Filling my creative LoveTank...

When my creative energy is low I know I have to do things to woo my creative inner child out of hiding. One of the ways I do that is with creative play dates.

That way it also helps me feel like I’m learning and so I don’t get so bored with myself or my practice.

So I started this year off taking a few classes in and around my city. I took a sun-dyeing (Cyanotype) class and a polaroid emulsion lift class and they were heavenly. The beautiful thing about these classes, is the permission it gives one to play. Isn’t it funny how we feel we need permission? Maybe it it has something to do with adulting but either way, I got to visit two exquisite buildings in our city, an old Herbert Baker building in the old silk district of town and a stunning boutique cafe which I know I’ll visit again.

Capturing elements of my garden in blue on different substrates - cotton, pebbles, Japanese washi paper and watercolor paper.

Pebble from Sedgefield with an impression of my Persian Silk tree bloom. Combining these two worlds in blue dye, priceless.

The beauty of this is that now I get to experiment at home. I have been testing different substrates and also working hard to get my chemical ratios correct. Each yield has its out outcome and with our winter sun, there are limitations. Exploring and playing is awesome and the results encouraging.

This was the most pleasing little class - I need to get some more equipment if I want to play more with this technique at home. I am definitely keen to set that up.

I can totally see how doing this will add to my creative play and works and I can’t wait to continue learning and playing. With winter now in full swing I have a Mushroom foraging class coming up…

Winter has arrived...

At last….

But more importantly, so have our rains. You know this is what I am always waiting for and to be honest, they have arrived a little late this year and that always makes me a little anxious. I am happy to say we have had a few back to back rainy days and they have been wonderful and I’m so grateful. We have a high water table in our area during winter so our garden is usually saturated all winter long and I have beautiful creatures like moss and mushrooms blooming everywhere. It also means I can now use my new queen size throw.

I have spent the last few months crocheting this beautiful throw. It held me during my down studio time and it held Riley too, who never leaves my side these days. I feel like some of my life has been woven into the fibers of each treble stitch, as it helped me process much of my life the past 6 months.

It started off as a small granny square and I kept going around and around until it was queen size. Every time I think I’m done, I sneak on another row. I have loved this journey with my granny’s old crochet needle and I have to say Riley loved the journey with me too. I think he might think this is his blanket now.

As for these colors - I’m stoked.

Italy - Madre della Citta

Have you heard… the soft calling and sweet whispers of this beautiful place…

I can’t tell you how moved I am to have been invited back to share creativity and my love for Orvieto in art form through painting, clay and beautiful photography. Capturing the feminine essence of La Madre in everything we do.

I know life and the world at the moment feels like such an uncertain place and time but I know one thing that remains constant - is our need for art and to create art and to do that in community. There is something so nurturing and soft about Orvieto and about creating in the upper room of the monastery together.

I hope you will consider creating with me this September in this incredibly sacred place. Please follow the link in my bio for more details or message me directly if you would like to chat more about it. It’s a topic I adore chatting about.

Stealing moments...

SOLD Inner Growth - 6”x8” Stretched canvas

I have started a few new paintings for this year. I am trying to be mindful with finishing these works before I continue with new work. That might be challenging for me because I do love having multiple projects on the go. This is the first little one I’ve completed so far and it felt good.

I am painting rusty but as I shift the paint around and work with my brushes, the longing to return to my practice is deep and finally starting to feel more ready. As some of my energy returns I am finding myself at my easel with less resistance, which is delightful right now.

I have decided to take a bit of a break from filming for the next bit. I worked out that I filmed and edited for around 9 months of last year as well as creating a massive clay body of works and I think it’s part of why I burnt out.

I am on a mission to look after myself a little more mindfully this year. And I think there is no better way than focusing on my practice and painting big beautiful canvases as I heal.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

The gift of sacred spaces....

I took a whole month off from my yoga practice in December. Most of my teachers were away. I tried to do some self practice but mostly I just rested. I think it’s good for the body too. I have been returning slowly to my practice.

It really is one of my great loves in this life.

I have a little weekly yoga routine and I’m so grateful I get to move and practice in sacred spaces and work with the most incredible teachers. Some of which I have been working with for years now. The gift of practice and repetition is not wasted on me. The best part of having my constant routine is the element of community I’ve found in these spaces that comes from moving and flowing together every week. It’s about finding the small connections especially in a world that has felt so disconnect lately.

I am so humbled by this.

Class is in Session....

As you know my little class launched last week on Ivy Newport’s creative platform.

I am so thrilled that it’s out in the world.

