ClayPlay…

As you know I have a whole bunch of unfinished clay pieces on my studio desk. I counted the other day and I have around 20. I cleared out a whole bunch recently, some I tossed away, some I reworked and two I will share more about soon… it’s a little surprise.

I’ve been a little bad about finishing these pieces the past year or so and also because I can’t stop making new ones. They still call me all the time, to make new ones. But I’m working on that… the finishing part. I have managed to finish two recently, a little reminder on how lovely it is to finish strong.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

New creative outlets…

When I met with my dear friend Annie earlier in the year and when I was lying in Savasana under the trees with a gentle breeze blowing. In the distance, she played her Native American flute for me while I found rest and it moved me to tears. I knew in an instant I needed to get one and learn how to play it.

It took me some time to organise my own flute from the States and a bit of time for Charlie to make one for me and have it shipped. She finally arrived in November and I’m so utterly smitten with it. It’s in G Key and I’m practicing everyday and Annie is also teaching me. Annie is honestly a marvel and her gifts and abilities never stop astounding me.

I’m so grateful for her in my life, truly.

I have felt for sometime that I might have a song inside of me and to try and find it has been such a gift on an energetic level. The exquisite gift of breathing out, through this instrument is so in line with the breath-work I’ve been doing and it has felt like a beautiful synergy. Charlie, the maker of this instrument has also recommended a breath-work book which arrived today, about nose breathing, which again is right in line with my inner yogi. So all in all, it’s checking a lot of boxes for me.

I hope to have a song to share soon.

Art pouches… new stock

PRE-ORDER now - “To the trees I go…”

My new art pouch will be ready sometime in January. They are currently in production and I can’t wait for them to arrive. I’ll have my other two designs available too. I am super excited about this new addition and to start off with, I’ll only have 10 available in each design.

So please feel free to pre-order now to secure your bag.

Thank you....

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

My GoatWoman - In the Pocket of God sold and as promised, I donated 50% of the proceeds to the Old Irish Goat Society. I’m so thrilled to be part of this initiative.

To have visited with the goats in Ireland and been at the centre made it all more personal and special. I will be following their progress and will continue to support them where I can.

Thank you for supporting me in this. It means the world to me.

From my heart to yours, Love Jeanne-Marie

The Old Irish Goats...

It was the first time I had used Pan Pastels and it was Ivy’s beautiful lesson in Ireland. I was intrigued to test this new to me medium. I have to be honest I did rather love it. I was nervous but I started to get the hang of it. I would love to explore it more. We had the option to paint a goat or a portrait so I decided to combine mine. Mulranny and the studio are part of the beautiful Old Irish Goat initiative. I will donating 50% of the sale of this piece to this incredible cause. Please follow the link below to read all about the incredible work they are doing in rescuing the Old Irish Goat. Most of you know my folks have a goat farm and this cause is particularly close to my heart. She’s currently listed in my little shop if you would like to be part of this precious incentive.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

Sold

Please pop over to their website to sign the petition and donation as they could use all the help they can get.

I have called this piece The GoatWomen - in the Pocket of God.

Mulranny apparently means “In the Pocket of God”.

Collage play....in Ireland

I always forget how wonderful collage play is for me. It brings beautiful new elements to my work and it’s just such a great way to creatively play and build up layers and practice composition. I do highly recommend this way of working. I have decided to focus on this medium more next year. I think it will really help to enhance my creations and imagination. I love how this offers a starting point but never says at this place. I usually lose most of elements as I tend to push them back because I am always seeking the quiet spaces but even in doing that, it provides a lovely textured and layered element underneath that looks like it came from an ancient era.

I started both these pieces on the same day in Ireland before we went to visit the exquisite Burrishoole Abbey, in Newport, in the Mayo County of Ireland. It was one of my favorite days in Ireland. The Abbey was a total dream and so was this creative space. Our studio was in an old nun’s sleeping quarters. The peace and tranquility was tangible.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

I don’t often frame my work before shipping but I was intrigued to see how they would look framed and resolved. I feel the frames I selected both captured elements of Ireland and complimented each piece uniquely and I also have good access to beautiful wooden frames that don’t cost the earth and I’m so grateful for that. I have shipped framed pieces before and I work with my courier team who know exactly how to securely ship framed pieces so they don’t buckle and both these pieces are without glass so they are safe for shipping.

