Hang in there.

Oh wow, this week was intense.

But hey--it's moving on out, and today?  Today is a new day.  Hip hip hooray!

The other night when we sat in the dark with the candles flickering away, soft and magical-like, I drew this baby bear illustration.  It was inspired by the hardness of the week, the pain I knew some people close-to-home were feeling, the fear of learning to let go and the need to keep hanging on.

It was inspired by the apple tree I saw, apples just barely hanging on, limbs shaking them loose, encouraging them to let go!
I was inspired by my drive home in the windstorm, praying for all the souls in the night, hoping everyone was safe and warm and tucked into someone's arms, hoping that we all just had someone to hang on to.

Hey, you know, it's a tough world.  It's a scary world.  But it's also a colourful world full of interesting characters who are imperfect, and who make mistakes.  It's a world that has dark bits mixed in with the beautiful bits.  It's a world where we get to get up each day and make it new!  Try again!  Start over.

Everyday we get to make a bad yesterday into an awesome TODAY!  We do!  We get this same opportunity over and over, which seems like a lot, but guess what?  We actually have a limited time.

So HANG IN THERE, friends, and go make your world a colourful, beautiful, fulfilling and loving place to be.
I believe in you.

Today, it's a...

Hey out there!  To all my fellow Vancouver Islanders, specifically my Cowichan peeps...hoping you are all safe and warm and WITH POWER! Woah, what a wind storm we had!
Crazy town.
My daughter is home from school today because her school is still without power.  Those lucky little rats get a FIVE DAY weekend due to the Rembrance Day holiday next week.

Anyway, due to the wind storm, I did not post my art share yesterday.  My internet was out, my phone was dead and, well, there's just something sacred and awesome about having NO POWER AND NO DISTRACTIONS.
Hanging out with your family in candlelight with nothing but conversation to occupy you is a pretty special thing, so I decided to put it off and take a moment to remember.

That just means that you lucky rats get a DOUBLE SHOT of art, which I would always say is an awesome way to recover from a scary storm.  Whew (phew?)
That's cool, yo.

Here we are with DOUBLE SHOT #1:

QUOTE BY RUMI

I created this piece by hand-lettering the words with a marker in my sketch book.  I then scanned them into Photoshop and made them white.  The background is a cropped photo of a painting I am working on.  The colours didn't come through exact but I like them all the same.  In Photoshop I played with the brightness and contrast as well as the levels to achieve a cohesive light to the background.  Then I pasted the letters onto the background layer and added a few illustrations of feathers that I did in black ink (turned white).

I like it.  I think the painted background adds depth and I love the poet Rumi.  His words written so long ago are still succinctly relevant today.

DOUBLE SHOT #2:

This is a second version of the same.  Instead with this piece, I left the feathers out and used a differently coloured part of the same painting as the background.  Basically though, the creative process was the same.  I like this one too.  It feels more mysterious and a bit more relevant to the words.

What do you think?  #1 OR #2?

I find it interesting that this was the art I planned to share on a day that we got spun into a fury by a highly intense windstorm.  Actually, this week feels like it's been a five day long whirlwind of crazy.  That crunchy Taurus moon has created some interesting tension and pushed stuff to the surface, casting doubt and confusion to the cosmos, leaving it to float around like feathers in the wind.  Whoa.
I'm learning in these moments, these crunchy-hard-confusion moments to brace myself with calm, to root my feet firmly to what I hold sacred and to grip hard to the truth of what I know to be right. And so I stay grounded while I spin, scattering stars like dust.

Sometimes, anyway.

Hey, you know what?  Last night while my family and I hunkered down, my girl and I spent time drawing by candlelight.  I think as a little bonus to the DOUBLE SHOT, I will post that piece as well later on.  We'll see how much I can accomplish today between kid-at-home and work-out-of-home and house chores.  We'll see.

Stay warm.  Stay safe.  Do good.  Spread joy.
Peace.

Waiting in the wings. Art share no.2

Oh, hello Wedesday:)

Here is art share no.2 (I know, that title is so intriguing!!). I call this piece "Waiting in the Wings". It's an acrylic painting done on art board (Masonite) and I love it. 

This piece signifies a first for me. It's a painting that was guided mostly by my intuition instead of a photograph. I did use a few reference photos to draw the basic owl but from there I used previous experience with painting owls to guide me. 

Right now I am pushing myself further into intuitive creativity. I want my work to reflect my voice as clearly as it can and that means I have to rely on stylistic representation as much as possible. I have always been more of a stylized artist than a realistic artist. I love photorealistic art. I think it's amazing! But when I try to make my work look photorealistic I just get frustrated and want to give up. That's not a good thing. When I go with my gut and create in my own style and in the way I feel most guided, I want to soar. It makes me want to jump out of the shadows and fly. 

I called this piece "Waiting in the Wings" because when I look at it that's what I see. And when I look at my progression with art that's what I feel. Like I've been waiting in the wings. Waiting for my wings. Waiting to emerge from the dark into the light. 

Here's to choosing the light, stepping into ourselves and learning to fly. 

It's a PERFECT day to...

SHARE.

