Moments of Gratitude (Positive Psychology)

I recently met a person who introduced me to the concept of Positive Psychology . I like to call him Positive John. He is an amazingly kind and empathetic man with a passion for sharing knowledge and helping people to find more confidence and joy in their lives.

In a nutshell.....
"Positive psychology is the study of happiness. Psychology traditionally focused on dysfunction—on people with mental illness or other psychological problems and how to treat them. Positive psychology, by contrast, is a relatively new field that examines how ordinary people can become happier and more fulfilled."

So, what I really love about it is that it focuses on a persons strengths instead of their weaknesses. It is so powerful and I am very grateful to have the opportunity to introduce these concepts into my life.

Moments of Gratitude (Messages from the Universe)

This week 52 weeks of Gratitude has become Moments of Gratitude. This reason for this change is simply that I wanted a bit more freedom in when and how many gratitude posts I do.

I went for a walk this week in my lunch break along the breakwall. As I was walking along with the intention of being in the moment, I was not really fully succeeding I must admit, with thoughts and doubts still playing on my mind. Then suddenly, it was as if this huge rock jumped out in front of me........... I stopped in my tracks and on the rock was written "Be HAPPY 4 this moment... 4 this moment in your life". It was as if this rock was written for me to read on this day. I stopped walking and sat quietly beside the rock and relished in these words and the beauty that surrounded me, feeling grateful for this message.

Jeans for Genes Day

 

This week was Jeans For Genes day, which is a fundraising day for research against childhood disease. People are encouraged to wear denin and raise money for this great cause.These are my very funky jeans that I created especially for this day. This is the second year they have been worn with pride!! So happy and colourful. I love them!

Moments of Gratitude (Community)

Community

I want to espress my gratitude this week for the wanderful community that I have found through my Yoga Practice. It is wanderful to be around like minded people and enjoy that sense of support, friendship and community. xoxo

Each of us is a being in himself and a being in society, each of us needs to understand himself and understand others, take care of others and be taken care of himself.  ~Haniel Long

July - Creative Colour Challenge

This month in the Creative Colour Challenge, Louise Gale set the theme of multi colours with letters. This was a fun challenge and this month I ended up combining a mixed media collage piece with some computer graphics to create an interesting blend of colours and words.

Art:- Unlock Your True Self

Collage aspects are done with scrapbook paper, magazine cut outs as well as torn up aluminium foil. Then painted with acrylics and further texture added with a hot glue gun and some stamping. The overlay of text is done on the computer with some very wise words about unlocking your inner power.  We all need a little bit of that from time to time!

Thank you to Louise for featuring me this week in the Creative Colour Challenge Friday Feature. xoxo  Click here to check it out!

http://louisegale.com/2012/07/friday-feature-tamara-unterweger-color-challenge-creative-soul/

Moments of Gratitude (Senses)

I can hear, see, smell, taste, touch

How grateful I am for these 5 senses that enable me experience and enjoy my world

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. ~ John Burroughs

Moments of Gratitude (Fresh Herbs)

I love fresh herbs!! Corriander, chives, basil, parsley...mmmm yummo.

The intense perfumes of the wild herbs as we trod them underfoot made us feel almost drunk.  ~ Jacqueline du Pre

Nature Still Flows

For me the last month or so has been a bit of a struggle and as a result I've been feeling quite creatively blocked.  Sometimes it's hard to see the joy and magic when everything seems so hard. Today I wandered around my yard seeking some joy and I realise that even if I am not flowing, nature is certainly still in full flow!!

My little winter garden is full of little surprises, colour and a reminder that we too are all part of nature and will inevitably once again flow and flourish.

"When you are low with nowhere to go remember this, when you open your eyes, your heart, your spirit, yourself, there you will find the stranger called hope." ~unknown

I bought this orchard plant about 2 years ago and was alive with beautiful golden flowers. It hasn't flowered since but it looks like this year it will once again bloom...

New life......

    “Try to be like the turtle, at ease in your own shell” ~ Bill Copeland

Thank you little garden for sharing your beauty and joy!

Moments of Gratitude (Hot Bath)

There is nothing better to relax than a long hot bubble bath!! I am very very grateful for my bath time.

“I can't think of any sorrow in the world that a hot bath wouldn't help, just a little bit.” ~ Susan Glasee

Moments of Gratitude (Red Wine)

If your heart is warm with happiness, you'll need a glass -

if sorrow chills your heart, have two!  ~ Bob H.