Both of these pieces are currently available in my shop along with some other works.

Please feel free to pop in and take a look.

Beautiful Ireland...

I have so many gorgeous memories about this precious time and this sacred place.

I really didn’t know what to expect as I had never been to Ireland and I really had no point of reference at all. Being able to collectively create with other creatives filled my love tank more than I could have ever imagined. I don’t think I realised just how cut off and isolated I had become the past few years of being in lockdown and how small my world had become. It was the collective creative energy that I had been missing and I didn’t know it until I entered this space. In an instant my creativity was ignited and my creative love tank flooded. With the floodgates open, creative love and joy returned.

The week in Italy before Ireland, creating there was the absolute perfect prelude to this week.

We wasted no time and our first day in studio was filled to brim with portrait work from dry medium to painting and from non dominant hand work to dominant. The joy was tangible. I had forgotten how lovely working with my non dominant hand was and it seemed to free sometime inside of me that had felt locked in for a very long time. I don’t think I realised how much fear had crept in the past few years and releasing it’s grip for me was next level amazing.

We did so much in studio and touched on many elements and mediums and some that were new to me too. I loved teaching with Ivy again. It’s the second time we have taught together and the synergy was beautiful. We stayed together in a little cottage down the road from the studio and it was very special.

The week was a perfect balance of creativity and touring and sharing meals together.

I also got to meet the beautiful Lora Murphy and I had heard what an incredible person she was and getting to meet her and know her in real life, was so special to me. I am grateful for so much… making beautiful new friends and reconnecting with old. I will never forget our time together and I came home with so much tucked away in my heart. These experiences carry me for months to come and I hope it does for those who journey with us too.

Until next time…

Greetings…

Hello…

I am back home and back up to date with life and admin after being out of the country for close on a month. I want to slowly start unpacking my trip and sharing it here. Sorry it’s taken me so long to return to this space of sharing but trying to narrow down my trip has felt so overwhelming because how does one squash that BIG experience into such a small space.

I truly had the most incredible time. I feel I have come home completely ignited and excited to be back #inmystudio. My creative love tank filled to the brim and travel bug happy for now.

I don’t find travel logistics easy at the best of times but it felt even more challenging at this time. That being said once we got past the logistics and arrived in Italy, we could start leaning into our time away. It felt like a complete honor to be out in the world again. Of course, going back to my beloved Orvieto is always a good idea and a soft landing and so beautifully familiar. I was excited to show my dearest friend, Wendy around and I was so excited to be meeting up with old friends.

We left late Friday afternoon and arrived in Orvieto Saturday evening. Exhausted but oh so happy. Travel is always longer than you expect because you remember small details differently, like unexpected delays on platforms. We checked into our little Airbnb and it was humbly perfect. With overflowing hearts, we walked around, found beautiful Italian food and crashed. Sunday morning, we woke up super early and went in desperate search of coffee. Thankfully Montenucci’s opens at 7am…. a little gift.

After Italian coffee and pastries we went walking… and literally walked all morning… it was cool and misty and breathtakingly stunning and honestly couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to our trip. After our exploring, we did a grocery shop and stocked up for the week. That was very interesting and I love comparing apples with apples.

Wendy and I met at school when we were 15 and sometimes its hard to fathom that we have known each other all these years. She turned 50 now in August past and I am turning 50 in February coming so we decided to do this little spoil for our 50th’s. We had to do something momentous. In our 35 years of friendship we have done some trips together but never abroad and I think it was high time.

More soon…

New Art Pouches

I just ran off a new batch of Art pouches when I got home because my pre-trip pouches were sold out. Thank you once again for the incredible love and support around these bags that are so special to me.

Each pouch beautifully handmade by one of my dearest friends and each pouched lined with traditional South African Shwe-Shwe fabric. I have loved combining this extra element and being able to include and share some of my country’s local heritage with my work.

My little shop is stocked...

