Plans change when inspiration hits
As an artist and also as a teacher of art, it is important that I have a plan of what I will be working on for the year. There is a LOT to juggle. With my artist hat on I have to ensure I have enough pieces to display at exhibitions, paintings available to sell to the art dealers that I work with and also the wonderful collectors who support me. Then, as I also run online classes, I need to make sure I have regular content in my monthly online art class, Café Flow the Art Club, as well as refreshing existing classes and creating new classes for the year ahead.
In October and at the beginning of November I had my Mixed Media Art Workshop Road Trip. I travelled from the East Coast of the USA to the West Coast taking in all the magical beauty of the US landscape as I delivered 4 workshops over 4 weekends. The fall colours were just starting to appear in Connecticut and the warm sunny weather in California has boosted my D-vitamins for the winter season in Sweden.
Jamul - San Diego, California
If you have followed my social media, blogs or YouTube, you will know that I love taking my supplies with me on my travels and I will sit on a beach or in a café and work in my beloved art journals. Just relaxing and letting go as I paint. Before I left for the US, I had a plan for a new class for 2024. I would record these journaling moments and build a class on how to journal as you travel. Even as I boarded the plane to leave Sweden, this felt like it would be the right class to offer in 2024.
Plans change when you’re inspired to enjoy the moment
In my head, I thought I would have lots of down time and I was concerned that I might feel a bit lonely being away from my family for that long. But then I met up with my artist friend Donna Martin and my plans changed as we started a wonderful collaborative project together.
My incredible hosts, Irene, Donna, and Jana and the wider artist community were fantastic. I spent time with their families and we connected on a social level. Whenever I needed to travel locally while staying with them, they would usually give me a lift and join me as we explored the local area (and plenty of art supply stores – WOW!!). My heart was full and the energy of sharing this with fellow creatives was so special.
I spent two wonderful days in New York where it was just me. I walked around this fabulous city just taking in the atmosphere and enjoying the sites. Art really is everywhere and on a massive scale too.
As I travelled to the West Coast, I had some time in LA between workshops and my husband Simon and son Max joined me, which was fantastic. We hired a car and had our own little adventure exploring beaches, riding the rollercoasters and enjoying the fantastic food. It was magical to be able to spend that time together without feeling that I should be doing something else. If we have taken anything from the years of global pandemic and the conflicts we have seen, it is that these moments are so special and we should take advantage of them without guilt. They are precious and should be celebrated.
Art and obligation
During the workshops we spoke about what people liked to do on their travels and whether they wanted to take supplies with them. The common theme was that we all love to take at least a small set of art supplies with us when we travel so we have them available when we feel that desire to create. But we also do not want the pressure of feeling obligated to create daily.
This reminded me of my holiday with my family when we spent Christmas and New Year in New Zealand. During this trip I rarely picked up my art supplies and when I did, it was because I was really inspired to create – and the pieces I produced really resonated with me as a result. This is exactly what happened on this trip too. I was enjoying living the moments and I did not want to stop to work in my journal.
Instead I collected some special mementos as I travelled, made notes, marks and worked in my journal when I was inspired and purchased a special book that would become my journal for this adventure that I would work on when I got back home. This will be the basis for one of the two courses I will release in 2024 so watch this space.
Mixed Media Art Classes for 2024
If you have been inspired by this blog and want to secure some creative time just for you I have two very exciting opportunities for you.
Find Your Flow Workshop - Huskisson, Australia
In this workshop we will work with collage and paint on several big substrates such as paper and stretched canvas with different techniques and types of media such as acrylic paint, acrylic medium, acrylic ink and pens.
With the help of simple prompts we will work on letting go of our self-criticism as I share all my favourite techniques and processes. We will learn several techniques to create ‘grunge’ and not to be too precious about what we create.
When? 10-11 February 2024, 10am-4pm
Get ready to create One BADASS Art Journal
Dive into BADASS art journaling and mixed media techniques - starting February 2024
I am so excited to be a part of the amazing BADASS teacher line up with some BADASS art lessons waiting for you!
One BADASS Art Journal is designed to inspire you to create, to learn, to feel confident and provide you with the tools, techniques and inspiration needed to feel BADASS every day that you make art!
In this workshop you’ll:
get 17 badass, mixed media art journal lessons (includes a bookmaking lesson)
learn BADASS mixed media techniques
be infused with confidence, creativity and inspiration
learn great tips and tricks you can use again and again
play with a variety of tools, adding to your skills
experience beautiful color combinations and blending techniques
make BADASS, mixed media, art journal page