Hello,
When I created this website, I had no intention of blogging. But I have really been wanting to share an experience I had this past fall, so here goes.
Through browsing artist’s websites, I heard about an artist named Flora Bowley. I checked out her website. WOW, talk about bright, beautiful, free feeling paintings. After I saw she offered an online ecourse, and then read all of the reviews from people saying their life had changed after taking her class, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I’ve always wanted to take painting lessons. I tried once, but being so self-conscious around other artists just left me frozen. By the time I relaxed enough to paint, the class was over. Seriously! This class would last 5 weeks, offered online video tutorials five days a week I could do at my own pace with no one watching, and a Facebook community for the others in the class. I tried and tried to talk myself out of it, because I shouldn’t have been thinking of spending money on something I probably wouldn’t finish. But, every time I read the comments from people who had taken the class I was more hooked. Finally, I just did it! I signed up.
If you watch any of the videos on her website, you will see the gentle, encouraging person that was my teacher. Her love and enthusiasm for art and life is shown the first time you watch her and keeps growing to the very end. I didn’t just learn about painting and how to have fun with it again, I learned about myself . One of the best parts is I have met a whole group of online friends who everyday take a second to encourage each other and share their beautiful creations.
Flora suggested we journal during the class. I found my journal today and decided to share what I wrote:
October 4, 2012 Today, I’m starting to feel the changes this class brings. There have been tiny changes along the way, mostly just noticing attitudes I want to change. But today I’m feeling something different, maybe something like “acceptance.” I’ve always known how important it is, and that it was something I lacked. But, you can’t just wake up one day and say, “I accept who I am.” Flora’s daily words and exercises have let this come about naturally. As for the painting part of the class, I am still learning, and most of my paintings are still in “the awkward teenage stage” that Flora tells us is exactly where they are supposed to be. So, even though after I added another layer of paint last night, and my painting hasn’t seemed to evolve much from the last six layers….I can look at it and say, “It’s okay, we’ll see how it looks after the next layer.” And, I actually look forward to the next layer.
So, while looking at my art and saying, “I accept that,” I am also looking at myself and saying, “I accept that.” Who I am is pretty darn cool, and knowing that I am getting braver, and truer, and loving life more each day is pretty much priceless compared to the cost of this class.
That pretty much sums up the class. I’ll post the three paintings I have finished from the class, and I’m happy to say I just started two more and can’t wait for time to work on them again! Oh, and here’s the link to Flora’s class in case you are interested. I highly recommend checking it out. http://braveintuitiveyou.com/offerings-workshops/e-course/
Finally finished! Hope for Smooth Landings, Acrylic on 36×24″ canvas. This is an intuitive prompt painting I started over a year ago with a group of artist friends from an online group called The Paint Circle. This group was a spin off of the Flora Bowley Ecourse I took in 2012. Each member suggests a prompt to get you painting such as: write a letter to yourself on the canvas, paint something you find outside on your canvas, paint with your opposite hand..until you get an idea of what the painting wants to be. I decided to paint a goose after painting feathers, so I found a reference photo and then many, many layers later…done! The photo doesn’t show the colors and textures as well as I hoped, but I’m so happy I kept trying because I really love it. 
Kidsillio 
Written
on 01/06/2014