We're moving

No, we're not moving from our house, but we're moving our blog from The Creative Nest over to our new location at Funtastical Studios as we feel it better reflects what we are about.  So come on over to our new blog at http://funtasticalstudios.blogspot.ca/ and you can continue to follow us over there.  See you soon.

Trish

The joy of painting

Recently I was hired to do a mural in a pediatrician's office.  I was happy to accept this job because it was a great opportunity to use art to bring some joy and smiles to children. After all laughter is good medicine

I first did two drawings with two colour schemes for the client to choose from

Guess which one they chose?

Fish beginning to take shape.  

 

The finished mural!

Little peeps!

Bye for now

I spy with my little eye

A typical April day rain! After being inside so much this winte,  rain isn't going to keep me from venturing outdoors.  Rubber boots, a camera, and what am I missing? The KIDS!  Out we go for a game of I spy with my little eye.
  

But first....let me grab a chair and my tools so that I am ready when inspiration hits me!  Hopefully inspiration comes quickly because it's a little chilly out here.   Eight degrees is not ideal weather to paint in.

Let the game begin!  I spy with my little eye.....

Bright pink, yellow and orange.  Colours that speak to me.  Hello Inspiration.  Now I just need something to paint.

Bright, bold, beautiful colours + faith!
A little message from an angel of faith reminding me that I need faith to step out into the dreams in my heart.  That faith is beautiful, it is bold, and it is bright.  This angel radiates just like faith!

Celebrate Easter

'One more day until Easter mom,' Is what I wake up to this morning.  My cheery Lucy smiles at me from ear to ear.  She is definitely a morning person!  I, not so much, as I roll over in bed.  Trying to catch up to her upbeat, wide awake mood,  I manage a smile more with my eyes then my mouth.  With an agenda in her head, she's already got the day fully planned.  From colouring and decorating the eggs, picking up the Easter treats, and getting an Easter movie to watch, we have a full day ahead.

Easter eggs doodled

But what is Easter to Me?
It is a celebration.
A time to be Happy.
A time to have fun.
To embrace others with love
Mostly Easter is a time where I remember what Jesus did for me on the cross over 2,000 years ago.  We celebrate that Jesus died for us and rose again!  It is a time where I reflect on my own heart and seek God to see if I have any unforgiveness towards anybody in my life.  It is a time to forgive and to bless.

Although I love easter chocolates, colouring eggs with my kids, giving out gifts and eating too much turkey and mashed potatoes,  I do it more because I want to celebrate!  I want to celebrate the best thing that ever has happened to me.........Jesus!
Yes, Lucy.  Only one more day until Easter!  Let the celebrations begin!

Artist at work

Steve's steady hand

Anna-Grace is more interested in drinking the yummy looking water

Trying to keep little hands out of the cups! I gave up, Yellow hands isn't so bad

Anna-Grace: Mission No More White Walls

As I am sure any mom can relate to, there are times in a day when you just long for some peace and quiet.  Having three kids at home, I find there is no lack of noise.  I try to encourage creativity and fun as much as I can, however it often comes with a volume that is off the scale.  So this particular day I wasn't bothered by the lack of noise that was happening in my house.

Now as most mom's would agree, a quiet house with three little ones, should set an inner alarm off.  But instead, I went into overdrive and thought I would begin to multi-task, and I kinda got lost in the moment, only to look up and see that Anna was on a mission:  a marker mission.  Not washable markers I might add (which I have since purchased by the dozens).  This was no undercover mission, as there she was in her everyday wear (diaper, t-shirt, and leotards) with markers in hand, taking out the white wall in my kitchen.  Glancing over at what she was doing, I gasped and yelled, "ANNA"!!!  I kinda had mixed emotions because I was liking the creativity that was coming out of her.  However, the words of my husband were ringing in my ears, "No more paint in the kitchen!", as he took great pride in his nice freshly painted white walls.

