Art as inspiration, reflection and hope- a personal testimony.

The Only Way to Live

I have mentioned this painting before in Experimental Days and Previous Study/ Tafe Design posts. To refresh your memory, I had originally based this painting on a self portrait needed to gain access into a TAFE design course. As I had just finished a harrowing, yet successful liver treatment, I literally felt free- ready to take a leap of faith off a mountain as a new day began, and embrace my colourful, positive, bright new future. Today, I am humbled and privileged to mention it again after receiving a beautifully worded, and very powerful letter of how much this painting is still impacting a dear friend, Kassandra.

 'For 6 years this beautiful painting by my dear friend Marija has been in the foreground, and at times in the background of my life. The degree to which this has been true has depended very much upon how honestly I have wanted to look at my life at any given moment. At some points over the past 6 years I have been able to look deeply into this painting- like a mirror looking upon my own reflection. I have been able to feel the courage, faith, adventure and liberation of her mind, body and spirit as my own. These have been in the moments of growth, achievement and strength after a struggle or time of pain-and the weight of pain, heartache, fear and confusion has been released from me in that moment. Like her, I have risen, shaken off those chains that have bound my soul and have taken the leap of faith into my unknown future. 

 There have also been the times that she has been in the background.  I say this because it is in these moments, I have not even been able to glance upon her for the sadness that can overwhelm me in knowing that I am not living in that state of freedom from all that I mentioned above. These are the times when the liberation feels so far off in the distance and I am trying to find a way; to scramble and claw my way over the mountain, much less leap off it with not a worry in the world. However, no matter what I am feeling, what is happening in my life, this precious painting of Marija's has been a constant in my life. 

 Sometimes, actually very often, it has been my only source of female support around me. Even in those moments when I have a hard time looking upon it for the fear of truly facing my circumstances, I have to eventually look up and reflect upon my self once more. There is no avoiding the truth of this painting. When I do finally look up and look out from my place of darkness, I feel drawn in by her, encouraged by her; she takes me by the hand and invites me to join her once more on an adventure into my own heart and into my brave new future. She reminds me of my birthright to a Blessed and joyous life free of chains. Best of all, she reminds me of my Beautiful beautiful friend Marija whom I love and cherish so very much. Even though my dear friend and I are physically so far apart, having Marija's art work in my home keeps us close in every other way. This painting means so much to me. These words have only just scratched the surface of the deep, deep places this painting can take me. It is so very personal and this will be an endless journey into myself, the known and the unknown. 

 Thank you Marija for this magnificent gift that has been many, many times, all that I have had (besides my children) to lift me up after I have fallen'.

My beautiful friend, Kassandra, with my painting. Separated only by distance. Friends of the heart always :)

Receiving these beautiful words this week was timely. Despite facing a number of challenges, I was reminded of not only my worth as a friend and artist, but to remember the feelings behind this art work. I felt free, energised, liberated, optimistic, hopeful and brave- so I painted those emotions and titled the work, The Only Way To Live'. 

This is how I need to live again! Thank you so much Kassandra, for returning the blessing and encouragement. 

I hope this artwork offers inspiration to others as well, even if to encourage you to express your own inner turmoils or joys creatively. 

Thank you for reading. Until next time... 

It's time for tea

Welcome back! I am so keen to show you what I have been up to today. As you can guess by the title, it's tea related. Well, sort of. 

I have had projects waiting for far too long. I couldn't stand it any longer, so I got hubby to retrieve my things from the garage, which was my art studio but is now his. Sigh. The joys of sharing.

Anyway, I have a zillion tea pot cut-outs I have been wanting to tackle for the longest time. Lots and lots of reasons why I haven't, but here, today, I made a start at designing one pattern of many to paint on them. 

