen Fisher, author of "Why We Love," addresses the World Future Society's 2007 conference, describing the impacts of antidepressants on the brain systems associated with romance and attachment. For more information visit http://www.wfs.org

Day 5 of Creative Everyday Month - draw your best friend

2011-11-05T23:50:00.002+13:00

Here I am 20 to midnight and really wanting to be in my bed watching a movie. I seem to be running out of time each day at the moment. This drawing is really rushed like 5 mins and not even a bit like my best friend, sorry Shaughan! Here is my drawing for the day...

Grumpy old man LOL.

Here is the link to last years day 5 - http://denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/day-5-rainy-day-in-wanganui.html

Maddy, Teddy and I got to hang out and watch the old folks homes fireworks display tonight.

Today I have been sorting out all my photos and have finally sorted out my albums for my 365 photo everyday album and updated the albums on facebook, what a mission! Here is the link to my facebook if you are interested in checking out my photos - facebook.com/denitatizard

My card for the day is...

I'm super happy cause my friend just told me said would come over with another old friend from school for high tea in a couple of weeks.

Day 4 of Creative Everyday Month - draw your favourite place

2011-11-04T22:10:00.003+13:00

My favourite place is the beach...

The link to last years day 4 (such a cute clip of Maddy painting, I can't believe it was only a year ago) http://denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/4th-day-of-art-everyday.html

Here is a photo I took today of the beautiful flowers on the side of our driveway.

My card for the day is

I love this card!

It is from the Healing with the Angel cards which was the first Doreen Virtue pack I bought around 2000 when my life was changing and I needed a bit of heavenly guidance. My soul was a little bit battered and broken and life felt sooooo hard! Each time I picked out this card out I knew that I would find the perfect man for me I just had to be patient (6 years) not my best quality LOL.

The meaning that comes with this card is...Your prayer for a soulmate relationship is answered. Follow the guidance that you receive so you can enjoy the gift of divine love. Your heart yearns for for a big love. Since you are on the spiritual path, you desire a partner with similar philosophy and common interests. Can you have great passion and spiritual companionship this card confirms the answer is yes. You have to trust and follow the lead, your angels have heard your prayers for a great love. If you are in a relationship you are asked to release this partnership to them so they can elevate your relationship or help you end it gently so your new love may appear. Either way you will be given clear steps.

This week I started listening for free the ART OF LOVE SEMINARS @ lovesummit.com/event you can listen to the introduction click here. They talk about once you have your soulmate how to keep your relationship strong. Finding your soulmate is only 10% of the process. Check it out there are over 50 000 people listening to these speakers and it's only on till the 11th of November.

Righty hoe...I'd better go x

Day 3 of Creative Everyday Month - draw your favourite food.

2011-11-03T22:03:00.002+13:00

I have just spent the last 2 hours learning about contemporary art and haven't done my drawing for the day yet, lets hope I can get it done and posted before midnight.

45 mins later...here is my APPLE, I can't eat enough of them at the moment yummy!

Day three of last year - http://denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/3rd-day-of-art-everyday-month.html

My card for the day is...

I love to dance!

If I find some time tomorrow I will write more about the contemporary art lecture.

Good night x

Day 2 of Creative Everyday Month - draw you favourite animal

2011-11-02T23:08:00.000+13:00

My favourite animal is the Giraffe. Here is my drawing for the day...

Man I am leaving it till the last hour of the day to get today's drawing challenge done!

Day 2 link last year - http://denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/2nd-november-day-two.html

My card for the day is...

Nighty night x

Day 1 of Creative Everyday Month

2011-11-01T20:32:00.002+13:00

I'm going right out of my comfort zone here - draw a self portrait...

I had such a busy day today and all I really wanted to do was crawl into bed and go to sleep.
Day one DONE! Good night x

Here is the link to last years first day http://denitatizard.blogspot.com/2010/11/today-is-start-of-art-every-day-month.html

My card for the day...

2011-10-07T08:48:00.012+13:00

Misty morning here today...beautiful!

I have been admiring the lovely greens that are dotted all over the landscape at the moment, it's so fresh and bright.

I spent most of my morning in the studio yesterday just thinking. Reading and listening to all these inspiring people from the world summit are building up the bubbles inside me and I needed time to reflect on it all.

This morning I'm listening to Danielle LePorta from whitehottruth.com. A few days ago I signed up to her website and downloaded questions to ask your friends about who they think you are, it is a good thing to do! I asked a person who has been a friend of mine and like a sister and I did the same for her.

I have been wanting to write about Creative Everyday Month which is coming up in November and today Leah is one of the speakers in the summit.

I signed up to the challenge last year and it got me back into blogging, I wrote about creativity everyday. I'm thinking this year I might draw using this 30 day drawing challenge...

The video of the day is 'No Place Like Here: Marfa, Texas'

My card for the day is:

2011-10-05T11:16:00.002+13:00

Starting my day off with a laugh - here is Vin Diesel on helium...

I can't believe people think he is GAY, come on!

For those of you that don't know the Fakes and Forgeries Festival in Mangaweka is coming up in a few weeks. I have been plodding away at a painting which I hope will make it there in time here is a sneak peek...

This exhibition/competition is a fun event, open to ANY scurrilous novice or professional artist who have longed for the excuse to copy a favourite piece of art. Works can be identical replicas, copies “with a twist”, or “inspired-by” a previous (preferably well known) artist and/or painting/art work. Click here for the entry form and rules. Whoops, I just read the rules and this painting won't be in the festival - it's too big!

I've been listening to Chris Zydel this morning, from creativejuicesarts.com, she is so lovely! I found this interesting clip of a student of hers...

Art & Fear is on it's way to my pile of books to read. I have wanted to read this book for ages. So I'm happy that it will be here soon because I finished a book last night.

Art and Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. The book's co-authors, David Bayles and Ted Orland, are themselves both working artists, grappling daily with the problems of making art in the real world. Their insights and observations, drawn from personal experience, provide an incisive view into the world of art as it is experienced by artmakers themselves.
It's about what it feels like when artists sit down at their easel or keyboard, in their studio or performance space, trying to do the work they need to do. First published in 1994, Art and Fear quickly became an underground classic. Word-of-mouth response alone now enhanced by internet posting has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity.

My poor pussy cat 'Rat' isn't feeling very well and has been on my bed for the last few days. We have spent 15 years together. Please add her to you prayers that she will bounce back to herself soon.

The Clip of the Day is: Seth Godin Challenges You To Fail

My card for the day is replaced with Doreen Virtue's Weekly Oracle Card Reading Oct 3 - 9

Hard to believe that Louise Hay has her 85th Birthday in a few days. See Louise has a new book out: You Can Create An Exceptional Life by LOUISE L. HAY, CHERYL RICHARDSON.

Thought I would sneak in a book review, I haven't read it yet but I have enjoyed visiting Chris's website. The book is on my want to read list.

Until tomorrow, my friends, live with Love, Light and Peace x

Blogging again!

2011-10-04T15:48:00.004+13:00

I had this strong urge to start blogging today, so here I am again sharing the things I come across. My hubby asked me last night how I find all this stuff 'cause he never comes across it, he's just not that interested in what I'm fascinated by! I'm interested in art, people, life and finding my perfect philosophy!

This morning didn't start off the best. As I sat wondering why I felt so glum, I reached for this book that I had picked up a month ago, I don't know how it got to be in arms length, but I'm pretty glad it was there. I opened it up and read this...

Marriage is a good idea. But if you are looking for someone that can be everything, you’ll be disappointed! When you marry someone you take on their weaknesses as well as their strengths. It’s a package deal. By expecting perfection, you’re asking for more than either of you are capable of giving. However, when you get into trouble you can count on your partner. Marriage is having someone to curl up with when the world seems cold, who’s as concerned as you when the children are ill. It’s having a hand that keeps checking your brow when you aren’t well, and a shoulder to cry on when they lower a loved one to the ground.

To the one you marry you’re saying, ‘When my time comes to leave this world, it’s your face I want to kiss goodbye. It’s your hand I want to hold as I slip into eternity. I want to look into your eyes and see that I mattered. Not what I looked like, or how much money I made, or even how talented I was. No, I want to look into the eyes of someone that loved me and see that I mattered!’

If you have been too busy lately, or just forgetful, take a moment and let your spouse know how much you appreciate them.

I had a good cry and that made me feel better. I just needed a release of built up emotion (being pregnant and all!)

Me at 23 weeks - it's a boy!

A few weeks ago Spring started and I felt a massive shift in my world. It was like my flow came back slapped me in the face and life has been pretty crazy since. I came across this wonderful book in the library 10 Spiritual Steps to a Magic Life. Here is a preview inside the book (love Google books)...

I'm up to step 8 which is talking about meditation, which I do each morning in my 20 minute long shower. This book has given me a refresher on all the things that I believe and feel, it's amazing what things have come alive again from reading this book. YES I do live a magical life. Thank you God!

I also signed up for the Worlds Biggest Summit for free. You get an email each day with 3 speakers on loads of different topics. I am into day 3, making time to listen to each teacher, I have enjoyed the variety of topics. All you need to do is visit www.worldsbiggestsummit.com to join up.

I am also reading The War of Art - Winning the Inner Creative Battle by Steven Pressfield.

"Overcome Resistance" so that they may achieve "the unlived life within." Whether one wishes to embark on a diet, a program of spiritual advancement or an entrepreneurial venture, it's most often resistance that blocks the way. To kick resistance, Pressfield stresses loving what one does, having patience and acting in the face of fear.

I'd recommend this book to any man that is a little stuck and wanting to taking his first step into a creative profession!

How to Read More: A Lover’s Guide

I could write all day but I will save some for the next blog maybe even tomorrow?

My card for the day is:

The youtube clip of the day is: The House of God - ENJOY.

Colour is magic!

2011-06-15T09:30:00.002+12:00

I love finding websites that are interesting. I have been on coloursofthesoul.com and am having loads of fun! I found out that the colour of the day for Tuesday is red. A day to get moving and put into action projects that you feel most passionately about, today will strengthen your resolve and increase your levels of confidence. Spend a minute focusing on the image to the right, take three deep and slow breathes in through your nose and out through your mouth to usher in the energy of confidence & passion.

You may ask why does each day of the week correspond to a different colour? It is because the Ancient esoteric schools that existed in Greece & Egypt assigned much significance to colour and its influence on our every day thoughts, feelings and actions. Their studies revealed that each day of the week was connected to a particular colour and on that day the colour attributes were stronger and more powerful. Each musical key links to a colour and corresponds to a chakra or energy centers of the body.

I did a little reading and it said "You are being urged to take a risk, you've pondered and thought about this long enough, break free from self limiting barriers."

Have a go for yourself...

The clip of the day is about book making, no wonder books where treated like gold back then

This week I watched 'Love is the Devil' a biography of British painter Francis Bacon that focuses on his relationship with his lover, George Dyer, a former small time crook, it was pretty horrible!

The card of the day is

I thought I would Google my life purpose and I found this page on how to find your life purpose stevepavlina.com which takes about 20 mins but I figured mine out in a second. You could also try:

15 Questions to Discover Your Life Purpose

Take out a few sheets of loose paper and a pen. Find a place where you will not be interrupted. Turn off your cell phone. Write the answers to each question down. Write the first thing that pops into your head. Write without editing. Use point form. It’s important to write out your answers rather than just thinking about them. Write quickly. Give yourself less than 60 seconds a question. Preferably less than 30 seconds.
Be honest. Nobody will read it. It’s important to write without editing. Enjoy the moment and smile as you write.

