Heartful Musings

Home Sweet Home

2012-02-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

Hello my sweet friends...well after almost a month away we are finally home..it will take me a while to digest all of my experiences in beautiful Koh Samui but here are some visual impressions of our time while I get my head together to write more....I've missed you all...will write again very soon!
Tracy ♥♥♥

ps isn't your own bed just the best! :)

beauty that replenished my soul.......

people that warmed my heart.....

experiences that rocked my world...

and things that just blew my mind!

butterflies in my tummy....OR...breathing through the overwhelm!

2012-01-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

Hi all...its been a little bit quiet from my side hasn't it?
Lots happening and continuing to happen in this girls life...
a very strange start to the year and not as anticipated
with me being laid out on my back for three days over New years
with horrible lower back spasms...
just started getting that under control with a few visits to my lovely physio when WHAMMO!!!
an attack of yucky IBS right in the middle of a long anticipated visit
from the gorgeous Louise Gale!!
we managed to have a lovely time anyways even though I probably shouldn't have been eating that raspberry chocolate chip muffin under the circumstances!

In the midst of all this painting, painting, painting ...finally finished two commissions that my poor friend Angela had been waiting for for 6 months...this one is her on her new vespa! She really is the cutest!

Also been painting for two exhibitions, one which opened last weekend and has been very successful with 5 paintings sold so far and great responses!

AND my first international exhibition in Thailand next week!!
EEEEEKKKK!!! I'm not ready!!

I've been feeling quite uneasy (obviously my body is responding to this!)
as we still haven't received our itinerary (no flight numbers nada)
and we leave on Tuesday..yep thats one week away!
( the whole family is being sponsored for flights and accommodation)...

a part of me was thinking, oh well maybe its not going to happen,
maybe its too good to be true and because of this
I've been cruising a little bit,
thinking more about my local exhibition than this BIG one.

Then this morning I receive a press release in my inbox from the Koh Samui Gazette
an article about MY UPCOMING EXHIBITION at the NAMCHA TEAHOUSE!!!
and all of a sudden.... CRAP!!

Its real!!!

I better get moving....soooo...
i think this may be the last post you see from me until I get to Koh Samui...
feeling kind of discombobulated (gotta love that word)
and trying to stay centred, off the alcohol,
eating good foods, stretching and meditating for the next week,
just so I dont fall apart before we go!!
6 paintings to go, then I have to figure out how I'm going to pack them

...ok...bye for now..love you all!!!

Will leave you with a little glimpse into last weekends exhibition,
made by our good friend and drummer Syd Green and
featuring one of our new soon to be released songs "Umbrella"

have a great week!
Lots of love Tracy ♥ xoxox

ps sometimes I wish I was a cat....Bodhi snuggled up in my fabric pile...a part of me wants to climb right in there and hide for a while....

pps forgot to say that tonight I'm doing a SKYPE interview with the amazing Tamara Laporte for LifeBook!!! Click here to view more details

AND today I'm starting BUSINESS SOUL SESSIONS with Kelly Rae Roberts and Beth Nicholls!!!

Here's hoping this little butterfly can handle all of the excitement...somebody may need to send me some VALIUM...oh um I mean Valerian!! You know TEA! LOL ♥

Countdown to a brand new year!

2011-12-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

Big message from the Universe to me at the end of this amazing year....

SLOW DOWN!!!!

Have been flat out on my back or on my side dealing with lower back spasms which my chiro says are a result of a twisted sacrum...

ok, ok I get the hint...so I've been a little bit (understatement!) in overdrive, so I've been playing the role of Superwoman all year,
trying to be the best mum, wife, artist, teacher I can be,
studying full time and setting a standard of Distinction or High Distinction for my results,
setting the wheels in motion for an EXTRAORDINARY 2012!!

So for now I'm getting the message, chilling out,
actually watched a whole movie in bed today and
bawled my eyes out for the whole second half..
if you havent seen The Notebook you should so watch it...
absolutely beautiful and just the right thing for me to see today and to contemplate the biggest most real,truly important thing in life...LOVE ♥♥♥

I'm also counting down the last 20 hours till the incredible LifeBook course starts...how fun that I get to not only participate but teach in such an awesome course...you still have time to join in the fun if you've been sitting on the sidelines!
Come on! You know you want to :)

my wishes for you in 2012

may you shine your brightest light and inspire everyone around you!

may you bloom your most beautiful blooms but also honour your spiky, prickly bits...we all have them :)

may you learn to see the perfection in everything

and may you take the time for self care, make like Gingy the cat and chill out regularly!

Happy New Year...and BIG LOVE to you all!!!
Tracy((((♥)))))

out with the old in with the new ♥

2011-12-28T21:45:00.000-08:00

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."
~Lao Tzu~

Hello beautiful friends...i hope you've all had the loveliest time over the past week of holiday festivities..I've been busy, busy, busy painting happily away, indulging in delish food and yummy wine, hanging out with Marco and the girls and getting in a little beach time.

today I felt moved to share a process with you which is especially relevant at this time of the year....

in honour of letting go of those things which no longer speak to us
or even about us and allowing ourselves
to move forward into our most amazing
ever blossoming newest and shiniest selves..

this painting is the last large one left of a series I painted in 2008 inspired by our family's 7 month creative sabbatical which took us from Australia to the U.S , Canada and Mexico...(you can read more about our adventures here)

all of the rest have found their new homes and gone to live with lovely new families....but this one has been sitting lonely on my sunroom wall, beckoning me to notice it and show it some love....
and so I did :)

this past year my work has become more fluid,
less defined and structured
more intuitive and filled
with layers and meaning
which sometimes I need to take a while to find

I feel like I'm doing less painting and more allowing
less deliberating and more surrendering
and I ♥ this feeling

This work no longer spoke to me in the way it once did and so I changed it
simple as that
new beginnings
new marks
over old
honouring the journey
but allowing
something fresh
to be born
maybe now its ready to find its place in the world ♥

"i walk in dreams through this wide world" Tracy Verdugo.2011. acrylic, ink and pencil on canvas. 76 x76cm. SOLD

ps if you haven't seen this amazing talk on creativity by Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert it is well worth watching :)

"To change skins, evolve into new cycles, I feel one has to learn to discard. If one changes internally, one should not continue to live with the same objects. They reflect one's mind and the psyche of yesterday. I throw away what has no dynamic, living use."
~Anaïs Nin~

everything changes...

2011-12-26T17:13:00.000-08:00

To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven~ Ecclesiastes 3

another Christmas come and gone.......
we celebrated on Christmas Eve with family and friends,
a long, languorous meal that stretched over 7 hours
as the hot afternoon sun gave way to a balmy evening breeze,
we feasted on turkey and sweet potatoes,
strawberries marinated in balsamic,
creamy potato bake ( always the favourite of the girls),
honeyed carrots, salads and home made cherry pie,
drank lots of wine
and indulged my dads passion
for making sweet banana cocktails
by drinking a bottle of the stuff between two...
my sweet friend Elhi and I drank the lot
while others politely declined!

As the afternoon light changed our two beautiful girls, no longer children but on the cusp of womanhood, chilled out together on the trampoline, giggling and sharing...oh how I LOVE to see them growing up and valuing and loving each other

In the morning light
Christmas day
they opened their presents
most of them they knew
and had selected online
things I knew they really wanted
it felt a little subdued
and i could feel the passing of time
and the loss of sweet childhood excitement
we even forgot to put the cookies and milk out
for Santa..that made me a little sad...

but this is not a sad post
just a recounting
of a small bittersweet moment
on a mostly happy day

later we played and swam and giggled
and ran along the beach trying to hold onto
a giant yellow, polkadot
inflatable dinosaur
all of us were children then ♥

later on Christmas Day
while Marco rode the waves and the wind
and the girls watched Harry Potter for the millionth time
I escaped to my studio
thinking about change
some small abstracts
had been sitting on the counter
for months...
an exercise for my studies
waiting for inspiration
then it came...
thought you might like to see
what turned into what

change can be a very good thing♥

from this

to this "a lttle birdy told me" Tracy Verdugo. acrylic and mixed media on plywood. 30x30cm.

from this

to this "wish". Tracy Verdugo. acrylic and mixed media on plywood. 30x30cm.

for some reason I cant find a pic of the before for this one but its beginnings were similar to the others....it defines my desire to say a HUGE YES to all of the wonderfulness the Universe offers in 2012!

"The answer is yes". Tracy Verdugo. acrylic and mixed media on plywood. 30x30cm.

sometimes you just have to roll with the changes
wishing you all many beautiful, meaningful transformations in 2012
i am grateful for each and every one of you
and words cannot describe the joy I feel
in having found my tribe here ♥
love Tracy

Life Book...give yourself a Christmas present that will last all year!

2011-12-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

Click here :) you know you deserve it

"There's something in everybody that longs for that awakening to be more true to yourself."—Eckhart Tolle

Its not too late to join me and 14 other incredible artists on a year long journey of creative self discovery....

to celebrate Christmas and what promises to be an amazing year I will be holding a giveaway of these three signed prints...to be drawn Jan 1st!!

To be in the draw just leave a comment telling me one of your dreams for 2012. If you sign up for Life Book by clicking through from my blog just let me know and you'll receive 5 bonus chances in the draw

lotsa love
Tracy ♥

"Awakening the Muse" by Tracy Verdugo

"Love Lives Here" by Tracy Verdugo

"The Sun Laughs in Flowers" by Tracy Verdugo

Click here to view more details

Stop in the name of love!

2011-12-14T03:46:00.000-08:00

Oh Geez...I was just about to have a rant about how much I have on my plate and how my blog site is beginning to resemble my studio with 6 unfinished posts(canvases) awaiting the magical touch before publishing(showing) but not enough time to do it blah, blah, blah and then I checked my email and here was this lovely message from my friend Toni.......

last month or maybe the month before (time moves soooo quickly) Marco and I performed at our friend Jo's fundraiser for Trek for Timor and Jo's gorgeous daughter Rose broke out her cello ( well actually we practiced for weeks before!) and played with us..Jo and her friends were raising money to put solar power in villages in East Timor so we based our set around "Sun" songs..."Here Comes the Sun", "Dont Let the Sun Catch you Crying" and "I Can See Clearly Now the Rain has Gone"...

what a beautiful night...in the moment, playing music, making a difference...thanks for the sweet pics Toni!

I'll think about the overwhelm tomorrow!

my honey

me..la la la la!

our gorgeous girl Santana, the lovely Rose and beautiful friend Sophie

what are we doing??

family pic after the performance..Santana, Sienna, Marco and I ♥
Good night everyone...I promise i'll finish those other 6 amazing posts this week..or.....SOONISH!!! much love and infinite creative vibes out to you all ♥

How to make a vision board♥

2011-12-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

our first family vision board from around 2006.

Our family created our first vision boards about 6 years ago. At the time we were trying to find a way to fulfill our dream of taking an extended creative sabbatical which would mean taking the girls out of school and traveling for several months whilst still being able to somehow make an income, continue to pay our mortgage, maintain our home while we were away and take care of our three cats!
It worked!! We ended up traveling for 7 months, the mortgage was paid every month, the cats were fed and I have been a firm believer in the power of clarifying your intentions and dreams in this way ever since.

cropped image of the larger board

What you'll need
a large canvas or poster board or cardboard
lots of different magazines- travel, health, lifestyle, financial, special interest, PVA glue, paints or pastels(optional)

Step 1- take a moment to think about the kinds of things you would like to have in your life; health, balance, love, happiness, security are pretty universal human desires but there maybe be specifics that you would also like, for us it was to travel together and share that experience as a family.

Step 2 Look through the magazines in a fairly detached way. Marco and I opened a bottle of wine, put on some music and made it a fun task. The girls chipped in and added things they liked and then decided to create their own as well! Tear out images and words that stand out to you. Try not to analyze or think too much about what they might mean or why you have chosen them.

Step 3 Go through the images and start to lay them on your board. Listen to your heart. Toss out any that don't really speak to you and see if there are any themes showing up. We ended up putting spirituality at the top of ours and had separate but overlapping sections for health, home, travel, music and art. There is no right or wrong here. Just go with your gut :)

Step 4...Glue down your words and images and add any other embellishments that you would like. Include an image of yourself somewhere on your board looking happy and fulfilled. A part of our dream was to be on our trip celebrating Sienna's 11th birthday in Disneyland. We went so far as to find a picture of the Looney tunes area of Disneyland, re-sized a pic of Sienna holding a birthday cake and glued the pic onto the background and then onto our vision board. After we finished gluing I added the words " This or something greater now manifests for us in divine appropriate timing"

Step 5 Hang your vision board where you will see it often . This first one is in our meditation room....be aware of your thoughts when you look at it...try to be in a place of gratitude for all of those wonderful things that are on their way. If there is something that causes a negative reaction take it off. Initially we had a personal cheque on there for one million dollars. Every time I looked at it all I could think off was the impossibility of me ever writing a cheque out for one million dollars...this made it hard for me to look at anything else so off it came!