June - Creative Colour Challenge

The Warmth of Simplicity

This month I've been a little creatively blocked/challenged. My original piece for Louise Gales Red Roses theme did not turn out to plan, far to complicated for my state of mind this month, so I decided to go back to simplicity. I made these pieces for my bedroom to go into wooden frames. I incorperated ribbon, collage, red and orange acrylic paints as well as texture with lace and gold spray paint.

Art:- The Warmth of Simplicity

Moments of Gratitude (Stillness)

Stillness of Mind

This week I have been grateful for the few moments of stillness in my mind. When the splashing of thoughts and input stops and the pool of the mind is calm and clear. I look forward to them becoming more frequent and lasting again in the weeks ahead.

"If water derives lucidity from stillness, how much more the faculties of the mind! The mind of the sage, being in repose, becomes the mirror of the universe, the speculum of all creation." ~ Chuang Tzu

What does mixed-media art mean to you?

This week when visiting Creatively yours Fi  and reading her fabulous interview on what Mixed Media art means to her, I decided to follow the link to Mixed Media May: An Annual Blog Celebration of Mixed Media Artists! and join in the fun.

Here is my interview.............

What does mixed-media art mean to you?Mixed media art is like my therapy. It is my time to get out of my head and into my heart and heal myself with creativity. It is an outlet to experiment with such a huge variety of mediums and materials. Sometimes the choices can be a little overwhelming! But the term “mixed media” offers an incredible amount of creative freedom which I love.

How long have you been a mixed-media artist?
I have always been creative. I travelled a lot when I was younger and expressed my creativity more with poetry and the use of water colour paints as it was easier to fit into a backpack.  Over the last few years I have really created the space at home as well as the time in my life to really immerse myself in my art.

  

How has your art impacted or enhanced your life?
To be creative is like an escape. I am not sure what I would do with myself if I didn’t have some creative project on the go. It enhances my life by offering me a non thinking place to express myself with a few words and lots of colour.

What are a few of the mixed-media supplies you find yourself using most?
I am a bit of a texture paste junkie. I also love using metallic paints. For collage I really like using tissue paper and interesting scrapbook papers as well.

Who are some of your favourite mixed-media artists?
Kelly Rae Roberts, Ann Baldwin, Tracey Verdugo

What makes your mixed-media art unique?
I don’t think that I have really developed a distinctive “style” yet. I would like to think most of my pieces reflect individuality through their variety of textures and design. I play and experiment a lot still so I guess I’m still trying to find my own uniqueness.

Where can we find you? 
http://www.tamoonstone.blogspot.com.au

Please tell us about yourself (short bio with headshot).
I am 38 years old and live on the East Coast of Australia with my husband. We have two very affectionate and energetic black Labradors as well as a very calm and somewhat illusive cat. I love animals and we have chosen the fury four legged kind of children. I work full time and like many others dream of winning lotto so that the ratio of work to play could be a little different. I spend most of my free time on art projects and find so much joy and peace when I am being creative.  I love my family, the beach, reading, yoga and I try to live my life in the now. (easier said than done some days J )

Moments of Gratitude (Blankets)

Blankets

As the weather starts to cool down here in Australia I am so grateful for soft, warm, fluffy blankets!

So cosy.... so inviting!

A joy to snuggle in.....

“If you are cold at night, let the promise of my love cover you like a warm blanket” ~ Matthew White

Sun, Sand & Sea

Over the last few months I have been working on 2 very large canvasses for my brother’s lounge room. He selected the canvass size and gave me an idea of the colours he likes and then left it to me to come up with a creation. These canvasses are huge, about 2 metres by 1 metre each which is a lot bigger than the surfaces I am used to working on. Not to mention the added pressure of painting something for someone else’s house…..

So it is a big job and a very interesting project which I am loving.  However, this weekend I reached yet another impasse, stuck on colour and flow and after about 7 hours working on them yesterday I had that song “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers going through my head. 

“You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run………….”

I think there’s a certain point when working on an art piece that’s not flowing, that you have to know when to just walk away. Let go for today and look again with fresh eyes tomorrow. I did end up doing this, even if it was about 2 hours too late.

So after a very “serious” day yesterday I decided to do something fun and light hearted today. This week via CED I discovered Carolyn Dude from A Colorful Journey was having a Virtual Vacation Link up. What a beautiful idea!! On a rainy day like today I thought it would be perfect to spend a holiday amongst the Sun, Sand & Sea.

Small canvasses with texture, acrylics and metallic paints. On the sand section I glued some beautiful tiny shells that I had collected from the beach sometime ago. For the backing I used a section of a table runner. To add a little more interest I also added a couple of lovely balsawood features.

