Tomorrow is Random Acts of Kindness Day!
Above is a poster I created (in action)...
You can print out copies of this poster
and other kindness goodies I've created here.
Showing posts with label Free Stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Free Stuff. Show all posts
Friday, February 16, 2018
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
2018: 24/365
Happy National Compliment Day!
Armed with post-its, pens, and positively punny praise, Tyler and I headed out to spread a little kindness today...
(Since it is also National Peanut Butter Day, we had to make sure to include some of the nutty stuff in one of our compliments!)
Leaving little notes of encouragement is one of my favorite things to do. I even created some free printable kindness cards, in case you're interested!
Friday, November 18, 2016
When All Else Fails... Make Art.
I have been at a loss for words lately.
I have been feeling all sorts of feelings, but I can never seem to find the right words to express them.
When I was little, I was painfully shy. (So shy in fact, that school conferences were arranged to discuss my shyness.) While I had a difficult time speaking up in the typical verbal sense, I discovered a way to communicate that didn't involve words... Art. Throughout my life, I have found that even when I don't know what to say, I can turn to my familiar friends, drawing and painting, to help see me through... It's my visual voice.
Since I currently find myself in the all-too-familiar predicament of struggling to verbalize my feelings, I was excited to read this post by Alisa Burke. When she shared the #artistsforlove movement that a beautiful and generous group of artists have started, it felt like a call to the easel.
This is my offering...
Click here for a hi-resolution downloadable & printable version.
No matter where you live, no matter what you believe, I think we can all agree that we could all use a little more kindness right now.
(A painting I made of Patience in February 2014.)
Kindness is not doing acts to appease our guilt
or to try to prove our goodness,
Revolutionary Kindness asks us:
.....to be bold in our resistance to what we know is not right/true
for our fellow humans…
...to be honest with each other and ourselves about the state of our nation (and hearts) and the ways we have individually contributed…
...to be willing to be uncomfortable while we learn the nuances and implications of our white privilege…
...to keep trying when we get it wrong…
...to be quiet and listen to the groups of people who have a different
skin color, religion, sexual orientation and abilities…
...to be ridiculously bold in our belief of the power of empathy and kindness…
...to act, to serve, to give - not because we are good people,
but because we *know* and deeply feel our own humanity...
and know just how much we need each other
and how much we need kindness ourselves…
...to believe that kindness can change or touch something
when no one else around you can see or believe it…
....to take kindness to places where none seems to exist, or to seek and discover it in the unimaginable…
...to try, just try kindness as a way of understanding the world and yourself…
...to offer what we have and nothing more, not to save the world, not to fix, but to follow our call as humans - the outcome is not our business.
This kindness humbles you, makes you fierce, stretches you in ways you didn't see coming, checks you, heals you, reveals your biases, comforts, disturbs, empowers, surprises...it changes *you*. ❤️
-Patience Salgado
You can read the original post at:
Monday, October 26, 2015
My Very First Video Tutorial!
I am so excited!!!
I am a BIG believer that creating art doesn't have to cost a lot of money. I believe in saving money where you can, so that you can splurge where you want. I am also a huge fan of sharing ideas. (I have even created some written tutorials in the past.)
Today, I am so happy to share my very first video tutorial that combines my belief in saving money, and my love of sharing ideas... How to create a professional looking wrapped gallery canvas using things you probably already have laying around the house!
I've shared the video over at the Willowing blog and I really hope you'll check it out... Who knows, maybe you'll end up saving so much money on canvases that you'll finally be able to get the supplies you've been wanting to indulge in, or sign up for the class you've been dreaming about taking... Either way, I hope you enjoy!
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Random Thoughts On A Thursday
Tyler's note
I found this little message yesterday on a scrap sheet of paper... I love nine year old wisdom.
My heart sings every time I receive an email about my "Take What You Need" poster... It is so fun for me to hear about where in the world they end up! (If you'd like to download and/or print it, click here for a high-res. pdf version.)
I am trying to take some of my own advice and be kinder to myself.
One of the ways I've been trying to banish the negativity gremlins and self-doubt monsters from my studio is by listening to audio books that promote positive thinking while I paint. (As a bonus, I have found that I am more productive when I do.)
I am a big fan of Kind bars... And not just because I love the name (although, I think that's pretty great too)!
I watched the movie "Wild", and now I'm thinking about reading the book. Usually I read the book before I watch the movie, so that I can create my own images in my head... Do you read the book or watch the movie first?
A collaboration with Tyler.
It is supposed to snow this weekend.
I'm not ready for winter.
Seeing my "Tea and Cake with Gracie" interview is like a ray of sunshine on a chilly day...
I'm so excited to be offering a free art tutorial, a free downloadable print, and giving away the ORIGINAL Frida painting (in the photo above) to one lucky Willowing reader! To read the interview and enter the Giveaway, please click here.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Life Book 2016 Giveaway Winner Announced AND Something For Everyone!
Wow! I have been blown away by the amazing response to Life Book 2016 so far! I am really enjoying meeting so many new people - it has me SO excited to teach next year... I wish I could giveaway a spot to all of you!!!