It's time.
Time to dive into the heart and the thought and the action behind using one little word to inspire my days and open my heart.
You may remember I wrote about using one word (read it here ) to excavate meaning and push me to goodness in my daily and yearly life.
To me, this idea functions on the belief that we have many, many opportunities to start our lives over in a single day.  To make it better.  To make it good.  To give it a go again with renewed gusto! 
Choosing one word anchors us to our good life.  We all know how simple it is to get stuck in the rut of  negativity and self doubt.  This activity helps keep our eyes on the good.

This past year, in honour of my chosen word light,  I subjected myself to some steep challenges in order to help myself lighten up.  To be light.  Spread light.  Connect to the light in the world and in myself.

I gave up alcohol and coffee (well, to be specific, I gave up caffeine--I still drink decaf coffee and every so often I slip and drink a full pull caffeinated brew).
I thought about giving up dairy--for health and ethical reasons, but that's been hard.
I gave up on ego too.  As best as I could anyway.  I mean, I'm no guru and I don't think I ever will be, but through this process I feel am more connected to my higher self and relying on my intuition and observer self more by using meditation and loving personal (self) talk to help me navigate my life with love and patience.

I have lightened up and it's been a great year.   I feel great.  I feel happy.

Lately I have been pulled to the word share.  You can read a post I wrote about it in the above link.

Usually the one little word phenomenon begins at the beginning of the calendar year.  However, I'm starting mine now, to get my feet wet and feel it out because my personal year is about to start.  I'm a Sagittarius, so in around one month it will be my birthday (yay!) and I thought that getting started on using my new word would be a great way to lead into my new personal year.  After all, this is the time where I should be committing to culminate a plan for my new year's intentions and desires.

So!

In order to make the new word and my desires go hand in hand, I am hereby committing to SHARING a daily piece of art here on this blog as well as on my Facebook page and my instagram profile for the next month.  From today to December 4th, which is one day after my birthday, I will post a piece of artwork that I have created.  The pieces will be a mix of work that I will create this month and stuff I've already made and haven't shared properly.  The pieces will be a mix of all the styles I feel comfortable with: paint, script, ink, illustration, digital design, photography, writing.  Some of the pieces will be for sale and some won't.  Some will go on sale later and some may never be for sale.

The idea behind this challenge is to get out of my own way and keep putting my work (and myself) into the world.   I am forever doing something creative: doodling while on the phone, photographing while on a walk, writing poems in my head, etc.  It is time these things saw the light of day! I need to force myself to quit waiting until something is completely perfect before I share it, because it will never be perfect! But it is all very good and lovely and I must share that with the world.  Plus, it is my goal to be a working artist.  This is how I figure I can get that energy rolling.

I am declaring this challenge publicly in the hopes that someone will take notice and call me out when I slip.  I should be able to manage it as I have created a schedule of what art to share for each day, but I may get busy and forget, so I hope someone will take note if I do and say hey! get back up on that horse lady!

Ok, so, for today, the above graphic is what I have to share.  It is called "A perfect day to love." and it was created with the simple thought that each day we can choose to love or to leave.  We can choose hard (to love) or easy (to leave) but if we choose the path that seems easy, we may have to go back and do it again, so really, any day is the perfect day to choose love.  I think it's a simple and beautiful thought and idea expressed in a simple and beautiful illustration.
It was created by scanning two separate pen drawings I made into my computer and then working them up in Photoshop using the paint bucket, paintbrush and text tool.  This is one of my new favourite ways to create art these days.  I love the simple versatility of illustrations and Photoshop.  They are delicious to me!

Hey, thanks for reading along.  Come back tomorrow for share #2.

The things I know for certain: a poem about living.

I know for certain that trusting in the process instead of trying to control the outcome is frightening.
And I know that ego and fear makes it so.

I know that deep breaths and relaxing into my body keeps me here on earth and not floating into
the dark, black skies of my monkey mind.

I know for certain that creative people sometimes get really quiet.
I know it looks like they're doing nothing.
Like, they are unproductive.
But I know that isn't true.

Inside my brain is a kaleidoscope of furious, colourful thought about how to
be better, make better, love better.
I know that sometimes productivity needs to be the focus
and, sometimes, quiet thought is where productivity is born.
I know that my quietness scares some people.
I know that's ok.
Because I know that sometimes I just need time alone.
Everybody needs some time alone.

I know that walking and swimming and gulping in the elixir that is Vancouver Island air
brings my anger, sadness, judgement, fear, loneliness,
into perspective.
It calms my heart.  It fuels my breath.  It relaxes my monkey.

I know that stuffing and gravy and potatoes aren't certainly healthful, but they are soulfully comforting.
I know that so is chocolate, and I know that it's incredibly hard to give up dairy.

I know I can do hard things, like let my children go and grow into their own souls and
cut the cords from difficult people and
check into my own bullshit and be accountable for it,
without blaming others.
I know I can do that.

I know for certain that alcohol doesn't mix well in my blood,
even though it has brought me a lot of fun times.
I know that coffee is so damn good,
but caffeine, in the end of it all, is better left alone. (or maybe just for once-in-awhile's)

I know that babies are miracle workers sent to earth from the greatest source of Love there ever was.  And I know that trusting in the way things are is the greatest lesson.
I know for certain that I miss the people who were once here and
are now not here in this body incarnate.
But I know that when I need them
I know they are just right there, over my shoulder.
(probably having a glass of wine, or a mug of cold brew)

I know if I walk, eat chocolate, stay in my body and breathe,
if I walk, and think think think, be quiet, talk to my Angels, hug my children and
look deep into their souls,
I know then that my faith is strengthened.

