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September 02, 2018

Symbolism & Moon Energy

By Tamara Laporte  |   in mixed media  | Tags: moon energy , symbolism , Willowing Arts  

 

Do you notice certain symbols suddenly popping up in your life and your art? I always think it’s a good idea to pay attention when they do. For me, it’s been the moon. The moon hasn’t previously played a big role in my life or my art, but lately, messages, insights, revelations connected to ‘the moon’ kept appearing. In my art too, I suddenly found myself adding the moon (or moons, even) everywhere. So I’ve been listening! The moon has things to tell me, it seems. :)

This is one of my latest paintings with ‘moon’ energy:

This painting is all about transforming limiting beliefs into liberating ones (a lesson for Life Book 2018 next week). The 3 things that are needed for me to transform these beliefs are: wisdom (the owl), compassion (the bear), mindfulness/ awareness (represented by the moon and crescent moons). The moon, also, requires us to look at shadow, but shine a light on it with compassion and wisdom.

I love working with symbolism in my work, it’s often a way for me to access parts of myself I can’t access in more conventional ways. :) Do you use symbols in life and work? I’d love to hear about it!

You can still join this year’s Life Book until end of September 2018, btw! You’ll still get life long access to all previously posted content so you can work on all these amazing classes in your own time. :)

And, very soon we are also going to start telling you ALL about the new Life Book 2019 (eeeee!) which will kick off with a very new and exciting thing!! :D

If you want to keep up to date with all things Tam then do follow me on Instagram, it’s the place I tend to update first with new art, sneak peaks and IG stories. I’d love  to connect there with you! :)

Have a wonderful rest of the month with lots of blessings and art making fun time!

Love,
Tam x
PS. Check out the wonderful free goodies our sponsors are sharing with you this month!

PPS. I had a wonderfully inspiring chat with Carina who is hosting The Thriving Healer Summit! We chatted about art and healing. Please come and join us here for FREE (you will need to submit your email so that Carina can send you summit info). Hope to see you there!

Here are some more close ups of the new painting:

You may also like:

  • Art Soul Gathering is Back! 😍

  • More Self Love – Valentine 💜

  • New Tote Bags & More! Yay! 🤩

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Tamara Laporte

willowing

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Mixed media artist, teacher and author. I don’t see all IG msgs. For enq pls email hello@willowing.org - Join Creating Cuties:

Frensies! I’m SO MEGA excited because it’s nearly time! On 1st September, A Year of Magic & Fairy Tales will open for enrolment, and for the first 1,000 magical souls, you can join at the lowest price available (these always go fast, so keep an eye out!).

If you’ve been longing for a year of creativity, comfort, and everyday enchantment, this is your gentle nudge. We’ll wander through glowing forests, meet enchanted creatures, and rediscover the magic hidden in the ordinary, with a sparkling taster event to start our adventure! 🧚✨🦄

We are deep in the trenches of prepping this magical event, I can’t wait to share it with you! 😍😍😍

If your heart needs a warm, creative hug and a sprinkle of fairy dust, this is for you. Full details, teacher line-up, and taster info are coming very soon; watch your inbox!

If you`re not on the newsletter, now is the time to join! Join the newsletter here: https://bit.ly/WillowingNews to be the first to get all the deets!! 😍😍😍 (or link in my bio/ linktree/ stories)

Open
Frensies! I’m SO MEGA excited because it’s nearly time! On 1st September, A Year of Magic & Fairy Tales will open for enrolment, and for the first 1,000 magical souls, you can join at the lowest price available (these always go fast, so keep an eye out!).

If you’ve been longing for a year of creativity, comfort, and everyday enchantment, this is your gentle nudge. We’ll wander through glowing forests, meet enchanted creatures, and rediscover the magic hidden in the ordinary, with a sparkling taster event to start our adventure! 🧚✨🦄

We are deep in the trenches of prepping this magical event, I can’t wait to share it with you! 😍😍😍 

If your heart needs a warm, creative hug and a sprinkle of fairy dust, this is for you. Full details, teacher line-up, and taster info are coming very soon; watch your inbox!