I spent most of the weekend stocking up my shop and thank you for those who have already popped in there to secure your little piece. I still have some delightful pieces available. As always I have a variety of different mediums, shapes and sizes and it is always my hope that there is something there for everyone.

I was so thrilled to be finished my miniature blockmount series and I can’t thank you for the beautiful response to them on social media. They were an absolute delight to make and share. It is always good for the heart to receive the love for something you are working on. I have some special favorites in there too.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

As always, thank you for the love and support. I am so grateful.

Love Jeanne-Marie

Pencil Bags and Pouches...

I only had a few pencil bags left from my last batch last year. Thank you for loving them with me and for alway supporting the little things I bring into the world. It means the world to me. I knew I wanted to run off another batch including some new mini pouches. Perfect to pop little things into for when you are travelling or to help you not lose small things in your handbag.

I wanted to work with some of my new images from my little blockmount series. I worked with my usual fabric printers together with my special friend who hand makes these little fabric bags for me. We had a lot of fun working together, picking out and matching our beautiful traditional South African fabrics for the inside.

I love sharing my art this way with beautiful elements of my country combined with simple functionality. I hope you love them as much as I love getting them made up.

Will share more soon.

xxx

#PaintingEveryDay....

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

I finally finished my last piece for my little blockmount series. I wanted to get to 10.

I did it.

Finishing my last blockmount was harder than I was expecting and to get that dropped off at my framers, took a lot of discipline. Sometimes my own mental blockages can stand in my way.

Hoping to get those last 3 back early next week.

As for my bigger canvases, i’m busy working on finishing some of the ones I started during this month of showing up and will share soon.I have loved this time of intentionally showing up and it’s been good for my heart and my creative mind. I hope to continue this during August, especially as I get ready to travel to Europe and prepping for teaching.

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©JeanneMarieArt 2022

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

In between that and life, I finished my tiny little pendant that I made last year. The one in my little Italian liquorice tin. She was one of my lessons that I was going to share in the little class I cancelled. Everything was put on pause, so getting to finish her felt very important to me. She was tough going on me and made me work 2 full days to find her story. I’m glad I did. As for my other little clay piece… is getting there too.

Can you tell how much I’m loving playing with red this season.

Just flowing with it. <3

#PaintingEveryday.... MommaBear

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

She has travelled with me for around 18 months. She was one of my #FebruaryFaces and she was in my Clay auction last year but didn’t sell. She was a bit different from my usual style as I don’t usually do creatures.

I modified her a little bit and made her into a pendant and changed her colors and she was in another little auction but once again, didn’t sell. My MommaBear needed to stay with me a little longer. She got a total revamp when I used her in a lesson for my little class that I cancelled earlier this year. I have been clearing out my studio and purging things that I’m past and I thought… “girl if we don’t finish you today then, its to the bin you go”.

I am so glad I kept her close and allowed her little story to unfold. When I finished her last night, I understood why she had to linger a little longer with me. This version of her is so far, my favorite and I am totally in love with her thoughtful motherly gaze and her red hands… her hands are everything to me.

Thank you sweet little Momma for teaching me to value the timing of all things.

I adore you!

#30DaysofPaintingEveryday...

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

My showing up daily journey continues… and I am thrilled to be finding my way back to my practice and sparking joy in this place. It’s been good for my soul… I can’t even tell you.

Of course, some days have been logistically challenging for various reasons but mostly it has been good. I have loved being at my studio desk. I am so grateful.

My miniature framed lady came home and is so pleasing in her glorious frame. I managed to squeeze in two more blockmounts this week past. I just have one left to go, to reach my mini goal of 10. All of them piled on top of each other are so cohesive and it is rather satisfying to see them altogether. Can’t wait to see this stack finished.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

Like everything else I have been painting hands rusty and boy getting my eye back in, in this department has been interesting but also most satisfying. Watch this space to seeing more hands in my work. I can’t wait to keep exploring this space with expressive, quirky hands.

I have also spent months purging different zones in my house. I have been clearing out at least one refuse bag a week and this has been going on all year already. If I haven’t touched it or if it has dust on it, it’s gone. I’m being ruthless. Clearing away has felt like medicine for me.