I know for certainly certain and for certainly sure that creativity is my blood and bones
and I cannot live without it.
I know those who try to take it from me will float away.

I know for sure that I am still learning and that getting older is awesome.
I know the Western world may not think an older woman is desirable, but I know I never want to be that kind of desire for anybody.
I want to desire myself.
My truth.
Who I AM, without the mask, without the lie, without any apology for being who I AM.
I know that age brings me the wisdom of my truth, gifts me the grace of my heart and honours me with the glory of my being.
I know that I want all the humans to know for certain that they are loved! and they have nothing to prove, only light to give.
I know that right now at this moment I know myself better than I ever have;
I love myself better than I ever have;
I care for my heart better than I ever have and I know--I know for certain--that this feeling,
this knowing, this love and care--it is so so beautiful.
I know that this knowing will change and sometimes I will be confused.
I know that's ok.

I know sad songs sometimes make me feel so comfortable.
I know that loving people in spite of their flaws is everyone's job.
I know that this is the truth and this is the reason we are here.
I know we are supposed to heal our own hearts so we can heal other's.
I know that love is more powerful than hate.
I know it's hard to keep an open heart.
I know it's hard sometimes, to love, and I know it's easier sometimes to hate.
I know that fear is the reason why.

I know all that I know and I know that I don't know and I know that that is ok.

XO Dalyce/14

Hello baby

This post is going to shock many people, but in a good way.

Recently I became a grandmother to a beautiful wee baby girl named Damaris.
(Yes, I am too young, but that's my business, thank you:)

Now, before I continue, I want clear up a few things because I know many will wonder.

Yes, I cried when I first found out.  Yes, it was hard news to take.  Yes, I was shocked.  And sad.  And scared.  Yes, I was worried sick.
I cried, and I didn't sleep and I was so completely caught up in my own feelings I failed to help support my scared and worried son in those first weeks after I knew.

Not a proud parenting moment.

Then one day, as I arrived at work bewildered, heart full of my own regrets, head full of bullshit stories about my horrible parenting skills, I confessed this truth to a colleague who ever-so-bluntly and graciously told me to basically get over myself.

BEST. ADVICE. EVER.

Not even kidding.  I needed that smack upside the head so bad because it turned everything around for me and I began to see this new development in our life as a blessing to be joyful about.  I mean, after all I was about to become a grand mama.  What a gift!  A baby was coming to bless us with the beauty of life and beginnings and love.  No greater gift on earth.

Opening up into that joy and acceptance was a game changer which helped my son open up to me about his fears and his excitement.  I became able to really hear him and be there as he poured out his heart.  I was able to soothe the fear or guide the uncertainty and remind him that there was so much love surrounding the baby and him and his partner, and they would be just fine.
That felt great.
It felt right.  It felt infinitely better than stressing or worrying about their future and all the roadblocks they were potentially up against.  It was freeing and calming and felt so good in the pit of my soul.
Which is what this whole parenting gig is about.
I have learned a great deal through this lesson, but really I have learned just one simple lesson.
Life is the ever present journey of walking through the peaks and valleys of trial and triumph.  We stumble, we stand up.  We learn, we forget.  We get scared, we succeed.  No one gets to bypass this truth, we are all doing this same dance, and if we can remember to hold each other up in kindness and love, while staying true to our own path we can do a much better job of helping others stay true to theirs.
This is never more evident, I believe, than when we are parenting.
The reality is we all have our own paths to walk.  We all must choose our own way to go and we must stay true to what calls us into greatness.  Children are the teachers whom we are here to guide and nurture, but we may never claim their journey as ours, even though it feels as though we own them because of how attached we get to their well-being when they are young.
We don't.
They are not our possessions, they are gifts on loan from the universe, here to teach us about humility and grace and patience and joy. Overwhelming joy.

They say parenting is a journey in letting go from the moment we begin, and it's true.  Heartbreakingly and heart-openingly true.  I wouldn't trade this ride for any other because most of all what it has taught me is to trust that everything done in love will always be fine.  Great, in fact.  And I cannot wait for the new leg of this journey to get underway...parenting with experience, time and pure love.
Being a grandparent.

Welcome sweet Damaris and congratulations Damon and Kayla.  I am so proud of you two beautiful souls and honoured to be walking these peaks and valleys with you both.

Share

I do this "blogger" thing where I choose one word every year and try my best to let that word guide my process of doing life throughout the year. It's a cool and nifty thing and I'm getting better every year.

This year my word is light. 
The feeling I had when I choose the word light was (for lack of a more interesting way to say it) heavy.

I've  been going through  a lot of transitioning and shedding of false skins in the last three point five years. It all gets to feel heavy at times. 
I wanted to move into the light. 

So. I painted reminders on stones and on feathers and I tucked them into my studio.

Every time I create I see them and they help ground me to the notion of what "light" is. They remind me how I can choose to be light and spread my wings into joy rather than sorrow.  How I can choose to remember my inner light and that I am divine. How I can make light in the world by spreading loving feelings and laughing in difficult moments rather than mourning. 

The action of choosing one word and excavating its meaning has really worked to put me on the right path to wholehearted living. It has guided me to make loving choices in moments of fear and to find ways to help heal and honour my heart in moments of stress. 