I really enjoyed this project today. No expectations just the joy of creating. Thanks Carolyn for inviting me to join this wonderful vacation by the sea,  just what I needed.  :-)

Art:- Sun, Sand & Sea

Moments of Gratitude (Friends)

Friends

Last week some friends from work spoilt me with kindness, beautiful words and these amazing gifts. I am so grateful to be surrounded by such lovely people. I feel very lucky for the wonderful friends (new & old) that I have in my life. xoxo

"A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world".  ~Lois Wyse

Attachment and Aversion

This months theme at Creative Every Day is opposites. Perfect opportunity to share this piece and some thoughts on the topic of attachment. Also linking this week to Inspire me Monday and Instant Inspirations.

sukha-anushayi ragah

duhkha-anushayi dveshah

Attachment is that which rests on pleasant experiences

Aversion is that which rests on sorrowful experiences

Attachment:- Definition: Exaggerated not wanting to be separated from someone or something. (Exact opposite of Aversion).

It is said that the key to freedom and happiness is to go beyond attachment and aversion, the emotional responses that influence our ability to see our world with true clarity.

During our life our self-identity is formed by a collection of previous emotional experiences.   Therefore we can become driven to seek opportunities to repeat previous experiences of pleasure over and over. We can also become subconsciously driven to avoid previously painful experiences, so that our desire to protect ourselves limits our options in life. Applying our opinions and emotional responses from past experiences places a filter over our ability to see the present moment as it truly is.

 

It is said that when we fully let go of our attachments and aversions we enter a state of harmony, balance and connection with our higher self, where we know that everything is unfolding according to a Universal or Divine plan. 

What a beautiful feeling that must be!!

Art:- Attachment and Aversion

Moments of Gratitude (Girly Days)

Girly Days and Pampering

There is nothing nicer that having a day to treat yourself to some pampering. Whether it be a massage, a facial, a manicure, a pedicure, whatever floats my boat and makes me feel relaxed and special. This week I spent a beautiful day with my Mum, we went to yoga together, had a pedicure and then some lunch. Just perfect. I am so grateful for these precious days!

You are the knowing.....

This week I am also linking up to Instant Inspirations with Nicole Levesque at Inner Expresions. (see button on right hand column). What has inspired my creativity this week.....??

Nothing that comes and goes is you.
"I am bored." Who knows this?
"I am angry, sad, afraid." Who knows this?
You are the knowing, not the condition that is known.

Eckhart Tolle

May - Creative Colour Challenge

The colour Pink was selected by Louise Gale for this months Creative Colour Challenge. I love pink, it is one of my favourite colours. The colour of love, romance and for me it is a very calm and relaxing colour.

As I was playing around with ideas for my piece for this challenge the song “Pink” by Aerosmith came along like a little ear worm. Not that I am an Aerosmith fan but the lyrics “pink is the colour of passion” kept going around in my head every time I thought about my pink creation. So I thought, why not run with that? It certainly is very pink ... LOL!

Art:- Reason and Passion

Acrylic and metallic paints. Textured with tissue paper and modelling paste. I also created a stencil effect with silver spray paint over lace. Sketch of a sexy lady looking very passionate. The quote in the picture is a snippet from On Reason and Passion by Kahlil Gibran.

"Among the hills, when you sit in the cool shade of the white poplars, sharing the peace and serenity of distant fields and meadows -- then let your heart say in silence, "God rests in reason." And when the storm comes, and the mighty wind shakes the forest, and thunder and lightning proclaim the majesty of the sky -- then let your heart say in awe, "God moves in passion." And since you are a breath in God's sphere, and a leaf in God's forest, you too should rest in reason and move in passion."

I LOVE Texture!

I really do love working with texture!! Getting my hands dirty and experimenting is so much fun.

Texture and modelling pastes are so forgiving of mistakes and they offers so much freedom. Anything is possible and you can get the most amazing textures from simple household items.

This piece is textures with a combination of tissue paper, lace, a comb, and a potato masher. Painted with acrylics.

Art is an adventure that never seems to end.  ~Jason, Los Cerros Middle School, 1999

Art:- Delicate Movement

Moments of Gratitude (Modern Appliances)

Modern Appliances

This week our toaster broke which meant that when making breakfast we had to stand at the toaster and hold the lever down until it was ready. It is amazing all the other things one can do normally while the toast is cooking itself, make the tea, pour the cereal, get the milk out of the fridge. So standing there holding down the toast I realised how lucky we are to have all these modern appliances which make our busy life so much easier! No manual washing of clothes or dishes, instant boiling water, a clothes dryer for rainy day, I even have a little robotic vacuum which scoots around the tiles and vacuums up the dog hair while I am at work!! Seriously .... I have name him Wally!

