Long time no post...again

Where does the time go? The weeks have flown by and i've neglected this place! Here's a couple of my recent paintings. This one reads 'soul' ...
you might be able to make out there is a compass in the heart area. Soap Box Alert! In the West the rational mind is king, but i like the idea that our mind should actually be the servant...our soul is designed to be our true ruler...our guide and compass...and it communicates through our heart and our feelings... not our thoughts. Trouble is, like all untamed beasts, if we let our minds take over they can become wild and unruly, kicking our emotions to one side. Our heart has little chance then to be 'heard'. I find it increasingly strange that our society encourages us to 'listen' to our mind more than our feelings...it's seems to me to be a historical legacy of the age of rationalism and the enlightenment era. I am more akin to Romanticism. I think people feel unwell, stressed, anxious and unsettled today because we've been encouraged to ignore how we feel and so are becoming increasingly aliented from our selves...we're led to believe feelings can not be trusted, but our thinking can...and i've got my theories on that, which i won't share today. To keep on track, I think our mind/heart relationship can be summed up using the analgogy of a board meeting scenario - our mind and ego is like the loud, competative, social group pleaser whilst our heart is is more of a quiet, unassuming, patient type who waits to be invited to 'speak'- unless we calm the mind down and sometimes tell it to shut up a bit, we may never really 'hear' what our heart is trying to say. The more subtle communication of emotions and intuition need to be invited in, so we need to try and focus less on analysis and problem-solving. Our mind is a certainly a useful tool, like our body, but let your heart be your king...i truly think it's the more reliable compass to happiness. The mind is so last century!!
Anyway, back to art, this one's called 'Knowing'
Both these lovely paintings are dedicated to my lovely mummy whose birthday it is today...happy birthday mum x x x x

The winner, dillon and a new painting

Well, the time has finally come to announce the lucky winner of 'Released' from the swamp of entries!!! I used one of the random number generators via google but have been unable to work out how to import it here...but the winner was number 1...that's Kylie Larsson I believe (?). Congratulations - can you please forward me your address via my email at samjenkins@paulandsam.plus.com ...apologies to the others of you who joined in - thanks for taking part and visiting my blog though!
In other happenings today....Dillon's by the fireside...everywhere is still covered in snow (no longer beautiful just a pain in the ass)

And i finished this painting this morning - the text on the flower pot reads 'Story'

Hope all is well with you wherever you are and whatever you are up to.

On the countdown to the giveaway (which will be announced some time tomorrow) i thought i'd share a couple of sky-inspired poems with you - evidently written at times to reflect a very different mood of mine...

Grey Sky
Above, the cloud-filled sky reminiscent of my mind,
Grey...static..dense.
Only fragments of light find their way through....
Suffocating... claustrophobic.
Can beauty really be found in grey
or does it only reside in the kaleidoscope rainbow colours
prevented from being by its murky presence?

Sunset
Life
like a sunset,
blazing glory of vivid colour.
Drifting along.
Behold its passing beauty,
subtle shifts and changes all aglow.
A moment in time to be captured
before effervescent beauty fades.
Be sure to witness the sunset.
A unique moment,
a gift.
Gone.

Turning grey into colour

Yesterday was REALLY grey outside...I took a snapshot which looks like a black and white photo..only the brickwork shows this was in fact in colour ...So, i decided to tackle this empty box and mix media it up
And today it's been finished and now looks like this


The lid close up...

Lid open

Sides....

And that's the great thing about creativity....it can help occupy a grey day by placing you in a world of imagination and colour.
We're on countdown for the giveaway...only 4 comments...it could be you!

'Billy' moan and 2010 intentions

Firstly, happy new year to all...let's hope this year brings a whole load of goodness and joy to our lives. For those who have commented i also hope the dreams you've mentioned come true in some small or big way. It's a new year...a time to be positive..to look forward ..but i'm going to start my blog of 2010 a little differently. I've been feeling like the billy no mates of the blog world! I am glad that it is looking good for those who have commented on my give away...i am....as the competition is hardly fierce! BUT, I must admit i've been grappling with a few reactions to this, feeling... dejected? embarrassed? I knew i only had a few visitors but the reality of seeing just a few (as lovely as they are) comments makes me feel like a kid with hardly anyone showing at their party!!! Well, only 3 people... I've considered a number of times not keeping this blog ...mainly when i start comparing myself with other people...it's sometimes hard to pursue things without external comparison...recognition (?) ....praise (?) i get the 'what's the point of my crappy blog in this huge blogosphere?' chatter in my head....a place of multiple, beautiful, inspiring blogs...indeed, blog envy sets in...i feel like the billy no mates of the blog world...But then I try and remind myself that it's just my bruised ego talking..our so called culture... popular is good...volume is good....we are only worthy if lots of other people tell us we are. When I am feeling more optimistic...spiritual....whatever it is....then i try and remind myself that noone in this world occupies my space...there is room for us all...for all our contributions and ways of doing and being. I do this blog to share a part of my creative world...for an audience of one or one hundred thousand what does it matter, really? It's maybe just the ego thing...wanting to be the best...the favourite....the one whose voice is heard...but i want to move away from this...to know that i am enough irrespectively...to do what i do for me...other people's secondary enjoyment is a bonus but not a necessity...that's where i want to be...but of course we all like a dollop of feel good feedback sometimes don't we!!! So, with that off my chest here's a list of my intentions rather than resolutions for this year...let's see if they manifest..by writing them here at least i have a hope of remembering what they are/ were...

- to be on ' deal or no deal' :-)

- to develop new friendships

- to explore new paths

- to further develop my creativity

- to develop a healthy lifestyle; diet and exercise (hm this has been on the cards for the last 15 years or so so let's see if i can crack it this year..I'm stocking up on nuts and biscuits in preparation!!)

- to accept and enjoy where i am at...

- to do those things that feel right more

- to do those things that i think are right but feel wrong less

Pressie... for you?

As this will be my last post of 2009 I'd like to wish anyone reading this a very merry christmas and peaceful new year. As a little holiday gift and in honour of the fact that i've been blogging nearly a year i'm going to do a little prize giveaway ...here it is...
remember her from this post...just leave a comment that defines your dreams for 2010 and i will randomly select a name in the new year....due to the holiday period i'll accept comments up until January 9th 2010..that's also officially my first blog anniversary!!! The odds might be in your favour as I'm not sure i have too many visitors at the moment... so, if you fancy give it a go...if you are the only person to comment then she will be yours for sure!

Dolls, dolls and more dolls....

Lately, I have mostly been making dolls ... all presents - one of which has already been sent so i can not share her here, but here's the others....
First there is this one for my workfriend Teresa...to say goodbye... I work my last official day tomorrow (yikes!) ...she loves purple
This dinky one is for my work friend Heather....it's just under 4 inches tall...cute!
A christmas gift for my friend Debbie who is over visiting from LA
A christmas gift for someone else (in case they look here they shall remain nameless but hopefully hopeful)
and some one else
What dya think.. think they'll like 'em?