It truly has helped me be more conscious of my life and has been subtly pivotal in turning things around. It was the small push I needed to begin living my life according to how I feel about it. And how I want to feel. Which is free. And joyful. Clear and kind hearted. 
I want to feel light (free, unencumbered, whole, buoyant, joyful) and I want to feel lit up (from within, a sacred flame burning strong in my soul) as though I am on fire with curiosity and a passion for goodness. 

Because life is full of goodness if you allow it to be so. And when you get closer to the light you can see it so much better. 

Normally this choosing of words is officially revisited and changed at the beginning of the year, but right now my subconscious is continually being poked and prodded by the word "share" and I feel like I need to pay attention to that, so I've decided to begin trying this new word on now. It will be in conjunction with my current word light, and it won't be full-blown focused-on yet but I'm going to start allowing it to permeate my days and see how it feels. 

Share. 

Share my heart. 

Share my art. 

Be light and open into myself so much I can allow others to see my truth. Allow myself to see it.  By sharing and perhaps by knowing when not to share. 

Because there are always two sides to every story. 

Thanks for letting me share:)

Ritual for my creative work.

Hello Friday Lovers!  

This morning I got to thinking about establishing rituals around my creative work.  For awhile now I have known that it's a headspace I need to open into.  Because I spend so much time entrenched in the world of linear thinking & doing (THINK: school, media, work dogma), I get easily distracted from staying focused creatively.  Creative work is such a free and open avenue & I seem to follow any intuitive spark down rabbit holes of forgetfulness and end up starting too many projects and not staying focused on just a few, or not getting my finished pieces TO MARKET so I can make some cosmic cash for the work I do.
I am so used to having deadlines provided for me that I find it hard to do it for myself, BUT, I also know that if I put my mind to something I have a great deal of inner strength to see it through.  The trick is to put my mind to it though, which is easier said than done.  So today I  jotted down things that spark intuitive inspiration while keeping me focused on the task at hand.  I have found that repeating things over & over gives our Monkey Brain a kick in the can so we can access our available power. (I LOVE kicking the Monkey Brain in the can).
Once we establish a routine that feels soothing & honours our need to be inspired, we are better able to get to it and WORK! Which is awesomesaucery in all its glorious forms.

Here's my sweet little list. Keep in mind, it is a work in progress and subject to my ever-changing cosmic inclinations.

RITUALS FOR MY CREATIVE WORK

-aura-cleansing, REIKI, meditation (for centering)

-mindfulness in my body and in this moment ( to keep centered)

-tea and incense (to set the core of my center deliciously on FIRE)

-feathers, or A feather (to remind me to stay free and loose; to be courageous and take a flying leap OUT OF THE BOX)

-a moment to free think/write/ create (to keep me OUT OF THE BOX & in my center)

-time to read (sparks my creative soul-fire)

-music of various types (this is like air for the soul-fire; helps the flames dance)

-wear cozy, soft clothes and be in a warm, grounded environment (to soothe me into my rhythm)

And sometimes...

-take a walk, stretch, plank, elliptical (to break it all up and crack it back open; keeps the soul-fire a-burning)

These are things I can do one-by-one or altogether to help spark the flame.  They get me in the groove and set me on a path to accomplish a task.  They will never be followed in linear order, but will circle around and evolve and fall away just as life does.

What would your rituals be?

Current obsessions.

CURRENT OBSESSIONS

Hello my loves!

Lately it seems the Universe has been totally answering the questions I randomly through out there and so much good stuff has been landing in front of my eyes.
Like, solid awesomeness.
Of course, I want to share the goodness so the rest of y'all can get in on it.
Here are some links to incredibly wonderful things creative and soulful.

Babe vibes
Kara Haupt is a young designer living in Portland (of course, Portland!) and her instagram feed is delicious.  This is her newest venture and I think it is golden.  Specifically this and this. 

Lisa congdons book and podcasts 
Lisa is an artist I have been following for about two years.  This year she has really grown her presence and all of her resources are incredibly inspiring to me.

And since we're checking out podcasts (a serious new obsession for me!) I want to share this interesting one about growing your creativity. 

Elise Blaha is another creative lady I have followed for around two years. She is a maker of many things and just all around easy to gravitate to.  I find her helpful and inspiring and I love her new work on the podcast series because you can just tell that she is lit up during the conversations she has with her guests.  I love that.

I have always used Uni-ball pens for my illustrations which I love, but recently have tried Microns and Papermate.  I find that each brand has a different feel and quirks to get used to but I like what each of them offer me in my process. 

AND! Stay tuned for a sweet line-up of baby animal illustrations I created for a friend.  Each drawing helped me gain more insight into how to use Photoshop and to embrace illustration as a very enjoyable style of creativity.  I am currently obsessed with making more baby animal prints and illustrations like this in general.

Thanks for reading friends, and hey! Get out there in the world and make yourself happy. ILY<3!

Hornby island.

U

HORNBY ISLAND

Ok friends, I have been working on this post for awhile, but none of it has felt right or interesting or relevant, so it has been erased about three times.  I've done extra research, which is cool because I learned lots about the geological and settlement history of the island.

BUT.

I wasn't feeling the vibe by reporting on those facts.  What I want you to know and what I want to record here is how Hornby Island makes me feel.  And that makes a lot of sense because, hey, I'm an artist and I navigate my world and life by how I feel.

