New Beginnings with Happy HeARTs

Whilst I continue to enjoy painting animal portraits and taking commissions, I have spent the last 6 months filling my days with self-development.  I think it is important to invest time in yourself and develop your skills and knowledge as much as you possibly can. Life is about learning, not matter how you look at it. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go out there and get a Masters – if you can afford it and can do it – that’s something to be proud of for sure – however, if you can’t it’s no less achievement to improve YOU by reading books, looking at magazines, watching tutorials on Youtube, etc. It’s how I got to where I am right now! Courses and workshops are widely available, whether they be online or at your local community centre, signing up for these can provide a great foundation to self-development.

On New Years Eve 2018 at 11.50pm, I signed up for an online course. I literally thought this is for ‘ME’ as it popped up on my news feed on Facebook. The course probably went out to thousands but at that moment, I believed the Higher Power was telling me something. So, I went with my gut feeling and thought “That’s it, this New Year’s Resolution is SELF-DEVELOPMENT” ( I didn’t have one until that point) Since then, I have completed 3 courses and have already signed up for 2 more which will help me progress even further with self-development and my business.

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  Using a journal will help to document your Happy HeARTs journey helping you when you need reminding of how far you have come so far.

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As I was learning about the subject of therapeutic art  I realized one thing – that I was living proof that this stuff actually works and that I could help others realize this too. I was basically adding the cement to my creative brick wall. Filling in the gaps with the knowledge and science behind all the practical blocks I had already built. After this ‘light-bulb’ moment I spent hours of time researching more and more, learning more and more. It’s been wonderful to see my own creative reflection and being able to visualize the next part of my Creations by Fina journey. So, with my HAPPY – INSPIRING self (not always, as I am Human and I do have bad days, sometimes really bad days), I am really looking forward to this journey, being able to help my clients invest in their own personal development using my support and NEW knowledge as a Therapeutic Art & Happiness Life Coach will bring much happiness into my own life too.

Happy HeARTs Workshops will help you discover your happiness using the gift of colour and creativity.

Workshops will take place at the Big Worle Hub in Weston-super-Mare. 2019 Dates are as follows…

BIG WORLE

Tues 25th June (7-9pm), Tues 23rd July (7-9pm), Tues 6th August (7-9pm*), Tues 20th August (7-9pm), Tues 3rd September (7-9pm*), Tues 17th September (7-9pm), Tues 15th October (7-9pm), Tues 12th November (7-9pm), Tues 10th December (7-9pm)

11 Feniton, Clovelly Rd, Weston-super-Mare, BS22 6LN 

Only 8 spaces available per workshop so booking is essential.

TICKETS: £12 per workshop*

Tickets: Contact me direct via website Contact Form . Payment – Cash, Card or Bank Transfer.

These sessions are for self-development. I am not a licensed healthcare provider or therapist and will not provide medical advice, engage in patient diagnosis or practice therapy. I do not treat or otherwise counsel those with mental illness. Full Disclaimer available to view at each Happy HeARTs workshop.

Blank Journals will be available to purchase/order during the workshops.

Earth Day Art

After 18 hours of hammering and screwing plastic bottle tops, (my hands are tired and in need of some serious after-care), this Earth Day Art project is finally finished.

Called Plastic Earth, it will hopefully raise more awareness of Plastic Pollution and the effects it is having on our beautiful planet.

Being a part of this Home Education Earth Day Project at Weston Museum, has been a 3 month voluntary commitment. Whilst learning a lot about the importance of using less, little or no plastic to the devasting consequences to our World.

The children from the Weston Home-Ed Group encountered numerous educational workshop sessions including what our ancestors left behind and hands-on learning from a real Bee-Keeper which was both interesting and captivating.

My role was to provide a rolling artistic approach during each session, helping the children understand the processes of designing, planning and creating a piece of art. I gave each child the opportunity to take part in the creation of the art installation.

I designed an overall sketch of a landscape scene, demonstrated what circles of colour can look like and they practiced a variety of drawings using circles in various colours.