**********************************************************************
You may also want to create a vision board for a more specific desire or intention. When it became crystal clear to me several years ago that I wanted to combine my love of travel, teaching and art I began to research others that were living the kind of life that I aspired to. This vision board was created around that intention and included people like Flora Bowley and Dory Kanter who have been two of my biggest inspirations. The day came in April this year when Flora was actually in my studio, in the flesh, standing in front of the picture of herself on my board!! This was the day when I realized that we truly can manifest anything we want into our lives.

There is Flora painting away as well as a pic above of Hacienda Mosaico in Puerto Vallarta where I have been invited to teach in 2012!

Happy manifesting everyone!! Would love to see your vision boards and your stories!
love Tracy ♥xo
ps BIG LOVE to the very inspiring Jeniffer Hutchins for providing the prompt for this post over here.

Katie’s magical holiday blog hop

2011-12-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

Everything is Connected by Tracy Verdugo...leave a comment anywhere on my blog this week and you'll have a chance to win ♥

my gorgeous Magically Mixed Art Group friend Katie has invited me to participate in a magical holiday blog hop with a small group of other artists from our wonderful group.
It's a fun blog event to help get a little holiday buzz going for each other. This is such a diverse bunch of creative peeps and I have had a lot of fun picking my favourite items from everyone's Etsy stores. In celebration of our collaboration I'd like to give away another of my little original inky paintings. All you have to do is leave a comment anywhere on my blog to be in the draw anytime between now and Friday 9th when I will draw the winner at 4pm Sydney, Australia time.

If you have a peek at each participants blog you'll see the artists featured during the blog hop.

Today I get to feature Canadian dollmaker extraordinaire Nancy Perennec who works in clay, paperclay, paper mache, cloth, and apoxie to create one of a kind art dolls with unique and mysterious personalities. She is versatile and super talented and loves fantasy! Her dolls have become part of collections world-wide and are available for sale on Etsy. Nancy also posts works in progress and some pretty cool tutorials.

Here are the other artists participating. Happy Bloghopping!
November 25th – Katie Cahill

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KatieCahill

http://katiecahillart.wordpress.com

November 26th – Wini Dougal

http://www.etsy.com/shop/artlovejoy

http://www.artloveandjoy.blogspot.com/

November 27th – Nolween Petibois

http://InnerWorlds.etsy.com/
http://www.inner-voices.net/

November 28th – Kristi Parker VanDoren

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BKDesignStudio
http://kristiscreativecafe.blogspot.com/

November 29th – Emily Cline

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RubyShea
http://www.emilyclineart.com

November 30th – Jennifer McGee Urbanek

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MyArtistWithin
http://urbanekdesign.blogspot.com/

December 1st – Alicia Caudle

http://www.etsy.com/shop/digit13
http://alteredbits.wordpress.com/

December 2nd – Tracy Verdugo

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CasaCantamar
http://artoftracyverdugo.blogspot.com/
December 3rd – Nancy Perennec

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nancyperennec
http://littlebitwired.blogspot.com
December 4th – Sun B Lewis

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sunblewis
http://www.sunshinebarlowe.com/
December 5th – Angela DiGiovanni Kemp

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AngelaDiGiovanni
http://AngelaDiGiovanni.com/
December 6th – Sharon Rowland

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlicesSecretDoor
http://www.alicessecretdoor.com
December 7th – El Tsamp

http://www.etsy.com/shop/eltsamp
http://apinkdreamer.blogspot.com

Hello Summer!!!!!!!

2011-11-30T17:24:00.000-08:00

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....Summer is here...two more weeks till school is out and I'm soooo looking forward.....

to some of this

a little bit of this

and a whole lot of this!

more time for hugs

and sunsets :)

and lots and lots of creating!
Wishing you all a week of Summer splendour or Winter wonderment
love Tracy xo

The Power of Possibility♥

2011-11-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

Less than 6 months ago my vision of "What is Possible" was changed forever.
I had created my vision board 2 years ago around living a life of purpose and passion while traveling the world and helping others to find joy in their own creative spirit.

It still felt very far away. I had created a great presence in my local area, selling my art and teaching kids and adults for the past 12 years and like a happy little fish in a small bowl I was a little bit scared of what lay outside my comfort zone.

I wanted to shine my light and I had to start breaking barriers one by one.....I remember an analogy I heard years ago by the larger than life Tony Robbins...it really stuck with me....in my mind it created a picture of all of us walking around inside bubbles, some small, some very large. Each time we saw a new possibility, achieved a new thing our bubbles expanded slightly and from the perspective of our bigger bubbles it became easier to see even more possibilities....

and to BELIEVE in our own potential for greatness ♥

This April my Possibility Parameters took a giant leap when I met the gorgeously, inspiring Flora Bowley when she came and stayed with our family to teach an amazing workshop here in Jervis Bay. Here was a woman embodying the life on my vision board, an actual real life example of What is Possible....how powerful is that??
In a way I feel like Flora jumped inside my bubble with me and helped me push the sides out to a new place of belief I had not even envisaged.
Within a few weeks of meeting Flora I was accepted to teach at the extravaganza Art Is retreat in Sydney next March with these amazing artists

and then my bubble expanded more and I became brave enough to see a much bigger picture and GO FOR IT!
Less than 6 months since being accepted to teach at Art Is I have manifested the following into my life and that big ol' bubble is waving, floppily around, trailing behind me in the wind
AND I HOPE........
allowing all of you to peek inside and see the possibilities of your own magnificent life.
Here's some tips from me on how to make your own vision board to bring your desires, dreams and intentions into clear focused reality :)

*My first international teaching tour Sept2012-Jan 2013
Sept 19-24 2012 Petaluma California Art Is retreat

Sept 30-31st 2012 Orange County, California Tracy Verdugo Wholehearted workshop . For more info contact the wonderful Christy Nimeh in this amazing group or here at her blog :)

Oct 3-9 2012 Stamford Connecticut Art Is Retreat

Oct 12-16 (TBC) Excelsior Springs, Missouri Sweet Freedom Retreat!

Oct 19-21 (TBC) Tracy Verdugo Wholehearted Workshop Texas.

Contact Selah Gay ♥

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♥♥ Oct 23-30 Fly to Taos New Mexico to meet my sweetie and celebrate our 25th anniversary! ♥♥

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Nov2-5(TBC) Tracy Verdugo Wholehearted Workshop Florida

November possible workshops in Claremont Botanic Gardens LA, Atlanta, Georgia and Seattle....still working out the details on these. Sign up for email update..I'm hoping to finalize my itinerary by end of January.

Somewhere in early December I will be teaching a four or five day workshop at Hacienda Mosiaco in Puerto Vallarta Mexico!!!!!

January Todos Santos, Baja California...anyone want to fly down and paint with me in this beautiful village?

Late Jan (TBC)Honolulu Hawaii Tracy Verdugo Wholehearted Workshop at the beautiful studio of Susan Conrad Risse

Last week I was invited to fly to Koh Samui, Thailand to be the judge of a huge mural competition and hold my first International exhibition at the beautiful Namcha Samui tearoom..next Jan...I haven't even started painting for it yet but there's all kinds of room in this bubble right now and the ideas are flowing!

and on top of all this I will be teaching in my first online class with 15 amazing artists in Tamara Laportes LifeBook throughout 2012...you can learn more by clicking through on the link below...I'm kind of exhausted even typing all of this and in many ways it doesn't quite feel real yet but I sense 2012 is going to be the year that I begin to truly live my dreams. Click here to view more details on the amazing Life Book online course

Am I scared?

Hell yeah!!!

Will I breathe through the fear when it comes up and work my hardest to live my true purpose?

You better believe it!!!

I am truly grateful for the support of my family, friends, workmates and online creative community. I would NOT be traveling so fast and in such a true and wonderful direction without you all here to support me....I send you all LOVE and GRATITUDE from my ♥ to yours Tracy xoxox

Here's a little taste of whats in store next March in Sydney. I will be teaching this evening class as well as 3 full day workshops...hope you can join me!

Viva Mexico: Monoprinting
View larger image
* Full and Part Time Attendee Prices:
Quantity:
Price: $60.00
Code: 3hrTV

Viva Mexico Monoprinting
Tracy Verdugo
Friday March 16 - Evening Class
7:00pm - 10:00pm

Aye Carumba!! Come Join me for a “muy fantastico” evening workshop where we will take a creative journey into the enchanted and whimsical world of Mexican art. Having been married to a wonderful Mexican for 25 years I consider this beautiful country my second home and have spent many happy weeks and months exploring this amazing culture……together we will explore the vibrancy and quirkiness of some of Mexico’s leading artists and from this we will find inspiration to create our own playful and vivid artworks! Starting with the humble meat tray we will sketch our ideas into the foam core and print these images onto our prepared backgrounds…then we will hand paint our works and add details using a variety of tools…you will take home your artwork and your foam print which can be used multiple times to create more pieces…..you will LOVE this fun and simple technique…suitable for all levels! See the whole schedule for Art Is Sydney here :)

Yarn bombers! Oh I LOVE this! ♥

2011-11-19T12:44:00.000-08:00

Good morning lovely friends. I just found this over at Meagan's awesome blog and felt compelled to share. What a wonderful world it could be if these were the only bombs and this kind of crime was rampant. Bring on the tactical knitters!!!!
Have a beautiful day!
Tracy♥

Madga Sayeg's Busbomb
By Bella Arnott-Hoare ArtsHub

Wednesday, November 02, 2011
As cities grow larger and more anonymous a rogue cult of Guerrilla Knittas are working to improve the intimacy of the urban landscape one stitch at a time. The movement of graffiti artists, dubbed ‘Yarn bombers’, have abandoned spray cans in favour of knitting needles and balls of wool.
Yarn bombing is a form of street art where rebellion and knitting needles come in equal measures. Depending on how you see it, yarn bombers have a slightly diffused aim from their aerosol cousins and are donating their works back to the public space. In the process they hope to brighten up the everyday greys of cityscapes, trees, signs and fences.
The operation is still considered vandalism and its tactical knitters are often forced to create their colourful sleeves for fixed objects under the cover of darkness. In the process, they use dozens of balls of wool and countless needles for what is sometimes referred to as ‘Grandma art’.

Playing in the field of happy accidents .....

2011-11-17T11:04:00.000-08:00

“To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.” –Osho

Morning my beautiful friends! I hope you like the renovation! Its feeling very fresh and clean in here!

Today I want to share a few ponderings on the spirit of play and the willingness to see the beauty in your mistakes.

I've been hanging out with precious munchkins like this for the past 12 years

They teach me as much as I teach them, probably more...

I feel truly blessed to be able to do what I do and I realised today that I teach my adult workshops pretty much in the same way that I teach the kids. Anyone who has ever been to one of my classes will know that my catch cry is that there are no mistakes in art just "happy accidents" or opportunities for creative growth! Try to remember this next time you pick up your brush or pencil :)

Here are some other things I encourage

Making crazy creatures and funny faces!

sending gratitude out into the world...

finding your own unique, individual, amazing strengths...

being proud of your own awesomeness!

exploring, discovering and sharing new ideas!

Being inspired by others to teach and try new things!

being outrageous! Playing with your food!

taking time for quiet reflection....

and joyful leaps!

making art everywhere you go...

and remembering to play..at the beach...

or in the dress up box!

Come play with me!

Click on the Life Book (top right) link to play with me and 15 other amazing teachers online in 2012 or sign up to my blog to keep posted on where I will be teaching in 2012...

so far the confirmed list of my workshops includes Koh Samui, Thailand, Sydney, The Blue Mountains, California, Connecticut, Texas, Florida, Missouri, Hawaii and Mexico.

I would so love you to join me....much LOVE and creative PLAY to you all this week!
Tracy xoxoxox

“Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” — Albert Einstein

You guys just GET me ♥

2011-11-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

One thing I know for sure.....here in this beautiful online world I have found a place where tribes gather.....
like minded.....
encouraging.....
joyfully sharing.
I know that when I have a moment that's a little hard to explain there are a whole bunch of you out there that KNOW exactly where I'm at.
I LOVE that.
So many of you share my love of thrift stores....here in Australia we call them Op-Shops- Opportunity Shops..how cool is that?

Anyways we live in a small, small town but we have an awesome op-shop and the elderly ladies that volunteer there....well can I say they kind of know me ;p

I walk in the other day and my eye goes straight to something delicious sitting on the counter.
I dont remember the exact words but something to the effect of " you always like things for the dress up box"..not quite sure where that came from,
perhaps just my love of the out of the ordinary, preloved exotica that noone else wants.
Who wouldn't want this?

torn, fragmented memories of a colourful life....

a coat of many colours...

intricately designed and stitched...

luscious patterns against silky green loveliness♥

and this one...lovingly sewed who knows where or why..

pom poms and patterns galore :)

I even love it here just hanging on the wall!