Let's start at the ending. This is the completed template, done in a day with a baby to attend to. Of course, she was extra hungry and wanted lots of cuddles just to make it a challenge! Still- look at what I managed. As I look at this, I feel accomplished, and satisfied. I absolutely adore illustrating. I am not at all sure if this will ever end up painted onto a teapot, but I don't care. I had fun and realised how much I miss creating. 

Follow the process of creation below...

The plan was: trace the largest wooden teapot cut-out, draw up a design and get it ready to paint. I saw a beautiful floral pattern on a make-up bag recently and based my design off that. Of course, mine has been changed enough to make it unique, not a direct copy. Above is the start of my floral design. I sketched it in HB pencil first, then with a fine tip black marker when satisfied with the placement.

Annoyingly, I can't seem to flip this the right way. However, I did at times need to turn the paper to get the flowers drawn in, so this works. I had a bit of trouble making the right side (or the bottom in this picture) look balanced and fit.  I decided to stop drawing more flowers at this stage. I was getting annoyed at how unbalanced the picture looked, and I nearly gave up on it.

The next stage was to colour in :) I love using coloured pencils, and this stage helped me  want to continue after all. Detail and colouring is my thing. I enjoy it so much, that when my baby slept, I sat busily creating away and barely got up for a couple of hours.

A closer look at the detail. I honestly gave up creating this for painting and just enjoyed the project for the fun it was giving me. I love colourful, quirky, fun pictures. I can see my illustrative style clearly here. After a couple of years break- it hasn't changed. I'm relieved at that. I aim to always improve- I just didn't want to have become worse.

Notice the unfinished middle? I still hadn't worked out what to do with that yet.

Nearly there! The centre design happened by chance. I grabbed a ramekin from the cupboard and centred it on the picture. With my eye as a guide, I traced around it, felt happy with the placement, and  turned it into my gold edged circle. Perfect for when I place a clock face on should this ever get transferred to wood. 

I was more than happy with the placement and centre resolution. 

Here is a closer look at the handle. That was a bit tricky to complete due to it's narrowness. I had to use colours and flowers that helped balance the whole teapot, and I feel this suffices.

After I coloured the background, I shaded here and there to give it depth, then added the spots. Some are close together, some further apart, but it adds another layer to the overall picture. I love layering. Makes the design a bit of fun :)

I personally can't wait to get back into creating more. When I was adding the spots, I was daydreaming about illustrating kid's books and having my sweet little girl stand around, watching, asking lots of questions and drawing herself. Sigh. Dreams are free. Dreams also give you hope.

And I hope you have enjoyed a brief, but in depth look into my teapot creation. Now, I think it's time for a cuppa...

Thanks for reading!

The creation of Mardi LOVES Lipstick!

I have been so keen to tell you about Mardi LOVES Lipstick! I mentioned in a previous post, someone didn't back up her hard-drive and lost her images. Well, technically, they can be retrieved, if I can only remember to purchase the necessary IDE hard-drive caddy. Thankfully, after much searching, I did manage to find photocopies of my illustrations. With a bit of scanning, here they are at long last! 

As you may gather from reading my posts, I have often chosen to dwell on the positive despite negative circumstances. The creation of Mardi LOVES Lipstick! was no exception. If you haven't already done so, please read my post Buried Treasure, as it creatively outlines what I have been through. One of the lines states: only then was I free to challenge the disease that ravaged my body. Creating Mardi LOVES Lipstick! was a direct response to going a treatment called Combination Therapy to cure me. The side effects had scared me off a decade earlier, but the longer you harbour sickness, the worse you become. Thankfully, the benefits of waiting outweighed the risks; I was stronger emotionally, and the treatment had improved considerably. Still, I was very aware that depression was a huge risk factor. People have even suicided while on this treatment. I knew staying positive was vital.

At the time of commencing my treatment, I was part of our church band as a singer. There were many amazing people also in this band, including the Chalmers family, and their gorgeous, lipstick obsessed daughter, Amaria. Her antics cracked me up! And the speed she literally devoured Lip Smackers gloss my eldest daughter would buy was just too funny. So, Mardi LOVES Lipstick! was born.

