On this episode of the Art with Soul podcast, we talk about achieving the flow state while creating, and about the creative genius, or the muse, and how we can be more open to listening to the guidance of the muse. Tune in!
Continue readingMay 2022: Tarot spread for the new moon in Gemini
Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast and an exploration of the the Sabian symbol for the May 2022 new moon in Gemini.
The May 2022 new moon falls in the sign of Gemini. The Gemini archetype is very curious, an excellent communicator, and a disseminator of knowledge. It is the sign of the writer, of those who tend to think deeply, are highly perceptive, and prefer to learn from experience.
Spiritually, the Gemini archetype is about courageous conversation, be it with another person or with the Universe. Gemini adds its vibration to the advancement of culture and civilization through dialogue, be that via books or blogs or letters.
This Gemini new moon closes the eclipse portal that started in April 2022. This would be a good time to integrate any changes that you may have noticed over the eclipse cycle; any a-ha moments, shifts in perspective or new insights.
Continue readingHow to paint brown skin tones using mixed media
Bring some diversity into your art journal!
Join me in my art studio as I show you how to paint brown skin tones using mixed media. This is a very simple, beginner friendly technique to paint brown skin tones on whimiscal portraits in your art journal.
One of the most frequent complaints I’ve heard within the art journal community is the lack of diversity in instructions on how to paint faces. Most teachers focus on painting fair skinned portraits, which leaves people of color feeling under-represented and unseen.
Added to that is the fact that getting the shading, highlights, and shadows on darker skin tones is often much more difficult than standard fair featured portraits.
While there are many different ways to approach painting darker skin tones, I’ve come up with a fairly easy way to paint brown skin tones using mixed media art supplies.
Continue readingCreative pep talk: Permission slip for artists
Because we all need permission slips from time to time.
On this episode of the Art with Soul podcast, I share a short and sweet creative pep talk for artists and creatives: a permission slip for your artist soul. Tune in!
Continue readingMay 2022: Tarot spread for the full moon in Scorpio
Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast, exploration of the the Sabian symbol, and additional resources for the May 2022 full moon + lunar eclipse in Scorpio.
The May 2022 full moon falls in the sign of Scorpio. The Scorpio archetype is known for its intense power and its ability to transform, much like the butterfly emerging from its cocoon, ready to fly. The Scorpio archetype isn’t afraid of the birth-death-rebirth cycle, for it is only when parts of us die and are reborn that we can fully transform.
So perhaps it’s not surprising that spiritually, the Scorpio archetype teaches us to surrender – to align our human will with divine will. It can teach us that sometimes our human trials can reveal a need for deep healing. This is not always easy to live with or to understand, especially when the need for healing arises from trauma, and yet on the other side of working with and healing trauma there can be deep and valuable transformation.
Continue readingExplore a neutral color palette in your art journal
Join me at the art table as we explore how to use a neutral color palette while painting a whimsical imaginary character in our art journals.
If you’ve seen my art, you know that I LOVE color — blues, pinks, oranges, bright greens — bring them on, please! But what you probably don’t know is that I absolutely love seeing artists who paint with a lot of white and with neutrals — there’s something so very striking about their art. I’ve never been able to successfully paint with a neutral color palette, though. Until last month, that is.
Continue readingUnboxing + review: A Yogic Path oracle deck by Sahara Rose
I came across A Yogic Path oracle deck on Amazon quite by chance, and I was almost immediately intrigued by this deck of cards that fuses together concepts from Vedic spirituality with the philosophy of yoga, chakras, and deities. This also happened to be around the time that I was becoming more interested in learning a little more about my own ancestral traditions from a non-dogmatic, non-religious framework. This deck felt like a perfect way to dip my toe into these concepts.
Continue readingStuck in a rut? Here’s how to freshen up your art practice
On this episode of the Art with Soul Podcast, we talk about exploring new artistic territory. I share some of the projects I’ve been working on and the new skills I’ve been developing. And I explain how bringing in a beginner’s mindset to your work can help you to expand your artistic capabilities and bring a sense of freshness to your art. Tune in!
Continue readingMay 2022: Tarot spread for the solar eclipse in Taurus
Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast and an exploration of the the Sabian symbol for the April/May 2022 new moon + solar eclipse in Taurus.
The April/May 2022 new moon falls in the sign of Taurus. The Taurus archetype is grounded and steadfast, calm and composed, firm and also somewhat stubborn. This is a sign that is practical and earthy, and is associated with material pleasures, desires, luxuriousness, and abundance.
Spiritually, the Taurus archetype teaches the principle of belonging through presence…our presence as sacred human beings…honoring the body temple…honoring the flow of life. This can be difficult given the society we live in, which praises the hustle over reverence and treats time as money rather than a finite resource that should be used wisely in the pursuit of the things that give us meaning.
Continue readingReading wrap-up for April
April was quite an interesting reading month. I read a nice variety of books, including one that was on my to-read list since years, but despite the raving reviews, it didn’t do anything for me.
Let’s start with the books I read as part of my Book Bingo challenge:
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