I know you're feeling it with me...so much beauty, care, love and possibility and they shoved them both into my bag for free with the words "strange, worn, colourful, different, weird, unusual, frayed" beautiful metaphors for a beautiful life ♥

Lovin' our garden in Spring! ♥

2011-11-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

wandering out early in the morning...coffee in hand :)

sunlight through the leaves of the umbrella tree...

succulent colour burst on the front deck♥

wild sweet strawberries appear in unexpected places...little bursts of sunshine in our mouths x

agapanthus ready to bloom...

pretty pink roses down the side passage...

bring on the zucchinis!

last years spinach has sprung to life again and is snuggled next to bunches and bunches of self seeded coriander :)

baby sunflowers...can't wait to paint them!

a perfect caterpillar munched on love heart leaf!

blissed out bee inside a mulberry splattered arum lily ♥

mulberries galore!

and the occasional berry lovin' fairy♥

Birds of paradise outside Marco's recording studio...

and lilies outside mine♥

a wild untamed corner of nasturtiums and daisies!

Bottlebrush blossoming!

and our wild boy Gingy lazing on the back deck ♥

I cant help but be inspired by all of this Springtime scrumptiousness.....
finished this little inky artwork on the weekend
and its now on its way to the sweet Lura Brown in Vista California
who is the lucky winner of my painting giveaway celebrating 1500 members
at our totally inspiring Magically Mixed Art Group on Face Book..

if you haven't yet joined us we'd love you to come hang out and share your creative bliss!

Also dont forget to check out this wonderful opportunity for creative growth ...I am super excited to be one of the Life Book teachers!!

and for those of you in Australia or wanting to come visit next year you must not miss out on this amazing event I'll be teaching at in March in Sydney..be sure to come on over and check out all of the amazing workshops on offer:)

Have a beautiful day my gorgeous fellow artists and soulful seekers..sending BIG love your way! ♥♥♥

Excuse me while I update my blog!

2011-11-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hello gorgeous creative peeps!

Guess what? I discovered something new this week!
Thanks to my friend Dion Dior I have figured out how to add pages to my blog...I always jump in before I really know what I'm doing..I'm a bit excitable that way!

So I apologise to those of you who are travelling around those lttle drop down menus and finding them a little incomplete!

I've decided to give my blog a bit of a renovation so bear with me for week or so while I declutter, tidy up and generally spruce this place up a bit!

In the meantime make sure you click on the little Magically Mixed Icon there on the right hand side of this page and join our inspirational Facebook Group. We're just about to hit the 1500 member mark and I'll be giving away a painting when we do!!

Also dont forget to click through on the Life Book link on the top left to find out all about the amazing things that Tam, myself and the other Life Book teachers have instore for you in 2012....you really dont want to miss this workshop!

may laughter, love and creative bliss surround you this week! xo

What matters most?

2011-10-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

Concept and Creation 3'x4' by Tracy Verdugo acrylic and mixed media on canvas

Happy weekend beautiful people!

Will keep it short and sweet today as I've yet to get out to my studio and I really want to even if its just for a little tidy up!
On Friday night I had my exhibition launch at the oh so delish Cupitts Winery....wonderful friends and family joined me as well as locals wanting to sneak a peek at my works and it truly was a gorgeous evening.

....just one thing missing.....

not a sale
zilch
zip
zero

To be honest I woke up on Saturday feeling a wee bit despondent..you know its so much more fun when the red dots start appearing everywhere and usually that is what happens.....

I waited till now to blog cos' I really had to digest how I was feeling..
equating my self worth or validity with the sale of a painting?
How dumb is that??

So I did some rethinking...

Art is about growing, evolving, becoming...

My work is undergoing big changes and sometimes it takes a while for others to catch up...thats ok...

art by Tracy Verdugo

I've sold enough paintings to know that each painting is just patiently waiting for its true owner.
Obviously they couldn't make it on Friday but they'll come...eventually.

In the meantime here is what is important ♥

mi amor♥

mi familia♥

good friends♥

good wine and more friends who are also musos who like wine! :)

laughter :)

and love ♥

savouring beauty♥

and knowing when its time to stop doing....

and just relax awhile :)

much love and wishes for a wonderful week.....
Tracy xo
ps if you're still thinking about joining me for a fantastic year of creative growth
be sure to click through and tempt yourself some more!

Winners and other wondrous things :)

2011-10-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hacienda Mosaico...come join me next year!!!

Helloooo gorgeous friends!
So much lovely news to share and I've fallen behind in my blogging so bear with me and I'll try not to ramble on too much!

First up a huge congratulations to Monica Downing who is the WINNER of a FREE spot in the super amazing Life Book workshop, organised by the incredible Tam at Willowing. I am so looking forward to teaching with Tam and the other awesome artists for the whole of 2012!!

If you havent yet checked it out be sure to click on the link on the left side of my blog ....you really dont want to miss out on this opportunity to grow creatively in a wonderful community with a whole diverse range of inspiring teachers for a whole year!!

I also drew out lucky winner Tami Chacon who is now the owner of my little ink/acrylic painting "The Earth Laughs in Flowers" Congratulations to both winners!

Other exciting news is that I have joined Louise Gale's HeArt Team at her lovely new website and every month I will be contributing an article based around the theme of finding your bliss and the pursuit of Happiness!

Heres a little snippet from Louise and an introduction from me:)
“your heART makes a difference” will be a new community empowering us to:

Live with Gratitude
Choose Kindness
Practice Self-care
Be creative
Spread happiness
& Energize from the heART
If you have asked yourself “What can I do to make a difference?”, I hope this new community will inspire you.

Be sure to come on over and click the follow button at Your Heart Make a Difference and also check out and sign up for this lovely swap :)
mealtime at Hacienda Mosaico
Source: Avi J.'s photostream at Flickr :)

last thing for today....I have butterflies in my tummy when I think about this and I can't share completely yet except to say that sometime in Nov or Dec 2012 you'll have the chance to join me for 5 days of Painting from your Heart at the beyond beautiful Hacienda Mosaico in Puerto Vallarta...more details to come soon!!

heartful space at Hacienda Mosaico
Source:Adventures of Joy blog :)

Hope you get to splash some paint around today
lots of love
Tracy xo

What is possible?

2011-10-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about this lately.

What is possible?

Is EVERYTHING within the realms of possibility?

I watched this beautiful video with Marco and the girls last night. Marco's new passion is kite surfing and he LOVES feeling at one with the wind! These guys take it to a whole new level and just left us all speechless....I feel like they are truly dancing on the edge of possibility but also in some way opening the boundaries just that little bit wider for all of us......

I'm really interested to hear back from you all because I know that for me I have spent a lifetime

watching
observing
taking things in

and feeling a certain shift inside me when something that I thought was out of my reach suddenly comes into my vision of what is possible .......
simply because I have seen it done by someone else or felt the feeling for a brief moment of what it would be like to be doing whatever it was that I didn't previously think was possible.

I believe that we have these pivotal moments...little epiphanies....like the night 25 years ago when Marco and I went on our first romantic holiday to San Jose del Cabo and bought our very first artwork together, a beautiful woodblock print titled "Exprisionera" that hangs in our kitchen today, a symbol of breaking free, going beyond the boundaries, a sign of things to come?

like the day I bought a fabulous book by Dory Kanter called Art Escapes in 2008, opened it up and discovered that it was possible to not only be an artist but to travel around the world to exotic locations teaching others!

I remember saying to Marco, "I'm going to do that one day"

Like the time I created my vision board around my dream of travelling and teaching, including a picture of the oh so talented Flora Bowley teaching and then within a year Flora was here,

in my home,
sharing dinner and wine
and her stories,
teaching a workshop which I organised,

opening my vision of what is possible even FURTHER.....

Fast forward to this moment and I find myself planning an unbelievable adventure in which I am the artist travelling to amazing locations to share the things I have learnt along my painting journey and to help someone else believe in new possibilities!

This time next year I'll be flying around the beautiful U.S meeting many of you that have become my friends here. I am so grateful for everyone that has offered to help and for all of the love and inspiration ♥♥

Keep believing in possibilities
love Tracy xox

This is my itinerary so far...can you believe it!

Sept 19-24 2012 Petaluma California Art Is retreat

http://www.art-is-you.com/mysitecaddy/site3/events/auto_events.htm

Sept 30-31st 2012 Orange County, California Tracy Verdugo Wholehearted workshop . For more info contact the wonderful Christy Nimeh through my Magically Mixed Art Community on FB.

Oct 3-9 2012 Danbury Connecticut Art Is Retreat

http://www.art-is-you.com/mysitecaddy/site3/events/auto_events.htm

Oct 12-16 (TBC) Excelsior Springs, Missouri Sweet Freedom Retreat!

http://sweetfreedomretreat.blogspot.com/p/about-retreat.html

Oct 19-21 (TBC) Tracy Verdugo Wholehearted Workshop Texas.

Contact Selah Gay ♥

Oct 26-29 (TBC) Tracy Verdugo Wholehearted Workshop Florida
possibly with E'Layne Koenisberg

November possible workshops in Claremont Botanic Gardens LA, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, BC, Canada....still working out the details on these.

Dec will be in California for Christmas with family

January Todos Santos, Baja California...anyone want to fly down and paint with me in this beautiful village?

Late Jan (TBC)Honolulu Hawaii Tracy Verdugo Wholehearted Workshop at the beautiful studio of Susan Conrad Risse

Feb ( home to Australia...that is unless we decide to stay longer ;p)

There is the possibility of adding other week day workshops amongst these so let me know if you would like me to try to visit your area. Its going to be amazing to connect with you all!! ♥

ps dont forget to read the post before this one...you might be the lucky winner of a free spot in the upcoming Life Book workshop....

Click here to view more details

Life Book giveaway!!!!

2011-10-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

Hi sweet friends! Guess what? Not only do I get to be one of the teachers on the fantabulous Life Book workshop, I just found out I also get to give away one spot to someone super lucky who will get to be a part of this year long art adventure for FREE!!!

If you'd like to enter this wonderful giveaway all you need to do is click through the link here:
Let me be a Life Book WINNER!

and then come back and leave me a comment.

I spent today thinking about my component of the Life Book course and I'm going to be sharing with you some lusciously playful painting techniques and a journey to our hearts by way of a gratitude pilgrimage and a personal shrine...I soooo cant wait! !♥

For a second entry, I would be super appreciative if you could promote this post, either on your blog, facebook, twitter,pinterest etc and spread the word amongst friends and families about what an amazing time we are all going to have!! Make sure you come back and leave a comment letting me know so I can pop you in the draw :)

(please only comment once, but make sure you let me know how many place you promoted so I can give you the right amount of entries.)

I will be drawing the winner on Fri Oct 21st so make sure you click through here now to be a possible winner! xox
Yes I'd really love to win!

ps as an extra bonus you will also be in the draw to win my little watercolour at the top of this page which will be drawn at the end of the month....big excitable hugs all around

Love Tracy xoxoxox

Wanna know a secret?

2011-10-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hi beautiful friends!

Just want to let you know that I've been BURSTING with EXCITEMENT about a little secret...and THIS little secret is about a HUGE event, possibly the BIGGEST online mixed media event planned for 2012 AND I have been asked to be a part of it!!!! Woohoo!!!

That's right! Did you hear me scream a couple of days ago when I got the email from the gorgeous Tam?

I will be joining the team of super amazing artists to be part of Tamara Laportes Year long online workshop honouring and celebrating the self ~ "Life Book"
I would sooooo love you to join me on a year long arty journey with 14 other inspiring teachers to create a gorgeous visual record of your creative unfolding loveliness throughout 2012...there will be videos galore (including one from me!), worksheets, personal support and the company of the wonderful Willowing community and ALL of this for less than $100..you owe this to yourself! ♥

AND just because I cant contain my excitement, if you click through on the link below and sign up make sure you come back and leave a comment to let me know and your name will go in the draw to win my little watercolour at the top of the page titled The Earth Laughs in Flowers! Good luck...will draw in about a month!

Click here for more wonderful details

registration is now open so come and join in the fun!
Come on over! You know you deserve it ♥

love and hugs
Tracy ♥♥♥

I think that I shall never see......

2011-10-07T01:34:00.000-07:00

Blogtoberfest Day 7 :)

Hi gorgeous friends.....just a quick one this evening as I'm a little weary. Had a lovely day painting in the street outside a gallery that shows my work...chatted with lots of friendly people and then decided on the way home to stop and have lunch with a magnificent Fig tree that I have driven past hundreds of times but never stopped to connect with.

I'm so glad I did ♥

Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky,
We fell them down and turn them into paper,
That we may record our emptiness.
~Kahlil Gibran

I hear the wind among the trees
Playing the celestial symphonies;
I see the branches downward bent,
Like keys of some great instrument.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. ~Martin Luther

Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven. ~Rabindranath Tagore, Fireflies, 1928

Good night...sleep tight....see you in the morning
love Tracy xo

7 gorgeous kids inspired by Jesse Reno and Jean Michel Basquiat!!