1. What makes you smile? (Activities, people, events, hobbies, projects, etc.)
2. What are your favorite things to do in the past? What about now?
3. What activities make you lose track of time?
4. What makes you feel great about yourself?
5. Who inspires you most? (Anyone you know or do not know. Family, friends, authors, artists, leaders, etc.) Which qualities inspire you, in each person?
6. What are you naturally good at? (Skills, abilities, gifts etc.)
7. What do people typically ask you for help in?
8. If you had to teach something, what would you teach?
9. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?
10. You are now 90 years old, sitting on a rocking chair outside your porch; you can feel the spring breeze gently brushing against your face. You are blissful and happy, and are pleased with the wonderful life you’ve been blessed with. Looking back at your life and all that you’ve achieved and acquired, all the relationships you’ve developed; what matters to you most? List them out.
11. What are your deepest values? Select 3 to 6 (See list of words to help you | list in pdf) and prioritize the words in order of importance to you.
12. What were some challenges, difficulties and hardships you’ve overcome or are in the process of overcoming? How did you do it?
13. What causes do you strongly believe in? Connect with?
14. If you could get a message across to a large group of people. Who would those people be? What would your message be?
15. Given your talents, passions and values. How could you use these resources to serve, to help, to contribute? ( to people, beings, causes, organization, environment, planet, etc.)

Good LUCK x

This made me cry this morning

Some clips I found on the net...

2011-05-18T10:01:00.002+12:00

Isn't it funny how you start looking for something on the net, you get distracted you end up finding other things? I was at michellerumney.com watching this interview about Agnes Martin

and went to Vimeo to see what other videos might be interesting and I see an artist I know has commented on the same clip. So I went to his page and got to see him talking about modern art...

I found this clip by Artist Danijela Vitasovich which she made during her graduation year at Whitecliffe College...

The Agony of the Agnostic is a song by Chris Knox. To create this animation, Danijela painted 144 individual portraits of a series of poses Chris took to express the mood of each one of the characters singing in the video. While posing, Chris had to follow a complex system of mouth charts designed by Danijela, to allow his characters to articulate the lyrics in synch with the soundtrack. The song is introduced by an animated feature starring Danijela herself. Visit her website vitasovich.com

And I decided that Banksy is MAD, in a good way lol...

I can feel how hard their hearts are pumping in this one...

I love the internet, we are so lucky to have all this information at our finger tips!

Before I forget - Last week I watched Age of Consent and loved it! I think I enjoyed it so much because I have always wanted to hide away on the beach like Bradley does...

This afternoon I watched Modigliani and cried and cried, AWESOME movie!

The Card for the day is...

Stand up for what you believe is right.

I love our group...

2011-05-15T09:33:00.004+12:00

Life has been pretty full on lately! Having Maddy start creche has been the biggest blessing as I have had 2 mornings a week to be me. Maddy loves creche she runs into the centre and doesn't want to leave when I pick her up.

Maddy ready for her first day at creche

Since January I have been hosting an artist salon through Skype. It started out as 6 artists from around the country and we have made it to the last session with 4 left standing. We have been working through 8 sessions based on the 'I'd Rather be in the Studio' by Alyson Stainfield. It is a pretty intense and a huge learning curve in many ways. Sometimes it has felt like information overload but we are coming out the other end with so much knowledge to get us to the next level in our careers. The best part for me is defiantly working together with with Deanna, Ronda and Diane! I would have been happy to read the book by myself but I wouldn't have got half as much out of it as I have with them by my side. We have one session left and have decided to keep meeting once a months to support each other with our goal setting. We also have a private facebook group set up where we can communicate with each other, share, and help out each other when we can.

Our first artist salon session on Skype.

For the past couple of weeks I have been cleaning up my website rewriting everything and all I need now is new photos of my artwork and I will be one happy girl!

The clip of the day is Music Painting...

The card for the day is...

How delightful to pull this card! Thank you God for your divine guidance.

Zeitgeist 3 - Moving forward

2011-05-08T10:14:00.002+12:00

I am watching this movie Zeitgest 3 which I want to share with you. This movie AWESOME it has my full attention, and I want to learn more. It's so nice to hear people speaking words that I have been feeling for years. I bet John Lock never knew what the effect his words have had on the whole world. Lets hope people realise how to change our behaviour so the next generation can live long and happy lives.

You can visit their website to get the links of the other 2 movies: zeitgeistmovie.com

While I am here I might as well pull a card: WRITE

Happy Easter x

2011-04-25T19:42:00.000+12:00

I'm feeling like my mind is about to explode with things that I need to do at the moment, so why not forget about it all and write in my blog?

What a wonderful weekend it has been, mine started a bit shaky as I really wanted to go away but I'm glad we stayed home, as we have spent lots of time with our families. Yesterday was an easter egg hunt at Grandma's...

Saturday we went out and Friday everyone seemed to turn up here which was just what the doctor ordered...

The youtube clip of the day is a slideshow I made in April 2008 with a few of my photos of Wanganui, I also made the loop of music to go with it :)

Visit our website: wanganui.org

The card for the day is YES

From Wiki....Ganesha (Sanskrit: गणेश; IAST: Gaṇeśa; listen (help·info)), also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati (Sanskrit:गणपति; IAST: gaṇapati), Vinayaka (Sanskrit: विनायक; IAST: Vināyaka), and Pillaiyar (Tamil: பிள்ளையார்), is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon.^[5] His image is found throughout India and Nepal.^[6] Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations.^[7] Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.^[8]

Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify.^[9] Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles^[10] and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles (Vighnesha (Sanskrit: विघ्नेश; IAST:Vighneśa), Vighneshvara (Sanskrit: विघ्नेश्वर; IAST: Vighneśvara),^[11] patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom.^[12] He is honoured at the beginning of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters during writing sessions.^[13]Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.

Happy Me..

2011-04-18T19:36:00.006+12:00

Well the cold weather has hit us pretty hard today, there is snow falling on the mountain and it's really windy. It doesn't take long for the Wintery season to kick in once the clocks go back. I'm loving the cold this time, after our long hot Summer!

I'm suppose to be hosting our 6th art marketing group about ASSESS AND IMPROVE YOUR EXHIBITION AND SALES OPPORTUNITIES tonight but 3 out of the 6 are sick so I have put it off till next week. I really enjoy hosting the group, even with all the crazy run of events in the past few months.
I started another group this week for men, the group is based on the book The Artist Way by Julia Cameron and the people in the group are old friends that I love hanging out with.
I bought the book Vein of Gold by Julia Cameron last week and it has really kicked me back into gear and so motivated to ROCK ON!!! I was missing writing my morning pages. I wrote them for years and years and when I had Maddy they didn't fit into my day, but they do now and I can feel an instant change. Maddy starts creche in 2 weeks for 2 mornings a week, I'm so excited! So I started looking for a studio, can't wait to have some me space and time again!!!!!

I put Maddy in the big bed tonight and spent most of the day in her room having a big shift around and clean out. It's so nice seeing her grow into a little person. She is very independent much like me!

2 paintings glossed in the last 24 hours this one which is one I started many years ago

and this one which I was just playing around with a few months back

I'm not 100% happy with it, maybe because I used cool colours which I'm not used to?

It is all glossed up so I can't work on it anymore!

For the past few days I have been checking out chrysalis seed arts community @ csartspace.org.nz and have been having a great time checking out all the artists artwork, it's nice to have a change of scenery.

The Youtube clip of the day is from an artist that I found today his name is John Kraft

Does anyone have a piano I could paint?

I really enjoyed looking at his facebook page to find the link visit johnkraft.com

The card for the day is Fresh Air

lets hope it is a nice day tomorrow as I have been itching to get to the beach. But for now I had better put on a coat and go get some milk and coffee for the morning. I'm pretty sure the air is very fresh out there tonight.

Wanganui Artists Open Studios

2011-03-20T17:16:00.009+13:00

Shaughan, Tony, Maddy and I spent a few hours today visiting artists in their studios for the 2011 Whanganui Open Studio event. It has made me feel very privileged to be living in such a beautiful art community. I didn't get time to visit all the studios I wanted to visit but I made a pretty good dent and hope to get to the rest of them next weekend. It made me realise that next year I need to make an effort to be involved in the event again.

We started by parking outside the Museum and walking down to Gaynor Mulholland's Studio as you can see in the photo above the bright green flags are hanging outside all the studios. Gaynor had a good range of realistic paintings for sale and the lovely Marie Grice was also there also exhibiting her work.

Walking up Victoria Ave to Guyton Street we called into Sue Cooke's Studio. She has been drawing on Eggs which was interesting. Maria Martin Smith was also exhibiting there, she loved Maddy's outfit. We had to drag Maddy out of there cause she had become very fond of the slope going into Sue's studio, kids!

Next stop was Paige's Book Shop where Celia Bassett exhibits her work, thank God I had left my bag in the car cause I just love all the books in this shop!!

Skipping over Wicksteed Street we visited the notorious Rayner Brothers and we nearly ended up with a piece of Rick Rudd's pottery but thank God for Maddy not being so ruff. Tony and I had a bit of a giggle at the piece out the back, like the black swan with a cock shaped for it's head and the stuffed possum standing dressed in a dress, we both commented on that piece and said how much we would liked to buy it. Nice to catch up with Paul and Mark they are both looking really good.

As we ran down the road after dogs for Maddy to say hello, we then climbed up the stair to our wonderful Sarjeant Gallery that has an awesome exhibition 'PETER BUSH Hard on the Heels - Capturing the All Blacks' on till the 8 May, 2011. Rugby photographs by New Zealander Peter Bush who is acknowledged as the best known and most accomplished photographer of rugby in the world. For 60 years he has been documenting the All Blacks on and off the field both here and abroad. Hard on the Heels is the first exhibition to record his long association with our national game. As you can imagine Shaughan was in his element, here he is below reminiscing about RUGBY, good kiwi bloke!

Lucky I remembered that they have tours next weekend to discover what is in their basement so I booked Tony and I to go next Saturday at 11:15am. We are the only ones booked so far so if anyone else is keen give them a call.

Back to the car, even though I was hanging out for a coffee, we headed over to see Pat Cush and Lindsay Marsh. I found out both of them went to art school with my sister Vanessa, such a small world. We had a bit of a catch up and then the men wanted food so it was off to the bakery for the best sausage rolls in the world and a bottle of V for the caffeine fix I needed. As I was still stuffing my face we pulled into Christine Haber's place, dusting the crumbs off my t shirt we walked in and checked out her photography, it was cute..felt like you were in Africa.

Back in the car and a few u turns here and there we made it to Enaj Lee's. We walked into her beautiful studio full of amazing creativity, her work really connects with me. I bought Maddy a hat and if I had the room I would have bought some of her art too! What a very talented lady!! I will try to remember and get a photo of Maddy in her hat when she wakes up.

With just a few more stops to go we pulled up to Tom's studio with his tee pee outside, a big piece of paper to make a foot or hand print on, and a big box that asked us what would we put in an exhibition of things we couldn't live without. I wrote Shaughan but I'm sure he wouldn't stand in a pile of stuff that long for people to view. It was choice in there lots too look at and Maddy tried to make friends with the boys next door but they got shy and went back home...

For the first time in ages it was Shaughan that we waited for to get in the car NOT me, bloody awesome! I think he might miss me having the gallery and all the contact we had with the artists in town? I do.

The last studio for the day was Rachael Garland's studio which was awesome! Shaughan hung outside with her bloke, giving woman shit, while Tony and I wondered around looking at her work. I love her quirkiness, it reminds me a bit of my Aunty June. I like that Rachael told Shaughan to get me another studio....NICE!!!

The list of artist for my next weekends adventure are Shane Hammond, Prakash Patel, Bruce Phillips, Mike Marsh, Max, Autumn and Clair McGrail, John Singleton, Aaron and Carol Gash, Andre Bronnimann, Craig Winton, Carmen Simmonds and Leonie Sharp, Leigh Anderton and Garaham Hall, and Sandy de kock. Visit www.openstudios.co.nz for the complete list of artists in this event.

A wonderful day was had by us all, Maddy jumped in a nice big lavender bath when we got home and is now crashed out in my bed. Shaughan has gone off to play poker and I have the suns warmth shinning on me and I'm pretty inspired to get some paint on canvas. Thank you Wanganui Artists for a lovely day x.

Wordpress is broken :(

2011-03-06T18:13:00.005+13:00

I haven't been able to post in my photo of the day blog because wordpress is a target of attacks and I can't log in so it has given me a good excuse to write here.

Here are some photos from the past few days..

it was my niece's bday yesterday, Dulcie-Jean was 1 years old :)

I did some painting in the morning yesterday and more today

I'm have donated this painting for Sharlene's trip to India.

