Another year, another fresh set of dreams and ideas...where to start?!

I wanted to hit the ground running this time after a few years of bad health, many business set backs and some heavy, personal momentum-breakers. I knew i wanted to have a consistent work ethic and content, plus a new collection.

It got me thinking about what gave me the urge to paint at the last house. Since i moved here to a smaller place, my creativity has felt squashed and pushed to the side. I know i can't blame life events, as we were in the height of the pandemic when i made the first collection. I know that being confined to a small space is a big factor but recently it has helped as a way of squeezing out the inspiration that would otherwise be stuck inside of me.

So, i thought about the themes of my previous work and how i was feeling back then. Freedom, escapism, bright and healing colour palettes, textures, an eco approach with using up scraps in mixed media work and a desire to break the mold were all apparent. But what it came down to was painting whatever felt intuitive and channelled, rather than painting for a specific brief, commission or any size/colour/space constraints. I finally felt free again! It has been liberating!

I was offered a chance to contribute creatively to an upcoming Buddhist event by making bookmarks and i jumped at the chance! I painted whatever was within me to paint and reached for an unusual colour palette of autumnal colours with gold. I really enjoyed the mark-making within the work and also painting onto cartridge paper instead of canvas. It felt playful as if experimenting in a sketchbook and i let go of envisioning the final outcome ahead of time. However, it felt important to consider some aesthetic composition values to give the pieces balance and once i'd covered all bases (i.e symmetry, complimentary colours, light and dark, texture, areas of interest), i would consider the work finished.

I did the initial layer of wet-on-wet acrylic and then when that had dried, i added the gold painted flecks. I did several pieces with each one seeming moody but energised with a sense of being submerged in partially-murky waters, seeing the flow of the ripples and the light hitting the surface above. I guess it mirrors how i was feeling with the January/general life blues after several close family members died within a space of two weeks. But the movement and expression in the work felt so soft and warm so i will incorporate more of this in future work.

I tend to turn to colours to help, and change up, my mood whether i wear them or paint with them. At the start of January, the Pantone colours were released and popped up on Instagram. I am a sucker for home decor rabbit holes and colour wheels! So this was a welcome distraction from life's constant upheaval and also took me towards making art for therapy and the home. Some might say i went back to square one as its how i started as a painter, but it felt like a good start over. A reminder of the essence of my work. The Pantone Colours of the Year 2023 that came up were 'Viva Magenta' and 'Avocados From Mexico'. Subconsciously, i used these colours in my next two paintings.

After posting photos of my new work on Facebook, a dear friend who specializes in aura reading and healing treatments ( aka Claire Banks - Aura Energetics - https://www.auraenergetics.co.uk/ ) commented on the meaning of the colour choices i had used and their healing qualities:

"These are more earthy , Forrest colours whilst green is heart chakra a colour of balance and harmony with the indigo blue of the third eye which brings a deep intuition and Inner knowing . These colours somehow feel more grounding perhaps it’s because it reminds me of undergrowth and forests"

"Also the yellow green is indicative of spring growth - new growth !"

"Love these colours ! Magenta a goddess colour and in Tama do , it is the colour of the bindu also called the zeal point and the colour of manifestations of creations! Also the chakra that links to the Akashic records ! The beautiful turquoise is throat chakra a chakra of communication- not just about speaking truth but also about expression - it’s great for artists to have an open throat chakra !"

These insights were fascinating to discover and really inline with what i had been interested in, reading about and carrying in my heart in recent months. If you'd like to learn more about this sort of thing, or have your aura photographed, you can find Claire in Cornwall this weekend 28th/29th January at Heartlands Healing Light Festival, Pool. She has also just asked me to collaborate and produce some chakra themed items for her shop in Glastonbury so im excited to do that! Watch this space and follow me on Instagram and Facebook for updates on new work.