2011-10-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

Day 6 Blogtoberfest

Most school holidays I try to offer an all day kids workshop exploring as many different approaches to art as I possibly can. This time around I decided to go with an Outsider Art theme so the kids and I looked at the paintings of the renowned artist Jean Michel Basquiat and prolific Portland painter Jesse Reno whose spontaneous, intuitive, almost tribal works I love!!

Recently Jesse and I have been emailing back and forth to plan a trip Downunder to run some workshops which at this stage looks like early 2013.

The kids and I watched Jesse at work on Youtube and concocted crazy creatures in our imagination coming up with combo animals like a cat/dolphin/scorpion...sketching and doodling and then attacking our canvases with sloshes of paint, stamps, spray paint, oil pastels and pencils...scratching through the layers with bamboo skewers...all day long!!! It was sooooo much fun and I'm totally exhausted but in a GOOD way!

Here's some pics of our day..I'm off for a bubble bath.....hope all is lovely with all of my beautiful blogger friends!
love and hugs Tracy ♥♥

ps yesterday I had some amazing news that I'm bursting to share!!! Hopefully very soon!!!

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Oh what a day!!

2011-10-05T03:14:00.000-07:00

9.14pm here in Aussie land... 2 glasses of calm me down red wine and OMG I havent written my "committed too" Blogtoberfest blog!!!~should be sitting with Marco watching TV!

No art today my friends..instead a day of running around, rug needs dry cleaning, Dr and dentist appt's, pick up some spray paint for tomorrows kids workshop, wash, fold, clean out the various experiments growing in the fridge! You know the kind of day I'm talking about!!!

Funniest part is this~

I get home and there's really not much in the fridge! (bad mum-not organised-too focused on my own stuff-my words-no-one elses).
Sienna is heading next door to stay with vacation best friend Lily but Santana is home after 3 days away with new flame.

Whats in the fridge? Frozen pizza for Santana...embellished of course with feta, olives, tomato etc and oh my there's a pack of smoked salmon...I'll make eggs benedict!

My love comes home from a 10 hour day building and really would love some of my fried potatoes to go with that! Sienna's camp list for the weekend is sitting on the counter...I really should get to that now!

Off I head to my non favorite grocery store...end up in a fab, long conversation with a fellow artist I haven't seen for ages...watching the clock knowing that I'm not even going to get started on dinner till 7.30pm!

get out to the car park..key in the ignition..text message from Sienna....emergency...feta!!!!!

breathe..text back..I'm not going back in there!

mum..we really need feta!!!

me mistakenly thinking that Sienna has come back home for dinner to share pizza with Santana try to ring Sienna but no answer! Call Santana and go into attack mode!! "if you want me to go back in there and buy feta you better be prepared to meet me at the car, carry all the groceries in AND HELP make your own pizza!!

Santana: What are you talking about mum! Sienna is next door!! Oh.............

Turns out family next door asked Sienna to text me to get Feta......I need to go to bed!!

More art later! I know you guys can relate to this.....sweet dreams!!! xo

I think I'm in love...with coloured inks!

2011-10-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

A Breath of Spring~ ink, acrylic and sun dye on watercolour paper by Tracy Verdugo

Blogtoberfest Day 4!!

Browsing around on Pinterest this morning I came across a beautiful image by extraordinary artist Elizabeth Terhune. Her work is exquisite whether she's working in oils or inks! I love the fluidity and transparent qualities of ink and have often used black or sepia in my sketches playing with tonal qualities through washes and experimenting with line by using different implements to make experimental marks. Occasionally I've used coloured inks for drawn lines or accents on a painting but until today I hadn't experimented with them in the same way as I had with the blacks and sepias.

An Element of Surprise~ Ink, sun dye and acrylic on paper by Tracy Verdugo

Not having a huge range of colours I pulled out some sun dyes and a pthalo turquoise golden fluid acrylic as well and began to play! Oh how much fun did I have!

This Quiet Path~ ink, sun dye and acrylic on paper by Tracy Verdugo

There are some tricks to this and not everything was a keeper but the beauty of working on paper is that you can find the parts that are working, crop in on them and discard the rest!

The Earth Laughs in Flowers Ink, sun dye and acrylic on paper by Tracy Verdugo

Thanks to Elizabeth for the inspiration to pull out my inks and spend some time exploring...hope this post inspires all of you to do the same xox
love Tracy ♥♥♥

Frida is flying to Belgium!

2011-10-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

Just a quick one today as I really need to get out to my studio and start work on a happy Buddha commission...

The big news is that my blog has finally reached 200 followers and the lucky winner of my Frida painting is Vanessa Colant from Pretty Days Studio Yay!!!! Congratulations Vanessa...send me your address so I can book Frida on a flight to Belgium!!

Oh and just in case you hadn't heard something pretty special is going on over here and its all FREE!!
See you later alligators!

Much love and hugs
Tracy ♥

Exciting news and a painting giveaway

2011-10-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
Its a cold, wet day here in Southern NSW.
One of those days that make you wonder if the first giddy taste of Spring was all just a big tease!

I've been making the most of it though....
a morning in the studio,
a little nap...

and now getting ready to make some spinach and feta gozleme for dinner.

I'm having fun exploring other wonderful blogs through Blogtoberfest and in the Spirit of things I will be having a few giveaways over the month to come....

first up is this little mixed media painting of Frida Kahlo which I will be drawing as soon as my blog hits 200 followers. make sure you click the little follow button on the right to be in the draw!

Also just wanted to share that I'm very excited to be launching a solo exhibition at the very plush and highly awarded Cupitts Winery in Ulladulla on Oct 28th.

I know it might be a bit far for some of you to come but I wish you all could be there! Hope the sun is shining wherever you are...sending out love and hugs!
Hasta manana!!

Tracy ♥♥♥

You're all invited!

Sneak peek just for you...work in progress :)

feeling wonky!

2011-09-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hi beautiful peeps!
I've just signed up for Blogtoberfest and you can too by clicking the little link somewhere over there on the right....I'm not even sure how it all works yet but I can feel a giveaway coming on and it also means that I'm making a commitment to blog every day this month which means you'll be getting the good, bad and the ugly and today I'm totally feeling like a mixture of all three...I dont really want to go into it suffice to say that I'm in a seriously self doubting mood and I'm just going to have to ride it out...my studio feels like a good place to hide today I think...both of the girls are working at their weekend jobs, Marco's waiting for the wind to pick up so he can go kite surfing and me, well I think I'll just go and dip some fingers in some paint.
Here's a fun exercise you might like to try!

Find an image from a mag or an online royalty free site...grid it up!

On a clean piece of paper place the dots as if you're going to duplicate the grid but then warp the lines as you connect the dots.....

Sketch what you see in each box from the original photo but follow the warp of the lines....WONKY WARP # 1! this one with felt marker :)

Follow the instructions again for extra warpiness!

For this one I used ink.
I feel a bit like this today :~'

Dont let your song go unsung....la la la la!!!!!

2011-09-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Now that I know how to embed videos in my blog I thought I should probably post this little video I made of some of my work from over the past 12 years.

Hope you enjoy!

That's me singing too and I know I keep that pretty quiet
but Marco and I are working on a new CD with the gorgeous Ged and Syd
and we're aiming to release it towards the end of the year...
Hopefully by then I will have figured out how to make
some videos to go along with our music :)

Just wanted to share for those of you on your own creative journey that it has, for me, not all been easy to let my voice be heard. I sang for years in my bedroom, in the shower, busting out in the house when no one was around...singing along to mums Dolly Parton records (Jolene, Jolene, Jolene,Joleeeeeeene...I'm begging of you please dont take my man!)and memorising all the words to Grease when I was 12...

but it wasn't until I was in my early thirties that I began to get the courage to sing in front of others, first just to Marco, then one other friend, then a small group, then after three years of encouragement from Marco and others, my first gig! 8 months pregnant with Sienna!

I still get super nervous about performing but I challenge myself to "feel the fear and do it anyway"! We just recorded a version of "Here comes the sun" and I'd love you all to send me your best heart warming Spring/summer pics so I can make a little slideshow for my Youtube channel. Also if you'd like to hear some music from our last CD you can head over here for a listen :)

ps you'll be hearing from me quite a bit in October as I'm taking part in Blogtoberfest over here at my friend Cathy's (aka tinnie girl) blog...looks like a lot of fun so come join us!

pps if you LOVE Lisa Sonora Beams book The Creative Entrepreneur as much as I do head on over to my Magically Mixed Art Group on FB. Lisa is thinking about starting up a FREE business chat group so jump on in to the conversation and lets us know what you need to help your creative business flourish!

ppps send your lovely sunshine/springtime/summer pics to me at tracy_verdugo@hotmail.com and feel free to add a caption

Thats it from me today..off to my studio very soon to paint...sending love, hugs and luscious, creative vibes out to you all
love Tracy ♥♥♥

A weekend of Wholehearted ART!

2011-09-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Oh what a weekend it was...a first for both Holly and I as before this we had both taught workshops but never a WHOLE weekend devoted to scrumptious creativity with 8 gorgeous and willing lovelies! Thank you so much to Heike, Beatrice, Alice, Katie, Peg, Vanessa, Kelly and Maureen for sharing an amazing weekend with us and of course a BIG thank you to Adrian and Jenny for their generosity in sharing their home and workshop stable with us. All of the affirmations from Flora's wonderful workshop in April got us in the mood and we added our own as the weekend went on....

we started with our own personal affirmations...getting them down on canvas and letting the colours flow...

nearly 13 Beatrice attended with mum Heike for a very special mother daughter weekend although sadly Heike was battling a nasty cold...Beatrice enthusiastically showed us all how to turn off the inner critic and just go for it!!

so grateful that peg came all the way from Wisconsin to hang out with me and spent lovely time at our home with my family as well. The dolphins even came out to greet her the minute she set foot on the white sands of Jervis Bay!

hanging out with Kelly....

Bea with her bold work in progress..

a little sharing time at the end of the workshop..yeah I talk with my hands when I'm excited....

Katie talks us through the evolution of her whimsical painting..

and she also got her hands stuck into some yummy texture!

Holly's painting turned from a winged kangaroo...

to a beautiful school of fish!

Swimming the other way! Holly wins the award for most transformations of a single painting!!

we made beautiful messes...

and beautiful fabrics....

a fence full of fabrics!

then Holly showed us all the cool things we could make with them!

Time for a cuppa and a curious look around!

Beatrice talks about mum Heikes vibrant painting in progress in her absence..hope you're all better now Heike!!

then she takes us on a journey through her own amazing painting!

Vanessa talks about her luscious work....

Peg encapsulates her Australian experience in her gorgeous painting :)

Maureen was inspired by our beautiful Bay and painted jewel like colours and our very own weedy sea dragon!

Alice was inspired by her visit to Cirque du soleil to paint this beautifully playful work!

Kelly had no idea that she put her colourful self into her fabulous work until we all pointed it out!

Wholeheartedly happy!!

Hope you all have an amazingly creative and happy week!!
Lotsa Love
Tracy♥♥♥

No words......

2011-09-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

Halfway through my breakfast I followed this link and was just blown away.
This touched my heart so much...
on so many levels...
a woman brave enough and loving enough to rescue 2 forgotten babies...
a boy brave enough to pursue his passion REGARDLESS of what would be to some insurmountable obstacles...
Watching this made me cry..in oh such a good way....
there are no excuses NOT to live our bliss
there are no excuses NOT to follow our passion
there are no excuses NOT to spread love every day

Just wake up each day and live your highest life..if we all do this the world can only be a better place
Namaste
Tracy ♥♥♥

Who needs a hug? ♥

2011-09-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

Marco and I are blessed to live across the road from one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.....every time we walk along the white sands of Jervis Bay we think about just how lucky we are to be surrounded by such beauty...during the non holiday season a handful of locals greet each other and there is a always a smile and a hello for strangers...during the holidays though we notice a strange phenomenon. Tourists come to visit from the cities, seeking solace in nature, time out from the hustle and bustle. As we walk, we try to catch their eye, offer a smile...mostly they seem more closed, less trusting...we smile at them anyways..it makes the world a better place. A couple of weeks ago I wondered out loud to Marco what it would be like to wear a T-shirt offering free hugs...my sweetheart laughed and said I'd probably get plenty of takers! This week I was surprised and delighted to find that the Free hug movement actually exists and is happening all around the world!! What a beautiful thing! Sending you all a virtual free hug right now! ( ♥♥♥ )
Have a beautiful week!
love Tracy x

What the world needs now is more crazy dancing , laughter and a whole lot of love!