Will let you know when it goes on TradeMe

The day before yesterday I shot Maddy jumping on her new tramp :)

It is a rainy Sunday here, so wonderful as we haven't had rain for such a long time. Shaughan took Maddy into town for half an hour and I got to have a nice hot bath and relax, just what the doctor ordered as I have been a bit stressed.
I got to do a bit more painting this afternoon and I still have paint all over my hands and Maddy has managed to get paint all over her new pants, like mother like daughter!

If you haven't seen, this week I sent out the March newsletter for The Paint Pit - paintpit.com

I read this and wanted to share it with you...

The Youtube clip I have chosen today is of Miss Mica Still a Wellington Artist.....

micastill.com

I learnt a little bit about Marimba today

My card for the day is WRITE

Nice idea!

Fun with the ducks

2011-02-13T12:20:00.001+13:00

We went and hung out at Virginia Lake yesterday...

The clip of the day is Andy Warhol and Basquiat...wouldn't it have been cool to hang out with these two?

I just wanted to add this one casue I can - PERFECT DAY

My card for the day is 'Children'

A little boy is being born today :)

Blogging yesterday opened up the creative juices

2011-02-11T13:46:00.002+13:00

I have been trying to get 4 trading cards finished for the swap on Monday, it's all about love and it doesn't look like I will have them done but I have read some nice stuff, like this....

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy.
Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude;
It is not self-seeking, nor easily angered.
It keeps no record of wrongdoing.
It does not delight in evil,
But rejoices in the truth.
It always protects, trusts, hopes, and preserves.
There is nothing love cannot face;
There is no limit to its faith, hope, and endurance.
In a word, there are three things that last forever:
Faith, hope, and love;
But the greatest of them all is love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Such a pretty picture I took of a sunflower at Audrey's house yesterday.

I have been painting, I'm putting it down to

blogging yesterday opened up the creative juices.

Hopefully it won't take too long to finish. I had a bit of a problem with it because I used encaustic wax and then painted over it and it had started cracking, only because of Maddy man-handling it. I got the hairdryer out and melted it all back into place and it's looking wonderful again. I'm thinking I might get some prints of this to sell so that more than one person can enjoy the painting :)

Last night I watched Klimt, A portrait of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt (Malkovich) whose lavish, sexual paintings came to symbolize the art nouveau style of the late 19th and early 20th century.

It was a very strange character study and a meditation on art in a time of opulence and syphilis. Gustave Klimt (1862-1918) lies in hospital, dying. In reveries, he recalls the early 1900s: it's fin de siècle Vienna. At the World Exposition in Paris, Klimt meets Georges Méliès, who does a moving picture for him, and Klimt falls under the spell of a woman who may be Lea de Castro. We see Klimt in his studio; we meet his mother and sister, who suffer from mental illness. We watch Klimt the libertine. On his deathbed and as a younger man, he imagines things as well: encounters with ministers and waiters and with women who are willing participants in his pleasures.

The clip of the day is one of my favourite artists Jasper Johns. I love it how the guy gets told off for videoing in the gallery, it reminds me off all the times I have been told off for the same thing LOL.

You will hear that one of his paintings sold for $80 000 000, the most a living artist has ever sold a painting for...NICE!!! Someone told me that he is bummed out becasue people want to buy his old work more than his new work and he isn't making the amount of money he once did.

My card of the day is BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

I want Maddy to go to sleep so I can do more painting!!!

Life has been a bit different of late!

2011-02-10T09:40:00.003+13:00

Shaughan and I celebrated 4 years of marriage last Thursday. Mum came up and looked after Maddy and we went out. It was a year ago to the date that we had gone out together last. So it was nice to feel human again! I must get over my dislike of asking people to do things for me so I can have a social life again.

I haven't been painting all week but I have been writing the Paint Pit newsletter, if anyone wants to put any events in there let me know. I cleaned out my studio and started to sort out my filing cabinet.

Here is where I'm up to on my meditation painting...

I did manage to courier 4 of my paintings to Dawson and Hall Gallery located in the heart of the beautiful Mackenzie Country. Owners Chris Dawson Taylor & Caley Hall both have a life-long passion for art & are thrilled to be able to bring their unique & original contemporary art, sculpture & jewellery finds to Fairlie

Photo taken by Chavah at NZ's Got Talent exhibition.

We have had Amanda, my sister, over here for the past week which has been nice to catch up, hopefully we can go and visit her family next year in London :)

BBQ in Mum's garden

Amanda's first few hours here

I don't know how I managed it but I caught a cold for the 2nd time in a month, and have been a bit out of right mind this week but have managed to stumble through with only a little bit of grumbling.

I started to do meditation at night instead of going to bed and watch TV and it is awesome I have such a deep sleep. I signed up for an online course at onlinemeditation.org which is nice and basic!

I'm really impressed with how fast the tobacco plants are growing....

My Art Marketing Group started at the end of January, we are using Skype video conference as you can see in this picture so we can all be together even thought we live in different cities....

We are a group of 6 artists dedicated for success, click on the links to go to our pages:

Deanna Gracie
Denita Tizard
Diane Fazzini
Pamela Tapp
Ronda Turk
Rosie Harper

This is what we are learning from the book “I’d rather be in the studio.” by Alyson Stanfield

1: Introduction to Marketing
2: Set and Attain Goals
3: Define Your Art
4: Differentiate Yourself from Your Competition
5: Describe Your Collectors
6: Assess and Improve Your Exhibition and Sales Opportunities
7: Promote Yourself and Your Work
8: Create Good Habits
9: Follow Up

I'm thinking I will do one group a year so if you are interested in joining the next group please let me know.

If you are an artist that would like to feature on the Paint Pit website click here for details.

Here is an email I got yesterday reguards to exhibiting in Downtown San Francisco....

Greetings Distinguished Artists;

The California State Assembly, Commendation winning, Artists Alley Gallery, San Francisco is currently interviewing artists for upcoming shows. We are especially interested in promoting international and world-wide artists in order to add variety to our collection.

The 4,000 sq-ft, gallery is located in a prestigious space in downtown San Francisco's Museum and shopping district. We are essentially a collective of artists and a popular events venue for charities, corporations and celebrities.

Kindly email us if you are interested in learning more about how to participate. And please do include a telephone number and/or SKYPE id at which we can reach you.

In order for us to properly maintain and promote our artists’ visibility, there is a nominal membership/showing fee to be a part of the collective.

Sincerely,
John Vila
Curatorial Board

The Artists Alley Gallery
863 Mission Street
Across Bloomingdales Mall
Between 4th & 5th Streets
Downtown San Francisco - 94103
California - USA

Tel : 415 522 2440 / 415 259 6584
Fx : 415 552 4914

Direct Voicemail : 415 371 9006

www.Galiara.com

There are lots of other things I could write about but I think that is enough for one post. I'm thinking maybe 1 or 2 posts a week might be a good part of my plan. I'm still posting a photo every day here
denitamad.wordpress.com

I just want to share an article I read this week that is awesome! I have started using my Facebook groups so I can post personal things to my friends, arty things to arty people etc CLICK HERE to read.

My clip of the day is The Future of ART....

My card for the day is Harmony

How could you not like this :)

Feels weird not blogging...

2011-01-28T10:12:00.000+13:00

it has been good as we have all been a bit off! Maddy and I have had a cold and Shaughan has on going problems but yesterday was a bit of a scare for us.

From his post on Facebook..."A bit crook today, 111 and ambulance time. Turns out a stomach full of blood isn't really conducive to having an excellent day. Many tests, tubes, and x-rays later, it appears I'm all good, with said issue not likely to re-occur, as the doc put it down to the pills I've been taking, and me being so hard (or stupid) I didn't notice there was an issue till this morning. Dee has looked after me awesomely, good wife :)"

Poor man I always tell him not to be such a drama queen but he really was not very well yesterday.

While we waited for Shaughan we hung up with Leah, my niece, while she was getting stuck into decorating her wall. Ness had ripped off the wallpaper so that the kids had a place to go mad with writing on the walls.

I just have to say that Imlay Butchers rock the party, thank you for the roast popper.

The best service I have had in ages!

This is the beautiful sunrise we had yesterday.

The Youtube clip of the day is...

My card for the day is

Good to know this HEALTHY change is just what we need!

Maddy and I are off to the doctor to so I'd better go and get ready :)

Day 30- Your favourite song.

2011-01-22T08:55:00.002+13:00

My most favourite song is Ramble On, I can listen to this song over and over again and never get bored with it. In saying that I couldn't listen to the whole led Zeppelin's album over and over again.

We had some sad news yesterday one of our friends, Sarah passed away in the afternoon. She is one of the strongest woman I have ever met in my life. Wanganui has lost a very talented artist. RIP Sweetheart, we will miss you. I look forward to picking up where we left off in the next life. A big garden mural and an artists ball are first on the list of things to do together babe! Lots of love to you x x x

This was Ben and Sarah's wedding invite

On their wedding day in 2009.

My thought are with with guys x

The Youtube clip of the day is of Josephine Baker. One of the last pieces of work Sarah and I talked about was a sculpture she was making with glass or brass legs doing the famous banana dance.

My card for the day is Signs

We had a freaky big hazy moon last night.

Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned

2011-01-21T10:11:00.001+13:00

How to make flea powder out of essence oils using peppermint, eculypus and rosemary. I put 3 drops of each in a cup of cornflour and then sprinkled over the cat, you have to do this every 3 days until they are gone! There is some cool software for artists to aid in getting organised. I'm not so good at handling sicknesses. Tobacco is easy to grow, I finally planted my seedlings yesterday and they have already taken off. My child is Wiggle crazy she could watch and listen to The Wiggles 24/7. Skype now offers video conferencing, a very cool feature just in time for my online art marketing group that starts in 10 days. How to use Wordpress. That the Tourist is a cool movie that I would be happy to watch again. Not to leave the zinc cream in reach of wee Maddy cause she will be covered in it and then start on the cat. And lastly that you can never be sure when Mother Nature is going to strike.

I'm really trying to finish my painting so much that I was painting next to Maddy having a bath last night. She wanted to paint too!

I have just been checking out Len Lye's work this morning on Youtube so I thought I would share, he was so ahead of his time!

Rainbow Dance by Len Lye

made 75 years ago

Cute...

My card for the day is

Time to get in my car!

Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

2011-01-20T08:15:00.001+13:00

2010

2011

I haven't changed that much! I have lost most of the baby weight I gained being pregnant, and am a lot happier than last year, only because I am getting more sleep. Having a baby really changes your life! It's nice that Maddy and I can go on more adventures now :) I didn't like being house bound at all!

Last night I had just put my camera batteries in to recharge and then I heard pop, crackle, pop, pop whoops looks like I will be off into town to get a new charger today. I am pretty sure I got good use out of it LOL!

Don't you love it when you listen to your intuition and it's right! I called into see some friends yesterday afternoon and one of them is leaving Wanganui today. It was nice to spend some time with her as I don't know when she will be back!

I managed to get some painting done yesterday..

The colours are brighter than this photo.

I was surfing the web last night trying to get some ideas for Dad's tattoo and I came across this clip...Youtube clip of the day is Tiki getting his neck tattooed...

I'm so scared of getting a tattoo!

My card of the day is

Good time for new ideas! I was thinking of moving back to live in Palmerston North. It would be nice to hang out with my friends and family over there more. I never seem to get my shit together to get over there much.

Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge

2011-01-19T07:22:00.003+13:00

I don't know why I am doing it? I just started it and now there are only 3 days left! It is a good thing cause it gives me a reason to write in my blog each day :)

Last night I wrote my very own blog challenge for a month! I challenge you to take up my months challenge, it is designed for fun! Copy and paste the challenge somewhere so you can get to it easily each day. Be sure to share it with your friends :)

Dee's Everyday Blog challenge

Day 01- Buy a piece of fruit, post a photo and tell us why you bought this type of fruit. Keep it in a safe place for the month.
Day 02- If you could have any animal as a pet what would it be and why? Name the pet and tell us any special tricks or traits it might have.
Day 03- Write a poem about a person you know.
Day 04- Draw, for only 10 minutes, a portrait of your family.
Day 05- Tell us something interesting and treasured that your mother or father taught you.
Day 06- What is your daily morning routine?
Day 07- Who is your all time favourite artist and what is their best piece/s?
Day 08- Take a photo of the weirdest thing you can find in your community and tell us why.
Day 09- When was the last time you stayed up to see the sunrise?
Day 10- If you could pick your 15mins of fame, what would you be doing?
Day 11- Draw a self portrait in chalk.
Day 12- What was the last thing you Googled and what did you find out?
Day 13- If you could change one law what would it be, and why?
Day 14- If you could learn anything at night classes, what would it be and why?
Day 15- Draw a picture of anything in your home without looking at the paper.
Day 16- Who is the person you laugh with the most and why?
Day 17- What were you doing when Lady Di was killed in Paris 14 years ago?
Day 18- Make a collage out of todays newspaper, make sure you sign it and put the date in there somewhere.
Day 19- What is your biggest fear?
Day 20- Tell us about one of the most exciting times you have had in your life.
Day 21- Take a photo of your dinner and tell us about how it taste.
Day 22- What is your favourite sweet treat?
Day 23- Do a water painting and take a photo of it before it dries.
Day 24- If you could only have on cd in your car for a month what would it have on it?
Day 25- What were you like as a teenager?
Day 26- If you could have any wish what would it be and why?
Day 27- Do something nice for someone today and tell us what you did.
Day 28- Draw a portrait of yourself without taking the pen off the paper.
Day 29- What is the thing that has been on your TO DO LIST the longest? Why have you been putting it off?
Day 30- What sort of blog challenges would you make me do for a month? You can post 1-31 days here, your choice.
Day 31- Take a photo of the piece of fruit you bought at the beginning of the challenge and tell us what happened to it over the month.

What would your own album look like if you were in a band?
Follow the directions below and find out.

Here are the rules:
1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random” or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random. The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations" or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3. The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days” or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.

The Youtube clip of the day is The Strangest Internet Video Online Ever!

and that it is!!! Thank Kerry x

My card for the day is

Very appropriate, Dad wants me to design a tattoo for him. I'm looking forward to it.

Day 26- What you think about your friends

2011-01-18T07:27:00.000+13:00

I love my friends, most of them as mad as me! I feel blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends, it's a pity that a lot of them live far away from me, I miss hanging out! But last night I organised a trip to see one of my beautiful and talented friends in Rotorua. I just need to get some money together so I can go! It has been over 6 years since I moved out of Rotorua, it will be nice to catch up with the city and the people in it.

My poor little darling has a fever, I'm not sure if it is her ears, teeth or something else but she seems really happy so hopefully it will pass soon. So it's just a quick post for the day.

The Youtube clip of the day is Friendship Quotes

My card for the day is

Day 25- What I would find in your bag

2011-01-17T07:36:00.000+13:00

Take a look...

I did this clip last year for A Day in the Life movie.
Look my big dog is still with us here, he is sitting on his green chair.
I still miss him soooo much, love you Ralphie x x x

Had a nice day with Mum yesterday. We went and looked at a studio space we could share and just hung out eating ice cream and walking around the lake. Maddy was on form running everywhere!

The Youtube clip of the day is a piece from A Day In The Life movie.

Interesting reading of the comments on the youtube page :)

My card for the day is

I had this freaky dream last night about using the 'I'm just a poor artist' line, maybe that is what I have to surrender and release? This card always makes me think deep about what is not working in my life.

Day 24- A letter to your parents

2011-01-16T08:26:00.001+13:00

Dear Mum and Dad,

Thank you so much for providing me with such wonderful opportunities from such a young age. I understand how blessed I am to have been able to have you both in my life and I am grateful.

These opportunities have inspired me to explore my options in life and also seek out new ways to live a fulfilled life. I have discovered my goal of being an artist because of your encouragement to follow my dreams and having the courage to do anything I choose.

I want to thank you for the guidance you provided me throughout my life. I am glad that you taught me how to work hard and treat people with kindness and love. They serve me well in life and I know that Maddy will have the same encouragement to be the same. Because of what you taught me, I know how to treat others well and what to expect from others.

Thank you again for helping me.

Love,
Dee x x

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

Six Keys to Being Excellent at Anything - blogs.hbr.org/schwartz

Shaughan took Maddy down to the market so I got to spend sometime in my studio painting. I was bummed out cause I had left my small brush in the water and it was wrecked, I need to go and get another number 0 brush today.

I spent many hours in the garden yesterday, it was good getting a sweat on and I'm not even sore today! Tony would be proud.

Under the trees the grass had got out of control!

The pile of branches are disappearing

You can walk through the trees now, still got a bit more to do but I couldn't see in the dark :)

Crazy Cat

My tool tree

What is this Fungi, it just keeps growing?

We got given some tobacco plants to grow.

The Youtube clip of the day is Basic Gardening Tips : Common Mistakes When Gardening

And tobacco plants...

www.howtogrowtobacco.com

My card for the day is

Looks like it's back to the park within 12 hours for us then...

Day 23- Something you crave for a lot

2011-01-15T08:08:00.002+13:00

COFFEE!

I can't function without a good cup of coffee in the morning!

HEY DON'T FORGET TO BACKUP DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOS ETC!

I'm doing mine now, the last time I did it was JULY 2010 - NAUGHTY!

Last night I spent a few hours on Wordpress, it's a pretty cool place. Check out what I did - denitamad.wordpress.com

Why is it that when you take photos of the moon that it doesn't look as big?

It's been so nice getting back into the garage and slowly sorting through my art stuff!

Maddy has been painting in there while I rummage around.

The importance of naming your artwork by Laura Swink

Have you ever seen the movie Amadeus? An oscar winner from the eighties, it's definitely worth the time to watch it at least once in your life - as it gives you a rare look into the mind of a genius, and the people who recognize it.

That being said, it's not the discussion about genius that keeps me referring back to the movie - it's the pictures that the movie creates to help you understand the artist. Case in point is the scene where Mozart is conducting the last performance of Don Giovanni. After watching these few minutes of the scene the writers of the movie actually have you convinced that you want to buy subscription tickets to the opera. I mean seriously - the opera. But it isn't the music or the visuals that have the viewer so engulfed in the scene - it's Soliari's description of what is going on in the head of that strange little man named Mozart.

I suppose we can spend a lot of time debating whether or not the narrative prods you to buy season opera tickets - but the point I need to make regarding this is a valid one...At no time should an artist title a piece "Untitled" Simply stated, you remove the description, the narrative - from the viewer and along with it any emotion that he or she would otherwise attach to the piece, thus squelching their desire to dive deeper into the piece's meaning and it's overall effect.
You have robbed the artwork of it's soul.

Imagine it: "Oh what a sweet baby - what's her name?" "UNTITLED"

Or this: Buy this cool new car from (insert car company name here) "The new UNTITLED V-6 with six speed automatic transmission" There's something you want to fork over $35K for - yes?

Good heavens, if the car companies won't do it - why do YOU?

Do you know how much time and money the automakers spend in order to give the car a name that will appeal to it's target market? And it's harder for them - they have to do this with a simple word.
Take for example "I drive a Nitro" (Isn't that an explosive??) versus "I drive a Milan" (Named for a town in Italy) There are two very different sets of emotion that you will attach to each car simply because of its name.

And now to get back to the soul of your artwork - the song with out the lyrics, the very moment at which you were to verbally communicate with your viewers. Is it so unimportant that you would name your piece "UNTITLED?" People buy art because it stirs them on some level we cannot grasp, and often times that little title on the piece pulls the viewer into some other place they wouldn't otherwise go without your help. It gives them a glimpse into your mood, your memory - your moment and it connects them with you every time they refer back to it. It's that important.

I can go on and on and on making this point - but I hear the dead commander calling "Don Giovanni" from the grave.

I think that one day I shall see this opera for certain, not because I'm a fan of opera - but because I got to see it from the artist's perspective - for a moment I got insight to where he was at the time of it's creation, and I want to feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck just one more time....

The anticipation response - clicks.robertgenn.com/anticipation

The Youtube clip of the day is RockMelt - Your Browser. Re-Imagined.

I have just downloaded the browser and it looks pretty cool! If you want to try it connect with facebook to get the invite @ www.rockmelt.com

My card for the day is

cool!

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else

2011-01-14T09:15:00.001+13:00

In all the world there is no one else exactly like me.

There are persons who have parts like me, but no one who adds up exactly like me.

Therefore everything that comes out of me is authentically mine because I alone chose it - Virginia Satir

I was so wrecked yesterday, walking around half asleep. All those late nights and broken sleep cause of a child teething had caught up on me. I crashed out about 9pm last night and even though I got 2 times for Maddy in the night, I'm feeling much more refreshed today. I hope to do some painting on the 'meditate' painting today as I didn't do any yesterday. I did paint 8 cards getting ready for the trade coming up in Feb and Maddy and I covered our driveway in chalk.

Maddy is so cute she has started to put words together like 'TV Wiggles Mum' and then she starts with on the I'm hungry talk which goes 'ice block? ice cream? biscuit? banana? milk? apple? toast marmite? butter (for peanut butter) chocolate? chippies?' ending with a cute 'OK'?

How can you say NO to a face like that?

One thing that she does, which makes me laugh every time, is when I am sitting down she will come and pat my bum and say MOVE, MOVE, MOVE until I move, bossy little bugger!

I found this really cool book at the library called Unplugged Play - parentsjournal.com/unpluggedplay it is one of those books that you don't want to take back. There are heaps of cool things to do with Maddy at home :)

It's funny how things come your way at the right time, I just got this newsletter on being yourself from chrisguillebeau.com

It's a good idea to be yourself, not only because everybody else is taken, but because trying to be anything else doesn't usually get you very far.

But how do you do it?

First, you have to understand what you have unlearned about yourself. This process can be disheartening, as you remember past decisions where you had the chance to be yourself but instead chose to be something different.

Since trying to be someone else is usually ineffective, why not begin by deciding to do only what is true to your own inner compass? If you did it for just one day, what would that day look like?

There are a few schools of thought that say you are incapable of making good decisions on your own; that you are inherently evil and must continuously struggle against your true nature. You are destined to lose without some kind of intervention.

But what if your true nature were good? Sure, you've screwed up with the best of them, but that doesn't mean you are destined to make bad decisions. Aren't you capable of being true to what you believe in? Aren't you capable of being a good self?

Most of us know bitter, negative people. My theory is that bitter people are not (usually) being true to themselves. My guess is that somewhere along the way, they took a wrong turn. You know how there's always ONE GUY who tells you you're stupid for not knowing how to do something? To be yourself, you have to be able to ignore that guy.

The last thing you want is to be bitter, but the second-last thing you want is regret. To avoid regret, you have to make active decisions. I think moving forward is better than remaining stationary. And I also think you have to show people you care about them -- merely thinking nice things doesn't help anyone.

Being yourself is risky. Something could go wrong, and then whose fault would it be? (This is another reason why it can be easier to let other people make your decisions -- then you can blame them when it doesn't work out.)

But in the long-run, you know you're capable of being a good self. You know you're capable of taking the risk. Even if some people don't understand, you can find a way to pursue the life and work you've always wanted.

And you can be yourself, whoever you are, today.

Get Sorted by writing a list @ sorted.org.nz/resolutions

The Youtube clip of the day is Time Lapse speed painting Abstract Landscape by Maine Artist Tim Gagnon (AWESOME music!)

timgagnonstudio.com

My Card for the day is

I was thinking about this yesterday!

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy

2011-01-13T07:52:00.003+13:00

Last night Maddy pointed down at my feet and said 'spider',

it wasn't a spider but this bug

Beautiful!

The Youtube clip of the day is The Tourist Movie Trailer Official

What a fantastic movie!

My card for the day is

Always up for Romance!

denitamad.wordpress.com - Starting a photo everyday here!