But since I can't, and since I don't want anyone to walk away empty handed, I drew & painted a FREE (hi-resolution) inspirational piece of art for YOU...
click on image to enlarge, save, print, etc...
(personal use only please)
Please feel free to save it, download it, print it, frame it, hang it, etc...
(As long as it's for your personal use).
I'm really looking forward to seeing where our imaginations take us next year!!!
Now, onto the Life Book 2016 Giveaway...
(My son, Tyler, was so excited to pick a random name from the hat!)
The winner of 1 spot in the AMAZING year long course is...
Congratulations Kim Costello!
Thank you to everyone for sharing your enthusiasm about Life Book 2016! (It's totally contagious!) For those of you still hoping to win a spot, there is still time to enter the other giveaways (see my last post for the list). And (just in case), please be sure to bookmark this link to sign up for Life Book 2016 when it goes on sale on October 5th!
Don't forget to download my Einstein drawing, and I look forward to seeing you in class!!!
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Big News And A Giveaway!!!
If you are new to my blog, Welcome!
(I hope you have some time to look around and come back to visit.)
If you're a regular, Welcome Back!
I'm always so happy to have you here!!
In my last post I promised an "amazingly awesome announcement", so without further ado here it is...
I am going to be teaching on Life Book 2016 next year!!!
I am over-the-moon excited, honored, and privileged to be invited to teach with 23 incredibly talented teachers on this amazing year long art course! I have personally signed up for this wildly popular course since it first began in 2012, so I know first hand how great being a student of Life Book is! And, which is why I feel so fortunate that I am able to celebrate my birthday tomorrow by giving away a space in Life Book 2016 to one of you!!! Keep reading if you want to find out more about Life Book 2016 and if you want to find out how you can win a spot!
First let me tell you a bit more about Life Book in case you haven't heard about it yet... “Life Book, a celebration and honouring of YOU” is a year-long mixed media art class organized by Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts. Tam is joined by 23 incredible art teachers who are all gearing up to share their mixed media techniques, tips and tricks with YOU! Themed around self-development and healing, you’ll be creating several loose mixed media art journal pages per month which by the end of the year you will bind into a glorious journal (a Life Book)! You will have a wonderful keepsake that you can treasure for the rest of your life!
You can find out a lot more about this wildly popular course (it has been joined by over 8700 people in the past!) by clicking HERE.
I'm currently planning my lessons, and while they aren't finished yet, I can tell you that I am happily going to be sharing some of my most favorite tips & tricks, and lots of information about how I create faces!
Registration opens on October 5th 2015 and the class begins on January 1st 2016.
Keep this page bookmarked so that you can sign up the moment it goes on sale!
Now then, onto the give-away and blog hop! I can give away 1 space on Life Book 2016 to 1 lucky winner! Yay!!! And if you follow the blog hop (see below for links and dates) you can up your chances of winning a space by entering all the other giveaways also!
How to enter the give-away:
1. Sign up for my newsletter.
2. Visit my Facebook page and "share" the post I made about Life Book to your page.
3. Leave a comment below letting us know why you would love to join Life Book 2016.
I will choose the winner by random draw and announce it on September 16th!
Here is the list of the other amazing teachers who will be teaching on Life Book – they will also be giving away a spot on Life Book so go check them out and enter their giveaways!
| 7th September | Tamara Laporte | http://www.willowing.org/ |
| 8th September | Annie Hamman | http://anniehamman.com/ |
| 9th September | Kristin Dudish | http://kristindudish.com/ |
| 10th September | Effy Wild | http://effywild.com/ |
| 11th September | Faith Evans-Sills | http://faithevanssills.com/home.html |
| 12th September | Gillian Lee Smith | http://www.gillianleesmithartist.com/ |
| 13th September | Ivy Newport | http://ivynewport.com/ |
| 14th September | Jane Davenport | http://janedavenport.com/ |
| 15th September | Jenny Grant | http://www.flowbyjenny.com/en |
| 16th September | Angela Kennedy / PennyStamper | http://pennystamper.blogspot.co.uk/ |
| 17th September | Lisa Viger | http://lisaviger.blogspot.co.uk/ |
| 18th September | Martha Lever | http://marthalever.blogspot.co.uk/ |
| 19th September | Mary Beth Shaw | http://www.mbshaw.com/ |
| 20th September | Melody Ross | http://www.melodyross.com/ |
| 21st September | Pam Carriker | http://pamcarriker.com/ |
| 22nd September | Pauline Agnew | http://www.seedbedstudio.net/ |
| 23th September | Rae Missigman | http://rae-missigman.squarespace.com/ |
| 24th September | Renata Loree | http://renataloree.com/ |
| 25th September | Roben-Marie Smith | http://www.robenmarie.com/ |
| 26th September | Roxanne Coble | http://bybun.com/ |
| 27th September | Shiloh Sophia McCloud | http://www.shilohsophiastudios.com/ |
| 28th September | Donna Downey | http://www.donnadowney.com/ |
| 29th September | Tracy Verdugo | http://tracyverdugo.com/ |
| 30th September | Wyanne Thompson | http://www.wyanne.com/ |
Enjoy the blog hop and good luck!
Thank you for entering, this giveaway is now closed.
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