31 lessons from 31 days of painting

31 lessons from 31 days of painting

I spent May immersed in the 31 days of painting project. This wasn’t about creating 31 paintings {I’m crazy, just not that crazy!}; rather, it was about spending 31 days painting a single canvas. It also wasn’t about how much or how little you painted on a particular day; rather, the only rule, per se, was that you had to alter the canvas in some way. That could be the addition of a ton of paint or the making of a few simple marks.

The entire process is a meditation on painting, and life. About releasing attachment and being open to the process. Of enquiry and allowing instead of forcing and imposing your will. And as expected, a process like this one, can teach you a lot – about painting and about life.

So without further ado, here are 31 lessons from 31 days of painting.Continue reading→

On my art table: The Buddha’s Blessings + a speed painting video

Buddha speed painting abstract

Sometimes, I come to the painty table to play; at others, to relieve stress. Sometimes, I approach my art practice as therapy; at other times, I allow my emotions to direct my colour choices and mark making. And sometimes, I come to the page with deep reverence and to give gratitude for the many blessings in my life.

This was one of those times.

I’ve long wanted to paint a Buddha, but I didn’t want to paint Him with the usual peaceful face and closed eyes - you know the kind of Buddha painting I’m talking about, right? The ones that you find hanging in most home interior stores - pale blues and calm yellow tones, with a huge Buddha face, eyes closed, a serene look on His face.

Continue reading→

Making magic: Creating my second oracle card deck

how to make an oracle or tarot card deckIf you’ve been dropping by here since a while {thank you!}, you may remember that I was creating a set of oracle cards in March last year. You can catch up with that post here, if you missed it.

It was an exciting project, and instead of the 30 cards that I had planned to create, I ended up making a 45-card deck with a fully functional guide book! Kristen is hosting the Create the Oracle Deck Challenge again this year, and I am busy working on my second deck of oracle cards. I would never have believed this last year – that I’d have another deck living inside me, waiting to be born into the world!Continue reading→

On my Art Table: Being Open to the Mystery of the Universe

What does it mean to be open to the mystery of the universe?

This is a question I’ve been contemplating since a while. And as usual, when I have a question that requires deep contemplation, I take it to my art table. Through writing, throwing down layers of paint, playing with stencils and different mediums without any end goal in mind, I work through the question in my mind.

On my art table - being open to the mysteries of the universe

My answer comes through the marks I make on the page.Continue reading→

On my art table: 2-minute art journal page

You’re busy, you have NO time, and you have NO space. You have NO art skills and NO supplies.

{Don’t you think there are too many NOs here?}

Anyhow…. I am here you to tell you that YOU CAN STILL CREATE ART!

I painted this piece in a tiny 3.5×5″art journal using only watercolor pencils and some white paint and yellow acrylic ink in the last step to bring it all together. And I love how lose and abstract it looks.

I created it as part of a 7-day speed art Instagram challenge hosted by Eli Trier. Her original idea was to have challenge participants do each prompt on a different sheet of paper, as an exercise in learning how to loosen up and get over the fear of a blank page. I decided to combine all the daily prompts on one page {without even knowing what each day’s prompt would be}, and it turned into the perfect summer art project {you can see it evolve, step-by-step, on my Instagram account}.Continue reading→

Magic making: Creating my first oracle card deck

Last year, I had a dream: to create my very own oracle card deck.

I did some research and tried brainstorming a few ideas, but I was getting nowhere. There were too many ideas knocking around in my head…too many elements I was trying to put into one deck. I couldn’t narrow down on a theme or a structure and I would change my mind almost every day! So, I put it on the back burner and forgot all about it.

making magic creating oracle card deck

The first four cards for my first oracle card deck!

Then, at the start of March, I stumbled upon the Create this oracle deck Instagram challenge run by otmoraclecards. Continue reading→

On my art table: Soulful surrender

On my art table soulful surrender art journal spread art journal artist art journaling india

There’s a current of magic that flows through our life.

I’m not talking about the Harry Potter kind of magic. I’m talking about the magic that shows up in our life – through synchronicity. Which is simply being in the right place at the right time, meeting the right people at the right time, hearing a message or a piece of music at the right time.

It’s not necessarily earth shattering magic.

Continue reading→

On my art table: Handmade Journal

 

Before I started art journaling, I was an avid journaler. In fact, I still am. There’s something about writing, about paying attention to each day, that draws me back to the journal.

The journal is a sacred place for me, which is why I’ve always been drawn to beautiful notebooks. But there’s something really special about handmade journals, don’t you think?

Continue reading→