That’s when I came across my unpainted Matryoshka dolls, a project I took on years ago with Annie Hamman. She finished two exquisite sets but I never got to mine, the enormity of the job overwhelmed me with each doll getting smaller. Not sure why exactly, I clearly am a fan of miniature work.

Again, I decided if I don’t do it now, it’s going in the trash…. so this is where I am so far… For the first time I’m thinking I might actually do it.

Wish me luck.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

T-52Days - Let the countdown begin...

Andrea Hiltbrunner photo credit

For a long time, it felt like this day may never come.

Is it me or have we all been holding our breaths a little about international travel? It feels like I’ve been doing that for a couple of years already. Travel feels different and harder and definitely more challenging, right? But right now, I’m taking one moment at a time.

I am not sure I did it my last trip to Europe, but I usually keep a running blog of my days leading up to traveling.

I was thinking about doing the same this trip, more than ever, travel feels like a sacred pilgrimage to far away places that are coming with extreme effort and costs. I want to take note of every nuance and moment this trip.

So today, I finally finalised my ticket and now it feels properly real… let the countdown begin…

#30DaysofPaintingEveryday....

I am about two weeks into my plan to show up to #painteveryday for the next #30days and although I am moving slowly, it’s going well and I am already starting to feel some shiftings happening each time I show up #inmystudio. I am not locking into anything specific, just allowing each moment to lead me onto the next and hopefully when I look back I would have gained some ground. Walking intentionally always brings gifts.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

I have been working on this exquisitely odd pair and loving every brushstroke. If you know anything about me, you know I kind of love oddness and right now, I am just allowing them to lead the way with their quirkiness. I know they might change a 100 times before I call them done so once again, I am not locking into anything yet. Their big beautiful hands are calling me and I can’t wait to head there next.

I am opening a new canvas and starting new works almost everyday, whether I finish or not, isn’t the point but showing up is and that feels like medicine.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

I have 7 miniature blockmounts completed and have 3 left to go to meet my little target of 10 and I also got this tiny works framed up this week. She arrives home on Monday and I can’t wait.

I am including painting clay into my #30days of painting and to be honest I haven’t painted clay for around 6 months and I was a little nervous but the love returned in an instant. I can’t wait to finish her.

The past 2 weeks have passed so quickly and I’m feeling a measure of joy to be back in my practice.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022

Inspiration...

I have been deep in a listening space the past 6 months.

I listen whenever I can… while I walk, work, paint and drive. I know listening isn’t for everyone but it’s gold for me…. it’s the way my brain works. I mean, how precious it is to have someone read to you.

My heart and mind, expanded.

Here are a few that I’m still busy unpacking… Brene’s new book came at the exact right time. Finding the “language for the Human Experience” was so incredibly grounding, having the language to explain what it is we are going through, is everything. The Untethered Soul… was recommended to me and honestly was one of the most profound books I have ever listened to and I hope I can lean into the principles, perhaps a life handbook. I will need to listen to it again.

As most of you know, I do a Julia Cameron book every year and although I’ve done this book before, redoing it right at this time has allowed me to go deeper into some of the concepts and the synchronicity of it, on point. Mind you, I can honestly say that about all the books I’ve been working through lately.

The next few books on my list…. Living Untethered, a new book from Michael A. Singer and I can’t wait to dive in. If you aren’t familiar with Susan Cain, she wrote Quiet, the Power of Introverts in a World that can’t stop Talking, a good few years ago and this is her next book, Bitter-sweet. I listened to her Ted Talk recently on the subject, brilliant.

Don’t you find sharing book titles so deeply vulnerable and personal… revealing elements of our minds and souls.

A sense of belonging...

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about this concept of {belonging}.

The closer I look at it, the more I’m understanding this innate need in all of us to feel connected to something meaningful and this need we all have to feel like we {belong} to the people in our lives and to something that we do, that feeds our souls and how lucky we are when these two worlds collide. How this makes us feel significant in this world that ultimately leads us to feel loved…. no more than feel, but to be loved.

