When my kids were young, we made presents for each other secretly, to be shared on Christmas morning.

Our pile grew and grew until we were sure it would outshine Santa’s, which it often did!

We savored the moment when gifts we made with our own hands would be shared, and I saw the kids’ excitement rise as we put Santa’s gifts aside and sat facing each other for our big moment.

Those were great times in our young life. Life should always feel so good! We were so connected as a family – the kids were little, and like little vessels of love and openness.

Well we’re still connected today, but as the kids grew older, entered college, entered the job force and started families of their own, I could feel the rush of time more viscerally around me. Time moved quickly on, snapping at my heels.

And so I must make an effort to slow time and stay connected. I must turn around and say NO to that snapping turtle of time, and again take the reins of connectedness. I cannot lose hold.

The season belongs to us, and not us to the season.

So now I still try and make a gift for someone if I can. It may be a just a tiny drawing or a little felted bar of soap – just to get my hands moving again. And I wonder is the gift for me or them? I find that my hands reconnect me to my heart, and my heart then reconnects me to my loved ones.

I pray the same for you – that you may evade time and find your hands moving in sync with your heart, and out to your loved ones. Enjoy your family! This year comes only once.

Have a blessed holiday from Luminous Encaustics!

From my heart to yours, Stay creative and keep on loving! <3

Linda 🙂

As you know if you’ve been following my process, I have been playing and experimenting in my figurative work, which is posted on:

SantosAwakening.com

I’ll be posting new Santos regularly in my Santos Gallery.  And I’ll be developing workshops from those Santos. Come and visit!

-Linda 🙂

I started my art residency chez-moi yesterday, but rather than jumping right into encaustic painting or right into figurative sculpting I found myself launching into Art Journaling. 

You know how I love encaustic art, but out of my periphery I have been catching glimpses, really for the last two years, of artwork made with Acrylic Gel Medium and Acrylic Paint. And I found myself getting a little jealous of such a portable art form!!!

To tell the truth, I absolutely love the sheen and glow of Acrylic Gel Medium (can you say Luminous), and it turns out it is very much like a portable form of Encaustic Medium. Both are wonderful at grabbing up Mixed Media. And for my Art Journaling classes, acrylic gel medium will be center stage to lock all of our mixed media enterprises into place.

But here is the deal on Art Journaling: whether you are new to art or have been around the block a few times, this journaling form of art is a great way to connect into your-singular-creative-voice.

The other part of you, the part that needs healing- the part of you that’s looking for refreshment- the part who’s life is way too busy- who’s mind is too cluttered, too distracted and who’s body is reminding you that life is short… that part of you gets to reach in and grab ahold of the other part- the part that has been buried and ignored for so long. The two of you can go out to play and you will actually experience a zen-like state as you connect all your parts.

And for all of you professional Artists, listen up! Art Journaling differs beautifully from your studio work because as you are making it, you know it’s just not for sale, so the intention is completely different going in. Let’s face it- even if you are making a series of pieces for a gallery show, you are in the creative zone, but you and I both know that the market is breathing down your neck like a relentless beast who needs a salable product! Even a conceptual installation piece, for which you convince yourself there is no market- you know is not true, because the market is your next grant or resume check mark.

Art Journaling takes you on a journey (isn’t that where the word “journal” comes from after all?) into the deep recesses of you that can only make a wiser, better and happier you, as you navigate the complex world you’ve created for yourself in the first place.

This fall I’ll be teaching Art Journaling at FAVA, and I hope it will gather a mixed group that gets as addicted to it as myself so we can continue connecting over and over, sharing the journey together, like an artist’s group, guided by my word and mixed media prompts. And FAVA will be granting special veteran discounts so you can keep returning affordably after you’ve learned the ropes. Like taking yoga! Paper Yoga…Handmade Book Yoga. See you there!

Now back to my art-residency-chez-moi! My studio awaits!

Blessings!

-Linda