2011-09-05T00:30:00.000-07:00

"In the Lap of Comfort" acrylic and mixed media on plywood 30x30cm by Tracy Verdugo $225

Saw this a few months back and then again today on my friend Donna Heart's blog and just had to share...sometimes we just all need to lighten up, find our silly side and let the giggles and kookiness out....watch out..its contagious!

Tell the truth I've been feeling a little kooky lately...painting very loosely and without a care...watching little creatures emerge from my work on their own volition, feeling a bit like Alice in Wonderland......Isn't it fun!!!

"The Wonderment of Other Worlds" acrylic and mixed media on plywood 30 x30cm by Tracy Verdugo $225

Have a lovely whimsical week and dont forget to do a silly dance or two and let the giggles fly! Here's one more of my fave dance videos just for good measure!

"Who are YOU?" said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, "I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then."
(Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 5)

A quiet place for the eye to rest...

2011-08-26T16:28:00.001-07:00

I remember years ago my art teacher telling me it was important to have resting place in your art...I think her exact words were " a quiet place for the eye to rest". Lately my works have been soooooo vibrant, sooooooo full of layers and energy and I've been loving it...BUT....yesterday I was feeling a little tired and overwhelmed...pushing through I decided that instead of laying down for a nap I would head into my studio and see if I could find something there to nurture my spirit.... a big bottle of white paint was sitting in the middle of my table so I reached for it, took a deep breath and gave myself permission to play, to not worry about outcome, to not care that I have never really experimented with putting white over bold colour before, to KNOW that it didnt really matter what happened..it was pure delicious PLAY!
What did happen amazed me and it actually feels like a giant epiphany for me...I can hardly wait to get back out to the studio today! Wishing you all beautiful breakthroughs in your art and life today ♥
ps a BIG thank you to my gorgeous friend Jeniffer Hutchins who featured me this week on her Inspiring Artist blog! xoxoxox

Stages of a painting.....

beginnings.....

playing with symbols........

adding more drips and colour!

and more cos I'm really not sure where I'm going with it....turning it around to look at it from different angles...walking away for a week or two!

"Unspoken Words" Acrylic on canvas 45x90cm $700
Coming back with fresh eyes and a playful spirit ♥

Taking pics of your art...simplified :)

2011-08-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hi lovely people! Hope all is well in your little corner of this beautiful planet! Today I wanted to share some tips on taking photos of your art. I take mine with a Panasonic DMC-T25... not an over the top super dooper camera but enough to get a good resolution pic....from memory it was about $300ish purchased in the US in 2008. Marco just chimed in from the kitchen to say that the Leica lens on this particular camera is a pretty cool thing...not being techie I have no idea why but I'll take his word for it...thanks honey!

I started on this mixed media piece last night and even though its not yet finished I took some pics to give me some direction as to where I might go next. I always take my pics in natural light without a flash otherwise you get this unsightly patch of brightness in the pic....

which no amount of editing or deepening of shadows will get rid of...

I usually take my pics in the morning or afternoon in a place with soft indirect light......the light will differ with the seasons..its Winter here in Australia and you can see just a little of my woolly yellow sock! :) The floor of my studio near the door seems to work quite well. Try to stand directly over and take the photo as square as possible. For larger works you may have to stand on a stool.
*Tip; take at least 12 pics

I edit with a great free programme called Picasa 3..its easy to use and free to download! First thing is to crop your image..use the manual setting to get rid of all of the background. If your painting is not centered properly you may lose a little bit of the image hence the importance of taking lots of pics to try and get one that is nice and centered.
#Tip...if you press the little button at the bottom that says 1:1 it will blow your pic up to its full size. This way you can see which image is the clearest and most in focus. Delete any images that are in any way blurry.

After cropping I always use a magical little button called "I'm feeling lucky" remember you're trying to get a pic that looks the most like the real thing. 75% of the time this button gets the image pretty close.

Any kind of light has a washing out effect so after the lucky button I go to "tuning" and deepen the shadows a little....

then sometimes I'll take the light up just a little for balance.

Because I'm impatient I took some pics last night too, no flash, just my studio lights on....this gave a much warmer effect but I thought I'd share that too because sometimes that is what you might be after. if you are selling prints of your work you have the creative license to play with the images and decide which effects you like best. Playing and manipulating images this way can also spark ideas for new artworks...inspiration is everywhere!!

i pressed the "I'm feeling lucky button"

then deepened the shadows...

then brought the light up just a little y voila!! I might even like this warmer version better! What do you think? Have fun experimenting...when you're happy with your pics be sure to post them over at my Magically Mixed art group on Facebook! have a beautiful weekend and feel free to share this post on your FB walls!

love Tracy♥♥♥

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.

Scott Adams

Snippets of a lovely weekend♥

2011-08-07T13:26:00.001-07:00

Much to be grateful for this weekend.......

the colour of the Winter ocean....

the beautiful place we live...

a deserted beach to walk along with my love....

teeny, tiny treasures....

a little love in the back garden...

my favourite tree surrounded by winter arum lilies....

then painting.....

painting.....

painting.... ♥

wishing you a beautiful, creative week of love and contentment
Tracy xo

You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. Mark Twain

2011-07-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

Never underestimate the power of imagining your ultimate dream. Two years ago I made this vision board as a way of shouting my intentions to the Universe...I want to paint every day, travel and teach, help people to understand that there is greatness inside all of us. On the board I placed images of places I could imagine teaching workshops and people who were already living the life I envisaged. Today I cut out a picture of Hacienda Mosaico in Mexico, a place I want to teach at in my five year plan. I brushed the glue on and went to look at where I could add it to my board. What a surprise to find a picture already there, not the same pic but from a different angle, right above the picture of Flora Bowley on the right who incidentally walked out of my vision board and into my reality this year...life is a mysterious and wonderful thing.
Dont forget to come on over to our Magically Mixed media group on Facebook as we are just about to hit the 1000 member mark and when we do I'll be giving this little painting away to a lucky winner....DREAM BIG beautiful friends!!

Tracy ♥♥♥

Happy birthday to me AND to my blog!!

2011-07-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

Hi beautiful creative friends!!
Thanks so much for all the lovely birthday wishes on FB...I had an amazing day and lots of pressies which included a beautiful bunch of flowers delivered to my workplace from my wonderful husband, various vouchers for foot, head and back massage plus a voucher for art supplies from the girls AND the best Ipod/CD speaker sound system that will enable me to play cool music at all of my workshops, in my studio, in the bath, wherever!! How lucky am I?!

I was also surprised to discover that my blog had a birthday last week too. It's one year old and what an amazing year its been! So many firsts have come about from connecting through this amazing blogosphere but mostly its about the friends I have made and the community of like minded souls that have come into my life and for that I am truly grateful. One of those beautiful people is the very groovy Holly Eva. We befriended each other at the suggestion of the amazing Violette and have been on a whirlwind getting to know each other ever since. Our husbands are eternally grateful that they no longer have to listen to our crazy, way out ideas cos' we now have each other to share with and our zany ideas don't sound crazy to us at all!

One of my goals this year was to start making some videos and eventually build up to online workshops. This is my first attempt so be kind..more to come soon!! Have a blissful weekend and make sure you make some time to make SOMETHING fabulous ♥♥♥

towards a simpler life....

2011-07-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

In 2008 our family made the decision to have 7 months of time out. Travelling on a wing and a prayer we took the girls out of school and headed to the US travelling up the West Coast from San Diego to Canada and then down into tropical Mexico...we worked where we could, camped, homeschooled and visited with family. Towards the end of the trip we spent two months in the sleepy coastal village of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico...today I want to share with you a post from three years ago....my thoughts on a very non hectic period of our lives. During this time painting was even put on the backburner in favour of naps, swims and sunset watching...later, however once we were back in Australia, inspiration came as an avalanche as I processed and painted my memories...I guess what I search for now is a way to bring some of that simplicity back into our lives..I still havent figured it out but would love to hear from all of you any changes you have made towards living a more simple life xo

*******HERES MY POST FROM 2008 ********

PEDESTRIANS IN PARADISE....Tracy Verdugo 2008

For two months we explore this sleepy tropical outpost. We are in Oaxaca, the Southern most state of the Pacific Coast of Mexico. A few more hours and you end up in Guatemala.

Puerto Escondido hangs on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. It has been sixteen years since we last visited; then, no children, no mortgage, no responsibilities. Things have changed for us but in a good way and the changes we see in Puerto are also positive. Tourism has grown but the charm of a sleepy laid back coastal town is still there. There are more beachside palapa restaurants, more backpacker surf hostels, more gringos building beachside places to rent out, more bodyboarders, more international injection with sushi bars and pizza places popping up, but in the end the flavour is the same. There will be no highrise here, no 5 star luxury hotels, no $200.00 a day golf courses or high end fishing trips.

The mood is sleepy, laid back, lazy dogs, beer on the beach at perfect sunset after perfect sunset, rice and beans on fresh corn tortillas, palm trees and humming birds, sharing papaya with our resident iguana…get the picture? Decisions are tough to make…another swim or a siesta? Sudoku or a book?
Is it time to eat? I don’t know, are you hungry? Life is cruisey here and without a vehicle we explore on foot, colectivo or by taxi.

Mostly we walk.
Along the wet sand from Zicatela to the Point, watching schools of manta rays fly through the air, synchronising their dance above the sun sparkled water. Or in the opposite direction from Zicatela towards Playa Marinero where a sculpture of two hands rise out of the rocks open palmed, a symbolic offering of thanks against the perfect sky or perhaps an acknowledgment of receipt and gratitude. There are many gifts to be had here.

The waves on Zicatela are powerful, ranked amongst the best in the World and swimming here is not recommended. Lifeguards rescue unknowing tourists daily from the treacherous undercurrents which the surfers use to their advantage to get out into the line up quickly.
Marco heads out to surf almost daily while the girls and I content ourselves with wallowing in the whitewash.
Some days we walk to Playa Principal, where the fishermen haul in their daily catch in brightly coloured lanchas. Here, in the afternoon, Mexican families come down in their hundreds for the Puesta del sol(sunset) and bathe fully clothed in the calmer waters, letting the gentle waves flop them around like overgrown rag dolls. Restaurants line the beach and women carry trays of fruit salad and fried bananas to customers on the waters edge

From Playa Principal we walk the Cliff walk, a series of concrete paths, steps and bridges, cut into and built around the natural cliff faces. This leads us up to Manzanillo reef where Marcos mum joins us for several weeks in November. From her Oceanfront condo we walk the neighbourhood streets together, past a tiny store where the owner and family sit outside watching soap operas under the shade of a giant tree, past the parrot who says “hola ” and surprises us one day with an entire verse of a plaintive Mexican folk song, down the cobblestoned street where we peer through open doors to catch a glimpse of other lives, past the old man in the wheel chair who always smiles and wishes us “buenos tardes”, down the stairway and past a series of stone archways which would be beautiful were it not for the rubbish and overgrown weeds, past the military barracks where teenaged soldiers stand guard with loaded M16s, onto the adoquin lined with restaurants and souvenir shops and tables and blankets filled with craft from surrounding villages.

Sometimes we have company on our walks. Two dogs from the neighbourhood, Muneca and Duke adopt us and follow us out in the morning and afternoons, declining our company in the heat of the day, preferring then to lie in the shade like any sensible creature would.

They follow us to the Language school where we have enrolled the girls in Spanish Classes. Muneca is wonderful; a smiling, talking, tail wagging hound blend. Duke is a cool dude, king of the neighbourhood, lovable but a little on the goofy side; we cringe when he chases motorbikes and cars, inadvertently starts fights, makes a quick detour into a hotel swimming pool for a dip, or runs across the highway in front of oncoming traffic because a horse on the other side has sparked his interest. They follow us to the Hotel Santa Fe one night where Sharon is treating us to dinner and despite our urgings, sneak in and hide under the table. “They’re not our dogs” we say to the waiter apologetically. He smiles and gently shoos them out with sprinkles of water from a silver bowl. After dinner we find Duke in the street still waiting faithfully to escort us home in the dark. One day he pees on one of the hundred of lounge chairs laced along the beach. The owner of the chairs throws the bottom of a beach umbrella spike at him whacking him across the face and then proceeds to threaten Marco with the sharp metal end, cursing in Spanish and waving his arms at these ^$#@#^&* perros pissing everywhere “He’s not our dog ” Marco repeats again and again..this becomes a common refrain in the weeks to come until one day the neighbour tells us that Duke has been sent off to a friends ranch after another neighbours complaint. We think a ranch will probably suit the big oaf just fine. Lonely Muneca visits us in our casa but doesnt venture out as much without Duke. Within days however another neighbourhood duo has filled their place as our trusty companions.

In the evenings we stroll the short block down to the beach, watch another sunset and think about how lucky we are to be here.

Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

2011-07-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

Oh my!! Where have I been?? Its school holidays and I thought I would be the blogging queen! Alas I'm like a kid in a candy store...too many fun things to choose from and so I'm running around trying to do all of them...Marco and I headed down to Canberra on Sunday to drop Sienna off to go skiing and he surprised me with a night at the Rydges Lakeside...i have to say its been a while since we've had a night alone in a hotel! First we wandered downstairs and found an art auction in progress...we sat in and couldnt believe that a couple of Salvador Dali signed etchings went for around $800!! Then we strolled through the streets until we found a nice warm Irish Pub where we enjoyed a couple of rounds of Guinness :)

We wandered the streets for a while after this but the cold was a little too much so we headed back to the hotel and had some extra spicy Indian delivered..Marco was in heaven!!

Earlier in the week I was over the moon HAPPY to give away this little painting to lucky winner Charla when my Magically Mixed Art Community over at facebook hit 500 members.

I had NO IDEA when I started this group several months ago that it would become such an awesome place of sharing and inspiration. If you are not yet a member PLEASE come on over to my FB page and ask for an invite...Here's an example of a question I asked last week and just a few of the fabulous responses from people in the KNOW ♥

Tracy Verdugo
I've got lots of questions today and my mind is working overtime. One of my goals this year is to have my work published...many of you here have already accomplished this and I'd love some advice for myself and others in the group who have the same dreams. For me being from a small village by the beach in Australia it is awesome to be able to connect with artists all over the world and I soooooo appreciate your wisdom x

From the lovely Violette!
HI Tracy and everyone here! This is the way my journey went - first i was published on online zines, then real zines, then real magazines such as Cloth Paper Scissors, Somerset, Creative Techniques, Creative Homes, Scrapbooking and beyond ...etc. After that people knew me and i was asked to submit to someone's book - then another book and then i heard that Rice Freeman Zachary was looking for people to submit their story for a possible book. Which i did - then i was chosen to appear in Living the Creative Life - a wonderful book with 15 artists. From there the editors of the publishing house got to know me and i pitched an idea for a book to them. They said YES! "Journal Bliss" was born! So my journey took a few years........basically you look for submission guidelines in magazines - there are many and then you can query or simply send in your project with step by steps. Getting published has never been easier - seriously.......it's very easy today! Tracy - have you heard of the latest Stampington magazine - can't remember the name - it's to do with art with kids. I think you could submit a story about creating art with your kids! You'd be great! xo
ps You can also subscribe to "Haro- Ask a reporter" they have lots of call outs for stories for publications, blogs etc. I have received publicity that way too! Good luck!

From the beautiful Juliette Crane- definitely choose your top magazines etc that you'd love to be featured in and submit to them first! check their websites and follow their submission guidelines. i always like to send a little gift of cards or magnets with my art on it too...for the editor to keep and remember :) good luck!

From the all inspiring Pam Carriker
Hey Tracy, I started by submitting to magazine calls and then submitted my first article (CPS Art at the Speed of Life) many articles lead to my book by the same title. Calls are an easy way to start, they are asking for artwork of a specif...ic nature that they need! Be sure to follow the submission guidelines found out their websites. I've seen firsthand how much art they receive and it's astounding, which makes it hard to deal with art that doesn't follow the guidelines. Submit the actual artwork, especially important when you're introducing it to them the first time. I like to submit more than one piece as it makes for a nice layout. Don't stop at the first submission. Sometimes it takes many months before they use something so don't spend the time holding your breath waiting to hear about it, keep moving forward to the next call. The magazines love new, fresh, artwork. Read up, see what they're looking for. Read the letters to the editor to see what readers would like to see as well. It doesn't hurt to send it off with a little kiss for luck either;-)

and this lovely comment from Elaina!
Elaina Allen-Velando It's so refreshing when artist's share! Thank you Pam and Violette (and Tracy for this cool page) for those tips. I believe when we share the creative flow comes full circle ♥
COuldnt have said it better!!

Make sure you come on over to FB to see all of the other helpful advice and join the magic!

Apart from all that I've been in here.......

Doing a lot of this.............

and this.............

working on some stuff for Uni in which I am attempting to map the blogosphere ( thereby giving me the ultimate excuse to spend hours perusing blogs all in the name of research)....here is a work in progress

and I even managed to sneak in a session in the recording studio where I did vocals on two new songs much to Marco's amazement!! Will be trying my hand at making some videos to go with our songs very soon...not sure if it will work but I just embedded one of our new songs in this blog...fingers crossed :)
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc5f919/n/Track01.cda

Until next time, big hugs, lots of love and have a fabulously creative week
Tracy ♥♥♥

Seventeen...Santana Luz ♥ Fourteen..Sienna Rosa♥

2011-06-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Photos of our gorgeous girl Santana by her talented friend Adam Michael Roberson

Just a little footnote to my earlier post today...thank you for those who have reached out with advice...so nice to know I'm not alone...both of our girls are super creative and Santana has a heavy load with majors to complete in both textiles and art..... I know this stage will pass and that its all part of life and the lessons we all have to learn....I'm super grateful for both of our daughters and love the young women that they are becoming....hope you excuse me while I brag just a little...these are a few of Santana's photos that she will be working on for her art major....

and these are some of 14 year old Sienna's little ink sketches inspired by Carol Griggs beautiful book The Singing Snowbear....

Self portrait of cutey Sienna with her new teeth..braces just taken off last week :)

Have a blissful day♥

mothers and daughters....

2011-06-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

Good morning beautiful friends..just a quick note to share today as I have lots on my to do list...thinking very hard about being 17..not me obviously but my beautiful first born who is stressing out big time about assessments, money and life in general...being a parent is so hard sometimes...trying to know the right thing to say, trying to be a role model, trying to be strong enough to put guidelines in place when necessary...this morning I had to tell her that she's just not managing her time well and her reactions and overreactions to everything are stressing the whole family out....on the one hand I just want to hold her while she cries and tell her everything will be ok and that she's beautiful and perfect and the world is just waiting for her to shine...on the other hand I have to be stern and tell her that she'll have to cut back on coffees with friends, parties, going to the gym because she's just not managing to fit it all in and with only three months left of high school she needs to prioritise her activities....this sounds very calm and rational when I type it but imagine it to the backdrop of tears and yelling and "I'm just not good enough and I'll never be organised, thats just me, I cant change etc etc" Any advice? Anything? I'm struggling here....
On a happier note I started working on some paintings using the cropped images from my last post....here's the first titled " Some Enchanted Evening" 20 x20cm on plywood

and here's another on a little 10x20cm piece of ply that was being used as a palette until I decided I had to put the luscious texture to good use...."The elevated state of bliss"

Enjoy your Tuesday...I'm off to tackle that list! :)

Inspiration is Endless or Paint and Possibilities!

2011-06-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

Good morning my beautiful bloggy friends!

So much to share today...its been a bit of a whirlwind these past couple of weeks with new possibilities opening up everywhere...I'm absolutely thrilled to have been accepted to teach at Art Is in Sydney 2012 and also my first international teaching gig at Art Is in Petaluma, California in Sept 2012...somebody pinch me!!!!Anyways I'm still kinda processing all of that but will post more later...today I just wanted to share some tips with you on inspiration and the endless possibilities of finding inspiration in your own works..even ones you don't think were very successful!
This morning I took 3 images of paintings that no longer exist, meaning I've painted over them, added to them cos' I didnt really think they were working OR I was just playing around anyways and not looking for a finished product BUT each one of them had elements I really LOVED....enter my trusty computer!!!

with this first image I really was just playing around having fun and now it has all kinds of other layers over it now but there were things about it that I loved...here's what you do...just open your image in whatever editing software you love..I used Picasa to rotate and find these images from the larger work....

What is that strange creature falling from the sky?

an elephant in front of her house?

a cool abstract with great composition and colour!

I actually didn't mind this little painting but one night in a fit of "not good enoughedness" I tried to fix what I thought was wrong with it..now its gone ...forever, but lets see what can come now....

The original image

Oh I like that composition!

or you could invert the colours...I seriously have no idea how to use Photoshop..its on my endless list of things to learn but I figured out just now how to invert the colours and wow, now a whole other bunch of possibilities have opened up! Try it!

heres the little vase cropped in

and here it is in blue with a sunset behind..amazing!!

I painted this one in Feb trying to channel the amazing Miss Flora Bowley..this was before Flora actually came and stayed at my house and shared with us her wonderful soulful style and techniques in April...after this I didnt love it so much and right now this work is in my studio with paint splattered over it ready to be reworked.....once again there are bits that I love..

I loved this little elephant but wasnt sure what he was doing there...he looks so much better as the centre of attention :)

or cute in blue with that curious bird peeking in....

Heres another section...

or inverted colours again

getting the picture?? The possibilities really are endless aren't they..now what to do with them..if you sell prints of your artworks you have instant new images to share..fantastic leveraging of your art or you can do what I'm going to do and use these images as starting points for a whole host of new original works...or do both!!
Be sure to check back in a couple of weeks or sign up and follow my blog for more ideas on how to make the most of your creative life...until next time....wishing you hugs, rainbows and creative bliss
Tracy ♥♥♥

rainy days

2011-06-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

cup of peppermint tea
fluffy cat on lap
silence...empty house
rain has stopped
think I'll go hang out
out there....
♥♥♥

My arty life...a stroll down memory lane

2011-06-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

2002 "Still life with maracas" oil pastel on paper by Tracy Verdugo

I remember the article clearly...the year 2000, turn of the century...the local newspaper and a story about an artist (the beautiful Chere le Page) giving classes at the Berry School of Arts one morning a week...with one daughter in school and the other beginning preschool I decided it was time for some "me" time.....and my creative life began....the beauty is that it feels like it begins again each day, each moment...new discoveries, new ways of seeing, new directions...every day is a buzz...11 years down the track and my creative world is overflowing with happiness....thought I'd take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some old friends..not sure if I can find any really old ones as I'm pretty sure we lost a hard drive somewhere between then and now but let me see what I can muster up.....

2001 one of my very first paintings....

from my first solo exhibition in 2002 a local scene inspired by Mexican amate paintings...

2003 "across the universe"

2003 "An Eagle Flies By"

circa 2004 I love that this one depicts a view of the bay in which we live and it now hangs in a home close by overlooking the same bay :)

around 2003 "Everyday Angels" pastel and ink on paper

around 2004..my first attempts at mixed media...playing with fabric and paint..

One of my faves from 2006 "Birth of a Song"

also from 2006 "Estefania Dances" the first time I actually asked an online(MySpace days) friend if I could use her photo as an inspiration for a painting...

at some point I even ventured into pet portraits but realised this wasn't my path (as cute as my furry subjects were :)

2007 inspired by our beautiful beaches

2008 Garden of Delights series

2008 Dreaming...Tree of Life series

2008 "Where Inspiration Lives"

2008 "The Edge of Similarity"

2008 "Summer Song"

2009 Fiesta

2009 "Behind Closed Doors"

2010 "Joyride"

2011 "Grow Love"

2011 "Keeper of Secrets"

Hope you've enjoyed this teensy sample of my works over the years...always love to share a little of myself in hopes of inspiring you to new and true levels of your own loveliness ♥

Over the Moon EXCITED!!

2011-06-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Very excited to have been selected to teach with 11 other beautiful artists at this EastWest Coast retreats huge event ArtIs SYDNEY 2012 next March....click on the link to register for a workshop.....I'll be busy teaching but I wish I could take them all! I'll be running 3 full day workshops plus an evening one on Friday night...can hardly wait!!
Heres where its at!!

We are so lucky to finally have an event like this in Australia....heres what you can expect from one their US retreat participants :)

"The entire weekend surprised me at every turn. I struck up some friendships, people genuinely admired my creations and I felt like I belonged. Here I was among very creative women, some of whom I had felt intimidated by because of their creativity and self-confidence and yet I felt like I belonged. I learned new media, new techniques, discovered new places in myself. I felt confident, self-assured. This never happens to me!"

Click here for all of the wonderful workshop details

outa my head..into my hands ♥

2011-06-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

I've been spending a whole lot of time in my head this past couple of weeks..essays to write for Uni, workshop proposals to send off and deadlines all around....I venture longingly into my studio only to find its still a mess from my kids art class last week...I haven't had the time to clean it up let alone do anything creative in it! Hold on a minute...just breathe...I'm not whinging, really I'm not...great opportunities are coming my way including being accepted to be one of the 12 artists that will be teaching at an amazing retreat in Sydney 2012...truly this is the best thing ever!! My dreams of traveling around the world teaching workshops are getting closer each day... the seed was planted years ago and my little flower has begun to bloom! Today however I want to MAKE something...get outa my head and into my hands...not sure what will come cos' I still have a long list of other stuff to get through...just going to leave this blog in progress up, keep my camera handy and look for ten minute inspirations throughout my day...stay posted ♥

a little while later.......