It took a couple of years from creation to the first printed book arriving via post, but I am proud that, during a painful 6 months of treatment and a further 6 months of recovering from the physical and emotional side effects of the treatment, I made a silly, funny, bright and cheery kid's book. It hasn't made me money, but I don't care. The fact that I did it makes me proud. Finishing anything with passion makes someone a success in my eyes.

Enjoy the read...

Mardi had always loved lipstick. Even as a little baby. She tried to snatch her mum's lipstick the day after she was born.

Mardi's love of lipstick grew into a bit of an obsession. Now, at five, Mardi had a collection of one thousand, three hundred and fifty two colourful lipsticks and lip glosses. Her room was so full that the door was hard to shut!

One morning, Mardi's mum went in to make her daughter's bed when she slipped and got stuck under the massive mountain of lipstick.

The fire department had to be called to pull her out safely.

Despite her mother's unfortunate bed making incident, Mardi's passion for shiny lipstick still wasn't satisfied. So, one night, she sat up late, making a very clever radar out of soap, paper clips, a lipstick case and a bell  borrowed from the cat's collar.

Mardi sat on her front step the next morning, radar in her hands. 

A very round lady walked past. The radar shook and the bell tinkled.

Mardi ran up to the very round lady and asked in her sweetest voice, "May I please borrow some lipstick?"

The very round lady smiled and took a lovely, shiny, red lipstick out of her handbag . 

Mardi snatched it and ran inside.

After learning what she had done, Mardi's mum and dad were very worried. Their daughter's obsession had now gone too far.

Mardi was told to go outside and return the lipstick to the now very cross, very round lady.

Mardi refused and then locked herself in her room.

After needing the fire brigade to get out last time, neither parent was brave enough to venture in.

So, after a phone call, they stood outside her door, offering s truck load of lollies, which was now parked outside. Hopefully, she would just come out and return the lipstick to the very round lady.

"NO!" Mardi shouted. She wouldn't budge.

Next, they called the local circus that used trick ponies, magic clowns and fire twirling trapeze artists. 

The circus set themselves up in the backyard, ready and waiting to perform.

Mardi still refused to come out.

In desperation, her parents made one last phone call. Moments later, a helicopter showed up and hovered overhead. A monster water slide theme park was about to open. Mardi was promised she would be the first to try the rides if she would just come out and give back the lipstick.

Mardi simple refused and crossed her arms and pursed her lips.

"I'm not interested!" she told them.

Suddenly, the very round lady came up with an idea. She whispered something to Mardi's parents. They looked sad but nodded.

The very round lady hurried off.

Later that day, a girl giant stomped down the street. The huge girl stopped outside Mardi's house and took the very round lady out of her handbag and placed her on the ground.

"This is my lipstick obsessed niece, Revlona!" the very round lady announced.

With one mighty lift, Revlona removed the roof from the house and peered inside. Mardi screamed at the sight of this very large girl.

Revlona scooped Mardi out of her room, bringing lipsticks and all in her oversized hand. After replacing the roof neatly, the giant stomped away.

Mardi didn't mind her life as a giants lipstick twirler. However, it did get a little squashy living inside a lipstick tube at times. 

And sometimes, Mardi missed her parents.

But now that she was actually part of a lipstick herself, life was really quite wonderful.

Written and illustrated

by

Marija Munro.

This is my little book :) Feels good to hold a completed project in your hands.

The inside cover with publisher details...

...And the blurb on the back :) 

There you have it, at long last. I must admit, I would love to re-write it. But honestly, under the circumstances of its creation, I am thrilled to have done what I have and get it this far. It wasn't easy in any way! Small steps forward is how I see this, and a brilliant learning experience too. 