If you're not on the newsletter, now is the time to join! Join the newsletter here: https://bit.ly/WillowingNews to be the first to get all the deets!! 😍😍😍 (or link in my bio/ linktree/ stories)

Celebrate Joy. In 2014, I went on a retreat in Bali with the wonderful Flora Bowley, and for some time afterwards, I found myself playing with the techniques and ideas I learned from her in my own art. I loved discovering all the luminous colours and acrylic brands Flora used; Quinacridone Magenta, Cobalt Teal, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold (sadly discontinued, I think), and Turquoise Phthalo have all become favourites over the years!

This painting is one of those where I experimented with methods and ideas from Flora, but you can definitely still see the ‘Tamness’ shining through. The whimsy and quirkiness are classic Tam! I love learning from other artists and weaving little pieces of their style into my own. Over time, this process gradually transforms into something that’s uniquely yours.

That’s why I always reassure my students not to worry about ‘copying’ a teacher’s style too much. In the beginning, you might follow closely; eventually, you’ll drop the bits that don’t resonate, and keep the things that do, putting your own spin on them until, voilà, a whole new style emerges! It’s such a beautiful thing, because we’re all interconnected as humans; we learn from each other in so many ways, and it’s lovely to have a legacy of teachers leaving gentle traces within the art you create.

For me, it speaks to a kind of spiritual oneness. It reminds me how connected we all are to the whole. ✨🙌✨

Have you ever noticed little hints of your favourite artists peeking through in your own work, or a moment when something you learned from someone else transformed into something uniquely yours? I’d love to hear your stories!

This is day 17 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

Open
Celebrate Joy. In 2014, I went on a retreat in Bali with the wonderful Flora Bowley, and for some time afterwards, I found myself playing with the techniques and ideas I learned from her in my own art. I loved discovering all the luminous colours and acrylic brands Flora used; Quinacridone Magenta, Cobalt Teal, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold (sadly discontinued, I think), and Turquoise Phthalo have all become favourites over the years!

This painting is one of those where I experimented with methods and ideas from Flora, but you can definitely still see the ‘Tamness’ shining through. The whimsy and quirkiness are classic Tam! I love learning from other artists and weaving little pieces of their style into my own. Over time, this process gradually transforms into something that’s uniquely yours.

That’s why I always reassure my students not to worry about ‘copying’ a teacher’s style too much. In the beginning, you might follow closely; eventually, you’ll drop the bits that don’t resonate, and keep the things that do, putting your own spin on them until, voilà, a whole new style emerges! It’s such a beautiful thing, because we’re all interconnected as humans; we learn from each other in so many ways, and it’s lovely to have a legacy of teachers leaving gentle traces within the art you create.

For me, it speaks to a kind of spiritual oneness. It reminds me how connected we all are to the whole. ✨🙌✨ 

Have you ever noticed little hints of your favourite artists peeking through in your own work, or a moment when something you learned from someone else transformed into something uniquely yours? I’d love to hear your stories!

This is day 17 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

When I was a teenager, I collected elephant statues; by the time I was 18, I must’ve had hundreds. I’ve always adored elephants. There`s something about their grounded presence and quiet wisdom that feels profoundly comforting. I love that they’re matriarchal, that they mourn their dead, that they move through the world with a seeming intelligence and heart.

When Andy and I lived in Sri Lanka for three years, we visited an elephant sanctuary and it was honestly one of the most magical experiences of my life. Watching the gentle connection between carers and elephants moved me deeply. They had a beautiful closeness I silently envied!

So it’s no surprise that elephants have wandered their way into my art again and again. I love painting them both whimsically and realistically. Their shapes are so satisfying to work with: cute chonky feet, soulful eyes, those expressive trunks and giant ears; it’s like they’re built for art! 🎨🖌️

This piece, painted back in 2014, is a special one. I was exploring how to bring more “grunge” and texture into my work; layering deeply, playing with contrasts. The rough, earthy background felt like the perfect contrast to the milky-white skin of the elephant, who gazes out with such a soft, knowing expression. Even here, she seems to whisper: be gentle. be wise. be still.

