Art is a superpower
When we express our creativity from the heart, allowing it the time to emerge, listening and giving expression to the stories within us, amazing things can happen.
I believe art is one of our superpowers. When we make art, it has the power to connect us more deeply to ourselves and to the people who take joy in our creations. Our art can give voice to things not yet voiced and transform the world around us.
My creative work has been greatly influenced by my involvement in three communities that are close to my heart. Each one has strengthened and nourished my creativity and, in turn, my art has become part of the wider community so that it can inspire and inform others. You can read more about these communities here.
Blog
Here’s what I’ve been getting up to lately!
Folk Art (part 1)
I’m currently obsessed with Russian TV shows and can’t stop daydreaming about all the patterns, designs, embroideries, wall papers, buildings, and costumes. All this on top of a life-long love affair with Russian folktales. And so, this month, I’m taking a detour in my Painted Diaries journey to travel through the realm of Folk Art. …
Was I always afraid?
In my art, the eye is a symbol that usually signifies wisdom and clarity. In this page, however, they have become over-watchful, scanning for possible difficulty. They see a world where everything is designed for the able-bodied, the fast-moving. They see a world in which there is one chair in the corner, covered with coats. …
I will take you on a journey
At this point in my healing foot journal, I found myself longing for aspects of myself that I seemed to have lost. This prompted me to make a page searching for ‘the one who danced as if her soul was on fire.’ I drew all the things I used to do that now felt lost …
The Tale of the Silent Woman
This story is for you and for all of us who are finding and using our true voices.
The Tale of the Silent Woman was written and illustrated over the 100 days and nights of the 100dayproject 2018. I began on day 1 with no idea what the story would be about. Each day I turned up and imagined what happened next. Before long, the story had a life of its own and I did my best to keep up with it!
Now you can follow the whole of The Silent Woman’s journey as she sets off to retrieve her voice which has been stolen by the North Wind. Her journey takes her up into the mountains, down into the depths of the sea and even into the Land of the Dead. On her way, she encounters the Owl Woman, the Queen of the Sea, her female ancestors, and a monk who has been guarding the Stone of Silence for over a thousand years.
In this video, I am telling the story as I turn the pages of the little handmade book I made especially for this project. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. Stay tuned for a print version of the book coming soon!