Hubby once looked online and found my book for sale on countless sites and it also had some flattering reviews. The company I published with has it available here, and it's also available on ebay, Amazon and numerous other sites. A gorgeous, creative soul even blogged a review on my book. His blog is called Sparrow. Please click here for details. Thank you Tyson :)

I am so looking forward to bringing you more creative posts. I am working on it- and very motivated to show you what is happening now. Stay tuned! And as always, thanks for reading :)

The Healing Power of Art

After a long, long break, I am excited to be back! This lesson have I learnt; even the sweetest little baby can make the best laid plans go pear shaped! The past several months have been a blur. A wonderful blur, but a blur none the less. 

I am adoring motherhood at 45. Of course, I didn't stop being a mum to my two older girls who are 19 and 24. But all that wonderful, messy, cuddly, gurgling, time consuming baby kind of mothering is just divine after so long without it. It's also divine watching my older girls smother their little sister with an abundance of love and attention. Its time consumingly wonderful to watch a little chubby bub discover so many things; leaves blowing in the wind, how to grab objects, how to catch your attention, study your mouth as you talk, taste absolutely everything, attempt to walk on unsteady legs...I could go on. But just in case you think that's all I've been doing, check this out: Arabelle's Window. This is my health and new attitude focused blog. Having my 3rd c-section led to a few health issues, including significant weight gain. My way of overcoming that was to make myself accountable-hence the blog. 

Another thing that has kept me busy is dealing with deep issues that have kept me bound for far too long. Nothing like bringing a sweet soul into this world to make you realise you need to get rid of some excess emotional baggage. I realised I needed help unloading this, so I went to see someone I respect immensely for help once again, my counsellor and friend, Carol Comerford. 

Permission to go deep please. I uncovered that I was living with shame. With increasing strength over the years, I never felt I measured up anywhere, or to anyone. I've tried to perform my way out of it, yet I still felt powerless and inadequate. And very, very afraid. I was carrying the baggage of shame. Trust me, carrying that kind of baggage weighs you down, and causes you to shut down due to the burden of dragging it around everywhere. I felt powerless, unlovable, without a voice and very angry as a result. 

Carol has one of my paintings in her office, one I have finally titled Hope Takes Root in Gratitude. During a counselling session, Carol mentioned how my painting had impacted others. Those words in turn impacted me deeply. It started me acknowledging that I am allowed to have my own style, and that style does have relevance. A style also touches hearts. I paint, and I write, simply, with vibrancy and passion. 

This revelation is the perfect place to start afresh. This time, I won't tell you of my plans, but I simply can't wait to show you! But before I do, please read what Carol Comerford had to say about my work yesterday...

I have always admired Marija's work. Around 2007, Marija had completed several significant artworks, and in particular, I really admired this work because of the colours and the subject matter. Marija kindly donated this work to my counselling practice which was then in its infancy. 

Because we were in the process of moving premises, the work resided in my family home for a period of time. While it was there, people always commented on the work and how striking it was. When I moved to a bigger premises, I was able to hang the work on the main wall in my office, next to where I sit and counsel clients.

Clients always remark on the work in relation to its artistic merit and aesthetic appeal. However, it is the therapeutic impact that has impressed me. The work I do with clients is often in relation to significant traumatic events in their lives and can be very confronting. It is very important that clients feel safe and comfortable in the counselling space. Marija's artwork has been beneficial in centering and grounding several clients when they have been going through difficult emotions and processes. The healing power of art is very evident in Marija's work.

Carol Comerford.   

Carol has been a practicing Counsellor for 22 years, is a qualified Social Worker, Member of AASW and is a registered Medicare provider. Carol has a long history of working with clients who have experienced trauma at anytime in their lives, particularly victims of sexual violence. 

Her practice is C3 Counselling and Consultancy.

And there you have it, my story for past several months. It has been a bumpy, exciting, challenging, healing journey. Now that I am more aware than ever of the healing power of art, I am determined to let my heart lead the way and step into a vibrant, creative new season. Stay tuned! And thanks for reading :)