We made fish using plastic bottles and a collection of plastic items found around the home.

I also showcased and demonstrated other crafty creations to fuel their creativity, such as flower-making using plastic carrier bags and miniature birdhouses using plastic bottles.

Before starting the installation, the plastic bottle tops were collected and washed. Holes were then punched into the tops using a hammer and bradle (on a block of old wood to prevent damage to the table) They were then sorted into colours and stored over the duration until we were ready to begin the final process. The final preparation being a rough sketch onto a prepped wooden framed stand.

Each child had a go at hammering a hole into the wood using the hole in the bottle top as a guide. They then helped to screw the top using a small cordless screwdriver. I then continued with the project and over 1500 bottle tops later, I finally finished.

The children’s workbooks and art installation will be exhibited on Earth Day (22 April 2019) at Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare. ‘Plastic Earth‘ will continue to be exhibited after the Home-ed Earth Day Exhibition.

Special thanks to Weston Museum for their patience with the noise from the hammer and screwdriver, the in-house Clara’s Cafe, Uphill wharf Cafe Bar (Uphill) & Cafe Vita (Hutton Moor Leisure Centre) for collecting what must have seemed like tonnes of bottle tops and friends and family too. And finally many, many thanks to all of the Home-ed children who contributed to this amazing project, especially my own boys Xavi and Reuben who helped with a LOT of the preparation at home and in the studio.

FACTS

• Coca Cola bottles are 100% recyclable.
• Some plastics can take up to 500 years to decompose.
• Recycling saves energy consumption and therefore conserves the environment.
• Every day approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into the ocean.
• Over 150 plastic bottles litter each mile of UK beaches.

LINKS:

Earth Day 2019 – Protect Our Species

Plastic Pollution – Facts and Figures

Home Page

https://www.wharfcafebar.co.uk/

http://www.leisurecentre.com/hutton-moor-leisure-centre

Plastic-not-so-fantastic!

A resourceful artist like me often collects all sorts of bits and bobs.  For a few years this obsession has increased due to thought-provoking awareness of how dangerous our plastic rubbish is for the planet and all who live on it.

Over a period of time, I have managed to create a number of practical items using unwanted packaging and have created some interesting pieces of art too.

Various techniques complimented with fabric scraps and broken jewellery.

My husband and I are home-educators so these items are also very useful and help us raise planet-loving awareness through our children’s eyes. They are keen to clean-up our planet and prevent damage to the land, oceans and air above. The greatest part of their education for the way we care for our world was when being approached by a film crew whilst playing in a park on Weston-super-Mare seafront. The crew were filming for the Marine Conservation Society’s “We are the Marine Conservation Society” Campaign. This was a fantastic start to their Home-Ed journey.  (Follow the link below to watch them, they are running on Weston beach at the very end of the film)  As little creatives, I believe they will grow up to be as resourceful as myself, which will be an incredible blessing.

Now for the exciting news…

“Where is this leading to?” I hear you ask … Well, I have been asked to help facilitate an Earth Day Art Project for Weston Museum in our home town of Weston-super-Mare, I feel humbled and of course, rather excited.  I then discovered that the project was for the local Home-Education community and so my excitement grows further more and very much feels like the cherry on the cake.  A perfect opportunity to encourage young children to be creative and to inspire them to explore creative art and colour in many forms.

BE CREATIVE WITH PLASTIC NOT WASTEFUL

Emptying my boxed collection of plastic bottle tops onto the kitchen table felt very satisfying, weird I know! But knowing they are finally going to be used for a very special art installation for our home town and for the Home Ed community means everything to me.

A blank page in my sketchbook soon became filled with lots of ideasand designs. I’ve also started a colourful A2 sketch of what a bunch of colourful circles can look like.  This will be a great tool for the children and will hopefully help them to visualize what the mural is going to look like.

 

 

The plastic installation will be revealed during Easter Weekend in the middle of April and of course in time for Earth Day which is the 4th April (Easter Monday). The children’s project booklets will be on display and available to browse too. Proud moments for the children and their parents and carers. It seems like a long time away but it’s actually only 11 weeks! So, preparation and good organisation skills are required to meet this deadline.