I actually filmed this little class last year before I had my auction in July and I spent a few month editing and building my classroom. Thank you to all of you who signed up and there is still time to join us and come create with Mother Nature and PaperClay.

This too shall pass...

It was with much contemplation and sadness that I decided to cancel my one class… ComeClay3DwithMe.

For those of you who signed up and received your refunds, thank you for being so gracious with me. It is the first time I have not finished my class commitments. It was very tough on my soul to pull the plug on this project but my body was telling me what I had to do and ultimately, I had to listen.

I was so utterly exhausted in December and I knew something was wrong. In January, I decided to see my doctor to see what was up. I suspected my iron was on the down low and it was the lowest it has ever been, along with my blood pressure. It explained my physical and mental fatigue. As for the emotional fatigue… well I’m still working on that.

I am on a treatment plan and I am starting to feel a little better. Some days I am able to get through the day without needing to go back to bed but my creativity and time in the studio hasn’t fully recovered yet. I’m still going slow with most things, especially social media and resting as much as I can in between life. How is it that we are half way through February already?

I am looking forward to being back to fuller capacity.

Thanks once again for giving me the space to figure out what was going on and giving me the time I’ve needed to heal and recover.

The Nature of Clay...

I am so thrilled to be sharing this new class with you on Ivy’s beautiful platform.

Brand New launch…

Nature & PaperClay

EARLY BIRD PRICE!

$67.00  $87.00

CLASS OPENS FEBRUARY 10TH!

As always these little classes are a complete labor of love.

Each classroom I make, feels like a mini body of works and it’s own canvas and the process of putting a class together feels no different to putting a small body of work together just in a different medium.

I hope you love this new class and I can’t say thank you enough for letting me share another little instalment with you. What a beautiful combination for merging Nature and PaperClay. It been a kind of alchemy.

Can’t wait to see you there.

From my heart to yours, Jeanne-Marie

Walking slowly...

I’m still in a bit of denial that we have crossed over into the New Year. I haven’t wanted to make a big deal or fuss about it, to be honest and I felt this way about Christmas too. Moving quietly through both moments and lulling myself from one day to next, is pretty much all I could manage.

I am fatigued, the deep in my bones kind and it has been a little on the chronic side. Me and fatigue have met before so I kind of know what it looks and feels like. I think the toll of the past two years has caught up with me, amongst other things but it certainly has made life a little tricky the past few months. I haven’t been able to be as optimal as I would like and I am trying to get through that with limited guilt as possible.

I am basically taking one day at a time.

In South Africa, December is when we all shut down, close up shop and rest. Some businesses close up to 3 weeks at a time and our schools close for around 2 months. This is a good time to press the pause button. So I did, I took some time off to sleep as much as possible, walk and swim often in this beautiful place and have been walking towards restoring myself back to health. I’ve been taking a bit of a break from social media, which has been really good for me and I’ll start heading back into my studio as soon as I can.

I know I have some deadlines coming up and I know everyone has been patient with me which I’m super grateful for, more about that in another post. I don’t have too many plans for the year ahead, I’m not there yet. For now, I am just focussing on getting stronger.

Thank you for being so understanding with me as I take this time to recover.

Much love, always Jeanne-Marie

Auction is up and running....

The Heartful SoulArt Collective Monthly Auction is currently underway and I have my last few pieces for this year available there.

I have a variety of pieces from small to big, painting to clay and I always try consider something for everyone.

Please pop on over and see if there is something there for you.

©JeanneMarieArt 2021

Our auction will close out on Tuesday 5pm EST.

A little tribute to my grandmother...

La Madre…

Where do I start with this beautiful Mother.

I have sooo much to share about this precious Madre and my exquisite day last week Friday.

Since my Gran passed I had one deep regret that I never got to sit along side her and let her teach me how to crochet. She was an avid crocheter and I couldn’t understand how I let that pass me by. For years it became this thing that I couldn’t do but wished I could... after playing with weaving last week for my little class, I knew I wanted to try this and after searching Pinterest and chatting with Daniela - we made a date online to crochet together. She was super patient with my baby hands and got me through my first crochet pebble.

©JeanneMarieArt 2021

I sat alone after our time together and managed to figure out how crochet my spoon-shaped shell. I had to improvise a little but what I did, worked well. Once I was happy with my crochet covered shell, I pulled out my clay. I ran out of white clay halfway through so had to combine it with the only clay I had on hand which happened to be my terracotta clay but the combination of clay was wonderful.

I am beyond humbled by her presence.

I am hoping this is the start of a beautiful new practice for me and to learn new patterns but honestly this combination of shell, thread and clay… mind blown!!! I kept thinking about my gran as I worked and I wonder if she was smiling down on my fumble fingers.