The more I have taken time to pause this year, the more I have been learning that there is nothing more important than the sense of {belonging} to oneself and perhaps to that of nature. The pulling I have to nature has got stronger and stronger as I’ve got older. I do think {belonging} to oneself requires intention and care. Reconnecting can take time… I am so grateful I’ve taken some time to reconnect to my mind, body and soul. I couldn’t create too much during this time, I needed the space to explore the interior landscape of my mind and heart and I needed to do that privately. I’ve been creating daily for 10 years so it was very difficult to allow myself to take this time for myself but I do think it was important work.

I think for the first time in long time, I’m feeling grounded with a deep sense of knowing and understanding of myself and what’s going on around me and perhaps even where I am going next.

On that note… during this month of June, my daily creative journey turned 10!!!

I celebrated quietly with that sweet significant memory of me leaping out of bed and declaring that from that day going forward I would keep bank hours #inmystudio which I did and I am still not sure how 10 years passed like as if no time passed at all. It has completely been a journey of love.

I have been so utterly grateful for everyday and every moment I have spent creating and so grateful to all of you who have journeyed with me.

I know I have been much quieter on the socials the last 6 months, the world of FB and Instagram certainly have changed over the past 10 years and I’ve been researching how to navigate it all in a way that aligns with my practice and my values. It’s not an easy one. Still not sure how to move forward with it but I am thinking about blogging more and sharing more deeply here. Please let me know your thoughts.

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watch this space…

Keep your eye out here for some giveaways I’ll be running soon to celebrate my 10 years of daily creativity. I’m working on some special things to share soon.

Can’t wait.

Orvieto is calling....

For the past two months my Instagram and Facebook have been flooded with special friends visiting Europe again. But more specifically, Italy and even more so… Orvieto. My heart has been skipping a beat at the thought of traveling again and heading back in September.

Michelle ran all her Spring classes in Orvieto successfully and that makes me so hopeful for the fall classes, when I will be teaching again. I know some folks have been apprehensive about travelling esp. to Europe but I’ve been thrilled to see so many taking the leap, going and loving it. So far the reports have been brilliant and uplifting and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about this news.

Here is a little video from Michelle, our host for Adventures In Italy chatting about travelling in Orvieto. Please shout if you have any questions or concerns.

Please feel free to follow the link to sign up and join us in this magnificent creative pilgrimage that will fill your creative wells for the next two years.

I will be spending the next bit booking tickets and planning my trip.

The excitement is real.

Much Love, Jeanne-Marie

#InMyStudio... #30DaysofPainting...

I created a new space for myself this year, as you know it’s something I tend to do when I end a season of something. The shifting of energy in my space helps me find new creative energy. If it’s not something you tend to do, I do recommend the practice. It helps so much especially if you are a little stuck or overwhelmed about creating. I am smitten with my new space. My re-entry to daily creativity has been slower than most years and I feel humbled and most quiet at the moment and of course, I am not without some fear. I have been working on that. If you have been following me for years you will know I am good with projects, self motivated projects like #30days, #100days or #365days of something or other. I am wanting to get myself back to a place of flow with my paint, my paintbrushes and my beautiful big canvases. So I have decided to show up bank hours for the next #30days painting. Nothing specific, just painting and see what comes up. It might be the same piece for the next 30days or various works but more importantly no rules.

Just me and my paint, brushes and canvases.

SOLD “My Dear Girl” - 15.5” x 19.5” on watercolor paper, blockmounted.

I have also been working on a miniature collection of blockmount paintings, usually little warm down paintings at the end of a painting session with left over paint and big brushes. It’s a wonderful way to stay unattached to outcome, and also not wasting paint. I am trying to grow this little collection to around 10-15 pieces. They will be available soon. Some have been booked already so please feel free to reach out and put your red dot on one. Hopefully share more about that soon.

Today was day one of my #30Days and I managed to do another two blockmounts. I will be sharing here more regularly over the next #30days of my painting journey. I will be on a tight schedule of working the first 6 hours of each day painting. I will be turning my phone off for this and I hope this commitment to my practice will bring me back to a beautiful place of flow.

I sure have missed that incredible feeling with beautiful souls flowing right out of my brush.

©JeanneMarieArt 2022