Hornby Island is a magical place, but that is a biased statement because I truly feel Vancouver Island and all the Gulf Islands and Coastal areas are magical.  I truly do.

There is an energy here on this gorgeous rugged coast that cracks my heart in a million achingly awesome ways. The nature and the air and the roots and the sky. These places inspire me and drive me and move me to feel whole in such a simple way.

Hornby is unique though.  It's like unicorns and pixie dust.  This place is peppered with white sand beaches and black sand hiking paths. It's a little land mass which was formed below the surface of the sea South of the Equator millions of years ago by Volcanic lava.  It rode on the back of the Pacific Plate to land in the spot it's in now, parallel with the Comox Valley and across from Denman Island.  As the water retreated, the faerie forests grew all around and turned it into the magic sweet spot it is today. 

It has rocky, sandstone and boulder beaches where you can find fossils and beautifully coloured stones. There's a gorgeous hiking park called Helliwell which winds through forests and around beautiful bluffs overlooking a wide expanse of ocean.  Ford Cove is a secret little treasure hosting a sandstone corridor of coolness that reminds you of moonwalking. 

This place is so inspiring.  The forest line hovering over the very unique rock formations have me gasping and drinking it in through my eyes every time.  The clear ocean waters and sandy beaches make me feel like I am in a tropical Paradise even though I am literally three hours away from home.

This place holds secrets of beauty and spirit and an artistic lifestyle. It is grand and discrete all at once and it is crying for me to explore her over and over. So, perhaps the biggest secret of this treasure island is that it longs to be my future home. 

If you haven't been there, I suggest you consider trekking on over. 

Cheers beauties. 

Xo

GOOD VIBES ONLY.

Coffee all day under the yellow sun.
Executive meetings with forest folk and water sprites.
Deep, deep breaths of wild air.

GOOD VIBES ONLY.

I'm floating in the forest and meditating by the lake.  I have my sketchbooks and my most treasured little lady by my side.  We're soaking up nature, adhering to natural rhythms, hustling for sticks and stones, feathers and water.

Take care you gentle hearts, I will be saying prayers of wellness for all of you as I build back my levels of natural energies.

PEACE OUT.

Curious little fox PART THREE.

Good morning!

Today I am sharing the final version of the baby fox print I created.  Version one and two are here and the original drawing is here.

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As you can see, this final version has been built up from a little hand-drawn illustration.  It evolved from an idea, a bundle of lines, a pen and some paper, a scanner, a computer and a powerhouse design program.  From all of that, a small idea grew into a sweet and adorable baby fox looking to explore the curious world and become who he is meant to become.

As I was developing these little fox posts to share with you, it dawned on me that the design process for my illustrations parallels my journey as an artist.

Three years ago I decided to honour my creative spirit by exploring art making.  At that point, I was awakening from a nervous breakdown.  I had no real idea of what my journey would look like just that I needed to follow the voice that was firmly whispering in my heart.

It was a little idea that scared me.  It grew into a bundle of lines and brushstrokes and words on a screen.  There have been piles of paper and many pens. There have been tears, fears and joy.  I have acquired technical equipment, done research and had many discussions. I've moved through growing pains, learning curves and a whole lot of being brave.  This journey has slowly become a powerhouse program of self-actualization. I am growing into the human I was always meant to be through exploration of a curious and wonderful world.

When I started out all I had was my inherent love for creativity, a few skills I had gained through high school art class, and a strong undeniable desire to make art in some form.

Along the way I have taught myself how to use Photoshop, how to paint with acrylics, how to design layouts and create interesting compositions, how lighting matters and how to use social media to gain exposure.  

But mostly, I learned that honouring my soul desires makes me a better person, that creativity is essential to living a successful life and that striving to stay open-hearted in a curious world keeps me fresh and full of spark. 

I love to learn, to grow, to share and to make.  I love being an artist and at the end of the day, I love navigating the learning curves and growing pains that come with the territory, because they help me grow my soul and become my true self.
Without art I would be a mere shell of a human.  A hollow bundle of lines not fully realized by the colour and composition that creativity offers.

Creativity fleshes out our bones.  It makes us real and full and softens our hard edges.  Being creative  sparks neurons and carves new pathways in the brain and in the heart.  It magnifies our purpose and brightens our souls. Most importantly, pursuing creativity helps us to help others find their own passions and purpose, which increases the awesome factor in the world.

If you stopped for a minute and thought about how creativity informs your life, what would it look like?  How does creativity show up for you?  How does it help you become the human you were destined to be?

How would you create more space in your life to flesh out the bundle of lines that just aren't fully realized yet? 

These questions are so important to me.  I want to know more about how other people find and use their true creative passions to inform their journey. And I want to share my journey too.

It feels like another path opening along my way.

Thank you for reading and supporting my journey.  If you ever have any questions about my creative life, please never hesitate to ask.

Happy Tuesday:)

Hello sunshine.

Hello sunshine!

After a few days of decent rain and cool, almost autumn-like weather, my soul has been soothed. The forests are soaking it in, the furry and feathered have been given reprieve. 

And now I'm summoning a mild version of summer to usher us through to the days when the sun begins to tilt away from this side of the earth. I'm hoping that the sun decides to join me on my holidays and give me the blessing of relaxation and warm restful days. 

