Wild Soul Workshop

A couple of weeks ago I went to a Call of the Wild Soul two day Workshop in London with a focus on Soul Portraits. I had a great time. First of all it was good to meet up with some of the people from the retreat in September as well as getting to know some new faces. 

Erin who was leading the workshop started off by giving us a guided meditation and from there we dived soul first into our art. Amongst the selected material it was suggested we bring was a number of self-portraits. Fortunately I had some of these to hand as I am doing the Now You 52 Course which involves taking lots of selfies.

I made 3 picture of the two days. The first one comprised photographs juxtaposed on a background. I loved the idea of  altering the pictures with gesso or sandpaper, both were new techniques for me.

My second picture is my favourite, I used a combination of drawing, photo and collage paper - when I look at it I feel calm and rested.

Finally my third picture had a seaside theme. I was brought up on the coast and have a great affinity with the sea, it always seems like home. The theme of this picture was the connection of the soul with the body and with the universe in a way that lights up or lives. Again I used altered photographs and if you look closely at the lighthouse you will notice that it is a row of beach huts turned on its side. I also drew the figure by only looking at the model not the paper - turned out better than I expected!

Photography on the Hoof! or Making the Most of your Opportunities

On Tuesday I had to go to London for a meeting. The person I was meeting suggested we meet in the members area at the Royal Festival Hall  which was very convenient as it is only a five minute walk form the mainline station and doesn't involve getting on a tube. I debated about taking my camera as I knew I wouldn't have much time to take photographs, but in the end decided to take it anyway - this turned out to be a good decision. 

I was a little early for the meeting so took these photos on my way in to the RFH, I just loved how the colour of the pansies brightened up a grey January day!

I arrived on the 6th floor via the singing glass lift - which I wasn't expecting and rather freaked me out as it not only sang but went very fast.

This next picture was taken in the members area on the 6th floor of the RFH.  Obviously lots of people choose to have business or other meetings there, or just  go there and work with their laptops.

 The views are absolutely stunning both over the river and over Westminster - I took the first of these photos through the window on the 6th floor, and the second from the balcony  one floor down

 

 My final picture is of Hungerford Bridge, the rail bridge between Waterloo and Charing Cross stations - if you look carefully you can see the white roof of a train going across. I love the juxtaposition of the trees and the bridge struts in this picture, they seem to come together to form a forest 

taking these picture probably took about 15 minutes and in no time and all I was back on the train heading for home.

Into 2013 with Resolution! - Art Journalling

Welcome to 2013. I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year. Like many people I have been considering what changes to make in my life in 2013, playing with resolutions and picking a word to represent 2013 for me. Last year I spoke to a colleague at work about New Year resolutions and her response was ‘you don’t want resolutions you want goals!’ I immediately rebelled! Resolutions seem soft gentle things whereas goals seem hard nosed ‘must do’s’ that can add to life’s pressure  - so I will be sticking to resolutions!

One of my resolutions is to start keeping an art journal - I have flirted with the idea during 2012 but not really knowing where to start  I have signed up for two classed to give me a kick start, Jani Franck’s Creative Journaling and Effy Wild’s Book of Days.  I have also bought a book of daily readings called Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach and I am intending to use these as a source of inspiration for journalling. The 4th January chapter introduces six principles which will act as guides for the year’s journey. These are gratitude, simplicity, harmony, beauty and joy and I have incorporated these words together with my word of the year ‘embrace’ into my first journal entry. I am not intending to blog regularly about my art journal but to write occasional  posts featuring it as and when it strikes me that there may be something good to share.