So this week I decided to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the modern appliances which save me so much time, and on Saturday morning I went and purchased us a very groovy new toaster and kettle to match!!

“But the toaster was quite satisfied with itself, thank you. Though it knew from magazines that there were toasters who could toast four slices at a time, it didn't think that the master, who lived alone and seemed to have few friends, would have wanted a toaster of such institutional proportions. With toast, it's quality that matters, not quantity.”  Thomas M. Disch, The Brave Little Toaster

The Magic of Mosaic

This week I thought I would share my mosaic birdbath via Creative Every Day and Inspire Me Monday. It relates to the "one" theme of CED in a couple of ways - it was my first attempt at a mosaic and it is totally unique, the only one exactly like it on the planet... :-)

I had such a beautiful time with this project. It was extremely time consuming but the process of gluing the tiles into the design was so relaxing, almost meditative!

I bought a plain terracotta birdbath to start with and then a whole lot of colourful tiles from the local hardware shop. I had quite good fun smashing them up! I also found some sets of little square tiles in all kinds of colours, as well as some coloured round stones from home as well. So it didn't really cost much to make, it just needed alot of time and some patience.

I am really pleased with the outcome! It makes me happy every time I look at it, so bright and colourful.

I have had to secure the top onto the base as sadly not long after it's completion my cat Maya (bless her) jumped up onto it, the top fell off, landed on the base and smashed it. My heart sank for a moment but it was nothing a bit of glue and black paint couldn't fix.

I am really looking forward to doing another mosaic project soon, when I have the spare time. Perhaps a nice big garden pot or something could be fun. I have also seen some amazing mosaic mirrors as well which could be an awesome challenge.

Hope everyone has a magical, joyful and creative week!!

Moments of Gratitude (Sunny Autumn Days)

Sunny Autumn Days

This last week the weather has been absolutely glorious! After such a wet summer I am so grateful for this spectacular weather that we have been given in Autumn. The sky has been the most intense and amazing shade of blue. Perfect weather to be a cat and curl up in the sun!!

"Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns"  ~George Eliot

It's Beautiful Here

After a hectic week at work I was craving a weekend of solitude and peace. Sometimes in my job I have to talk and listen far to much, it becomes like a sensory overload towards the end of the week. I am aware that when I feel like this the cure for me is simply a weekend at home with my cat, my 2 dogs and my husband. No TV, not even music sometimes just silence, creativity and perhaps a good book. 

I had fun playing around with several ideas. This piece represents that space right in the centre of ourselves where there is a perfect nothingness. No thoughts, no expectations, no conversation, just pure Santosha, contentment.

I actually started out with colour everywhere, I went a little crazy with blending a confusion of colours that moved  into a centre of bright yellow. Perhaps this was an indication of how I was feeling. 

As the day went along it kind of transitioned into all white with bits of gold and yellow, which is certainly more true to how I felt by the end of a beautiful day at home with just myself and my pets.
 

It really is so beautiful there.......

Art - It's Beautiful Here

Moments of Gratitude (Blogging)

Blogging

When I decided to start Blogging at the beginning of this year I thought it would be a great alternative to many years of writing in a journal and a nice way to compile my thoughts and creative projects. I had no idea of the amazing communities of Bloggers that exist out there! There are so many talented and inspiring people who I am very grateful to have the opportunity to connect to, learn from and share the joys of creativity with.

“I think the pleasure of completed work is what makes blogging so popular. You have to believe most bloggers have few if any actual readers. The writers are in it for other reasons. Blogging is like work, but without coworkers thwarting you at every turn. All you get is the pleasure of a completed task.” ~ Scott Adams

Beautiful Buttons

The theme for Creative Every Day this month is one. Interesting……this can be interpreted in many ways so I am exciting to see what it conjures up for me over the coming weeks.

I decided to post my Button Artwork this week as each individual canvas in this piece has one button.  I bought a very groovy jacket from an op shop for about $5 just for the buttons. I had no idea what I was going to do with them at the time, I just new that there were so many unique and beautiful buttons on this jacket that I could not leave it behind.

Eventually the buttons became part of this artwork I made for my kitchen. I made each individual canvas with a different texture and the buttons became like the feature jewel on each one.