Have a nice weekend!

Little Fox

Good morning! 

Things are looking pretty refreshed around these parts as the rain sweeps over the Valley with a bit more punch than we've been experiencing lately.  I realize it seems odd to wish for rain in the small window of the year where we actually get to enjoy sun, but boy oh boy it is needed.  Not just for the forests and waterways and animals but for our collective peace of mind.  The rain is washing away the sadness and the overwhelm and bringing in some quiet solitude.  It is needed.
Anyway, today I am here to share a look at a baby fox illustration with some colour added.  If you follow me on my face book page, you will remember the first and second post where this little guy was just a bundle of lines that I drew and altered in photoshop.  Today I am sharing the painted version, and next week I will share the full colour final rendition that will be heading off to his new home in a new baby's nursery.
And just a note for those who are interested, this fox is the fourth in a series of animal illustrations I have been working on this year.  Each of them are customizable and for sale as prints.  You may contact me via private message or email if you would like to purchase any of them.  I will be loading them into my Etsy shop once summer winds down and life starts humming with routine again. But until then, I will be soaking in the rain and soon, the sun as I sign off for a week of MUCH needed time off work.

Thanks for checking in and have an AWESOME day:)

Fox illustration line only 

Fox illustration painted

THOUGHTS on the MIKONE VINTAGE MARKET

It's been about 11 days since I showed as a vendor at the Mikone Market, and I think I have finally recovered from the low level exhaustion I encountered as I prepped for the show.
The bliss joy, however have not subsided and I am still floating on cloud nine thinking of the wonderfulness of it all.

Joining the market was a total whim.  It was a "leap across the canyon of blind faith" moment.  It was the "I have no idea what I 'm getting myself into here" feeling and saying "Who cares, I'm doing it anyway".

I threw all caution to the wind and jumped, blind, both feet forward, hoping for the best.
And it was the best.

I asked myself about half way through the preparation, what exactly I was hoping to accomplish by attending.  I'm a graphic and visual artist and illustrator.  I have no passion for vintage item reclamation (although I think it's a totally rad passion to have) and I have NO CLUE about refinishing furniture with specialty paints and waxes (although I would LOVE TO LEARN, ahem, Lisa).

But, I am a girl who has a solid romance with creative vulnerability, and a deep love for making art.  I'm also pretty much my own worst enemy when it comes to taking a chance on myself.  I mean, I am really damn good at talking myself into the notion of having all conditions be PERFECT before I fly, so taking this leap off the canyon when not a single thing was known or understood beforehand, was absolutely exhilarating and necessary.
And very frightening.
And so completely awesome.
I had no idea what to expect or what to bring, for that matter.  I had a nasty voice in my head telling me no one would give two snits about my work.  I had a full, full schedule on top of my market prep schedule and six weeks to get it all together.

SO, I decided that:
a good night's sleep was currently irrelevant;
I was gonna just "bring it" and "wing it" (somewhat like "fake it till you make it");
ANY VOICE which wanted to bring me down could suck it (to speak bluntly);
and  schedule, medule...I WAS GOING TO GET THIS DONE.

And. I. Did.

So.  What did I want to get out of this experience?  I wanted to gain experience.  I wanted to understand how to do this.  How to get better next time.  What to do more of and what to eliminate completely. And I wanted to connect with people.
Connection with real humans in real time is what makes art so rad.  I heard so many stories about owls and what they mean to people.  I heard countless people talk to me about their dream of being an artist, and I was able to inspire and encourage their vision.  People loved the scripted words.  They felt empowered by them and connected to an idea that when you see art that says you are awesome or that you can trust yourself, then maybe, just maybe it's actually true.
My heart grew ten-fold that day just in the connections alone!
And, people loved the work.   They bought my stuff and wanted to buy the original pieces.  They asked about commissions and adored the customizable baby prints.  They loved the work.
Which, of course is pretty rad too.

Oh, there's so much more about that day that is forever tucked into my secret heart where all the beautiful stuff goes.  The entire vibe.  The gorgeous displays, the furniture, the women who are making beautiful things and sharing them with the community. The entire MAKER community!  This sweet little market draws in all sorts of intelligent and creative folks who are just so supportive and I LOVED seeing women support women who are juggling busy lives, but who are also following passions.
It was like a moment in time where all the magic from this corner of the Universe was channelled into this sweet little spot for six hours and connected us all in a creative pursuit to beautify the world.

How awesome.

Huge thanks to Kiona who is the lovely maven of the Market.  You are so completely awesome in a million ways! Huge thanks to my family, my husband, mama and kids for helping me and supporting me through the prep and big day.  Huge hugs and kissses to old friends and new that stopped in to say hi, or texted their love or bought an item or two.  You all are just so wonderful and I am infinitely blessed to have you bodacious souls surrounding me with your light.

Phew.  I love you all.  And, life?  I REALLY love you too.

Full hearts & a head full of inspiration.

Oh man!  The market is come and gone and I've caught up on my rest. 

I am fullof inspiration & the drive to Make! Create! Paint! 

But alas, my house and studio are directing my energy otherwise. 

Time to Clean! Purge! Organize! so I can get back to making. 

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my booth Saturday and to all my helpers & supporters. I have a few more posts coming along regarding the whole experience, but first, I must clean up my space!

Happy Wednesday friends. 

