So I am currently on a 2 week break and there is nothing better than taking the time out to illo some animals. Step one; start with a Zebra!

It has been a long stretch since gathering my thoughts and creative crunch’s to deliver a post. My latest burst of artistic trial is my very own version of nature and what it has to offer. This is an area which I have not yet trailed but since being in recent discussions with friends on the subject of the old flora and fauna, I thought it might be time to step into a new chapter of art in my world.

Today has just been one of those days! How I dream about just stopping and having a soothing hot cuppacino to melt the day away.

There are many times where I have been trying to race the pace of life. It is as if the time and I are racing beside each other on a race track, except I feel like im the only one putting the hard work in while the time is just gliding along with ease. 

 I’m just picturing this as I right these words with a smile on my face. I guess that is why when I open those little books with positive quotes that suggest “It’s about the journey and not the destination”  It points to a direction of truth and a thought in my mind. I mean why is it so essential to wish time away when no matter how hard we try to make time go faster it will continue to glide along its own schedule. Now; Don’t get me wrong, most of the time I catch myself saying how fast time is just dissapearing before my eyes when enjoying the buzz of life, but it is normally when we are placed in some sticky situations that we want it to move at a more speedy pace.

My life lesson learned on many different occasions is to remember: Time moves at it’s continual pace, tomorrow is a new day and tears may come at night but joy will arrive in the morning….catch the sunlight and feel it poor its warmth over you.

Have you ever had a spring clean and found so many random little artifacts in which you had held onto for so long? Such is life, when we go through circumstances collecting all sorts of events to fill our emotional “bags” up with regrets, guilt, and anything else that has left a mark in our lives. 

I have been told that the best way to live is to “leave  my luggage behind”. I do believe this, but I have caught myself questioning the very thought of how to just leave all that behind and not let the emotion fill up wasted time in my mind or life? My discovery is to just let go; Let it be and then let it go so that there is room to enjoy the good things that life has to offer.

This Psalm reflects this thought very well;

“My insides are turned inside out, specters of death have me down. I shake with fear, I shudder from head to foot. Who will give me wings, I ask – wings like a dove? Get me out of here on dove wings; I want some peace and quiet. I want a walk in the country, I want a cabin in the woods. Im desperate for a change from rage and stormy weather”. Psalm 55

It was more then a few days ago when Alex came accross some random works of art down the Goldcoast in which he made a video of to pass on some inspiration. I have decided to morph this creativity along with an illustration of my cheeky little puppy Bella. So here it is a creation mixed with alot of lines, colour, texture and a little dog called Bella.

It was one of those days where the sound of rain was tucking me back into bed. I felt like I had alot to do but rather then getting it all done it was time to put my feet up and have a relaxing day with a hot cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit to recharge.

During this day of bliss I was watching the Ellen show where she was in the middle of giving a car to a young couple living in struggle street. The young newly weds were living with their parents,had a child under one and another one was on the way. When Ellen had heard their story and saw that they were doing it tough, she took it upon herself to help them out.

The moments where people are helping others in need without any expectations of a return favor is like a feeling of a blanket being wrapped around your heart.  There is a warmth about it that not only helps the person in need but it evokes a wave of love and generosity that other people who are watching on, clasp hold of then release to others.

The expression of “Living With Heart” is what I have used in my little sketch to describe this act of kindness. Living with heart is to care, to love and to wrap a blanket around someones heart to show them that there is hope in this world.

I’m just going to go out on a limb here and air my thoughts out a little so brace yourselves people. I am really not used to doing it this way but some turn of events has encouraged, or might I say inspired me to chat and to sketch this little illo.

Warning! The following may or may not be true…It just depends who’s reading it.

 Are there any moments in your life in which you have stumbled into circumstances that have produced a high voltage of frustration. In this case my situation had escalated into “people” not being able to think on their own lovely two feet. When this is the case questions start to circle in my mind into ’the why’s', the ‘what the?’ the ‘are you serious?’ And last but not the least, the ‘this is so ridiculous’ thoughts.

Let me take a few steps back into my thought process. Where did we begin to rely on other people rather than our own discernment to figure out the truths in circumstances? Is it the washing of advertising filtering our minds to believe the artistic direction of a product wrapped in pretty packaging. We are overloaded on a daily basis with these sorts of intrusions. Does it come from a place of not wanting to stand on our own thoughts? Just to replace authority with irresponsibility; Is this where it begins? Some might even call it passing the buck. Whatever the name could be for this sort of behaviour, it is not a positive action to live life in this manner. To be misguided by other people’s voices becomes a life of many wandering roads, continually trying to get back on the right one.

This illustration demonstrates this behaviour. I have called it The Life Of A Muppet as people that live their lives like this are continually tied to other peoples misconceptions (hence the string) with their feet clearly off the ground.

Let’s start to believe in ourselves and begin to trust that still small voice in the belly of our souls.

Valentina is my new art project in which im working towards creating a children’s book that will be placed in the Brooklyn Art Library. It is a huge task as im using all recycled parts to give it a raw edge.