The Town Counsellor....

After some back to back days #inmystudio - I am thrilled to finally have finished this piece.

I started her back in Cape Town last year and she travelled with me to Ireland as I shared her “in progress” stage in the classroom. I loved being able to share this stage because that’s not often seen outside my studio. She has completely evolved and she surpassed a lot of my original ideas. I think it’s partly because of the long period between working on her and finding myself in a new creative space.

“If you step away from a work for a long period, you’ll be different when you return to it.”
— Rick Rubin

I found this quote last year May and it was so profoundly accurate to me and the way I tend to work.

I love her story so much and how she evolved with so much presence.

She is a mixture of nature and nurturer and seems so full of wisdom for her town around her. Under the earth’s surface she has a rich and lush system of seeds, plants and life. It is like she has a Tree of Life coming right through her or as if she is the Tree of Life herself, as her branches appear above the earth’s surface.

What a joy to spend time with her beautiful presence this week.

 
 

CoffeeShopScribbles...

I’ve been doing a lot of this lately since my time in Ireland… scribbling in coffee shops.

 
 

My little pocket size journal is filling up with graphite faces and it’s a practice that I find completely soothing. It helps me stay connected to being creative when my paints aren’t easily in reach. It also helps me keep my eye in because I draw freehand, sometimes with a reference and sometimes without. If I start with a reference, I will soon lose it and allow each piece to lead it’s own way intuitively.

 
 

A beginner's mindset...

This concept of “a beginner’s mindset” keeps popping up for me lately and it rings so true for where I am at currently.  Allowing myself to go back to basics and start again like a beginner, in all my practices, has been most humbling… on my yoga mat, in my studio, in my home and in my life. It has required a lot of patience and kindness with myself.  I am painfully aware at how much time I lost the past 18 months as I have gone through my own rock bottom moments.  After lots of personal challenges whilst packing up my life in South Africa, I suffered my worst burnout to date.

 
 

In Tai Chi - Swimming Dragon there is a pose we do, called “the Golden Cicada shed’s it skin”. It aptly became a metaphor for my life,  with a kind of allowing, I shed every aspect of my life, as I knew it.

As some of you may know, I relocated to Europe last October. I arrived here after my teaching trip to Ireland. The last 6 months have been about finding my feet, unpacking the few things I brought over with me and setting up a new home and studio.  Maybe we don’t really think about it much, but I believe it takes a lifetime to establish a beautiful home and life that you feel deeply connected to.  Finding unique pieces and elements that are special to you, that fill little spaces and time that make it uniquely your own and yours as a family.

To find myself back at the beginning, I have had to lean into that beginner’s mindset and see what unfolds. I am starting to find little elements and fill these spaces as I connect to my new environment and new life and maybe even a new sense of self.  It will take time. I can’t wait for my new home to settle in on itself as things find their place. I have been in a gentle nesting season, shifting and finding flow and new rhythms, with gratitude for the small things, at the core of it all.

Over the past 18 months, I lost my sacred flow state in both my creativity and studio. During that time, I dabbled here and there—starting many things but finishing far fewer. I am happy to say, I’m finally back in my space with consistent days in the seat and in my new studio. I need to get back to play as this is a big part of my practice. Again, I have had to lean into my beginner’s mindset to come back to my full-time practice. I’m playing again with concepts and ideas like I’m new to art and allowing things to unfold intuitively. I will share more soon as I have a new little series underway and of course I’ll be finishing pieces that I started last year.

 
 

I have and use a lot of modalities to help me regulate my nervous system but I think painting still remains my most restorative. Being able to create back to back days again has been most healing for me and to have this beautiful regulation back up and running again is such a gift to me.

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My new yoga regime is also underway, phew, it took me time to find a system that would work for me. It has not been without it’s challenges. I lost a lot of strength and fitness in the move but I have been rebuilding and it’s beautiful. Being strong in my body at this age means everything to me. I am walking and hiking a lot too. I have joined a few hiking groups here and have some big hikes planned for later this year… all positive steps forward.

“One day at a time”

So I leave you with this thought that has been swirling around my mind the past while, if I continue with a beginner’s mindset every time I arrive on my mat or in my studio, never to run too far ahead of myself but to stay humble and in a forever growth mindset, that there is so much to learn in these quiet lowly places, if I allow myself.

From my heart to yours, always, Jeanne-Marie

xxx

 
 

The sound of music...

The past year or so, I gave up Apple Music and re-started my music journey on Spotify.

