Tag: you tube

La Luna – June’s theme

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I literally don’t know how to start this post. How to briefly introduce a topic that has fueled my creativity since I was a teenager? Do I start with the moons of the year, the phases of the moon? Do I start with LUNAR Deities from the world over? Do I start with myth and magic and lore?

I will say that the Pinterest page for this lesson will be chock-a-block full of inspiration. I work hard to correctly pin art from the artists own site – and attribute the work correctly. So please check that out when you are done here.

The Moon is so evocative. It changes – ebbing and flowing, increase and decrease, its cycles mirroring our own. La Luna rules the tides of the ocean and the menstrual tides of women. Who hasn’t felt her pull as she beams down on us – on a crisp clear moonlit night? Even better if the ocean reflects her radiance.

Artemis, Diana, Luna, Selene, Hekate. Chang’o. Ix Chel. Chandra. Khonsu, Thoth. To name a few! Deities – that is. (Greco-Roman, Chinese, Aztec, Hindu, Egyptian)

Selene
Chang’O
Ix Chel

Let’s not even start with the Lunar hare! Or the “moon rabbit” !

Artist: S. Law

Or does the present speak to you? The horns of the moon. The thin sliver of glowing light that floats in the sky?

“Spring scattering Stars” by E. Blashfield

I hope this tiny sliver of a blog post has illuminated some creative ideas for you! It’s a great wealth of ideas and motifs – something is sure to “spark” for you. As I mentioned – check out the Pinterest page!

Please stay tuned on my You Tube channel for these art journal pages as they unfold during the month of June!

Leaf love… March’s theme

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Life. Growth. Fertility. Hope. Renewal. Revival. Beginnings.

Please see my Leaf collection at Unsplash for photo credits. https://unsplash.com/collections/sz5A91S_BTE/leaf%2C-leaves

What could herald Spring better than the first green shoots of leaves? The snowdrops and daffodils vibrant Kelly green emerging from the woodland floor of grays and browns… The apple green slivers visible as trees send forth buds, premonitions of the unfurling to come…

Green leaves resonate to me as Hope, Growth, Life, Fertility. The arrival of Spring. The newness and freshness, and rejuvenation of the land. Infinite beginnings.

Image credits: https://unsplash.com/collections/sz5A91S_BTE/leaf%2C-leaves

Houseplants are relatively new to me – a new undertaking since the Covid lockdowns that I have maintained, keeping my little ones green and healthy. I love the depth and freshness they bring to a space. And I love leaves. The myriad shapes, colors, textures. The serrates edges, the satin waxy glow, the fuzzy furriness… So this month my theme is leaves. I am not well versed in plants at all – and dont know the correct names for leaf structures, growth patterns… I look at the leaves with an artist’s eye and see shape, form, pattern, color, texture. SO that will be my approach this month. Not even really diving into folklore, can you believe it?

An assortment of leaf shapes

Is tropical more to your liking?

I think of William Morris designs when I think of leaves and foliage. The British artist and designer was at the fore of the Arts and Crafts Movement. A member of the Pre-Rapaelite Brotherhood, he began his career as a painter. In later years he abandoned that in favor of decorative arts. He worked in textiles, wallpapers, and the like; designing exquisite floral and foliage patterns. Shown here are Acanthus Leaves and Willow. He is truly one of my style icons!

On a different note, in a different style, but equally influential to me – Henri Matisse. I have always been drawn to his paintings; where realistic space is given up in favor of color and pattern. But his cut outs! In context: he was elderly, unwell and bed ridden. His assistants painted paper to his color specifications, and he commenced “drawing with scissors”. These cut outs are bold, lyrical, and so expressive!

There are SO MANY ideas swirling around in my head now – I look forward to these leaves budding in the outdoors as the ideas are sparking in my creative mind! Please stay tuned on my You Tube channel for these art journal pages as they unfold during the month of March!