Bicycle Lovers

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:17:03 +0000

Good morning, everyone! It’s a bright, sunny day here in the mountains and I’m so happy to share this pen and ink drawing I created this weekend This piece is destined for the Night Ride Bike Art Show in the Cork Art District in#Jacksonville #Florida !!!

From Pen & Ink

Bicycle Lovers – Pen Ink and Digital Manipulation

The Bike Art Show is part of the Night Ride, a day long celebration of the bike (and its rider), hosted by +bike Jax The print will be on sale during the Bike Art show and 20% of the proceeds will be given to Bike Jax to establish Jacksonville as a city that is increasingly safe, accessible, and friendly to bicycle transportation.

Cork Arts District
2689 Rosselle Street, Jacksonville, FL.
-Show Opening: Date in September – To be confirmed

True Colors

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:05:30 +0000

About a month ago, my husband created a ball of colored lights to help brighten up my studio. It made me so happy that I immediately took my camera and started taking pictures of it. Standard shots at first, but then I let the music transport me and I started experimenting by moving and dancing around the lights as I clicked away.

I know very little about long exposure photography so I was trying all kinds of settings randomly. It was such a fun experience! When I downloaded the pictures to my computer, this wonderful bird magically appeared. I only had to add an eye to give him life.

I call this piece “True Colors”.

From Painting with light

I used to be a tortured artist. I had a very precise idea of what I wanted to draw or paint and I often tore my work up and threw it away in frustration when it didn’t look the way I want it to. This stems from my time at art school, when we were pressured into conforming to a certain way of doing things.

Being creative with my young son over the last 9 years has helped me get back to just enjoying the creative moment and experimenting with light, paint or pixels. I’m finding so much joy in the process and I have let go of all expectations. It’s an absolutely exhilarating feeling. This is what I’m meant to do for the rest of my life. These are my true colors. I know that many of you are already in this zone and I wish for everyone to experience it.

Blessings to you and have a fantastic day!

Every voice counts

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:15:45 +0000

On April 22nd, 2012, nearly 300 000 people participated in a peaceful #Earthday march and demonstration in #Montreal This was the second large-scale protest in Montreal in the last 30 days. Last month, 250 000 students also took to the streets to protest against tuition hikes.

Our reasons for coming together on #earthday were as diverse as the people and communities walking side by side on the cold streets of downtown Montreal. We met students, families, elderly people, people in wheelchairs, children on father’s shoulders, people of all colors and nationalities and people who spoke different languages. We marched, chanted, whistled and blew into loud horns. We talked to each other, smiled at each other, got a little closer and started to realize that we are all part of the same family.

It was a peaceful demonstration and although we were a diverse group, we came together for a common cause. Did you hear our voices? WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! We stand for peace. We want to protect the earth and our natural resources. We believe education is a right and should be affordable for all. We think people should always come before profits and we ALL want to create and leave a better world for our children and our children’s children.

As we were leaving the event, I asked my 9 year old son what he thought of his experience. “I really wanted to stay home and play with my friends today, but I’m really glad we came, mom,” he said. “I realize that every person counts and it was important for us to be here to say what was in our hearts. Do you think things will change now?” he asked.

YES! Every voice counts. We are here and we are the change we have been waiting for.

Timelapse video created by The NOMADS thenomads.com

The Joy of spring

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 15:04:55 +0000

I’ve been planning this tree collection in my mind for a very long time. I sketched more than dozen trees, but they’ve been laying dormant in my sketchpad for over four years.

Last year, I created a summer tree I call Resilience and a fall tree I call Wisdom and I’ve been eager to see my cherry tree spring to life. Digital paintings such as these take weeks to complete. I start with a rough sketch, then I block out the colors and finally I work on layer upon layer of details. I painted late into the night yesterday, driven by the musical genius that is Gotye. His music transports me into an other Universe and gives me the flow and rhythm I need to feel inspired and creative.

This digital painting is called “Joy”

From Digital Painting

I thought you’d also enjoy seeing some of the detail in this piece.

From Digital Painting

I’m quite pleased with the depth I’ve achieved in this piece.

From Digital Painting

I initially wanted to place a peacock on the shore, but as this piece came together, a crane felt more appropriate.

From Digital Painting

I never really know what personality will inhabit the tree and I try not to control the outcome. Allowing the tree spirit to come forth on it’s own is a real exercise in letting go and trusting in the process. To me, this tree spirit has a feline edge. Thank you for taking the time to view this piece. If it speaks to you, I’d love for you to tell me so in the comments below. You could also join in the conversation on G+!

Warm thanks!
Yanik

Learning to trust

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:25:39 +0000

This piece was inspired by a conversation I had with +Peggyjo Starr last week. Peggyjo was kind enough to share some wisdom on the importance of quieting our minds and searching deep inside ourselves in order to find our voice. She also suggested to “Trust” in the process and trust that the knowing is coming forth. This resonated deeply with me. As you know, it isn’t always easy to know who we can trust, but we should always trust ourselves.

The crab is an interesting crustacean and a powerful symbol of change. At first glance, he seems like a fierce and protective creature, but he has a soft inner layer.

Over the course of his life, the crab will go through a number of profound transformations. When a crab outgrows his hard outer shell, he sheds it and “creates” a new one. It’s a process he’ll repeat up to 20 times in his life. I would imagine this isn’t without effort, but perhaps the crab can inspire us to learn to trust in the process of transformation.

Trust
(Pen, ink, PSE)

From Pen & Ink

Is it time for you to come out of your shell?