The response to my new La Madre Class has been so wonderful - thank you so much for signing up and once again allowing me to share concepts and ideas with you, as one idea leads onto the next… like this delicate Madre.

It's that time of year...

I love this time of year.

Winter has passed and the days are beautifully mild and have definitely warmed some. The sun is up early and staying up late, which means we have slowly started moving back into the garden space again.

Spring is in the air and so is spring cleaning, a bit of a promise after the long hibernation of winter. Shifting things around helps me feel more renewed to start new seasons, whatever that may be. We spent a few days repainting the outside furniture, only my benches left to do but I can’t wait to finish that this week. We have also got back to painting some zones inside the house and we are busy getting quotes to have the outside painted too, a little overdue but I’m super excited about it.

I also have some new season plantings to do. I love my outside space so much and my early rising means time on the stoep sipping coffee, meanderings in the garden… watering, weeding and feeding the birds…. yes, my beautiful birds and butterflies are back.

It’s good to be outside again.

Heartful Soul Holiday Show...

16th to 23rd November

I’m so thrilled to once again be invited to join Olga Furman and the rest of the Heartful Soul Holiday auction team to participate in this event. My day will start at:-

3pm EST on the 21st November and close out at 5pm EST on the 23rd November.

I will have around 10 or so pieces available, a good mix of paintings and clay works available.

Please follow the link below and click on “going” if you would like to join us for the coming week. The artworks that will be flowing from today are amazing and so thrilled to be part of this collective again.

Thank you for having me.

La Madre goes live...

“My Mother was my first country, the first place I’ve ever lived.”

— Nayyirah Waheed

This quote, this theme and this tutorial so close to my heart.

Not only is the theme of Mother so close to my heart but so is this theme of the sacred home found within. I loved finding this precious way of using my beautiful sea shells to create this interesting portal to go within. The Oyster shell was a perfect archway and of course, being inspired by my beautiful Orvieto.

If you signed up, please keep an eye out for your login details. You will receive your email today. I will be around in the classroom for the next couple of days sorting out little glitches and gremlins that always show up on the first couple of days. I will also be adding some extra bits and bobs on the go. Please keep refreshing your classroom page incase I’ve made some adjustments. Please reach out if you need me for anything.

If you haven’t signed up yet, there is still time.

Much love, Jeanne-Marie

The Emerald Isle...

Have you heard? There are only a few spots left.

I am truly honored to be joining up with my beautiful friend and co-creator, Ivette Newport, again to share what we love most with old friends and new. I hope you will consider joining us in a magical journey to this exquisite place - I have heard it is beyond spiritual and unique and I am so looking forward to this experience.

It will be my first time in Ireland and my exploring heart is already fully engaged. Oh to be travelling and creating again with likeminded friends in sacred spaces.

I have done my fair share of art retreats and there is something incredibly powerful and life altering about honoring our creative practices by taking these journeys together. To remove ourselves from the mundane of everyday life and journey to faraway places to focus on our practice is so important.

I truly can’t recommend this enough.

It changes our practices and advances us in ways we can’t comprehend.

I hope to see you there and if not, never stop dreaming that these beautiful moments are possible.

Much love always, Jeanne-Marie

Filming, Filming, Filming...

I have been deep in filming my new classes and I’ve been working steadily.

I’m so grateful for this beautiful time #inmystudio because I love this part of my work as much as I do creating. I love sharing what I love and I love sharing my quirky little discoveries.

It makes me so happy.

La Madre is a lesson I’ll be sharing with you on how I’ve been working into beautiful organic shells that create the most exquisite archways to the souls of these emotive beings.

I know we don’t all have access to shells but for this lesson I wanted to share how using the humble basic oyster shell combined with our beautiful clay, can create magic and the sweetest storytelling.

I hope you will join me for this new sweet instalment class.

Omgoodness she kicked my butt...

Wow she was hard to find in the paint. She took hours and hours of working and reworking until I found her and was happy enough to call her finished. That’s super hard when you are filming but I’m always so humbled by this. Working intuitively can be so vulnerable and sharing that vulnerability is always a big energy pull for me. Sometimes things don’t flow or go to plan but they still have a way of teaching you such beautiful stories and lessons. I’m so grateful for that and I can’t wait to share this lesson with you in my new little ComeClay3DwithMe class.

Now to edit those hours and hours of work. Eeeck.

Let’s catch up…

How epic was this week when our social media’s fell down. Wow, it did make me feel so vulnerable that it could disappear in a moment. Definitely made me think how silly it is that we have all our social media eggs in one basket. I guess that’s not the most prudent decision of all time.

