Need cheering up?

Today, I do. And a quick visit to Katiedaisy's photostream always does it for me. Her work is so fun and bright and her quotes are unendingly uplifting! You can visit her here or buy something pretty for yourself here. Definitely on my wish list!

The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, ‘Yes.’

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

–Oriah Mountain Dreamer

a nice way to spend the morning...

I took some time off this morning to wander round our wonderful art gallery and see a couple of exhibitions I've been dying to see.

Heather Straka: The Asian, was fantastic. We spent a long time trying to decide which one was the real one out of the 50 hand-painted copies. It was amazing to see that each of the copies looked so similar until you really looked and noticed all the subtle differences in each. In fact, after spending a great deal of time looking, I realised that they were all quite different.

Seraphine Pick, Wandering Rose, 2008.

The Seraphine Pick exhibit was the one I most wanted to see. She was the first artist I fell in love with at school and my love for her paintings hasn't appeared to dwindle at all.

 Seraphine Pick, Girl (with Offered Eyes), 2004.

I love the dream-like, fantasy worlds she creates, the deep and rich colours she uses, and the depth and layering in her paintings.

 Seraphine Pick, High Rise, 1995.

Every time I go to the gallery I get an uncontrollable urge to paint. This time in oils. Now to dig out my oil paints...

I want to curl up here...

Its so light and colourful and peaceful. I think Lily and I would both love a little nap here right about now.

From La Petites Choses de Piou via Design is Mine

Art Crush

Some very inspiring artists I've been crushing on lately. I really want to start drawing and painting again (haven't done much in the last 5-6 years) and these ladies ispire me the most...

Melissa Haslam (Cherry Fields)
I love the whimsical elements in her paintings and the beautiful saturated pastel colours. I adore the new portraiture style she is experimenting with too.

Stella in Hultburg

The slight exaggeration of her facial features really exaggerates the emotions of her subjects. I love the penetrating eyes and the sensuous mouths. I also love the darkness of her paintings.

Audrey Kawasaki

Always a favourite, her line work is simple and stunning. I love the textures of her wood pieces and the subtle washes of colour. The black and white line work over a middle colour is so striking.

What's inspiring you today?

Whats in a name?

I have finally named her. Amelia. After Amelia Earhart. Amelia Earhart was an aviatrix, she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She was brave and bold and not afraid to live. I like that.

Inspired by...

From Lily Allen's video of The Fear

To a cute little dress for unnamed Blythe. (edit: her name is now Amelia)