OK!! I'm back and I made something!It may not be MAJOR ART but I did get out of my head and into my hands and my HEART and THAT makes me happy :)
I took the first thing that caught my eye which was this empty cotton spool

...apologies to our kitty Bella who has been having fun batting it around on the floor for the last 2 weeks!
Hmmmm what could it become? Gotta find a warm place in the house..my fingers are freezing!

Bodhi the kitty knows the best place in the house on a cold day ♥

On a snuggly lounge next to the warm fire...

I gather some supplies thinking about how my girls are really starting to find their own style...Santana at 17 is elegant but into simplicity, very wabi sabi with her messy hair and neutral colours and thinks nothing of spending $100 on one designer shirt and pairing it with a $2 skirt from the op shop, Sienna just 14 has become suddenly Boho chic, into everything vintage, floral and pink she will go nowhere near the designer stores finding everything she needs at the op shop!...yesterday she was buzzed to find an old pink quilted dressing gown that goes all the way down to the floor and a pink flannelet nightie to wear under it... i think for today this little something will be for Sienna x

I wrap the little spool with some pretty fabric and lace scraps and glue on a couple of buttons...

then add a couple of mini wrapped fabric flowers also made from the scraps and glue them onto some sticks I find next to the fire....

it needs a little something else so I make a heart out of wire and wrap it in fabric..

find a little text to make it extra special et voila!! something to put a smile on Sienna's face when she comes home...and that puts a smile on mine ♥

p.s please make sure you head over here to sign up for info on Sydney Art Is 2012...you'll be the first to receive info on all of the fabulous workshops on offer!!
Oh and one more thing...this fabric flower thing is really fun..I've also made a couple for my hair that I just slip onto a bobby pin and wear..heres a cute tutorial if you want to give it a try...the pic at the top is one I made modeled by moi...

Have a beautiful week lovely people, smile at everyone you meet and think about things that make you feel GOOD! xo♥

Wholehearted Workshop with Tracy Verdugo and HollyEva!!!

2011-05-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

Holly and I have been putting our heads together and have come up with an amazing workshop line up for a wonderful September weekend of PAINTING and MIXED MEDIA PLAY! If you cant get to Jervis Bay but would like Holly and I to bring our WHOLEHEARTED selves elsewhere for a workshop please let me know..we LOVE ROAD TRIPS or BOAT TRIPS on PLANE TRIPS for that matter!!! Have paints will travel I say! Places are limited to 15 so let us know ASAP if you want to join us..its going to be FUN times 100!!
I just used ScribD to upload the flyer..let me know if its not loading properly ok? You can press the little full page thingy at the bottom to open it in its own page..not sure about you but I'd be having a little trouble reading print that small ;p

JervisBayWorkshopDetails Wholehearted!

Drip, splosh, tilt!

2011-05-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

Hello beautiful bloggy friends!

I just had a little giggle when I read back my title...it sounds like I've been drinking too much! In reality I've been holed up in my studio for days working on a Major submission for a painting unit I'm doing towards my Fine Arts Degree. A lot of the time its not much fun painting to someone else's specifications or being graded on your art but these exercises have actually been a lot of fun...with Exercise titles such as Method and Madness and Art for Arts Sake I have been experimenting and having lots of fun just seeing what happens when.... One of the exercises called for lots of experimentation with pouring, spilling and staining. Lots of layers were suggested and so I did just that! Here are the results...aren't they just gorgeous!!

I wanted to experiment with a couple of different surfaces so I started with some pieces of unprimed plywood and randomly dripped some Golden Fluid colours on...

a little spray of water and magical things start to happen....

Using a foam brush to move the paint around I sprayed again and then let them dry a bit before adding up to 4 more layers of the same....

I also worked on canvases, painting them with some Flow medium beforehand. The paints moved differently on this surface and didn't get soaked up like they did with the wood....

the paint layered well on the canvas....

flowing lusciously this way and that....

creating a deep and magical surface...

on the little pieces of plywood figures appeared.....

and dreamy landscapes...desert

and sea......
What shall I paint on them now?
Such a fun technique...have a play with it this week when you get a chance and send me a pic of your drip, splash, tilt works...let me know if you have any questions and most of all have a blissfully creative rest of the week xoxox

Feelgood Friday

2011-05-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

What makes you feel good? Like really good?? What gives you that little buzz in your tummy and makes you smile or giggle even when no one else is around. Sitting here thinking about the things i could blog about on Friday and this is what came to mind. Perfect!! Would love to hear what makes you feel good too xo

Here are some of mine..............told through the evolution of a painting :)

Starting a painting from a place of freedom and with no expectations
mmmmm that makes me feel good.........

Playing around with darks and lights and shapes while still feeling loose and playful..that really feels good!

Staying fluid and open to all possibilities feels fantastic...Wait is that an owl peeking out at me?

beginning to make decisions but still happy to let the painting tell the story..that feels good too....

Being brave enough to turn something upside down, even when you think its done and dusted, find a new story and a fresh way of looking at things and make the bold choice to create something entirely new...that feels fantastic!!

I know my little owl is still in there, only now he's doing a headstand amongst the flowers instead of sitting calmly on a branch :)

Wishing you all a fabulous Feelgood Friday that stretches on through the whole weekend and beyond!
lotsa love
Tracy xoxox

Gratitude, kids and creativity!

2011-05-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

I'm always blown away by the way that children approach creativity with such a sense of exploration and fearlessness. After 12 years of teaching artiness to children and adults I know the value of getting back into a playful or childlike state when making adult art!

During the Easter Holidays I ran a whole day workshop for a gorgeous group of kids ranging in ages from 7-14 around the topic of gratitude.

We started off with a circle discussion and the kids and I spent some time focusing on the things in our lives that we are grateful for. After a little while warming up the words and thoughts flowed freely;

* a warm bed at night
* a nice, kind family
* clean beaches to swim in
* enough food
*the beauty of nature

after we'd been around the circle 4 times we realised we probably could keep going all day so decided it was time to get busy making our Gratitude Flags.

For the first time i hired 2 fabulous assistants, my daughters Santana(17) and Sienna(14)and i seriously cant imagine how I have been doing without their help for all of these years!

We spent the day stamping and painting, spraying and glueing and sewing by hand and machine.

The finished artworks were beautiful; vibrant, individual and meaningful.
Will definitely have to do this with an adult group very soon!

Have a beautiful rest of the week everyone..hope you make time for some creative play of your own.

from little things big things grow- September workshop with Hollyeva and I!!

2011-04-25T14:23:00.001-07:00

"this day awaits you" Tracy Verdugo...mixed media on canvas

Did you ever meet someone you just felt an instant connection with?

Someone who you just knew was on the same path, looking out at the world through
the same lens as you?

That just happened to me....

A couple of months ago I started a little conversation with the irrepressible
Miss Hollyeva and once we started we just couldn't stop!

For those of you who have not yet met Holly pop on over to her blog here for a little peek at her inspiring work......

THE BIG NEWS IS!!!!!!!

Holly and I are putting our heads and our hearts together for a fabulous weekend of creative work shopping in beautiful Jervis Bay in September this year!!

We met last Saturday at my place and I wish we had taken a pic together but the truth is we hardly stopped talking long enough to take a breath!

So very excited to work on this together...Holly and I both have the same passion for helping others tap into their creative flow and what better time to let your true nature unfurl than Springtime! We'll let you know when we have all of the details but please let us know if you would like to come as there will only 15 spots and it looks like we're a third full already before we've even finalised the details... all we can tell you right now is that we're going to help you over the weekend to grow into a whole new shiny version of you, throw out those things that aren't serving you and walk bravely into a new world where you give yourself permission to explore, be inspired and get messy in the best way!

Over the course of the weekend we'll be starting small, finding inspiration in some unexpected places and then slowly building up to creating in a more expansive way on Sunday....you might expect to dabble in a little bit of this.....

and a little bit of this

to end up with you very own concertina journey book...like this...

Then maybe we'll try a bit of this

to find some of this

and a whole lot of this

Holly and I find inspiration everywhere and we intend to help you slide into an inspiration avalanche during a weekend filled with surprises, fun and treasure seeking.... On Sunday we'll take everything we've learned, collected, cut up, journalled, get out our canvases and lay it down large scale!! So excited... would love to have you join us... stay posted for more details and have a blissful and bold week!
Tracy xox

Feeling the love with Flora Bowley!

2011-04-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

One of my finished works from the weekend...

The whole crew!!

Last weekend I attended my first ever art workshop. Never one to start small I also happened to be the organiser of the event...and of course it wasn't just any old teacher, it was with the awesomely groovy, hip, wise and generous Flora Bowley whose photo I had placed on my vision board last year!! Flora arrived on the Thursday afternoon and we spent a couple of days getting to know each other..what a treat to hang out with Flora at mi casa! Saturday morning arrived and Flora made some avocado on toast while I went out to the studio to get my gear. Wheeling my trolley through the house I noticed copious amounts of a clear liquid spilling out all over the floor and Navajo rug!! Somehow the lid had broken off a large bottle of FLOW RELEASE and there it was flowing away all over the floor! Ten minutes, two towels and 3 sponges later the metaphor dawned on me...flow release! What a fitting start to the weekend!

Flora and I

We headed out to the amazing location of Worrowing (thanks to our lovely hosts Jenny and Adrian Robertson) and soon the place was buzzing with an excited frenzy of creative ephemera and expectation....

Beginnings

we staked out our spots and settled into 2 days of expressive artmaking, eagerly listening and watching as Flora generously shared her techniques and philosophy on being in the flow.

Lanette painted two beautiful canvases, one t-shirt and a pair of shorts!

We moved our bodies to unstick the energy, played with paint with fingers, sticks, foam, stamps and brushes and tried to stay in our hearts and bodies with an occasional foray into our heads!

Judith getting in the flow...

Our paintings went through several incarnations over the 2 days and we learnt to enjoy the process rather than try to control the outcome.

Flora shows us how its done!

We silenced our inner critics by slathering affirmations across the wall, enjoyed scrumptious communal lunches that everyone brought to share and gave each other encouragement as our paintings unfolded.

Cathy and Jay getting their groove thang on!

Artists at work!

We shared the things we were grateful for, danced with our eyes closed in the morning sun and enjoyed the visits from one gorgeous four legged friend who was probably wondering what on earth we were doing throwing paint all around his stable!

Christine and our four-legged visitor

Julie and Mariette's creative corner...

Robbie and Julie Mc's corner of creative outpourings!

By the end of the weekend we were inspired and exhausted...in the best way! We finished off with a show and tell and plan to gather our works next month for a group exhibition to show off our awesomeness! So wonderful to meet and spend creative time with such a wonderful group of creative women. Cant wait to organise my own Springtime workshops!..I learnt so much from Flora..I am truly grateful..thank you to everyone and namaste!

Cathie's canvases exploded with colour!

Jann shows and tells her beautiful works!

A moment of reflection and gratitude

First time painter Marg completed these incredible works even while feeling slightly under the weather!

Gabe got stuck and then unstuck..what a privilege to be a part of her journey!

My turn for show and tell!

Christine's paintings were opposites, one wild and free, one calm and reflective...

Sue's beautiful watery landscapes!

Nina with her bold and beautiful abstracts!

Jules and her amazing finished works :)

Cheeky Julie bundled these 2 beauties into her camper and took off with Flora into the great unknown!

First time painter Mariette also amazed us with her vibrant works :)

Marilyn shows her works with a smile of satisfaction!

Can you tell Cathy had a great time?

Jay shares her works and thoughts with us

Julie shows her stuff!!

Lanette wowed us with her colourful works!

Robbie gave herself permission to create, create, create!!

Judith shines with her finished works :)

ps our wonderful host Jenny was busy looking after us much of the time so her paintings were not quite finished..will post pics when she sends them on over to me xo

Op shop treasures!

2011-04-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Truth is...I'm supposed to be writing another post right now about the amazing weekend of painting and discovering we just shared with the beautiful Miss Flora Bowley....will definitely be doing that sometime over the weekend but its going to be a long one..so much to say and show...so stay posted!! In the meantime just had to share my op shop finds from yesterday. Finished work and am officially on 2 and a half weeks holiday....so where is the first place I head? The local op shop of course! For all my O/S friends the "op-shop" in Australia is short for Opportunity Shop (don't you just love that?!) and is roughly equivalent to the American thrift store. So I take 2 steps into the shop and run headlong into my friend Pam who says " Tracy! I have something for you!!" (ooooh a surprise! I love surprises!) So Pam has been carrying around a gorgeous basket in her car, hoping to run into me.Her mum purchased it in Mexico sometime in the fifties and Pam wanted to give it to someone who would appreciate it..she was a little worried I might find it a bit kitschy but no way...I love it!!!

Thank you so much for thinking of me Pam! So after I tucked my beautiful new/old basket in the car I headed back inside and came across some vintage curtains (circa 1970) all orange and olive with gorgeous designs..had to have those! This morning I cut them up for my kids workshop next week in which we will be making gratitude flags.....did I mention I LOVE the Op shop!!