Peace & creativity to all. 

MANIFESTO of AWESOME

This sweet little quote came from a Chinese fortune cookie that I got last weekend.  It is the perfect set of words to describe my journey as an artist and as a human.  For years and years I believed the story of our culture that artists cannot make money and art is not a career path.  To me that story is a sad and frustrating one.  It led me to think that being an artist was IMPOSSIBLE.  I have ALWAYS been an artist.  It has always been my secret desire, but with this mindset, I denied my guiding intuition and chose wrong paths.  MY STORY then, became as sad and frustrating as the story of our culture which seeks to keep free spirited creative people trapped in an idea that doesn't belong to them.

However, sad stories are just one part of the equation, because the awesome thing is that I WOKE UP! with a great and tremendous start three years ago and declared that art WAS my journey.  I  then set out to make the IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE & haven't looked back since. 

MY STORY has evolved into A MANIFESTO OF AWESOME and that's what I want to share with the world.

HOW TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLE

NUMBER ONE: it is NEVER TOO LATE to pursue your passion!  Creativity is our BIRTHRIGHT & we are ALL ARTISTS in OUR OWN WAY.  Find YOUR WAY and work HARD to make it happen.  It is true that sometimes we mistakenly follow the wrong path because we believe in the status quo.  THAT'S OK, as long as you eventually find your WAY BACK to the journey of your soul.  I KNOW that following your heart and walking the path of your soul SOMETIMES REQUIRES being torn into a million little pieces.  THAT IS MORE AWESOME THAN YOU REALIZE.  YES! It is going to hurt terribly (it will!), BUT! you will re-emerge into YOUR STORY much like a strong & resilient PHOENIX from the ashes of its old life, READY TO TAKE CHARGE!  I believe that once we are taking charge of our journey we are learning how to help the journey of other people.  IT IS OUR DUTY TO SHARE WHAT WE KNOW.  Everyone is fighting a battle and WE CAN help one or two of those humans SIMPLY BY BEING HONEST about where we have been.  I believe that  we get stronger each day that we live our TRUTH, BUT!! we will still make stupid mistakes, say dumb things to people that we LOVE, or sabotage our own efforts with negative mind loops that NEVER HELP US GET BETTER. DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP!  It happens! Go cry it OUT and then get some sleep.  Tomorrow IS A NEW DAY FULL OF BEAUTIFUL POSSIBILITY. So, apologize, brush off the dust, and KEEP GOING.  I BELIEVE that DONE is better than PERFECT.  I KNOW THAT YOU MUST make something OR DO SOMETHING EVERYDAY to move closer to your goals and dream.  Even if you only spend five minutes a day in between your DAY JOB and making all the meals and folding all the laundry, and wiping the noses and driving the kids to sports/music class, SPEND FIVE MINUTES doing something THAT WILL GET YOU FIVE MINUTES CLOSER TO YOUR DREAM. Seriously, DO THAT! And DO NOT quit your day job YET! It probably sucks really BAD and most days you FEEL EMPTY inside having to return your tired and battered heart back to those stuffy and pretentious walls, BUT REMEMBER, IT IS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE to have MONEY TO FUND YOUR DREAM.  Plus, you have to eat, so get REAL. And get over yourself.  You have it pretty good, despite what your negative loop wants you to believe. I BELIEVE IN YOU. I THINK YOU ARE AWESOME AND I KNOW THAT YOU GOT THIS! Now, go on and start MAKING IT HAPPEN.  I DID and I love my life.

Oh, it's a work in progress, and I want to tidy up the words a bit, but I have plans to make this MANIFESTO OF AWESOME into word art, much like this one here.  Any interest in that?  Would you buy it and hang it in your house or gift it to someone AWESOME who could use some encouragement?  We could all use a little encouragement, no matter what our pursuits are!
Have a fantastic day and go spend FIVE MINUTES doing something to bring you five minutes closer to your dream life.

Trust in the beauty of your dreams.

Oh man alive!  I am really excited about the upcoming Mikone Market. Getting prepared for it has been a whirlwind and I'm not sure if I'm coming or going most days, but thats ok, because taking the big leap of publicly showing my collection of work has pushed me to do the things I've been thinking about, but putting off. 

It's forced me to belly up to the plate and take a crack at the bat. It's given me the energy and inspiration to trust myself, my work, my dreams and go full on. To get all in. To giver and getter done. 

Pretty darn awesome & I love it. 

The image above is a snap of a Goethe quote painted in brush script and printed on canvas. It is gorgeous. Simply stunning and swoon worthy. 

It is printed from MY handsome beast of a pro photo printer which I purchased in October and I am thrilled with it.  THRILLED. 

It's so satisfying and wonderful to see the fruit of my labour, blood, sweat & tears. To hold my dream in my hands and gaze upon it in real life gives my heart  wings and clicks my fragmented spirit back into one whole piece. This. This is living passion. This is what listening to the whispers of my heart has become. This is what following your dreams and working really hard looks like folks. And I'm here to tell you: if I can make my dreams real, so can you. You can too. You just have to learn how to trust yourself and you can do anything. 

Love amid chaos

Oh Hey! Happy Monday. How's it goin'?

Over here things are somewhat chaotic and messy. Perfect conditions for a little kick in the pants.  Phew. I can totally move mountains when I'm treading chaotic waters. Its not great for my heart but it gets the juices flowing and the inspiration jivin. 

