Monday 16 May 2011

Do What You Love Art and Creative Enterprise Retreat

"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."...Anais Nin

So, I took the risk and signed up to Beth Nicholl's Do What You Love Art and Creative Enterprise Retreat, based in the Natural Retreats setting of North Yorkshire, just outside of Richmond.  It was a truly magical experience, and, under the instruction of the inspirational painter and teacher Flora Bowley I did blossom!

Flora has been described as "an inspiring and generous teacher" and from my own experience over the past few days I can totally agree with that.  She has a wonderful approach to painting and teaching!  A bit like creating a cake, there were many ingredients in the painting mix, stretching, dancing, running around a field, painting on each others canvases. Yes, you did read that right! painting on each others canvases was a way of being free and practising the art of "unattachment".  

 

The picture above was my canvas after everyone had "dabbled" a little with it!  I thought it was a fun exercise and was a good opportunity to work with colours, shapes and textures which I would have normally avoided. After several "layers" later, the canvas had morphed into looking like this:


I found my style to be very swirly, and the word found its way onto the canvas! 


I could write so much more about my time at the Art Retreat, but as I have an exam to prepare for I will add more to this post later. 

In love and gratitude........SwirlyGirl xx


3 comments:

  1. hey lady! welcome to the wonderful world of blogging. am honoured here to be your first commenter!! it was an absolute pleasure to meet you. and I am still jealous of Dora.... not jealous..but you know... will add you to my blog roll. Keep posting and keep in touch.

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  2. WOW!!! I sooo love your painting. Sorry have been in Cornwall these past 4 days so just catching up on things. I am truly bamboozled by your painting. I'm so excited for you (and for me next week in Portugal!)
    Well done and I"m so chuffed to read your blog!!! xxx

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  3. Hi Debbi - thanks for leaving a comment! Of course you can use the photos. :)

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