I am so grateful I have this space to share my creative journey with you too. My blogging has always been my space to work out and write about my creative ups and downs and growths and non-growths. This week I realized how important it is for me to have other spaces other than Instagram and FB to connect. I will keep you posted if I move across to other platforms. In case you don’t know, I am also on Twitter and Pinterest if you ever want to find me there too.

Anyway it’s good to be back up and running and connecting again, phew.

What’s new…

This past month saw us getting our beautiful Corksi-girl on a jet plane with her bike and getting her across the world to compete in her very first World Champs event, held in Belgium. It was no easy feat with all the new COVID protocols and regulations around travel and competing. It was one super emotional and stressful month… like this year hasn’t been full on enough. Never-mind the competition itself and the enormity of such a big event for our young athletes from a small scale everything to the world stage. To say it was massive would be an understatement of gross proportions. She got to line up with some of her all time cycling hero’s and I couldn’t have been happier for her and this special time in her life. She had 10 to 14 days which was originally for quarantining until they lifted the quarantine ban on athletes coming from SA - she used that time to adjust to her environment. All in all she had the most incredible experience of her life and we are hoping it will be the start of something so special for her and her cycling career. I just wanted to say a huge thank you to her coach, of course and everyone else who have been on this epic journey with us and who contributed to her Back-a-Buddy to help her travel. We have no words to express how every little bit helped so much. YOU moved us so deeply with your kindness.

How incredible to be flitting around Europe with your bike after 18 months of travel bans.

Sweet Nostalgia…

This time of year, my socials are flooded with such sweet nostalgia of my trips to Italy and my beloved moments in Orvieto. This beautiful relationship started in 2012 and I’ve had the honor of going back several times since. The longing to return, never leaves my body and now more than ever the need to go back is huge. I was supposed to be back this year but with the pandemic, everything got pushed out, understandably. That being said we have finalized our details around our new trip dates for next year. I am so thrilled to share that everything is up and running for booking. Please pop on over if you would like to join me next year, September in that sacred place to create alongside each other.

I can’t wait to do this again and with YOU.

New workshops….

I announced this week on my socials that I’ll be releasing two new workshops / tutorials in the next month or so. Please keep checking my workshop tab to see what’s coming up but in the meantime, here we go…

Firstly I will be releasing ComeClay3DwithMe….

3D Creative Portraiture in a frame. I have several projects here for this workshop and I can’t wait to reveal what I have install for you… such beautiful fun.

Just after that I will be releasing a mini workshop on making my sacred La Madre - The Mother. I have some added surprises in this little tutorial. More Soon.

Painting…

I have loved finding my way back to my canvases in between my clay, classes, life and everything else. It makes my heart sing. I have been loving being in this space and finding my way again. I am working with big brushes on small canvases to help me loosen up and small brushes on big canvases working on details. I’m playing with new primers and paints and all in all just loving this time as I find my way back to these bigger substrates. In the meantime I have had these latest works made into high quality Giclee prints and put a little grouping together for you in my shop.

I loved catching up with my news here and I can’t thank you enough for those who take the time to read my musings and to those of you who write to me. I love hearing from you and I am so blown away that we can stay connected this way.

I am so grateful for so much and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you.

Much love, always… Jeanne-Marie

Il Guardiano

©JeanneMarieArt 2021

I adored making this piece…. I had my little face from Day 16 of FebruaryFaces and my ready made and dried vessel and I combined the two. Adding extra elements like my extra hand on her generous “body”.

She holds my clay tools perfectly and she has a beautiful sacredness to her too… an almost Madonna feel to her. I have loved seeing this theme come out in my pieces this season.

I have called her… Il guardiano - {TheGuardian} as she looks after important things and right now I am loving her call to duty.

She is available in my little shop. Please feel free to take a browse around and keep popping in. I’ll be sharing works in there on the go.

Much love - Jeanne-Marie

Nature's Calling...

She was my very 1st face of #FebruaryFacesinClay and I originally had her made up into a full clay piece that I wasn’t loving. I salvaged her from that and hung onto her face and hand and reworked her into this sweet tiny little piece.

I finished painting her around the same I had been working on a big canvas piece and I coincidently held her up and saw her in front of my painting and I was rather taken aback. They rhymed!

I don’t always see the cohesiveness straight away and when I usually work on my projects and pieces they feel in isolation and I am usually so internally focused that I don’t even realise it. To me in the moment, they always feel so individual but then I realise… “oh indeed, I do in fact have a style”.

Even though I don’t always see it.

©JeanneMarieArt 2021