Music is a huge part of my daily practices and life and I am always seeking out deeply moving sounds to add to my ever-growing playlist. I have been playing my music in various settings more publicly recently and my selection has been most loved, so I thought I would share it here for you. I find the notion of sharing books and music so vulnerable as I feel it really gives one a sneaky glimpse into the internal landscapes of a person’s mind and soul. I hope you enjoy my selection as much as I do. It is gentle and at times a little haunting, mixed in with some surprising treats.

In the coming year I’ll create new and smaller lists but this will be my constant and ever growing list.

Enjoy!

 
 

the gift of music

Not only does music release dopamine in the brain, some experts say that melancholic music also releases a hormone called prolactin, which is specifically tied to alleviating grief.

Stocking up my little shop....

***SHOP NEWS***

With my unpredictable schedule this year, I’ve decided to put my auction plans on hold for the rest of the year. As you know I work with the beautiful Stephanie Gagos and we have decided to push our slot to next year sometime. Which means I’m going to release completed pieces, as I go.

This weekend I stocked up my little shop a bit and I’ll be doing that weekly for the next while as I complete works. I’ll be updating my shop progress here and on my social media pages, so please keep a look out.

Please feel free to contact me directly as some of you have been, to secure works that catch your eye.

Thank you for your continued love and interest, always.

Love Jeanne-Marie

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©JeanneMarieArt 2024

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I have been loving completing some of my unfinished works and this has been filling my creative love tank and has been encouraging me to keep moving forward.

 
 

Our beautiful boy...

Riley was pure love and the kindest soul.

What could I say about this precious being… There are so many Riley stories that we have tucked in our hearts. He had a beautiful long life and gave us almost 2 decades of love, life and everything else. He inserted himself in a BIG way into every aspect of our lives and was completely humanised by all of us and by himself too. In the first part of his life, he was larger than life itself and all I can say was how grateful I was that he was in such a small body. He was big energy and naughty in all the best ways a little dog could be and the girls loved it. In the second half of his life, he was so mellow and was all about soft blankets and cuddles, mollycoddled to the end. He was adorable and funny, making us laugh everyday. No matter who met him, loved him. He just had that way with people. He had a bit of an online social media presence too, it honestly felt like everyone knew him and loved him.

We just accepted him with all his odd little idiosyncrasies and there were many and he accepted us with ours. He was a true family dog, he belonged to all of us at different times and he had this way of making each one of us feel so special when he did. It was our complete honor. In the last bit of his life, he became my dog, I will never fully understand why but I am so grateful he did. It was pure adoration both ways. He was my studio dog, my yoga and meditation buddy and my all round little shadow. I carried him home sleeping on my chest, wrapped in my gown almost every night.

I was in so much physical pain with guilt that I had to make the call to end his precious little life. Maybe with time, I will find my peace with it. It got so hard in the end as his world got smaller and smaller.

My sweet Riley boy…

We held you in our arms, one last time. We kissed your head, in the indents above your eyes especially for our kisses, one last time. We held your precious paws in our hands, one last time. We said our sad goodbyes, one last time. And then you rested your sweet little head in my hand, one last time as you fell asleep, one last time.

Thank you Darling Boy, you were an unexpected love in my life and to be adored by you was pure gold.

To the most loved little dog in the world and the most photographed, you will be loved and missed by us all forever. Thank you for everything!

The little Deer with a big heart....

My sweet DeerHeart is finally finished…

She has a big beautiful tender heart. I created her in November 2022 when I was down at the beach where I found this big heart rock on my beach. I created her around it. I knew I wanted it to be her focal point and a little out of proportion to her, like her heart was so big and beautiful that it was coming right out of her chest. I think I achieved that. I also had some seal bones left that I included as part of her antlers.

 
 

I adore everything about her.

So many words come to mind when I think of her… DeerHeart, TenderHearted, BigHearted.

Just to name a few.

©JeanneMarieArt 2024

Winter in these parts....

Winter arrived late this year, as did our rains and this always makes me a little anxious. After our waters almost ran dry a few years back, I have some post draught fears when it comes to our winter rains. So by July to not have our rains yet, I was feeling panicked. During July the rains did arrive and the heavens finally opened up. Sadly, we got all our winter rains in two weeks straight and although our dams are back to full capacity, the damage left in its wake… rough.

It was hard to concentrate when we were all navigating some sort of water damage as a result of the severe weather. Thankfully things have calmed down. We have had a week or so of good weather and some beautifully sunny days which has allowed us to dry out a bit. The silver lining for me is that after the heavy rains, come the gorgeous fungi. I headed straight out to find them and it’s been nothing less than glorious.