Day 20- Someone you see yourself being with in the future

2011-01-12T10:19:00.001+13:00

I can see myself being with Shaughan in the long distant future

Such a gentleman

My paintings progress

I love the internet, you start somewhere and then go on a little journey...
Can’t Afford a Picasso? How About a Piece of One? dealbook.nytimes.com
Finding Bargains in the Art World www.thestreet.com
High-End Art Poses Possibility for Investors www.thestreet.com
Artprice, the most comprehensive art market databases artprice.com
Luxury Hotels Woo Guests With Fine Art www.thestreet.com
The Fine Art Fund Group www.thefineartfund.com
‘There’s a Fire! Pick a Photo!’ www.nytimes.com
Building Museums, and a Fresh Arab Identity www.nytimes.com
just to list a few from this mornings journey.

The Youtube clip of the day is Egyptian Monarchy Art Versus Modern

Shaughan got a big fright when he moved a piece of wood yesterday

My card for the day is

My best friend lives in Toowoomba here is some footage of the Flooding 2011.01.10

Be safe Sianshine x x x

Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them

2011-01-11T07:55:00.001+13:00

Good day to you all! It's Rere here (or 'Aunty' Rere to those under 5yrs of age), and I've hijacked Denita's Blog for this day... SHHHHhhhhhhhhh... no passwords have been exchanged in this process... Denita's nicknames - hmmm, where does one start?

Her and her husband call each other "Humma", as in "Humma, sexy mamma"...
"Dee", as in the letter D..
"DeeDee" - Her Gran was the only one who was allowed to call her that..
"Nita" - A name the kids call her because they cannot pronounce "Denita"...
"Dino" - A much hated one from her childhood (Sorry Caroline!)..
"Mamma", "mama Dee" or "Mummeee" - Ever since wee Maddy Muddy Pants has been born (actually even when she was pregnant!)..
"Mrs Damage" - married to "Major Damage"...
"DenitaMAd" - She lived in Madeline Ave.. A.K.A Mad Ave.....! and just on the sly.. she is lovingly MAD!
"Creeps like Moss" - Her Indian name.. She moved into one of four parts of a building and ended up taking over three parts...!
Most important - "Mama"...... The name Miss Maddy calls her..
"Bungy" - A nickname her dad gave her as a wee one..
"Babe" - A term of endearment from her gracious husband... Awwwww...!
"Miss Dee" - A term of endearment from me..... mille bacci!
And one of her mates used to call her "A pain in his arse.." - Crikey!
"Mrs T" - Shaughan's Dad calls her this.

Just quickly: I've been watching Denita and her gorgeous wee one pottering around in the kitchen this morning - So, so, so alike!

Thanks Miss Paula Ann without an E - author of arohateacher.blogspot.com and beautiful friend x x x

What a day we had yesterday it was visitor after visitor - I LOVED IT!!

We got given a crayfish and it was the yummiest cray I have ever eaten! Shaughan was lucky that I didn't eat it all!

I uploaded the new version of Skype yesterday and found out that you can video conference call! I'm so happy that this is here, just in time for my online marketing salon. It will bring the artists together just as I imagined. Thank you Skype.

I did a little bit more on my painting

The Youtube clip of the day is Nicknames - R18

and...

My card for the day is

Thank you x

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have

2011-01-10T09:19:00.001+13:00

I have lots of dreams, plans and goals! My top 5 would be...

1. Live in the Islands and get involved with the community and learn more about the Pacific culture

2. Buy a home over looking the sea.

3. Get another studio so I can spread out and unpack everything again. We cleaned up the garage a few days ago and I have been going through some of the stuff done there. It's so nice to see paintings that I have had packed away for over 2 years. I'm so ready to get back into painting again!

4. Buy a black Porsche 911 - this is a dream I have had ever since I was a little girl. My Dads friend, Dr Dummond, bought a white one when I was about 6 or 7 and from that day I wanted one, but NOT white!

5. And travel all over the world

I really should add that I want to make shit loads of money so this can all happen :)

Show me the money.

I did another hour on my painting yesterday

And I stayed up till 1:30am so I could watch the rest of the Herby and Dot movie and then Exit Through the Gift Shop, it was COOL! Maybe that's how I could make shit loads of cash?

The Youtube clip of the day is Banksy's Exit Through The Gift Shop

My card for the day is SYNCHRONICITY

all right!

I'm sitting here with the sun beaming in the window, what a beautiful day it is here today! I wonder what the day will bring? Hopefully a wonderful friend that rang and said he was coming to stay a night this week :)

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

2011-01-09T21:37:00.002+13:00

This was a hard one. It took me all day to decide who I would like to switch lives with. Johny Depp cause he seem like a nice person and it would be interesting to be in his shoes for one day. I have always thought it would be fun to be a man for a day :) Charlie Sheen would be fun too LOL!

I started watching Herbert and Dorothy last night they are a sweet couple who collect art in New York. It is so nice to see a couple as passionate about art as they are. Can't wait to get to see the rest of the movie!

Today was the first day in ages that I had a few hours off being a MUM, so I started building my very own artist DRM (Data Resource Manager) program it's very exciting. I got 80% of the contact management done, cleaning up my contact list to import took me forever! I'm on my way to being the most organised artist I know - Hip Hip Hooray :)

The Youtube clip of the day is Art at Will presents Chuck Connelly: From the Ashes...

My card for the day is Set Your Sights Higher

I won't settle - I so know what this is about :)

Day 16- Another picture of yourself

2011-01-08T09:36:00.000+13:00

I like to take photos, not so keen on being on the other side of the camera! This photo was taken at the last party we had in our apartment July 2008. We had to dress up as a favourite musician for Shaughan's Birthday, I was Nina Simonne. Many friends had to take a second look as they didn't recognise me at first. Lots of good belly laughter that night!

Little did I know what was in store for me!

Me with Sarah as Dolly Parton.

Sending lots of love your way babe x

and me and my hubby as Slash :)

Maddy and I had a painting session yesterday

So much concentration

Washing up after painting

she wanted to get in the bath with me

I taught her the Wonder Woman spin

I managed to squeeze in an hour painting

it's starting to take shape :)

The Youtube clip of the day is Moving Forward on Your Life Purpose, Doreen Virtue

Action, action, action!! No time is ever a good time so just do it now.

My card for the day is CHILD

NICE!

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

2011-01-07T06:58:00.002+13:00

I have been looking forward to doing this one! BUT because I don't have an iPod I'm just going to open media player, and see what happens. I can't promise you will like any of these songs as my music is pretty all over the place.

1. Bob Marley - Natural Mystic

2. Robocop [Taxman Remix] - Friction; Nu Balance

3. Hustle, Hustle - Foreign Exchange

4. Feel.S.D - Astrix

5. Amsterdam - Coldplay

6. Do You Want It Right Now [Haji and Emanuel Vocal Mix] - Degrees of Motion

7.ON MY SHOLDERS - THE DO

8. Sun Rising Up - Deux

9. Defected Astrotrax - It's Over (Tim Deluxe Dub)

10. House Nation - Housemaster Boyz and The Rudeboy of House

After that little experience it shows that I need to huck out old music on my computer or get an iPod and put all my favourite songs on it :)

I started a painting a dude sitting meditating yesterday to help raise money for Sharlene's trip to India. The website has been launched onegooddeed.yolasite.com and a facebook page. Marimba is working her little butt off!

I thought I would have got more done last night but Maddy didn't go to sleep till 10pm cause of the heat!

The Youtube clip of the day is The worlds dumbest art collector

My card for the day was Reward Yourself

what shall I do?

Day 14- A picture of you and your family

2011-01-06T08:15:00.001+13:00

Here are some photos, from our wedding, with a handful of my family

The Ramage Family

The Tizard Family

and the naughty Harrod family.

I had one of those days yesterday when you get 100 things done, it was fun to get things moving again. I ended the night just before midnight listening to Doreen Virtues ‎"Angel Therapy for Financial Support and Abundance" podcast which is now instantly downloadable for free (Note: It says $1 on it, but when you click it into the shopping cart, it will show the price as 0.). Click the link to download doreenvirtuepodcasts.com.

The Youtube clip of the day is Affirmations for Artists and 5 biggest mistakes artists make in their business from Alyson Stanfield.

There are some awesome woman in the world!

My card for the day is Perfect Timing

I am feeling so motivated for action at the moment!

Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

2011-01-05T07:32:00.002+13:00

My letter to them is B for bully.

I didn't end up going to Palmy yesterday, instead I wrote the Paint Pit Newsletter - I love writing them!

I just read a fantastic article on collecting art here it is...

Want to Start Collecting Art? Easy Steps To Get You Started
by Sylvia White June 10, 2003

If you have ever thought about trying to become an art collector, either for pleasure or for investment purposes, the art world doesn’t make it easy for you. Galleries are cold, uninviting, scary and intimidating places to visit. Even a seasoned art world aficionado can feel awkwardly out of place when entering the inner sanctum of a public commercial gallery. The quiet hush, ominous white walls, cavernous spaces and contemporary art that defies understanding can be overwhelming to the novice. Gallery employees don’t make it any easier. Most of the time, instead of a greeting, barely a head goes up to acknowledge a presence. It can feel like you are intruding in someone’s personal space. At the other extreme are the high pressure sales galleries with “associates” who breathe down your neck trying to elicit your response to each glance, in the hopes of extracting some information that can later be used to sell you the piece. It’s no surprise that 80% of the people I polled, living in affluent neighborhoods, have never even set foot in an art gallery. Not because they can’t afford or don’t want to buy contemporary art. But, because the marketing model in place is not designed to embrace or educate… and has not kept up with the changing roles of the art market. The traditional brick and mortar art world has failed at educating consumers, building trust, and making art accessible. It’s not surprising that if you have ever experienced this, you have given up on the whole idea of buying art. Thankfully with the emergence of e-commerce to rescue the art world economy, collectors now have choices that were never before available to them. E-commerce works for a lot of specific reasons: it’s easy, it’s convenient, it’s private and it’s anonymous. Art is not the kind of product that you can be talked into. Buying art is not like a buying a car or a computer, where most consumers do comparison shopping to check for value as well as quality. It is one of the few categories that is almost a totally emotional buy. You look at it, you like it or you don’t. It is a mystery what contributes to a person’s personal taste. There is very little a sales person can say or do to change that. However, being educated about the artist and his career may influence your decision regarding a purchase, but, that is only effective after you have already made the selection of your choice. Here are some tips to get you started.

Educate your Eye
Before you set out with checkbook in hand, you need to educate your eye. I’m not talking about an education in art history. But, rather a thorough understanding of what you like and what you don’t like. And, even though you may think you know what that is, it will change as you begin to look at more and more art. It kind of happens by osmosis, before you even know it. If you’ve ever had the experience of buying a piece of art, or even a poster, only to learn after a few months that you’re tired of looking at it… that is your eye becoming educated. With complex, quality art, the experience is reversed. You will find yourself loving it more as time passes. You will see new things every time you look at it. So, the absolute first thing you need to do is decide NOT to buy anything for at least one month. Subscribe to the art magazines just look at the pictures and the ads. Start going to galleries and reading reviews. You may want to make notes about what you liked or didn’t like at each show. It’s particularly helpful if you can visit an exhibition that has been reviewed in the newspaper or an art magazine. That way you can compare what the critic wrote to your own impressions about the show. Remember, there is no right or wrong to understanding art. Your opinions are just as valid as the reviewers. They may have more academic knowledge to help put things in an historical context, but you are learning. Slowly you will start to understand your taste. The goal in this first step is to figure out why you like what you like.

Establish a Budget
The next step is to establish a budget. It’s important to do this before the shopping begins, as it is easy to fall in love with something beyond your price range. Establishing a budget and sticking to it will take some of the emotional aspects out of the experience. But, remember, you are about to embark on one of the few completely emotional buying decisions you will ever make!

Determine Your Goals
It is helpful here to determine what your goals are for purchasing art. Are you simply trying to fill a blank wall? Or, are you interested in developing a collection that may have some investment value? In either case, you’ll need to start narrowing down your choices by medium as this is directly related to budget. In general, prints and photographs are less expensive than original paintings. Sculpture is generally even more expensive. But, as always, there are exceptions to this rule. There are few things in the marketplace priced as irrationally as art. Although artists and galleries try to fix prices based on the law of supply and demand and what the market will bear, there are always extenuating circumstances that contribute to the final price. Where the artist is in his or her career range is probably the most important and also the most difficult to quantify. Medium, size, complexity and cost of production also play important roles in determining the final sales price. But the bottom line could just as easily be determined by how much an artist is attached to a particular piece. Immerse yourself in the art world, if time allows. Get on gallery mailing lists, go to opening receptions, meet and talk to artists about their work. Most cities have a local Gallery Guide, or newspaper listings that have a calendar of events. One of the great advantages of collecting contemporary art is the artists are still living! Although almost every artist I know claims they don’t know how to “talk” about their work, once they get started, they love it. Meeting and talking to the artist adds a special element to collecting contemporary art that makes the work an irreplaceable treasure rather than just another possession.

