Welcome to my art gallery of sorts! :) If you want to stay up to date with my artsy adventures and see new art as soon as it comes out, the best place to follow me, is on instagram here! I’d love to connect with you on instagram! <3
Throw back to this little art ditty that just popped up on memories (on Facebook) from 5 years ago and love it so much. Unusual colour choices for me! Came with this quote: "Only from the heart can you touch the sky." - Rumi ❤️
Pssst. Just wanted to let you all know that we will be running Mastering Mixed Media again this year. I`M SO EXCITED. Over here at Willowing HQ we are excitedly preparing for this super fun event. Last year was A BALL. 😍🥰🤩 Sign ups will begin somewhere in April. 😊 *dances*
Painted this little kitty today with a special message for you. 😊😻 - Hope to make this into a series. Cute kitty telling us sweet things. 😊 Feel free to share! Thank you! ❤️🙏❤️
Been working on this new abstract spread! Not sure if it’s finished yet but love where it’s now and the colour scheme = ♥️. I struggle with abstract art but love looking at it! Do you find abstracts harder or easier to make compared to paintings with clear subjects?
A therapist once told me that she didn’t think I ‘would’ve made it’ had I not had art in my life. Not sure how helpful it was of her to say that and not sure if that was a correct assessment, but it tells you 2 things: 1. She was struck by the trauma I have experienced and 2. She was aware how powerful making art can be. It is also why I love the attached cartoon so much! 😊
Hello friends! As promised, the video of the making of this journal spread is now up. 😊 Watch on my youtube channel: youtube.com/@willowingarts (or clickable link to my youtube channel in bio/ link tree) - Have a lovely day. ♥️♥️♥️
She is finished. So happy with how this came out! I have a video of the creation of this too, will be up soon! ♥️♥️♥️
She is finished. So happy with how this came out! I have a video of the creation of this too, will be up soon! ♥️♥️♥️ 🐦⬛ 🖤
This song has been on repeat for the last 3 weeks or so. It`s so achingly beautiful and heart breaking, had to record my own version of it! I love harmonising with myself. Playing the piano and using a mic however, meant that it overwhelmed the voice a bit, will do that differently next time. ♥️♥️♥️ Best listened to on headphones.
The song is by `Novo Amor`. Here are the lyrics:
"Repeat Until Death"
Low, a part of me now
A palm to my mouth
I said it, almost
Snow, brother, I`ll bet it all gold
Shudder with blood in my nose
I had it almost
Don`t go, you`re half of me now
But I`m hardly stood proud
I said it almost
Oh, I`ve been low
But dammit, I bet it don`t show
It was heaven a moment ago
Oh, I had it almost
We had it almost
Oh, I can`t seem to let myself leave you
But I can`t breathe anymore
Oh, I can`t seem to not need to need you
I can`t breathe anymore
♥️
I had discarded this journal spread a while ago as “not good enough” and now I’m like: “heh? I really love this!” So funny how your own view of your own art can change so much after a while. Not finished yet but I like it as it is. 😊
Looking at more old journal pages! These are from around 2016/17 I think! 😊 The ‘one word’ thing has always been there for me. What I do when journalling; I draw/ paint/ scribble and then usually there is some kind of overwhelming emotional state that can be summarised or reflected in one word, so you often see words like: ‘open’, ‘stay’, ‘compassion’, ‘surrender’ on my journal pages. Like messages/ reflections from ‘my higher’ self. 😊
Just going through my old art journals and so fascinating to see some of my old work. I have STACKS of old journals. You guys I made SO MUCH art over the years! It’s almost like I needed to express myself! 😂😁😆
In the middle of editing this troll lesson for next week and I was just hit by a wave of calm just gazing upon this super cute little face.
And many of you will know that over the years I`ve made many a innocent little creature and I`ve talked before how creating innocent, sweet characters have a direct calming effect on my nervous system. I don`t mean it metaphorically but biologically. My shoulders drop. My breathing slows. I feel a calm settling in.
Apparently; there’s science behind this: soft, friendly faces trigger oxytocin and parasympathetic responses linked to safety and bonding, while stress hormones drop. ✨🙌✨
But there’s something else too.
These characters don’t want anything. They’re not impressive, persuasive, ironic, or self-serving. They feel like little support characters whose only message is: "I’m here, with you, just sitting, being present for/ with you." ♥️
I think innocence signals something rare in adult life; presence without extraction, without needing something from you. And my body seems to trust that instantly.
I keep making characters like this because they *regulate* me as much as anyone else.
Leaving this here as a quiet reminder that gentleness has a real nervous-system impact.
Friends, this little guy, omg, he makes me melt. He’s a magical little troll, a messenger of nature, telling us all; “it will all be ok in the end”. He offers hugs, a listening ear, breathing sessions, sit-spots in nature with him and warm cookies if you give his hair a good brush once in a while. 😉
Rapunzel – Freed.
I went on quite a journey with this painting. Reading the original Grimm version of Rapunzel deeply moved me: her long, beautiful hair cut by the witch who raised her, her exile into the wilderness while pregnant with twins, her survival of all that hardship, and finally her becoming the one who saves the prince.
To me, this is true female empowerment. I wanted to paint Rapunzel as defiant and transformed. And crucially, I wanted to give her long hair again - not as a ladder, not as something to be used or admired by others, but as a reclamation of power. A part of her body that was once appropriated becomes fully her own again.
Teaching on A Year of Magic & Fairy Tales; I`m loving diving deep into the original fairy tales, myths and stories and bringing one or other aspect alive of these stories on the page.
This piece is a `paint over collage` painting. We start off by laying down our collage elements and then layer paint, crayons, markers, acrylics, gold leaf etc on top. A deeply layered and moving process. 😍😍😍
I adore how this came out. I`m particularly in love with the lavenders, hot pink and layer collage pieces in this painting.
Last night a journal session to process *waves at all of this*. This spread went through a lot of changes. I filmed it all! Will be on the channel soon. 😘
Revisiting this beauty from 2 years ago. I intended her as a class but she somehow didn’t make the cut! I love her now and disagree with past Tam!
Friendly reminder; you`ve only ever been fabulous babe. 😃 Spread the word! You are fabulous, loved and awesome. 😊 ♥️♥️♥️