Back later with all the exciting Flora workshop news! have a blissful day my bloggy(what a weird word!) friends.....

hasta luego

Tracy xo

On Learning to Play Again

2011-03-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things... I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.”
Leo Buscaglia

A while back I got serious, not in a good way...way too serious. I forgot how to play. Small children, tantrums, sleepless nights, financial worries, health scares, struggling businesses, too much responsibility and an inability to ask for help sent me on a downwards spiral.
I spent the early years of our daughters lives (now 13 and 17) rushing from one task to another, forgetting to breathe deeply, mostly forgetting to savour the small moments.
A bout with melanoma and a baby with severe asthma made me plunge even more deeply into a frenzied pattern of work and denial, eventually leading to a breakdown (breakthrough:)) at the age of 33. I spent months suffering from debilitating panic attacks and finally made the decision to walk away from the business that was slowly swallowing me up.
I had been running on automatic, with clenched jaw and shallow breaths for so long that the journey back to a less serious take on life was neither quick nor easy but soooooooo worth it. It takes courage to look inside, courage to stop and question your motives and way of being in the world. For me there was an undeniable need for recognition, to be better than, work harder than, achieve more than anyone else.
Over time I learnt the tools I needed to deal with panic and began to be more kind towards myself. I started to paint, spent less time being a martyr and looking for things to be resentful about, and more time seeing the beauty in every moment....over the next 12 years changes slowly happened and as my passion for art grew so did my levels of happiness..... and then guess what? Money began to flow, our family flourished and opportunities began to open up around us. I also began to sing and write music with my husband, slowly gaining the confidence to sing in front of others. He built himself a beautiful mud brick studio on our property and then an art space to call my own. Finally we spent two years turning our little 2 bedroom beach shack into a gorgeous adobe home.

We worked pretty hard at this so when we were finished we decided to pursue a long held dream to travel with our girls for an extended period of time. Not allowing any obstacles to hinder us. we opened ourselves up to all possibilities and took off for 7 months to do nothing but play! From San Diego to Canada and then down into Mexico; we painted, explored, made music,spent time with family, swam, hiked, boated and generally had a great time. I can highly recommend it for anyone that feels they have lost the ability to play. In another post I'll describe all of the serendipitous events that led to the trip manifesting as we certainly had no viable financial plans, just the belief that it was going to happen and it did.:)

Here are some of the things I learned along the way

Community is an open door- all you have to do is not be afraid to enter
Being part of a community leads to a sense of belonging and trust.

Being able to trust means being able to be fully yourself; as silly or as serious as you want to be.

It really is the simplest things in life that bring us the most joy and the best memories.

Ritual, ceremony and tradition bring a sense of belonging and even the most serious of topics can be viewed in a more playful way if we allow it. During Day of the Dead Ceremonies altars to family members who have passed on are lovingly built and favourite items placed upon them; a bottle of tequila for Tio Jose, some chile rellenos for abuela, candy skulls for the ninos who have gone to be angelitos. Reverence and playfulness can work hand in hand.

A smile and an act of generosity will be remembered forever

You dont always have to follow the rules..no seatbelts on an amazing pilgrimage to the mountainous village of Juquila in Oaxaca

You really should stop and smell the roses :)

There can never be too many hugs in a day!

Remember to be grateful...every experience has something to teach us.

Commune with nature as often as you can.

Jump out of your comfort zone and ALWAYS say yes when someone asks you to dance ( except for maybe that creepy guy at the bar;p)

Unexplored paths are the best ones to walk along...

Especially with your dad :)

Dont look for the faults in each other, look for the best. Its easy to find as it lives in the same place as love...

There is something grand and awe-inspiring inside each one of us. self discovery is the ultimate form of play.

Gifts and giveaways

2011-02-17T22:34:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful experience to be part of the One World One Heart Event for the first time! The winner of my painting The Bliss of Silence is Lorna from Artymess. Send me your email Lorna and I'll get my little Buddha out to you asap!
Sharing my art with others always feels so good and this gift giving made me think of all the gifts in my life so thought I's share some thoughts on that too :)

Soooooooo grateful for my little purple studio which used to be a very ordinary backyard shed until my wonderful man waved his magic wand and transformed it into my very own arty space.

Grateful for the gift of music and the fact that my love and I can share this together. You can listen to some of our songs here

Super grateful that on the days I can wake up early I get to walk to work along the beach and watch the dolphins play in the beautiful waters of Jervis Bay

Grateful for our garden and the surprises it holds.....

Super, super grateful for our 2 gorgeous girls and all of the fun we have together

grateful that our family took a leap of faith in 2008 and went adventuring for 7 months together. The girls did their schooling on the road while we explored the coast from California to Canada and then headed to Mexico for some fun in the sun. It was rather a miracle that we pulled it off...you can take a peek at our travels here

Filled with gratitude that I get to paint and play and share my art with you x
Until next time..have a blissful weekend!

One World One Heart Giveaway

2011-02-01T20:55:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the One World One Heart giveaway blog hop! Click here for the complete list of participating bloggers.

Hi everyone!
What a beautiful idea to share ideas and meet other creative souls around the planet.
Looks like I wont be getting much sleep for the next few days looking at all of these amazing blogs...only joking...I love my sleep! I might give up the vacuuming instead!
I am a mother of 2 gorgeous girls, Aussie artist/singer married to a wonderful Mexican/American(honorary Australian as he has been here for 24 years now!)
We live on the beautiful South Coast of NSW in a mudbrick casa...I'm lucky to have my own purple studio in the backyard and my husband enjoys his recording studio which is right next door to mine...our three cats believe that they are actually the rulers of our little kingdom and they're probably right although Miss 17 would most probably disagree and Miss 13 would confidently and quietly "Know" that she is really in charge. My husband patiently awaits the day when maybe a "boy" grandchild will help to correct the unfair amount of female energy in our household. My giveaway is this small mixed media piece just completed on the weekend. May it bring a little peace into your world :)
Tracy x

"The Bliss of Silence" unframed, unmounted, acrylic and felt marker on watercolour paper 9cmx16cm

Simply leave a comment with your name and email address to be entered to win.

Open Worldwide

Ends February 17 midnight EST

Getting ready for Flora Bowley!

2011-01-26T13:19:00.000-08:00

"Open Door" Tracy Verdugo 60cmx60cm. For sale here

Well its official and I am so excited! The amazing Flora Bowley will be sharing her talent with a very lucky group at an amazing Venue in Jervis Bay on April 2nd and 3rd 2011. There are just a few spots left so please let me know ASAP if you would like to attend. I've been getting a little free and practising my splashing and spraying, dabbing and intuitive mark making. I even pulled out an old canvas I've been meaning to paint over for a while, a crazy Mexican cat that sits in our loungeroom and really PLAYED!!

Animal Rapture ( Work in progress) Tracy Verdugo

Not sure if I'm finished with it yet...I might just play some more :)

Wishing you all time to play, time to seek out the beauty around you and most of all remember to cultivate a sense of WONDER!

A place of definite awe and wonder! Our family at Yosemite while on a 7 month trip in 2008. More of our adventures here :)

People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering. --Augustine

Guess who's coming to town!!

2011-01-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

A little lesson in manifesting this week so thought I would share. For about a year now I have been in love with the paintings of Flora Bowley. Not just the images but the energy and the intent that seem to be behind each one. In getting to know Flora a little better I suspect she has unlocked some magical key within that allows her to tap into her divine creativity in a way that most of us dream of and maybe even sometimes obtain in small beautiful glimpses. When I first read that Flora had started teaching I resolved that I would be attending one of her workshops ASAP..never mind that I'm on the other side of the world in Australia..it was definately going to happen somehow!

Fast forward to last month when I sent Flora a little note on Facebook suggesting she put Australia on her list for a workshop. To my surprise and delight Flora wrote back to say that indeed she would be in Australia in March to run workshops in Perth and Sydney. Somehow the Sydney one was not quite panning out so I suggested a little foray into the beautiful surrounds of the South Coast, sent off a couple of suggestions for possible retreat sites et voila!! Flora is coming to stay awhile at mi casa and teach a weekend retreat for 12-18 amazingly lucky creative souls. Be sure to let me know if you'd like to come and I'll send you details as we work them out. The retreat will be somewhere around the pristine shores of Jervis Bay ( 3 hours South of Sydney) probably on the weekend of 25th March. I cant wait!!!!!

Playing with rocks and shells

2010-08-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I took some time out. I drove to a secluded spot in the National Park near our home and climbed over boulders waiting for inspiration to find me......I played with rocks and collected shells. Its been a week and a bit and I'm still feeling a subtle buzz and a centredness that had been missing for some time...maybe we should all take a day alone in nature more often. Could it be that easy?

Slide 2

A little rocky journey in progress...sometimes life is like that.

To my surprise the rocks headed straight back towards the grotto that I was collecting them from...a sort of homecoming....a return to source...life is like that too........:)

Back in the studio I laid out my treasures and placed them against small textured papers that I had created several weeks earlier...some of them turned out quite beautifully. They are still sitting there on my studio table waiting for me. I wonder what they will become?

Hope your journey is full of love and possibilities this week
Tracy xo

Dreaming of Spring...

2010-07-31T02:02:00.000-07:00

While walking in the garden last Summer I came upon this leaf with a perfect caterpillar loveheart eaten out of it. Still makes me smile even though the Winter chill is here.

The girls and I are counting down the days until Spring. I'm tempted to get the sunflower seeds going but know that its still a little bit early. Patience grasshopper!

Had a lovely week this week with visitors from overseas. Isabel and Beatrice, daughters of our friend Christine who runs the incredible School of Hope in Tijuana, came to visit our sleepy little town. we took them to see the sights of Jervis Bay and did the tourist thing in Sydney.
We had so much fun and really enjoyed getting to know the girls better :)

This amazing fossil was at Stony Creek in Jervis Bay...sticking out of the sandstone with its centre completely crystalised...probably millions of years old...such a special treat!

2010-07-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

One step at a time huh? Time for my second post and I've also figured out how to add one link but not several. I'm sure in time it will all be clear. Thought I'd share with you some of my paintings this morning and a little about them. The painting in my header and the one above are part of a series I began a few years ago reflecting upon the things in our lives that we have to be grateful for. I have painted several commissions in this series where I have been able to include fabrics, song lyrics and other things meaningful to the clients who purchased them. The painting above was commissioned by a woman who had spent several years in Africa as a nurse. The fabrics she collected had been sitting in her cupboard for years. Now they hang on her wall to admire every day. Another client had redesigned her mothers wedding dress for her own wedding. The small offcuts of lace went into her Gratitude painting in the shape of a heart to celebrate the connection between them.

This painting titled "Behind Closed Doors" is the first of the new series I will be working on this month. It sold the first day of our See Change Winter Arts Festival here in Jervis Bay and received just a great response that I'm excited to begin work on the series. I'm studying at Uni at the moment for my Fine Arts degree and my very first subject was textiles. This was a bit of a joke as I had never even owned a sewing machine and have previously relegated all hemming and repair work to my husband. Who would have known that I would fall in love with fabric and stitch...a whole new world has opened up!! In this piece I have combined reverse applique collage with acrylic paints. It adds a whole new dimension and some scrumptious textures don't you think?

This one was painted for my Day of the Dead exhibition last Oct/Nov. We had a fantastic night of music and art and raised funds for El Colegio de Esperanza, an incredible school built in the middle of one of Tijuana's poorest colonias. For those of you who live in Southern California the school holds regular working bees and Summer Camps where you can go and help out and meet the teachers and students. It truly is an oasis of creative vision and hope.

Our family at The School of Hope, Tijuana, 2008

"It is harder to see than it is to express. The whole value of art rests in the artist's ability to see well into what is before him." ~ Robert Henry

Hasta luego!
If you'd like to see more of my paintings come on over to my facebook page!

Gratitude

2010-07-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

Excuse me for floundering around but this is all new to me and my first blog has already disappeared once so time to try again. persistence..isn't that what it's all about. I was listening to someone speak yesterday on blogtalk radio about how most successful artists are the ones that don't give up, the ones that just keep plodding along and slowly working towards their dream. DREAM..yep thats a big one to hold onto but i guess first you have to have a pretty clear one to envision. The Universe isn't that great at sorting through all the flotsam spinning around in our overstimulated 21st Century minds do try and be as clear as you can. MY DREAM is to create every day and to make a fabulous income from that creating, to teach others to free their own awesome creativity and to travel the world teaching and making art. is that clear enough UNIVERSE?? ha ha..those big bold letters make me sound impatient. I'm not really (well sometimes i am) but I do understand about the whole Divine timing thing and my life is pretty amazing right now...lots of blessing around here! One of the things that makes me happy is our beautiful home. i am soooooooo grateful for my amazing husband who spent two years of hard grind transforming our home from a little 2 bed fibro to a gorgeous mud brick work of art.