Become a Responsible Collector
Finally, once you actually become a collector, realize that you now have to accept the responsibility as the guardian of this piece. Responsibilities include staying up to date of the activities of the artists in your collection, documenting the work for insurance purposes, and making decisions about what will happen to the work in perpetuity. For more specific information, refer to my article, The Responsible Collector. Soon, you will discover that surrounding yourself with art can enrich not only your visual experiences, but instill a sense of vitality to your life and uplift your soul.

The Youtube clip of the day Reflections of Motherhood - I don't know why but it made tears flow from my eyes. Thanks Neesha x

My card for the day is Go For It

Nice to know!

Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one

2011-01-04T07:11:00.002+13:00

I read about blogs in a book and then went to Google which happily introduced me to Blogger! I had been writing in a book for over 4 years every morning and I thought it was time that I wrote in a blog so people could enjoy my madness, not just those pieces of paper that are now stored away on my bookshelf.

I have been working on getting the Art Marketing Salon ready for our first online session. I have 15 talented artists that have showed interest, so heres hoping that everyone will be as excited as I am and they all benefit from attending the art marketing salon.

There are nine sessions covered in the art marketing salon they are:
1 Introduction to Marketing
2 Set and Attain Goals
3 Define Your Art
4 Differentiate Yourself from Your Competition
5 Describe Your Collectors
6 Assess and Improve Your Exhibition and Sales Opportunities
7 Promote Yourself and Your Work
8 Create Good Habits
9 Follow Up

If this sounds like a bit of you and you want to join in please let me know before the 31st Jan.

There was another good art program on TV last night it was Dick Frizzell - Teaching a Fencepost to Paint. Renowned painter and illustrator Dick Frizzell takes 10 Hawkes Bay farmers with no self-professed artistic talent on a painting retreat. Their challenge? They have just three days to create a landscape their wives would be proud of. Click here to watch: http://tvnz.co.nz/new-artland/s2-e2-video-2962957

For the first time in ages I put my feet up in the afternoon, while Maddy was asleep and watched a movie Letters to Juliet. The movie is based in Verona, Italy – the beautiful city where Romeo first met Juliet – there is a place where the heartbroken leave notes asking Juliet for her help. It’s there that aspiring writer Sophie finds a 50-year-old letter that will change her life forever. As she sets off on a romantic journey of the heart with the letter’s author, Claire, now a grandmother, and her handsome grandson, all three will discover that sometimes the greatest love story ever told is your own. The movie bought a few tears to my eyes.

Shaughan is already working again so I'm hoping to go home to catch up with friends and family today. It has been such a long time since I went home, it's only an hour away, funny how you get stuck in your own little world.

The Youtube clip of the day is Glass Blowing a Mini Documentary

We have a huge community of glass artists here in Wanganui.

Here are a few links to check out:

wanganuiglassschool.com

wanganuiglass.co.nz

chronicleglass.co.nz

My card for the day was Notice the Signs

I love these signs :)

Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends

2011-01-03T08:44:00.002+13:00

Me, Setefano and Paula Ann being silly.

I'm going to miss Setefano. I dropped him off at the bus a week ago to start a new path of his life.

Maddy had her friend Ella come over yesterday

Just after she had got into the Sudo cream, what a mess!

Rat the cat was also a target for being creamed

Last night I was really happy to jump into bed and flick the TV onto TV1 and see Artsville a gallery without walls. I love sculpture and have been talking with Mum and Lynn about doing a piece this year. It was so inspiring for me. When I did the creative challenge at UCOL a few years back I did a sculpture class with Brit, it was the best. I loved it so much that I was going to go to art school just so I could do his class, but things didn't work out that way. Here is Brit's spot on the show: http://tvnz.co.nz/artsville/s2010-agallerywithoutwalls-extra-britbunkely-video-3988193

My card for the day is Let Go of Your Past

I think this one is for my friend today :)

Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad

2011-01-02T09:00:00.002+13:00

I love music, here are a few crazy little songs.....

Happy - When you're smiling

Sad - Ella Fitzgerald, Cheek to Cheek

When my beloved Gran died, I flew up to Auckland and stayed at her place. I went for a drive in her car to see a friend and the first song that played on her car stereo was this song. It was very special to know that she was in Heaven. I still miss and love her heaps x x x x

Bored - Technohead, I Wanna Be A Hippy

Hyped - Frantic Theme Phlash, Andy Farley Remix

Mad - Maksim plays Flight of the Bumble Bee

The Youtube clip of the day is for my friends that have just started blogging

How to make some money from your blog

then I got a bit distracted and had to put this one in for a laugh.

My card for the day is New Partner

A business partner would be nice!

Shaughan has joined a group of people to start a private poker club. If I could get a group of artists here in Wanganui together like his poker group I would be a happy girl!

Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days

2011-01-01T21:19:00.003+13:00

I'm really proud of my little girl and how well she is doing at speaking, she is growing up fast. This evening she did a rolly poly totally out of the blue, she was so excited that she did more and loved it. Also I'm proud of my husbands New Years resolutions!

We had New Years Eve with Rere, Tony and Jane

Tony and I saw the space lab rocking through the stars for the first time. He wanted to see a UFO but I think he was still pretty happy to have seen that. I'm a little bit weary after my night and need a good sleep! It had been a long time since I had a few and a half drinks I LOVED IT :)

My Youtube clips of the day is FIREWORKS from 2011 celebrations

My card for the day was opportunity to forgive

heal, grow and release negative patterns

Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why

2010-12-31T11:11:00.003+13:00

Here my goals for Jan 2011

Eat well and exercise so I have more energy and lose my mummy tummy.
Start an online marketing art group to help myself and other artists to be confident in promoting our work.
Get a new business card, I'm nearly out of my last batch.
Help Shaughan upgrade wanganui.org so it is the coolest Wanganui website.
Donate a painting for Sharlene's trip to India.
Go to the dentist cause my teeth hurt.
Find a studio so I can get all my paintings ready for an exhibition or auction in December 2011 celebrating my 10th year being an artist. Time to sell my babies and start again.

HAPPY 2011 EVERYONE! I'm sure it's going to be a good year, I fell really excited and motivated to get back into working hard!

Maddy had fun with her cousins today

Zach pulling me a face

Achilles pulling me a face

Alex pulling me a face

Little Dulcie-Jean

Achilles and Maddy

Zach after an ice cream

Alex on the rip stick

Achilles and Leah bringing out chippies

Logan is waiting for the rip stick

3 ingredients recipe from Jo

Whipped cream
Pineapple juice
Choc chip biscuits

Dip the biscuits in pineapple juice, paste together with whipped cream to make a choc log, cover the log with whipped cream and service with grated chocolate on top - easy peezy and a fave with everyone.

I might make this tonight, before I start that healthy living LOL.

The Youtube clip of the day is Jack Lalanne - Unhappy people

Body and Mind Connection

this is MY motivation to exercise! www.jacklalanne.com

My card for the day is Have Confidence

I have a huge confidence and faith in God. I wouldn't be doing what I do if I didn't!

Day 07- A picture of someone that has the biggest impact on you

2010-12-30T15:43:00.003+13:00

Deb Morison - she is the coolest lady I know.

In this photo is Me, Neesha and Deb

It's hard to believe that there is only 1 more day of 2010. I have loved this year and I hope that next year is as good or even better! I have been thinking of what I'm going to get up to in 2011 and it is going to be an epic year. Mind you it's going to take me all year to do what I have planned - how exciting :)

Easy peazy fruit muffins from Tania

50grams butter

1 cup milk

1 egg

2 cups flour

4 level b.powder

1-1 1/2 cups sugar

1 can fruit drained and chopped into smaller pieces, I like to use peaches

Topping, 2 t sugar with 1 t cinnamon

Melt butter, add egg and milk, beat well. Add fruit and dry ingredients. Mix, put into greased muffin tins. Sprinkle with suger and cinnamon. Bake 180* for 15 20 minutes.

Today I got given some rhubard, I cut it up put it on the stove to cook for rhubard crumble and then went outside and got distracted by a monarch butterfly and came back inside to a burnt smell. BUGGER no crumble for us tonight :(

Got a nice photo - everywhere I go I see these at the moment.

Maddy spied one of the last mandarins on the tree

The Youtube clip of the day is cool pavement art

My card for the day is WEDDING

such a lovely reminder.

Day 06- Favorite super hero

2010-12-29T21:27:00.000+13:00

is Wonder Woman

Who doesn't love Wonder Woman?

Clip for the day is Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity

Lynn and Jessica came to stay last night. We had a lovely time together, it was a pity the couldn't stay longer! Maddy was in her element giggling from the minute the walked in until they left.

As an artist, English is my second language - Anonymous

Day 05- A picture of somewhere I’ve been to

2010-12-27T21:03:00.001+13:00

I randomly picked 29th Jan 2006 it was a rainy old trip to...

I had a lovely day today! We went to the beach this morning before it got to hot. Maddy and Shaughan had a great time while I got my camera out. My mate came up in the afternoon and we sat outside caught up over a few beers and food. We decided to have a New Years shin dig here this year, I'm excited! I was just saying to Shaughan this week that I miss all the parties we had in our old place, it was a perfect place to party! So if you are in Wanganui and have nothing better to do come up and celebrate the start of 2011 with us :)

Shaughan and Maddy this morning

Here is a cute email I got for the recipe exchange - Didee here in Brunswick heads, Australia. Here is my recipe contribution. One I made up in my creative cauldron!

One packet of Spaghetti
One big bunch of mint. (You can use parsley or coriander if preferred however Ive found the mint is a winner.)
2-3 large spoons of plain natural Greek style yogurt
olive oil
two cloves of garlic
small hand full of Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
2 desert spoons of Macadamia butter or another type nut butter, but not peanut. (ie pine nut, almond)
small hand full of sun drired tomatoes, optional
small hand full of Green olives, optional
small handful of spicy salami, optional

Method
Cook the spaghetti add olive oil to the water to stop it from sticking.
While spaghetti is cooking, chop the mint and garlic very finely and mix in nut butter and 2-3 desert spoons of olive oil to make a pesto.
Drain the spaghetti and add the yogurt and salt and pepper (using two forks to lift and blend the yogurt throughout.
Mix in the pesto mix until the green colour is consistent throughout. add the sun dried tomatoes, olives and salami if desired garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and a few of the uncut mint leaves.

Yum yum. Kai is on!

My Youtube clip of the day is RANDOM, cause that is how I feel today!

My card for the day was ASK

Help me

Day 04- A habit that I wish I did not have

2010-12-26T22:20:00.000+13:00

SMOKING! I have tried to give up many times. Hopefully I will get to kick the habit for good soon!

I hope you all had a great Christmas, it was an awesome day here! This was my favourite photo of Maddy looking into her stocking.

Hey there is chocolate in here, how am I going to get it?

I found this the Top 10 common myths about creativity (had a good giggle)

1. Only “creative types” are creative
Great ideas are often built on common concepts, by ordinary people. Creativity is usually triggered by a need and depends on number of factors, including knowledge, talent, imagination, lateral thinking and internal motivation. Creating potential can be found in every person; you only need to remove the barriers that block it.

2. Money motivates creativity
People don’t think about pay on a day-to-day basis. If they think about being rewarded for everything they do, they become reluctant of taking risks. After understanding that they are being paid fairly, people don’t become more creative when the compensation is increased. People stretch their skills and make the creative leap when they engage in a creative environment, when their work is valued and supported, and when they are deeply involved in their work.

3. Creative people always have great ideas
Creative people usually have many creative ideas but only a few that are worth pursuing. These few precious gems are worth the effort to to keep generating new ideas. However without the barrel full of ordinary ideas, the great ones may never be born. Creative people don’t always have good ideas; we tend to forget the mediocre ones and, often because we’re using them, remember the great ideas.