I do love this time of year and the gifts of rain, mushrooms and moss.

They make me ridiculously happy. 🍄

Full circle....

28 years ago I spent time in a quaint little town, called Albufeira in the south of Portugal. Whilst I was there, I sent home some postcards as I did from all the places I visited during my travels. I sent this beautiful postcard to my Gran, perfectly depicting where I was. For some or other reason she kept this card and when she passed away, my Mom kept it and she found it other day and sent it to me.

It gave me goosebumps.

I felt quite nostalgic reading my younger-self words on the back. Full of the joy of travelling the world and being in a place close to paradise. I was happy. Although at that time, I wasn’t an artist, I was blown away by the level of creativity and the artisan way of life everywhere you looked. I was captivated. I bought a lot of creative things to send home, some of which I still have.

In my card, I said… “it looked like a beautiful life and I sure would like to go back one day”. Little did I know that it would take me almost 3 decades to be head back.

I’ll be back in Portugal in October 2024, more about that soon.

Beautiful Studio time...

©JeanneMarieArt 2024

I have been finding time #inmystudio and I am for sure, a little rusty. It has been hard at times but mostly I am happy to be back here on a more full time basis. As usual, I am trying to focus on finishing works, because I have a bunch of incomplete works piling up and I have been sneaking in some new pieces too. I know it’s very naughty of me but I can’t help it... I just love it so much. Also when new ideas come up, I feel they need to be responded to. I know this season needs to be one of discipline and I am feeling ready for that.

This weekend I worked on this incredible soul. Her stance is breathtaking and I am always a little amazed at how many layers of paint these pieces need and take and it’s a game of patience and love. Both of which, were so utterly satisfying. I will share more soon as I finish works as I go, but all in all my creative love tank is filling up.

 
 

Some serious playing and dabbling...

When I have experienced fatigue and burnout… I can take rather long to return to my happy place due to fear and anxiety.

I tend to find myself popping in and out and not committing to serious time or serious work. It’s almost like I trick my creative mind into thinking, it’s not really creating so as not to overwhelm it because if I get overwhelmed I may never return. The fear sends me into freeze or flight mode and both of which I have been doing since my last auction, understandably.

There is no better way for me to find my way back home than through beautiful non-committal play. Not taking myself or my work too seriously. After all there is that perfect quote from Julia Cameron who says “Serious art is born from serious play.” I do know I live by this quote even when I’m operating from a healthy space #inmystudio. Most of my best creative ideas are born from non-committal play. I heard another brilliant quote last week by Martha Beck…. “The opposite of anxiety is creativity”.

I almost dropped my phone. … It’s not calm!!! It’s creativity!!! Then this means it’s an action word.

I mean, of course, we know this, right…. Us creativities use our creativity to ground ourselves and use it as a way to manage many things. Yet at the the same time our fears and anxieties can keep us from creating too. If we can show up in spite of ourselves, we can get past ourselves and heal our fears and anxieties with beautiful time in the seat and maybe this is through non-committal play.

I apologise if I have shared this concept before in one of my many epiphanies but it feels a new to me right now in this current season and maybe it is just deeper levels of leaning into the way I work and create and finding my own literacy and peace about it.

 

©JeanneMarieArt 2024

After Christmas I spent sometime with two of my creative friends and I showed them how to play with cyanotype sun printing. I used authentic Japanese washi paper, old ephemera papers and fabric because I knew I wanted to incorporate these elements into my backgrounds for paintings and mixed media pieces. I loved working with nature from my own garden. This is my first attempt playing with this concept in a painting. I still have many layers to go but I love this color combination.

We met up again a few weeks ago and this time they shared their technique of using old photographs and cyanotype sun printing. How utterly exquisite. I can’t wait to experiment with some of my own images. I used her collection of images to practice. I loved working together with them once again, for this play date. So grateful for my local art friends.

Recently, I had a few hours to burn while I was on a Zoom Course and luckily I could be present with my screen off and just listen. So I played and listened. I safe way for me to start a new blank canvas is with my graphite water soluble pencil and neocolors and Titanium white paint (Golden). I worked backwards and forwards until this interesting soul showed up. We went through some strange stages as it took me some time to get my eye back in but I love where we ended together. I still have a ways to go in terms of deeper layers. If you look closely she has some ears. I look forward to finding my way back here. Currently I have around 21 unfinished pieces #InMyStudio.