PLEASE RECYCLE ME! LET’S HELP SAVE OUR PLANET!

So far, I have demonstrated how to prepare for the project and the children have tried out the techniques required. They are also collecting plastic bottle caps and plastic packaging to help with the demand of what will be needed to create this amazing piece of art.

The Museum will be open to the public during Easter Weekend (check website for opening times) and I will be hosting Recycled Art Workshops on Saturday, 21st April where I will be demonstrating, using step-by-step instruction to make Birdhouse feeders and Insect Houses using plastic bottles, straws and a pinch of imagination and creativity.  These sessions will be £5 per person. Please contact the Museum to book your workshop time.

My latest Animal Portrait prints on Cards, Coasters and mini boxed Art are now available to buy in the Museum shop.

If you have any questions or wish to let me know if you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Helpful Websites & Links

http://www.earthday.org

http://www.westonmuseum.org

https://www.livescience.com/50556-earth-day-facts-history.html

https://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/pft/2018/5/3/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-plastic-pollution-cartoons-books-and-activities-to-involve-the-whole-family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One cat short of crazy!

So, the biggest project I’ve ever designed is now complete! Yippee!!!

Without the help of friends, this ambitious creation would not have been possible, I therefore thank both Adrian & Jack for their hard work in clearing the old, measuring, building and assembling the new Summerhouse and the Catio enclosure. You’re amazing!

Once Team Kilburn left, the next stage was to provide our kitties with an adventure experience that would keep them entertained and provide them with cosy hide-outs when they wanted to snooze and of course, have plenty of stimulation for exercise. So, another few sketches later, my husband and I salvaged as much off-cut wood as possible and got to work. Creating brackets, shelving and a very big hide-out box was hard work but it paid off.

The cats were curious and explored every single addition to their space. I used off-cuts of artificial grass to line shelving for relaxing and stretching and decorated with broken stemmed artificial flowers. Scattered artificial leaves and made toys with driftwood lengths, wrapping with string and hanging artificial leaves and bells from old collars.

The Summerhouse became the Zen Den. A space for peace and time-out both for all of the family to enjoy (mostly me and the cats!) Firstly, painted white and then filled with bursts of bright pinks, yellows and oranges.

The bench was made using 3 tables, secured together and legs wrapped in yellow rope to provide scratch posts and hanging toys for the cats to enjoy.

My relaxing chair has now been upcycled twice. It started out as cream & canvas and was originally painted with a shade of blue bathroom & kitchen paint. This gave the chair an easy-wipe surface and a faux leather look. For this upcycle I used remnants of a lemon colour kitchen paint.

Soft furnishing were bargain purchases of cushions and covers. The covers for the bench were sewn together with the zippers facing to the rear side of the bench. The covers individually became bench length and can be removed from cushions and washed as one piece. This of course is important! A door trimming was handmade using crochet and wool remnants, which looks very pretty. And, big rounds were also made for the cats to get cosy and sleep on.

A donated bookcase was painted was upcycled using mini paint sample pots and an old table was used for a little hide-out and space for candles, cups etc.

This project has made a massive difference to all of the family. I know my cats are safe, they are loved and entertained. We all have a quiet space to read or enjoy time alone. I’ve even enjoyed breakfast & lunch on the decking area on warm days too! It’s wonderful! It’s fantastic! It’s simply purrrrrfect!!!

For the love of cats!

So, I’ve finally become the crazy cat lady I was meant to be! Owning a cat or 6 😲 has sparked me to design a CAT-IO so our furry besties can enjoy their very own adventure space without the risk of injury and getting into fights with the cats in our neighbourhood. (There’s a lot!)

A few weeks ago, our 4 little ones got attacked in our garden causing lots of distress and a large vet bill. Their Mummy and Big Brother tried so hard to guard them while their fur stood on end and ushered the predictors out. Our smallest kitty called Boo-Bear got trapped behind my little wooden shop and Sully (Big Bruv) and Sky (Mummy) tried desperately to guide her out but in the end, we had to remove all of my stock and physically lift the Summerhouse to set her free. Belle, Beau, Duchess and Boo-bear were terrified and are still on edge when the back door is opened.

