Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Mindfulness

Magic...






We all need a little bit of magic sometimes. That magic is all around us, we are just not aware (most of the times). When I created the above set in polyvore, I didn't realize I was making magic. Little did I know it would make its way into my blog and serve as an inspiration. I was totally immersed in the process of putting together images and texts, choosing backgrounds and colors - everything that seems so mundane now when I think about it, but herein lies the truth! The nature of the task is not as important as our ability to lose ourselves in the act and that I believe is called Mindfulness.

Mindfulness is something we practice, we observe. And how do we do this? By simply becoming AWARE of whatever we are doing at the moment. For example while painting, we can purposefully become aware of the depth of the colors - the brightness of the reds and oranges or the deepness of the blues and violets. We can also practice mindfulness by simply appreciating a hot cup of tea on a chilly morning, savoring every sip, relishing the flavor and gently observing the wispy ribbons of steam as they float away.

We live in a digitally driven crazy world in which it is even more crucial to take care of our mind, keeping it sharp, focused and most of all grounded. And mindfulness helps us achieve this. We don't have to be a genius to observe the simple things in life. We just need to REMEMBER to do it as often as possible until it becomes a pleasant habit. What comes out of doing it? A peaceful mind for sure but also a grateful heart that is moved by the ethereal beauty of a dewdrop which probably then translates to a piece of poetry, canvas or even an interesting blog post!




Wednesday, January 10, 2018

When dusk falls

Here I am again with another piece of watercolor art! This image is inspired by a photograph I found on the net. I think painting a sunset is the perfect way to practice watercolors since you simply can't go wrong.


Italian countryside in watercolor!


What comes to your mind when you see a picture of an Italian countryside? When I saw this picture, I was taken over by an urge to paint it in watercolors! Who wouldn't want to live in a house standing on a hill under a blue sky......


Friday, January 5, 2018

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Happy New Year!





The sun was up and it was 17 degrees outside....brrrr. But I was not going to pass up such a brilliant morning just because! So I am glad I bundled up and braved the cold to bring you this pretty picture that sings Happy New Year!