This is what happens when I non-commitally play and dabble = lots of unfinished works.

©JeanneMarieArt 2024

I have this gorgeous BIG works in progress. Yes I am finally facing my BIG untouched canvases. They have been calling for me for some time and I am trying to be courageous and challenge myself to work bigger again. This is how far I got in my first sitting and obviously I have a long road ahead of me but I am ready for the journey. I can’t wait to get back here too.

I haven’t wanted to share too much of my works in progress because I can get a little locked into the finished curated works look and when Courteney was here the other day she asked me why I am not sharing more of all the little things I’ve got on the go. I want to be more mindful about this. I know it appears that I have been MIA the last 8 months but I have been showing up in this odd way of my mind not clocking it. I know it’s a little tricksy and a little naughty but I am here.

Please let me know if you also do these little quirky little things to get your hours in. That being said, May is here and my film season is officially over. We closed off some things today and last bit tomorrow and I am beside myself excited. I already have my studio schedule worked out of new, beautiful, unafraid time in the seat.

Looking so forward and looking forward to sharing more with you as I go.

Much love, xxx

 
 

©JeanneMarieArt 2024

Sparks joy...

This has sparked so much joy for me. I have been thinking about how come it has. It’s kind of tickled me pink.

I remember seeing a guy in my office building once, ride into the building, got off his bike, folded it up and climbed into the lift with it in hand. I was so taken by this concept and I knew I needed one of those oneday. I am a bit of gadget junkie so this ticked a lot of boxes for me. I am not kidding when I say that was around a decade ago. The idea popped up again recently and I spent a few weeks looking for one. A fold-up bike in these parts are near impossible to find. I did however, find this cutie pie through one of Courteney’s cycle buddies. It’s a popular American brand and I had done a lot of research about this exact brand, I couldn’t believe my luck. It is previously owned but in excellent condition. The best part is it folds right in half and fits into a carry bag and it means it can go everywhere with me. I tested it, it fits perfectly in my boot, even the front seat.

I feel so giddy about it.

I found a dorky helmet to go with it and I have used her to commute a few times to meet friends for coffee and when I hop on, it just makes me so happy. I love the little stand, the bell and the rack on the back. I got some panniers for it this week so I can use the bike now for shopping errands.

It just feels like happiness. I think it’s one of the nicest things I’ve done for myself in a long while.

I met my friends the other day and they each took her for a spin, they were giddy too and I was so blown away to see how come this was case and that it wasn’t just me. We were all laughing and it was pure delight. I think there is something about this little bike that invites our inner-child to come out and play. Who knew that something so simple could spark so much joy.

I sure am grateful.

Autumn in Ireland...

Have you heard the good news…

Ivy Newport and myself will be spending sometime together teaching again in Ireland in the Autumn. What an exquisite time of year and place to share art and yoga and meditation. I hope you will consider joining us again or for the first time. We had an absolute ball the last time and can’t wait to share more sacred moments together and with you.

Here is a glimpse of some of the beauty and sacred moments from our last trip. Creating together in this beautiful little town with the most kind and genuine people, was truly remarkable.

Earthing....

 

{Earthing, aka grounding by making contact with the Earth's surface}

 

I have been finding poetry in an unexpected way, in beautiful words, in music and sometimes them combined with visual arts. They have been helping me find the emotional literacy to deeper thoughts and concepts. I am not always good with finding the words behind what I am feeling but through reading and researching, I am growing in this area. There isn’t a day that passes that I’m not grateful for this beautiful gift.

 

In trying to piece together who I am, I find myself holding onto everything I’ve ever loved. It’s like I’m searching through the fragments, hoping to uncover the parts of me that went missing along the way.

It’s not just about longing for the past, it’s a deeper quest for understanding and acceptance. Each piece I find, each memory or feeling I cling to, adds another layer to my identity.

What I’ve loved and lost isn’t gone but woven into the very fabric of my being. And perhaps, in embracing these pieces I can move closer to being whole again.

The thought doesn’t make me feel less unique but adds to who I am, showing me how these quiet connections help shape the real me.

by Poetry.ecem

 

This concept of {earthing} has helped me so much the past few years and walking in this world has been a big part of that and finding a way to creatively play in these spaces and finding beauty in the world around me.

Another thing that has been helping me lately is TaiChi, Swimming Dragon. I have been practicing twice a week since November and it’s helped me move slower and with more intention. We practice for an hour an a half at a time and it’s a strong practice, body and mind. I am usually exhasuted afterwards. I had no idea how beautiful and deep this practice is.