I hope she brings some of that same quiet comfort to your day, too. 🤍 🐘

This is day 16 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

Open
When I was a teenager, I collected elephant statues; by the time I was 18, I must’ve had hundreds. I’ve always adored elephants. There's something about their grounded presence and quiet wisdom that feels profoundly comforting. I love that they’re matriarchal, that they mourn their dead, that they move through the world with a seeming intelligence and heart.

When Andy and I lived in Sri Lanka for three years, we visited an elephant sanctuary and it was honestly one of the most magical experiences of my life. Watching the gentle connection between carers and elephants moved me deeply. They had a beautiful closeness I silently envied! 

So it’s no surprise that elephants have wandered their way into my art again and again. I love painting them both whimsically and realistically. Their shapes are so satisfying to work with: cute chonky feet, soulful eyes, those expressive trunks and giant ears; it’s like they’re built for art! 🎨🖌️ 

This piece, painted back in 2014, is a special one. I was exploring how to bring more “grunge” and texture into my work; layering deeply, playing with contrasts. The rough, earthy background felt like the perfect contrast to the milky-white skin of the elephant, who gazes out with such a soft, knowing expression. Even here, she seems to whisper: be gentle. be wise. be still.

I hope she brings some of that same quiet comfort to your day, too. 🤍 🐘

This is day 16 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

You are the light. ✨⭐️🌟💫

Open
You are the light. ✨⭐️🌟💫

Hello my lovely friends, a quick reminder that my friend Ida Andersen Lang is running her FREE retreat called ‘Art Soul Gathering’ again this year aaaaand … YOU are invited! 😃 Yay! 🥳🎉🎊

Celebrate the Wonders of Nature and the Beauty of the Human Spirit with 12 days of artmaking.

Come, hear the winds of your intuition whisper, and let the waves of blissful nature infuse creativity into your art. 🎨🌿

In the Art Soul Gathering 2025, you’ll enjoy free lessons from 16 celebrated artist teachers. Each are gifting you with their beautiful visions and artistic techniques to inspire your creative journey with Nature and Spirit.

For my lesson I want to teach you how to paint a beautiful happy dolphin that is jumping out of -what can only be called- CONFETTI OCEAN. 😂😁😆

Look how joyful!

You will become part of a worldwide community of creative souls and get to know the teachers. And oh, there will be plenty of art bonuses, give aways and surprises all the way through the gathering.

This free event is suitable for creatives of all levels - beginners, intermediate and experienced. The lessons are designed for you to enjoy, from just where you are in your creative journey. As we move through this experience together, we will lift each other up and hold creative sacred space. ✨🙏✨

I hope you’ll join us there! @followers Join us here: https://bit.ly/4lhZYjy ♥️♥️♥️ or link in my bio/ story/ linktree

Much Love,
Tam 💕

Open
Hello my lovely friends, a quick reminder that my friend Ida Andersen Lang is running her FREE retreat called ‘Art Soul Gathering’ again this year aaaaand … YOU are invited! 😃 Yay! 🥳🎉🎊

Celebrate the Wonders of Nature and the Beauty of the Human Spirit with 12 days of artmaking. 

Come, hear the winds of your intuition whisper, and let the waves of blissful nature infuse creativity into your art. 🎨🌿

In the Art Soul Gathering 2025, you’ll enjoy free lessons from 16 celebrated artist teachers. Each are gifting you with their beautiful visions and artistic techniques to inspire your creative journey with Nature and Spirit.

For my lesson I want to teach you how to paint a beautiful happy dolphin that is jumping out of -what can only be called- CONFETTI OCEAN. 😂😁😆

Look how joyful! 

You will become part of a worldwide community of creative souls and get to know the teachers. And oh, there will be plenty of art bonuses, give aways and surprises all the way through the gathering.

This free event is suitable for creatives of all levels - beginners, intermediate and experienced. The lessons are designed for you to enjoy, from just where you are in your creative journey. As we move through this experience together, we will lift each other up and hold creative sacred space. ✨🙏✨

I hope you’ll join us there! @followers Join us here: https://bit.ly/4lhZYjy ♥️♥️♥️ or link in my bio/ story/ linktree 

Much Love,
Tam 💕
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