She must have enjoyed herself, because since then, she has also tackled missions doorway, bathroom wall, and window ledges.  She doesn't cover her tracks very well through because she always leaves a trail of uncapped markers behind her!  At least paint has not ended up on the walls!  Surprisingly, she likes to keep that on her fingers.  I think it may be time for mission removal:  all art supplies to the studio!

Anna's attempt to bring colour to the walls!

Finger painting

Notice the word washable!!

Creativity Hits the Road

Join us as we do a mission possible make-over on our new RV, 'The Champion'.  We recently were given a 1970's something RV which we called 'The Campion', taken right from the words written in between the headlights and above the very large grill.  Take a good look at 'The Champion' in it's present condition, because we are doing an extreme makeover of it starting in the spring of 2014.  We said good-bye to it last fall by tearing down all the old curtains and pulling out the rug, as well as all the old pillows and cushions, as it is awaiting some very unique textiles, designed by me!

'The Champion'

As you can see, this mission won't be possible without a lot of extreme creativity.  The Champion currently is a bit of a sight for sore eyes.  Steve is pulling out the big guns for this one.....that is, the paint gun!  Not sure what he is planning on doing with it, however if his artwork is any indication, then it should be done in about 40 years.  I have already decided that my artistic flare will be better off in the interior.  After a few paint gun catastrophes, and being engulfed in a blue paint haze, it seems that I work better with a paint brush.  SO, I am leaving the paint gun in Steve's capable hands for the exterior of the RV.  I am confident that when he is done, it should be easily seen through the forest that it sits in.

Steve's artwork.  Perhaps some inspiration for the exterior???

If you are hoping to see 'The Champion' driving down the road, I am sorry to disappoint you.  As much as I would love to take it for a ride (I have never driven anything like this before), it has been declared road unworthy.  Sorry Champ!  You have seen better days I'm sure, but with some TLC, we will get you looking like a champion once again!  SAVE THE CHAMP!

Rear-end view, equipped with ladder for moonlighting!

Embracing Uniqueness

I loved the fact that it wasn't supposed to look like something familiar

The music starts, and I feel my spirit coming alive as I grab for my paint brushes and paints.  It's another night of creativity as our art group 'the Discovery' meets in our studio.  What should I paint tonight? Having no idea or picture in my head, I begin.  That's the way I like it!  Embarking off into the unknown with my paints, not sure what is to come out of me and what lesson may even be awaiting.  I love the adventure of the journey.  I begin with a prayer as I squeeze paints out on my pallet.  A handful of musicians have gathered around and have begun to release a creative sound.  Taking my brush I  dip it in paint and it begins to make its own movements.   For anybody that knows me, you would know that I am not known to have great rhythm if any at all.   But that doesn't matter to me.   I am getting lost in the moment and creating my own rhythm with my paint.   As I paint I see so many parallels to life, and I find there is so much more then just completing a picture.   Painting and creating has become more about the journey and what I learn along the way.   So many times I don't know what the end result of my painting will look like.   I don't know where I am going with it and I can't figure out what it always is.  Kinda like life,  I don't always know what is before me and what the end of each day will look like, but you keep going.   I have found that if you keep going, even when it looks like nothing but a big mess on canvass, something beautiful does come.   The key is not to give up and get discouraged, but rather to see what it is that you can learn in that moment.   There have been many times that what I was painting seemed very ugly to me and I wanted to throw it out.   The more I focused on what I thought was ugly and a mistake, the more my mood changed and the joy of creating left me.
As the music continued I felt a joy bubbling out of me and spilling on my canvass.   It was the joy of embracing my uniqueness.   What I was painting on my canvass was completely unique and me.   It didn't have to look a certain way to be accepted.   I could feel the freedom rising up in me as I loved the fact that it wasn't supposed to look like something familiar.   As I stood back and looked at it, I loved how the lines moved all over and how there were bright colours.   It was fun to look at and something about it captured my heart.   It was simple, but really complex all at the same time.   I realized that this painting was about me and the joy that happens when we begin to embrace our uniqueness