This weekend I wrestled with my printer which is a beast of a machine. It probably won more battles than I did but times like these help me to learn how persistent I can truly be.  Something I don't give myself enough credit for. 

The photo above is a little snap I took with my iPhone. It's a small slice of what's going on in my studio right now. 

It's a complete disaster!  What a mess. Craaaazzzy messy, but that tells me two things: I am busy making art & I am living passionately amid chaos. That's a beautiful thing. Well, actually two things, but who's counting?

Also, that sweet little print?  It's gorgeous and is going to be making its way to its new home with Christa on June 7 when I hit the Mikone market at Cobble Hill Hall. 

I love it and I love it's message. Love you more. To me it means so many things. It's what my mom says to my children when she says goodbye, it's the inspiring message my dear friend & neighbour Joeleen would use to finish off her emails when she was sharing her courageous battle with illness last fall. It's the way I feel about making art and being an artist. I love making art and it helps me to love myself more. Whenever I feel like I'm not good enough, art pulls me to the place where nothing matters except to create. 

When I go there, I am simply in love with life. I love art and life and myself more & more. 

Thanks for your support friends! I love you more too. 

Xo

D

Rooted in the flow of creativity.

Welllll, hello there. How's every one this fine day? I'm sitting here with a todo list miles long and all I can think about is painting new art. Of course. Were coming up on Mercury Retrograde soon which means I HAVE to get my prints done for the Mikone Market like, last week!! Mercury tends to mess with things like plans, and technological stuff so really, I should be getting on it, but my paints and pencil crayons are calling me. 

Really, I'm dreaming about the art I plan to do while I'm at the market! Live art, so fun!! I cannot wait to be there and be part of the vibe and share my work with the community. I'm really excited to meet other vendors and see their work. It's gonna be beautiful. 

Today, the plan is to get my printer cranked up and shake out some gorgeous prints. Maybe a little family time will be squeezed in there too, and a delicious meatless dinner? Groceries? Oh gosh, this is looking like a full day. 

First up, guzzle back my coffee and get my fingers covered in paint!  That will help me get my head on straight enough to get the rest of it done. 

Cheers to you and all your plans for the day. Make it a gooder folks. 

I love May.

Hi friends! Are you all loving this gorgeous month of May as much as I am?  It is my fave month because the world just feels so full of life and beauty and sunshine! Triple hooray for sun and for springtime! Here on the island, we have it pretty freaking  good weather-wise, but it looks like the rest of the country is finally getting a break from winter too.

Around my place, life is full of twists and turns and hard work, as always, and I'm learning to embrace it all and be as patient with my tendency towards impatience as I can be. Learning to be gentle with myself and realize I can only do so much; giving myself props for all that I do get done, and soaking up as much living with my loves as I can. 

I've been secretly working on lots of new illustrations (which I'm completely smitten with) for an upcoming market fair in June.

It's my first market to showcase my work which is exciting & awesome & nerve wracking all at once!

All the details are threatening to drown me, as I am still working 28 hours a week at my retail job in addition to caring for my children and home. My awesome husband is a big help and plans to build me my display units which takes a big load off my mind, and gives me space to curate the art work. 

I've been trying to figure out what I'm hoping to get out of this experience, and what I've come up with is exposure.  I feel like getting out there and meeting people in real life is going to help build my brand and move me forward toward my goals. Sales are nice too, though, so I'm meditating on sales as well. :)

Off I go to get this day rolling, got lots to do!

Happy Thursday friends. 

  

Awesome Love

The other day my husband asked me what I was thinking about, as I stared off into the sky. 

"Art. Always thinking about art", was my reply.  

It's true. It's incredibly hard for me to focus on many mundane things in life when my brain is always full of imagery and composition and colour. 

Art surrounds us, and we mostly don't realize it. 

For me, my joy and my passion is to show others how art, and living our purpose can help us connect: to each other and to ourselves. 

This is one of my favourite designs. I call it Awesome Love and recently a fellow spontaneously chose to buy a copy for his wife. Just because. 

That's it folks. That's why I do what I do. 

So you, go on with your awesome self, get out there and find your way to make art in your life. Spread love. Make joy. Be passionate. Get your awesome love on. 

Welcome

Hello, my name is Dalyce (pronounced DALLAS).  Welcome to my art blog!

I've had two different blogs over the past three years, but they never felt like a good and comfortable fit. This blog is quite different.  I've approached the design and purpose from a whole new angle and it feels really right.

This is going to be my space to share and explore my love for all things ART.  I am an artist--in that I write, paint, draw, colour, build, and take pretty photos.  I also like to make delicious food, challenge myself to grow as a human spirit and dress in clothes that make me feel somewhat styled.  These are the ways I like to express my creativity and produce artful things to brighten up our world.

At this little webspace, you can expect a lot of delightful, inspiring and beautiful imagery to show up.  I will sometimes reflect on art as a healing medium, because I really believe in art-as-therapy, and there will be tips, ideas and techniques shared to help you become brave and inspired to make your own art.
I believe that we are all artists, whether we make pictures or build sculptures or fix engines for a living. Creativity is the magic juice that has the power to transform lives.  Let's get to know our creative powers!

Thanks for checking me out.  I'm totally thrilled that you're here!

XO, D

PAINTINGS