Art – Page 10 – Home Office Charm

Result of my Recent Creative Pilgrimage

The Journey

I took a short break to St Ives in Cornwall last week. The journey was full of adventures for many reasons. It was my first big trip after two years of lockdown. I had to practice being less anxious about social spaces.

My longest train journey yet: It takes 5 hours to travel from London to St Ives

Purpose

It was meant to be a creative pilgrimage as I was visiting Tate St Ives and Barbara Hepworth museum

Colourful seats for visitors at Tate St Ives. When I left it was full of school children and beach walkers sheltering from the rain.

Finding affinity

I was surprised to feel less alone with my design style because the hotel room decor was expressive of the cosey smart effect you get when combining pinstripe fabric with nailhead trim as I do in my lampshade collections.

Finding Inspiration

A picture of Barbara Hepworth in her studio. The museum is her studio, interestingly. I was impressed that she might have had lots of parties there. Downstairs is the kitchen and upstairs is the workroom. Similar to my set-up. I felt encouraged.

A chance to practice

The whole experience was affirming for me. I feel that I might be on the right track, after all.

Using vintage Emerald Green Swarovski Crystals

Behind the Scenes

This week, my post will speak for itself. It is a movie. You can hear me thinking and stumbling on not being able to say Swarovski Crystals. In this video, you will see that I used emerald green Swarovski Crystals for this emerald green and copper checkerboard painting. I like to create paintings like this, so they are ready to prop on a bookshelf without buying a frame. The dried lavender makes the painting smell wonderful.

The link to the story video is here

Below is the after with a view of the painted potion on the shelf of my home office.

We all need something uplifting and sweet-smelling and natural on our bookshelves, don’t we?

Introducing Painted Potions

Art & Illustration

I’m creating painted potions. They look good, feel good (because of the textures) and they’re full of ingredients that do you good.

In psychology, it is vital to integrate the self. I feel that the painted potions I create to uplift home office scenes express all of my talents and everything I am good at and love to do.

Some might say it is brut art because I didn’t go to art school (for fine art) and sometimes I use my hands. But I taught in a world-class art school for about 10 years, and I wonder whether those years count. I probably absorbed the artistic rules and principles while chatting to colleagues about student work and the issues in the industry.

Training in scientific aromatherapy over 25 years ago helps me to understand the chemical qualities of things like lavender and lemon verbena and what they are known to do to the body.

In the pictures are painted potions in the process of making. They take several days and weeks to make as I spend hours deciding how to build up the layers, aromas and textures for the desired effect. Close up. I like to use expensive fabric in my painted potions. Some of it is a bit of deconstruction another bit of it is about what they add aesthetically.

The painted potions I have been creating use helpful herbs like lavender, lemon verbena, rose and myrrh. They smell great. The painted potions also give a nod to crystal therapy as I’ve been using citrine, turquoise and other gemstones with their wonderful energy, so far. I have collected lots over the years.

One day I shall tell you about my early years as a therapist who used more fluid an unction, lotions and potions to uplift the spirits of stressed-out clients in spas salons around the world. But for now, let’s admire the notion of painted potions.

Those are the first two ways my experience is integrated within my panted potions.

Multimedia collage of fabric, acrylic paint herbs, gems and beads.

Next time I shall tell you about the work I’ve been doing around the workplace wellbeing for 10 years and how that has meaning for these painted potions too.

Multi media brut art

Art & Illustration

I’ve been away, the break has allowed me to rest and I’m enjoying my new creations and identity. I’m a self taught artist and mostly do multimedia on boards with fragrant or textured elements.

Using upcycled plastic for chrstmas lights decor.

Creative Workspaces

Forgive me followers, I’ve not posted since the Autumn. Thanks for listening to my confession. 😳 For repentance I’m very pleased I’ve managed to snatch a couple days off work, to paint, make and create.

Next, what will follow is a series of mixed media items and escapades that I think make up for my lost time.

I’ve started with these hand made Christmas decorations that I made from upcycled fabric and plastic tubes from my lampshade making projects.