I hate not having my old glasses anymore - I loved them. These new frames aren't too different but they are bigger because I now have dual lenses. Meaning I wear them all the time now. Talk about making me feel old! (Not so old that my skin doesn't still break out when it wants to!)

My Masters information started coming through yesterday and it is scary. I'm so glad I chose part time. I don't know where I am going to find all the extra time I'll need - you'd think only being two years since I finished my Grad. Dip that I'd remember how much work University is. I'd forgotten. And now I am reminded!

Remind me: I can do this and be this every woman, can't I?

The new journal is a green Moleskine Volant. No outer decoration (yet - that will happen for sure). The yellow one was a joy to work in, write in, draw in. The picture on the right is one of the last pages. I'd used a feather for some art work and it was now infused with distress stain and acrylic paint(hello bubble wrap effect). Although it wasn't really useable anymore, I couldn't bring myself to throw it away so I stuck it in my journal. It was too pretty not to keep.

The frame effects are from the Camera+ app I got hooked up to - a great alternative for the soon to close Picnik.

I've already made a list in it of things I need to be doing. I'm only a week out from beginning my Masters of Visual Art. Wish I had a clue what to expect with that but so far very little information has been sent through (c'mon Monash, get your $*^# together!). I'm still painting for Bloom True (see below the latest layers) and still feel directionless with that. Hello Soul Hello Business is on what is effectively a 2 and a half week break (a little too long for mine) but I do have a couple of activities to go back and complete. I've got work to do for in.cube8r too.

So I am not without plenty to do.

 Some good news is that I sent off my final review of Zentangle Untangled yesterday so I am pretty much done. It looks amazing. I was quite overwhelmed when I saw it all. I'm feeling a little detached from it - which I'm told is probably because I did the large bulk of work then had a major life event (that'd be cancer!) so the book work seems so long ago, almost in another life. I guess it was - life has certainly changed some since I sent off the last artworks and text! I'm sure though the attachment will redevelop on release - I hope so because I know I've done something to be proud of.

Have a wonderful weekend!

It's been a busy few days - painting, working (I got a little part time job) and working on my HSHB course too. Throw in the usual appointments and life in general.... where do the days go? In fact, today is 10 years since I was a bridesmaid for my best friend, Katie, when she married her Michael (we're so tight we even married men with the same name!). It does not seem like so long ago!! 

So. layers 3 of Bloom True canvasses...... still not in love with them but I am happier with these layers than the last.

Canvas 1, Layer 3

Canvas 2, Layer 3

Canvas 1Canvas 2

This is a book that takes talented artists from across the world and really asks them what motivates them - and the common answer is "to inspire others". How this manifests is different in all the contributors, but includes art journalling, photography, teaching and exhibiting. A common thread is kindness - that by being kind to each other, being generous to each other through deed and support, we spread good throughout the world. I think that only good things an come from kindness (something demonstrated to me just yesterday) and that it has a ripple effect. What bad could possibly come from that?

The design of this book is gorgeous - Ronson Slagle and Megan Richards from North Light have done a great job (Ronson is designing my book too so I am confident that mine will be awesome too) and the content and contributors are world class. I don't know if it's the work I am doing in the Hello Soul Hello Business course that is making this book more relevant to me right now but the themes that resonate across th two are undeniable. It is inspiring me in a big way to think big, dream big and act big.

There is so much to come.

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Painting 1 - 30" x 30"

Painting 2 - 30" x 24"

Flora is teaching here in Melbourne later this year but it sold out before I even found out so I am glad I am doing this online!! Great techniques to think about for when my Masters starts at the end of this month!

Although I come from a wide-reaching family, my core unit (parents and sister) were a little isolated through my childhoo through geography and personality. We had many friends, most associated with my parents line of work which was in law enforcement, and those associated with that kind of work band together closely and create a family within their profession. This was certainly true for us and I have many people still in my life, both friends of my parents and now their children too, who are very, very important.

I've also made many dear friends at school and university, through cancer organisations, and otherwise who are pivotal in my life, in who I am and the person I've become.

One of the big themes in the Hello Soul Hello Business course has been about establishing our "WHO" - the people we work with, the people we surround ourselves with, the people we seek to serve. It has resonated with me dramatically, and this snippet of Victoria's book really sums it up for me:

page 17 of 'One' by Victoria Alexander

You know who you are.

Buy Victoria's book here (Australia) and here (internationally).
Victoria's Website 

now THIS is my kind of play!

Doodles Unleashed is Traci's much anticipated follow up to Collage Unleashed. My copy arrived yesterday and it has been a major disraction - I have work to do but can't divert myself from this beautiful book. The design is stunning, and Traci's content is incredible - and can I say GENEROUS. She shares SO much in this book, and it really is fun stuff. Additionally, there are downloads and videos that can be accessed and used (some on the www.createmixedmedia.com site and some on Traci's blog). For someone like me for whom doodling and drawing is a nearly daily activity, there are SO many nuggets of gold in here. And, given my book Zentangle Untangled is also a drawing method - not completely unrelated to doodling it must be confessed - this is a fantastic companion title. 

If you love art journalling, drawing, doodling, Zentangle, colour or anything else, then I really recommend this gorgeous book.

Buy Doodles Unleashed here.

So the idea is to journal every day (which I do most days) and then pick one from each category (work/fun) and try to do those too. Maybe this is something you can do to mix things up a little if you're working from home too?