4. Time pressure drives creativity
While time pressure may force you to engage in the creative process, the results are usually less productive than when there is enough time for great ideas to sprout and develop through the incubation process. When you’re stressing out about time, the mind cannot fully focus on the work and it wanders and worries about fighting the clock.

5. Structure is bad for creative thinking
Understanding that creativity has limitless possibilities does not mean that there are no boundaries. Even a blank canvas has set dimensions, which surely does not limit the artist’s potential or creativity. Limitations shape the creative process – in a good way. Structure guides the creative activity to ensure that its form and meaning are not lost in the process.

6. Competition is better than collaboration
If the method of competing with others for creative ideas sometimes works, it works for all the wrong reasons. A competitive environment prevents people of sharing ideas and they cannot be refined and enriched by others. Collaboration adds the benefit of multiple perspectives and additional information that can enrich even the best ideas.

7. I’ll never forget my ideas
It’s potentially possible. But it’s highly improbable. During our busy days, when we’re bombarded with information from all sides and so many things are happening at once, it is difficult to hold on to a single unaltered thought. Relying on your memory is not the best approach. Capture your ideas as soon as you can. You’ll free your mind of worrying that you may forget them and you’ll always have a good reserve of ideas. Notebook anyone?

8. Drugs will make me more creative
This myth probably started in the 1960s when some artists and musicians joined the underground drug culture in an age of absolute prohibition. Though many celebrities, past and present, indulge in a multitude of different substances, the effects differ per individual and can be dangerous, even to the creative process. Drugs and alcohol may silence your internal critic, make you more acceptable to your work, or make you believe that your ideas are more creative or plausible. For the rest of the world however, you might just look high.

9. Great ideas appear fully developed
Ideation is a process. While we may have experienced some a-ha! moments, they are usually led by inspiration and exploration within a certain field. As our knowledge grows, our ideas morph into a more refined form. When we think that we’re onto something, we start examining the idea from different perspectives. We may discover new options and possibilities, and the final result may look nothing like the original concept.

10. Technology will help me get better ideas
Facebook, Twitter, iAnything, GPS, Google, you-name-it…our day to day tasks become more and more interconnected with technology. Some people relate technology with creativity because it seems to be the field of never-ending innovation blossoms. There are many programs and tools that can enable us to easily express our creativity; however, they are not going to make us more creative in general. Taking a break from technology and changing your environment, on the other hand, can.

What other creativity myths are hindering our creativity?

A recipe from the exchange which looks divine - Avocado, feta and roasted tomato salad from Lesley

Ingredients
1kg roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced lengthways
3 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
375g small green beans, trimmed
2 avocados, halved, stones removed, peeled, roughly chopped
100g marinated feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup tightly-packed small basil leaves

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Combine tomatoes, garlic and 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl. Toss gently to coat. Spread over tray. Season with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes for 35 minutes or until tender. Set aside for 20 minutes to cool.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add beans and cook for 3 minutes or until bright green and tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. Pat dry with paper towel. Divide beans among bowls.
Top beans with tomatoes, avocado, feta and basil. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon oil and season with black pepper.

I bought myself some long balloons today, I made a dog and am learning more. One of my friends Paul got totally into it many years back, he would take balloons to dance parties to help with chatting up the chics. He made me laugh on many occasions, I miss him!

The Youtube clip for today is The very basic balloon twisting technique

so easy once you know the basics - balloon-animals.com

My card for the day is PLAY

LOVE IT!!! My husband went to work this afternoon, is he crazy or what?

Day 03- A picture of me and my friends

2010-12-24T19:24:00.002+13:00

This is a hard one today, I have so many photos. What to choose?

My 21st - 1996

Kim, Tina, Kylee, Mara, Fiona, Kelly

Ness, Kate and Me

It's Christmas Eve and I have been putting off going into town to finish off my Christmas shopping, if I leave it any later all the shops will be closed. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope your day is full of love, food, peace, loads of gifts, and happiness. BIG HUGS AND KISSES x o x o x o

A recipe exchanged from Deanna - Green Curry Chicken

1 whole chicken breast cut into thin slices (very)

1 T green curry paste (I use Mae Ploy)

1 cup coconut cream

1/2 cup sliced beans

1 can bamboo shoots (sml can)

1T fish sauce

1T sugar (I use brown)

2-3 kaffir lime leaves (you can get dried from asian warehouses)

fresh basil leaves

2T oil

Put oil in pot, add curry paste, lime leaves stir 1 -2 mins

Add coconut cream - bring to boil, add chicken, stir 2-3 mins

Add fish sauce, sugar, beans, bamboo shoots and bring to boil.

Add basil leaves.

Serve on rice.

I add more beans and a lot of fresh basil - one of those bunches you get from the

supermarket in little pots

*To turn it into a fish curry - leave out the chicken, add chopped tomato one or two, spring onions

and instead of beans I add frozen peas and add the chopped up fish at the end and only

just cook through.

I love chicken green curry!

The Youtube clip for the day is Christmas lights gone mad

My card for the day was FOCUS ON SERVICE

I wish Wanganui retailers would focus on service, they offer the worst service in the country.

Day 02- The meaning behind your Blog name

2010-12-23T06:41:00.000+13:00

It's not really hard to guess the meaning behind my blog name. Keeping it nice and simple!

I am taking part in a recipe exchange and going to post all the recipes I get. Here is the first one I got from Erena which sounds yummy!

SUMMER PUDDING TOAST

4 punnets mixed berries (redcurrants, raspberries, blueberries)
125g sugar
250g strawberries, stems removed and halved
6 slices brioche

Pick over the punnets of fruit, removing any stems or leaves. Put the berries in a saucepan with 60ml water and the sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 8 minutes. Put the halved strawberries in a bowl and press the cooked fruit syrup through a sieve over the strawberries. Let stand for at least 30 minutes, then chill or leave overnight in the fridge. When ready to serve, toast the brioche and spoon the fruit syrup over each slice, arranging the strawberries over the top. Serve with a sprinkling of icing sugar, sugar-dusted mint leaves and thick double cream.

I love going to the mailbox and finding goodies in it, yesterday I got sent cards from the Artist Trading Card swap, here they are...

Collette Fergus - collette.co.nz

Ronda Turk - rondaturk.webs.com

Teresa Rodger - freewebs.com/blue-tui

Cheryl Irwin - cherylirwinarts.com

And Russell came over with his badges and I bought 6 badges. I already gave Mum her one it was a bell bird.

for Shaughan

This one is mine and one for Bubs

I think my Vanessa will like this one?

and for Tony, I was going to get him the KILLER badge, maybe next time?

The Youtube clip for the day is something a little bit different 'Eye Art'

My card for the day is JOY

I like this card!

Day 01 - A recent picture of me and 15 interesting facts about myself

2010-12-22T10:05:00.002+13:00

I just couldn't help myself lol.

1. I was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand to David and Diane Harrod. My parents broke up on Christmas day, I was 6 years old.
2. I have a sister - Vanessa, 2 step sisters - Amanda and Kim, and 2 step brothers Ross and Craig. All of them have taught me many lessons in life.
3. The subject I did best in school was computers. I got kicked out of my 6th form art class because I wasn't doing what I was told and was disruptive in class.
4. I left school and went to hairdressing collage then a catering course which I excelled in both and was the tutors pet.
5. I left Palmerston North when I was 18 to live in Queenstown, the best place to live in NZ! I moved to Christchurch a year later cause I thought I had better do something else with my life than just party.
6. I have managed to score really good jobs through friends, life is all about who you know!
7. I worked in the film industry and after 3 weeks I managed to score a job as 3rd Assistant Director on a international advert for Kettle Fry chips. It was so much fun being on set and looking after the 100 extras.
8. I have met loads of cool people and had a lot of fun.
9. Dad took us on a 6 day holiday up 90 mile beach on motorbikes one Christmas. I was mad on riding motorbikes when I was a kid and I learnt to drive a car and tractor when I was 10 years old.
10. I left Auckland thinking I would move away for just 6 months but it has been 9 years this week.
11. On my 10th year anniversary of being an artist, I hope to have a big exhibition or auction in Auckland of all the work I have created over those 10 years.
12. I was 34 when I got pregnant and Maddy was born 2 days after my 35th birthday. Way too old physically to have a baby, poor body didn't cope very well. I have lost over 20kgs since I had her which is nice! Nothing like running around after a child.
13. My husband is 14 years older than me.
14. I have a crooked nose from it being broken.

15. I saw my baby bleed for the first time today when she fell over and cut her lip. My stomach is still in knots and I feel sick.

30 Days of Me - Blog Challenge

2010-12-21T09:22:00.000+13:00

For those of you that want to start or get back into blogging you could try this challenge. Heaps of people are doing it at the moment :)

30 Days of Me

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
Day 02- The meaning behind your Blog name
Day 03- A picture of you and your friends
Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have
Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
Day 06- Favorite super hero and why
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why
Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days
Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends
Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one
Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 14- A picture of you and your family
Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Day 16- Another picture of yourself
Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have
Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else
Day 23- Something you crave for a lot
Day 24- A letter to your parents
Day 25- What I would find in your bag
Day 26- What you think about your friends
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned
Day 30- Your favorite song.

I Wanted to Be an Artist, So I Quit My Job and Became One

2010-12-21T07:33:00.002+13:00

I had to share this article with you today, if I wrote something like this it would sound just the same...

I Wanted to Be an Artist, So I Quit My Job and Became One by Christopher Fife.

"Hi, I'm Christopher. I'm an artist." Exhale, run my fingers through my hair. "What do I do? Oh, I paint. I'm a painter. Yeah, I'm an artist."

I tried it out every now and then, in front of the bathroom mirror. It sounded all right. But when I introduced myself as an artist outside my bathroom world of make-believe, I always felt false. I was like Magritte labeling a pipe. If I said I was an artist, I was an artist, right?

Not exactly. Since I dedicated forty-plus hours a week to my corporate graphic design job, I was lucky if I painted a couple of hours a week. I came to despise myself for this self-deceit, for my inability to embrace what I really wanted to be. I wanted to be an artist. So I committed myself to becoming one.

I started out like most people do, shifting my schedule around and finding time to do my work. I sketched on the subway during my hour-long commute from Brooklyn to midtown Manhattan. (When I didn't get a seat, my sketches became really creative.) I started waking up half an hour earlier to pay my bills and do my laundry and get all my other daily chores out of the way so that I could paint at night. I multi-tasked until I looked like a one-man band, juggling six things at once. And it worked for a while. I could dedicate three or four hours to painting every night, plus more time on the weekends. I was getting stuff done. I was an artist.

But I was also getting worn out. With my new schedule, I was only getting five or six hours of sleep a night. I became lethargic and stopped giving one hundred percent at my job. My social life was nearly non-existent; I didn't have time for friends anymore. I was lonely. But artists are supposed to suffer, right?

There was one other problem as well. My work really wasn't very good. Sure, I was dedicating twenty or thirty hours a week, but those hours were after a full day at the office-hours when I should have been winding down or sleeping, not digging into inner creative sources. And everything else-shopping, cleaning, cooking, talking on the phone-was crammed into the few hours available in the morning. Basically, I was doing everything I wanted to. But I was doing it all rather poorly.

After pondering if I was meant to be an artist, I started reassessing my priorities. I was dedicating more than forty hours a week to my design job, a job that, ironically, I'd originally taken as a great way to pursue my artistic goals. I thought I'd make a lot of connections and get my foot in the industry door, but about all I was getting out of it was a bi-weekly paycheck. There were so many department heads and legal experts assessing my every project that I had no room for creativity at work, and no energy for creativity at home.

I began to scorn my job, and to dream of freedom. I dreamt of quitting, leaving the insufferable environment of that midtown skyscraper to live as a starving artist, painting ten, twenty, thirty hours a day. That dream soon consumed me and overpowered me until it drove me to do the seemingly impossible. One glorious day, I brazenly walked into my boss's office and gave notice. I simply did it.