It has helped me manage my discomfort in the day to day nuances of life.

Ai - Artifical Intimacy...

I listened to the new podcast by Brene Brown, Unlocking Us with Esther Perel on the new AI - Artificial Intimacy and the costs of living beyond human scale. In the wake of Ai everything on the rise and the overwhelming feelings we all having about it… especially the fear of the unknown. This was such a beautiful listen and take on the concept of AI. I laughed, I cried and most of all I learnt new things. A necessary conversation and if you haven’t had a chance to listen yet, I highly recommend.

Isn’t that accurate, the comment {the costs of living beyond human scale}… It does feel like that, doesn’t it? It really has for me the past 5 years and it doesn’t feel like it’s easing up any time soon.

I tend to always be a little late to all things mainstream. Is it fear… perhaps, but I think on the most part, like in my studio, I don’t outsource any part of my practice because I want to feel authentically connected to everything I put out in the world. From the creation of my work, to how I wrap each parcel, to the cards I write that go with them. I am deeply connected to the experience from start to finish and I am deeply connected to how it will be for you to receive it in the manner in which it is sent.

However, without help can we continue living beyond human scale even for small little practices / business like my own. It’s given me much to think about. How can we do this while remaining authentic in our own voice and style. It is for this reason I still haven’t downloaded chat.gpt and the other AI tools to help me with everyday this and that because I am afraid I might lose myself in it. It’s hard to explain, I can’t seem to find the soul in all things AI. I am finding it equally hard to find the soul or myself in middle of algorithms and formulas of the social media platforms too and finding it harder to post these days. I know I am not alone in this. It used to be a joy and a place for us artists to authentically connect and stay connected but now it feels more lonely and isolating. The algorithms have made it impersonal.

It will always be the connection I am after and it will always be what I am seeking, not only to you but to the self too. I would love to know your thoughts around this and ways you are navigating this new world we find ourselves in.

Open to hearing and learning more.

My one word....

October 2023… Dharamkot (Himachal Pradesh), India

Almost 6 months have passed since my trip to India and looking back I can see the gifts from the challenges. It was a silent yoga retreat and hiking in the Himalayas. It has been one of the most challenging trips I have taken for many reasons. In one of our philosophical teachings, we came across the beautiful word {equanimity} and I realised a lot of the work I have done the past few years has been around this virtue. I can’t thank those enough who have been helping me around this… from the incredible books I have read, podcasts, therapy, yoga, meditation and recently tai chi. I know I still have so much to learn. I have chosen this to be my one word for this year but in all honesty, maybe it will continue to be my life’s word and work.

🙏🏼🍃🐉🧘🏼‍♂️📚🎨✍️

{Equanimity is a state of psychological stability and composure which is undisturbed by the experience of or exposure to emotions, pain, or other phenomena that may cause others to lose the balance of their mind.}

Happy Birthday Riley...

Last week we celebrated this handsome boy’s birthday. He is my constant, my little shadow and where I am, he is. I know we don’t have too much time left together, the days and nights are getting harder. He sleeps all the time now and his comfort and dignity are my priority. His back legs are going and aren’t supporting him so well anymore and he no longer wants to leave the house. Not even to go into our garden anymore and this has been a big shift in his little world. He also won’t come down the back step to greet me anymore when I get home, he waits at the top, throws his head back and howls his hellos. Truly the highlight to every homecoming.

He’s been one of those dogs who seemed to have a soul connection with all of us at different times. The last few years, he has been my dog, that might have to do with him being vulnerable in his old age and he knows I’m the Momma but whatever it is, it has been such an honor having him as my little sidekick. I do believe dogs are the true empaths of the world and he has the most tender heart. He has been the best dog with the biggest soul and I couldn’t have asked for a better friend. As I prepare my heart for what’s coming next, as much as is what is humanly possible, I do know this, when he departs this world, he will be going with a big part of my heart, in fact, all of ours.

Thank you...

Thank you for the messages of love and concern after my last email. The connection meant the world to me and to those locally who popped around to see me. Every little bit helped so much, thank you. Happy to inform the bruises have started fading and the body alignment is back in place and taking each day as it comes. So grateful for the support I’ve had to help me recover.

I have managed to get back to Tai Chi this week and one or two yoga sessions, being kind and moving slowly and sleeping when I need.

All very positive… so thank you again.

Much love, Jeanne-Marie