So, I set myself the challenge to create a magnificent space for us all to enjoy. Pinterest had some amazing ideas and inspired me a lot! I have a board called Cats, take a look if you’re on Pinterest. You might see some ideas for yourself.

With some help from some very special friends who are hands-on when it comes to DIY, my design will come to life. The most important part of this design is that we use as much of the old wood and materials to save money and more importantly; Stop it going to landfill. We will also be using insulation made from recycled white plastic milk bottles, numerous materials to create scratching posts, exploration and resting places.

Here’s some images of the garden as it is now. I warn you, it’s a real mess but within a few weeks hopefully it will be finished in time for us to enjoy the rest of the Summer sunshine 😻😻😻😻😻😻

Off the Shelf?!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … every where you go!

I love a good browse in dressed-up shops and their new decoration designs. I also say ‘ooo’ and ‘aww’ whilst picking up cute tree decorations. But, these last few years I’ve noticed that I don’t quite feel the excitement as I used to. I now leave the shops feeling deflated. Why? Because trying to earn a living from the gift of creativity, I simply cannot compete with the pricing structure of conveyor belt stock.

I spend hours carefully creating the most unique craft items. Every item made has recycled materials which I’ve often had to source from bags of donatations. This takes up most of my time and can be daunting, especially when time is precious and I only have my own pair of hands to organise and make.

I then spend a chunk of time preparing a handful of items, if I’m lucky enough to have enough materials to do a repeat design. Yes, I do buy new papers, fabrics and supplies like glue, tapes and blank cards but these are the canvas to my business. Without them I wouldn’t be able to do what I enjoy. I’m a womble who loves to collect beautiful things, even if they are broken or in need of repair.

With time restraints of home, family and business, I’m lucky if I can make 3 cards a day, let alone the 25+ required for each outlet or event.

There are easier ways to earn money I’m certain; however, if you’re a creative like me, you know what I’m about to say. It’s what I do. It’s my life. Its my soul.

I’m comforted and contented that I bring old, unwanted things to my studio and uplift their worth into something that will hopefully be cherished again for another lifetime.

And more importantly, I’ve done my bit by helping to prevent them going to landfill.

So, my message is this … When you pick up those cute decorations, cards and gifts whilst doing your Christmas shopping – think about whether or not you’d like an item you’ll fall out of love with day after day, year after year or whether you’d prefer that special something that will last your lifetime. A precious something that sparkles your heart every time you see it.

Buy handmade. Support small business.

Where is your Paradise?

With the chaos of life, I often sit down and wonder what if we could find the pause button of life and transport ourselves to our very own special paradise.

This piece of mixed media collage art is my interpretation of what I believe my paradise to be. It depicts a sanctuary of calm and peace. Of course, in a warm, sunny place – filled with all the beauty that Mother Earth created herself.

Paradise sold during North Somerset Arts Week 2017. This event gave me the opportunity to showcase my mixed media collage art a new collection inspired by my travels to Western Australia and numerous artisan pieces.

Paradise now has pride of place in a new home. A gift for a very special Birthday and I’m sure she will aid in the transportation to Paradise whenever there is a need to escape this crazy life we live. ☺

Can you paint me a picture?

After exploring paints and various surfaces, the day finally came when a friend asked me the big question…. “Can you paint me a picture?” His name was St. John Greene. I met Singe not long after I started dating my husband Richard, in 2009,  I was very sad to hear that Singe had lost his wife to breast cancer, leaving him and his 2 boys to create a future together without her. As I got to know him and his brave boys they became close friends and we often shared family time together. Singe, Reef, Finn and I loved roller-skating and we all enjoyed skating along the seafront followed by seaside chips and fun on the park with our boys Xavier and Reuben, and older children Freya and Myron.