Though the image of quitting my job on a whim in order to pursue my art might be a romantic one, it isn't exactly the reality of the situation. I gave a lot of consideration to the feasibility of such a move. I had a few thousand dollars saved up; I knew I'd be all right financially for a while. But not in infamously expensive New York. Since my apartment lease was about to expire, and I had no family, or really any solid link outside of simple cosmopolitan desire, binding me to expensive New York, I pushed my courage one step further and relocated to Philadelphia. For less than my New York City one-bedroom rent, I found an apartment big enough for real studio space.

Liberated and exhilarated, without dental care or a 401K plan, I set myself up as an artist in Philadelphia. It was a fantasy come true. I woke up every day to the sight of my paintings-in-progress. I spent my time painting, touring galleries and museums, and getting to know my new metropolis. I made new friends in this small city and e-mailed my old pals in New York, who congratulated me and envied me. I was living my dream.

But of course, the dream could not go on forever. My money was not rejuvenating itself and, after a couple of months, I had to accept that the time had come for me to downgrade my title to part-time artist. I'd have to start making some money again.

I was perspicacious in my job search: I would not take anything that hindered my dream. I decided that the right job for me would be a job that offered any of the following: lots of free time, great connections in the field, access to art and artists, or a 50% discount at an art supply store. The right job would also have to be something that I enjoyed doing and through which I would feel challenged and fulfilled.

After a few weeks scouring the market, I took a job at an art museum. Granted, it's only in the admissions department, but I do get to see bona fide and celebrated artworks every day.

And so my dream goes on. I work twenty to thirty hours a week for pay and thirty to forty hours a week for sheer pleasure. Of course I live meagerly, cutting coupons and foregoing luxuries like restaurants and movies. But I am living in a way that suits me, and which allows me to be an artist. As a result of my catalytic move, my painting is doing much better. I'm doing much better. I feel like I'm living life on my own terms now. I'm no longer simply calling myself an artist; I actually am one.

I tried to Christopher on the net but had no luck :(

I just read this blog that I thought was so appropriate for you to read if you enjoed that articel artistsroad.wordpress.com

I was shocked today, I thought New Zealand would be the leading country of visitors I get to my blog but I was wrong....

1st United States
2nd New Zealand
3rd Denmark
4th Netherlands
5th United Kingdom
6th Russia
7th Germany
8th Canada
9th France
10th Belgium

Don't you love it when you get an unexpected visitor of a fantastic Wanganui artist? Russell Brown, an artist I have always admired, came to lay the lino in our bathroom and we ended up sitting around having coffee and chatting before he even started the job. Everyone in Wanganui has a piece of his artwork in their house, front page of the 2010 yellow pages book. Russell makes the coolest badges in town and is bringing around some for me, he is making me a wood pigeon one, what a sweetheart! I bought a tui badge and my friend scored it within the week of purchase, very popular! Here are a selection of badges, let me know if you want one and I will organise to get it sent to you.

visit his website for more www.browndesign.co.nz

The Youtube clip of the day is..How Do I Have 2 Feel?

www.andydooley.com - Spiritual Comedian.

My card for the day is FRESH AIR

Good idea!

What on Earth is Art??

2010-12-19T20:48:00.003+13:00

I went and picked up the photo of Maddy meeting Santa this morning., I really didn't want to be in the photo but she wasn't going to do it on her own! Ho ho ho...

I got a lovely gift this afternoon from Tracie. She made me a photo book with a selection of photos that she had taken for art everyday month. It's a great book! Thank you Tracie x x x

I had another visitor this afternoon that shook his head and said he just doesn't understand this 'modern' art! With all the perplexity and misguided perceptions concerning today's definition of art - it is little wonder people are confused. Much of the bewilderment surrounding the meaning of art is a result of people's tendency to use object-referral thinking by using other peoples' opinions as the means for formulating their own. Art, both the creating and enjoying of it, ought to be intrinsic. You should never let anyone else's opinion cloud your judgement.

Art is a means by which we celebrate our individuality and diversity.

The form it takes can be anything from the way in which we choose to decorate our homes, the music we select, the films we watch, the meals we craft to the drawings we sketch. Everyone has a fundamental urge to participate in some form of creative expression at some stage in their life. It is an integral part of our being. Sometimes we dismiss the importance of art because it's not needed to sustain existence on this planet. If you were an animal this would be true, but the need for creative expression and appreciation of beauty distinguishes us from animals. We have a subconscious craving to stimulate body, mind and soul. Our spirit also needs its nourishment and creativity is a way in which we can get in touch with that part of ourselves.

Art is a physical or material manifestation of thought, feeling or spirit. Art is created for many reasons; meditations, wealth, communication to express culture, define religion, to decorate and just for pure pleasure. Art, therefore, is an extension of self, ones culture, and a reflection of our history.

Art, in its various forms, is an important part of life. It adds to the colour, excitement, joy and beauty to our vibrant, diverse world. Without it, the earth could be a cultural desert and we would be one more step away from knowing who we are and why we were born onto this planet in mystery.

The Museum of Bad Art - www.museumofbadart.org

I am getting excited about the Auckland Art Gallery. I'm going to plan a visit in the first few weeks of the new building being open...

I'm reminded of an embarrassing story of myself. I was in the Auckland Gallery lecture room one fine afternoon getting ready for a hairdressing show featuring some hot international hairdressers that I had organised for over 100 Auckland hairdressers, and me being me, I opened the fire exit door as I like a bit of fresh air, and it set off all the fire alarms. It felt like an hour went past before I could find the right person to turn them off, I was so embarrassed! Why is my life full of these moments? I had forgotten this one until I watched this clip.

The Youtube clip of the day is 2011 Month to Month Oracle Card Reading, Doreen Virtue

2011 looks to be a powerful year where many people step fully into their power and make positive changes to align themselves with their life purpose. 2011 is also The Year of the Indigo.

My card for the day LAW OF ATTRACTION

What a fantastic day it has been!

2010-12-18T23:29:00.001+13:00

It was more perfect than I could have imagined. I had to laugh out loud today when Shaughan rang me a few minutes after he had left home, he had run out of petrol. I am always going onto him about running around on the red light so it was a told you so moment when I pulled up with the petrol can. I carried on into town and went shopping and bought 3 new dresses, had coffee with my best mate, that would be Maddy. Called into see Santa and had our photo taken, purely out of luck. My wonderful husband then took Maddy out for an hour after her afternoon nap and I managed to cut and colour my hair, pluck, shave, mask, paints my nails and make dinner. It's amazing what you can achieve when you have time alone to do it. I headed off to the Sarjeant Gallery around 5pm for the opening of 'Legacy' and exhibition of Government House paintings. Government House is being redecorated and instead of storing this amazing collection of art away in the dungeons they are on tour, lucky us. There are about 26 pieces in total of mostly royalty portraits, some of the paintings are out of this world. I really liked one dude (portrait), who was a playboy in his time, which you can tell by looking into his eyes.

It was a lovely opening I helped serve the drinks and had a great time catching up with lots of people I hadn't seen for ages. It would have been nice to see more people in my age group. I love history and feel that these paintings are apart of NZ's art history.

Talking about art history I have Sister Wendy The American Collection and The Story of Painting to watch over the next few weeks, I can't wait! I have watched a few minutes of the American Collection and have already felt like getting the paints out. Nothing like watching someone as passionate about the arts as I am to get motivated. Sister Wendy is such a little darling!

The Youtube clip of the day is Sister Wendy on BBC Breakfast

What a sweetheart!

My card for the day is Guiding Children

it said...one can be gentle and a fierce protector simultaneously. My vigilance focus on keeping harmony within households steams from my desire for children to maintain their youthful awe and sense of wonder. How else will we ensure that they'll see and speak with the fairies? How else will we foster the communication of children's healing laughter? Join with me in guiding the children, and you'll see your own imagination sparked by these amazing young beings. Your own enthusiasm and youthful spirit attracts the children's respect and attention. I'll lead you toward young people who can benefit from your help.

Funny that I get this card because tonight I got to see one of the girls that used to come and paint with me in the holidays. She is so beautiful and tall now. There was another boy that I had taken a photo of in 2007 and he is soooo big, but he still has his stunning eyes. Over the past few days I have noticed that Maddy's laugh has changed it is hard to tell is she is crying or laughing some time, it makes me laugh. I have to see if I have a video of it for you to see. I didn't find one that I could upload but I thought the clip of her today was cute so have uploaded it instead.....

First time I have uploaded a video onto my blog :)

Essential decisions to make before you start a painting.

2010-12-17T22:13:00.000+13:00

I found this article and thought it might be useful for those of you that want to start painting....

Is it necessary to plan a painting in careful detail before you start, or should you let it evolve as you go along? Planning a painting can be a help as you know exactly what you're going to do, but it could also inhibit spontaneity. Letting a painting evolve as you work is very free and lets you be spontaneous, but also leaves you open to the possibility that the painting won't go anywhere and you'll end up with a mess.

Ultimately the degree to which you plan out a painting depends on your personality, some people find it essential and others a hinderance. But regardless of how detailed you like to plan (or not), there are several decisions that have to be made before you to start to paint.

Decide On a Subject

Deciding on a subject is the logical first step as it influences the format of the support, the type of support used, and the technique you're going to use to create the painting.

If you've only a vague idea of what to do with an appealing subject, such as a glorious landscape, sketching or doing small studies rather than a full painting will enable you to see whether the composition and selection of elements works well without wasting time or materials. A pleasing study can then be used as the basis or reference for a full-scale painting.

But if you find that doing a study makes you stiffen up when you come to do the large-scale painting because you're focusing on replicating it, rather than it reminding you sufficiently of the original scene, consider doing only quick sketches to see if a composition works and taking reference photos to work from back in your studio.

Decide On the Format

Having decided on a subject, you need to decide what the best format for the support is, whether it should be landscape or portrait, or perhaps square. What shape of the canvas will best suit the subject matter? For example, the very long and thin canvas used in Altamaha River Delta by Curtis H Carter adds a sense of drama and wide-open spaces.

Decide On the Size

The size the support will be should also be a conscious decision. A painting shouldn't be a particular size simply because that's the size of the sheet of paper you have. If you buy primed and stretched canvases, have several in various sizes to hand so you've a choice. Think about how the subject would look if it were painted small, or perhaps very large. Are you going to work lifesize or oversized? For example, portraits which are oversized are very dramatic.

Decide On a Medium and Technique

If you only ever use one medium then you don't have to decide which one you think is best for this particular subject. But what about the technique you're going to use? For example, if you use acrylics, are you going to use them thickly or thinly, like watercolours, are you going to use retarders to slow down the drying time? If you use watercolours, are you going to use masking fluid to keep areas white?

Decide On the Type of Support

Are you going to paint on canvas, primed hardboard, or paper? Will it be a canvas with a fine weave, such as linen, or a coarse weave that will show through? Will it be a smooth, hot-pressed paper or a rougher watercolour paper? This is a decision that not only influences the texture of the final work, but also how you work, for example canvas will stand heavy impasto being reworked repeatedly.

Alternately, the technique you're wishing to use will determine the best support.

If you are using oils, acrylics, or gouache, will you be using a ground and what colour should it be? How about using a complementary colour to the main colour in the picture? If you are using pastels, what colour paper will you use? And will you lay down an initial layer of complementary colours?

Decide On Colours

Are you going to use colour realistically or not? Are you going to use whatever colours you've got or select out a few to make up a palette just for that painting? Working with a limited range of colours can contribute to a sense of unity in a painting and great a sense of identify or unity between paintings.

This morning I put together a small video for my friend Fleur. I know she wants to paint her sea view and I wanted to show her how easy it can be to start painting....

My card for the day was Sensitivity

it said....As you've purified your inner world of thoughts, actions, and intentions, it's natural that you seek purity in your outer world as well. This is to acknowledge your heightened sensitivity, which is as real as it seems! You've stripped away the outer protective layers of unneeded defenses, which blocked your psychic and spiritual awareness. Now you're on the path of ascension, which calls for your heightened awareness. And with this awareness comes new levels of sensitivity to the impure and harsh. Your body is a trustworthy instrument of measurement of your tolerance level. Steer clear of that which your body signals you to avoid. Take extra care of your body, and it shall serve you well.