The story behind my art

hi there

how are you doing? Spring has sprung. I have lots of gorgeous daffodils everywhere in the garden. So bright and pretty.

I've had a few questions about where I get my inspiration for painting so I thought I would talk a little about this.

I guess the first thing I'd say is, I rarely know what I am going to paint. I don't really plan anything in advance. It is more an Intuitive style of creating that I do.

It's more about Doing than planning or thinking. It is generally this way in my workshops, courses and events too. I encourage people to go with their gut and create spontaneously.

The painting above I created last weekend on a canvas board. I had bought some gorgeous metallic paint in pale lavender which was for a table I was hand painting. I was just curious what it might look like on canvas so I covered a canvas board with it and left it to dry.

Next day, I remembered it and after looking at it I chose random, favourite colours of acrylics. I began painting from left to right and adding colours and blurring the colours together. The lavender metallic paint had disappeared completely.

Loving all the rich colours but missing the metallic paint below, I picked up a blunt pencil and started to scrape lines to show the lavender metallic paint below.

It became a twig-like tree and later when it was dried, I added red 'fruit'. This felt complete and I just left it on the table to dry.

Another inspiration for painting... I may read a book or do some personal development work. I'd been re-reading Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes and as I read, I began to contact the Wild Woman in me.

Here is a small part of what I wrote in my journal;- (in case you can't read it, I have typed it below)

...she wore a skirt of twigs and ivy trails and lived by the sea in a small wood for shelter. The stars lit up her world and Grandmother Moon was a constant in her life. The rhythm of the Moon and tides kept her calm and at peace, at one with Nature all around her. The waves were a lullaby as she drifted into deep, restful sleep.
She slept on a bed of Lichen where the wood met the shore. Her friends, deer, fox, badger and hedgehog ate the abundant lichen, watching over her as she slept.
Guardian Crow snuggled in at her shoulder, her shiny purply black feathers lit up by the fire.
Every morning the birdsong and sunshine woke her. The order of the dawn chorus made her heart sing wildly as another beautiful day sparkled ahead of her.
All was peaceful in her world and she loved herself deeply.

This writing in my journal has given me a lot of wonderful imagery to sketch and play with. Some of this kind of writing motivates me to paint and this particular writing has. I won't plan it however, I will just see what emerges as I create. This works best for me.

As I paint, songs, words, thoughts, feelings, dialogue all float to mind and I tend to write words on my canvas as I paint and sing a long with songs as they come up for me.

Revisiting Wild Woman has given me a great deal of motivation and energy. My Beloved and I are in the middle of planning an art studio and space outside for me to paint with groups in my garden. This is very exciting!

I appreciate our weather isn't ideal however with an art studio space and marquee on the lawn it will provide shelter if need be. I can picture big canvases leaning against fences, sunshine, fresh air, music and bird song.

I think this could be really lovely. Do you?

Thanks for visiting me here
warmly
Kassi