Singe had admired my art and passion for captivating memories, transporting them onto canvas and admiring these memories forever.  After reading his book ‘Mum’s List’ prior to publication, I had already stepped into their experience of grief, including special memories, hopes and dreams. So, when he commissioned a piece of work I was very nervous at the start. He provided many photographs of him and Kate, the boys, their special places, a list of  things Kate loved and of course what they’d planned to do.

Once I had absorbed all of the emotions I began the sketch and using acrylic paints I began an art journey I never thought possible. It was quite a big canvas with lots of detail to include.  I merged experiences of their lives and created a collage of all the special times they had shared, including Kate’s favourite butterfly, the place they got engaged, their passion for diving and a future dream to see the Northern Lights.

Kate had expressed her love for Singe using the phrase ‘acres and acres’, A phrase that became a deep memory of the life they had shared together. It seemed perfect to me to name the canvas ‘Acres and Acres’.  Singe and the boys loved it. Mum’s List went straight to number one in the book charts and has now become a very successful Film.  Singe now has a lovely lady in his life. Both families are enjoying life to the full, enjoying many adventures.

Acres and Acres Commission created using Acrylics.

Creative Soul

Creativity is certainly a gift. I was born with it! From a very young age, I can remember always making something. I can remember watching Why Don’t You, Tony Hart and Blue Peter religiously. Then I would get to work on making something that inspired me enough to raid my Mum’s kitchen cupboards, searching for empty Persil and Cornflake boxes, pop bottles and empty jars! I can remember making a little washing machine out of a Persil box once and I pretended to wash my Sindy doll clothes in it – playing with it for days on end. Inspired by Beatrix Potter and Enid Blyton, I used to write stories and drawer illustrations to accompany the pages. I loved reading stories and writing poetry too.

During my teens, I studied mostly computing skills and Typewriting; One Christmas, my parents bought me my very first electric typewriter. I was amazed at how soft the keys were, learning to type on an old fashioned typewriter at school was probably a big contribution to my achy finger joints now! Lol! So, using this typewriter improved my words per minute but also gave me a chance to create pictures with letters. It sounds crazy I know but I used to tear out pictures from my colouring books an colour in (only red and black ink) using words or letters.

Stencilling became popular in the early 90’s,  not long after I left school so I had to have a go and transformed a number cupboard doors and walls in my very first flat. I look back at that now and think, OMG, what was I thinking! But at the time it looked great. Everybody loved my ability to turn something old into something new again.

Papillon Rouge from the Nature Infusion Collection was created using ceramics, fabrics, wire, beads, paper, embroidery and recycled materials.

I then ventured into my dream job working for Clinique.  I had been practicing make up techniques since the early 80’s, following step-by-step pictures in Jackie magazine and had a skin-care regime from the age of 9;  I definitely never thought at the time that I wasn’t worthy of such a job! But do you know what? … any dream is possible when you plan the journey, start the journey and just keep walking towards it. It certainly provided the confidence boost I need and I really enjoyed my time working with people who really needed that very same boost. Helping them to achieve beauty from the inside, transformed how they felt about themselves on the outside and then when I applied their make-up, they looked good and felt amazing! During my time as a make-up artist I met some very lovely people, including a really lovely lady, called Gina. She was having a really ‘down’ day. We started to chat and I sat her down. Listened to her and then started to reach into her soul. She became a regular client and every visit brought positivity and confidence. She is now one of my best friends and despite some miles between, we see each other a few times a year and keep in touch regularly. We still talk about make-up but mostly she has walked alongside my creative journey, encouraged me all the way.

I have always wanted to encourage people to find their inner self and discover something different from their everyday life. I found my inner self through illness and then used my creativity to strengthen my abilities. I am very proud and content  with my creative journey so far. I am certain that my purpose is to create and inspire. I am sharing my skills and techniques, enabling those who are hoping to improve theirs. Hopefully, my workshops and sessions I have completed so far have brought lots of inspiration and provided that feeling ‘I have to try that!’.

Everybody has a creative soul, you just have to reach inside and look for it.