As life unfolds before us, we see everything Evolving into something new... like the seasons here in Australia are turning into Spring, so too are other creative loves of mine.
This may make me sound like a Library worm or even a Museum rat, but I gladly accept these titles & own up to every misspelled word on Andsodesigns. Yep! You guessed it, at this stage of my life I can appreciate being wrong, but would very much prefer to show up & deliver something I enjoyed instead of burying my talents under layers of perfectionism & stress.
This freedom gives me the ability to openly give creative expression in my Sketchbooks, my Publications & across these pages while still allowing myself to make mistakes. I can deal with mistakes when they arise, but not having the gusto to push through no matter how many limitations I encounter is like shutting down my creativity.
Maybe I need a moderator or even an editor, but for now I just have to put on all these hats & make due with whatever skills I have allready.
Ever heard of the Arts & Crafts Movement? How about William Morris? These names reflect a part of History so near to my very favourite times where the elements of design, skills, hand embroidery & sewing, traditional printing, handcrafted simplicity & so much more was part of a lifestyle that I adore. Very few people share this novelty with me as the idea of scaling down on life's necessities are far from what others may see as luxurious.
For me the treasure is in seeking ways wherein I can have less "stuff", but feel like I have so more abundance.
This idea creates a sense of pleasure, of meaningful purpose & most definitely of useful function.
With the many hours I spend in Library Research sections reading books on the Old Masters, their work, their techniques & take sketch notes of the intricate ideas they had, I never tire of finding the old ways much more satisfying. Doing study after study in shape, form, colour, design & functionality to find what it is I can add to my fabric & wallpaper collections while adding to my deeper understanding of the world.
This conscious seeking has become my way of finding methods to become my own best version. When I've quieted my mind, I could literally tap into the aspects of brilliance from the Masters I admire so much!
I love making this all part of my lifestyle. It's been such a blessing to choose creative solutions to include my daily interactions with the many facets of life, that it hardly feels like work... In a way, the lifestyle we've chosen to live by is adding so much meaning to my Creative Career.
The reason might surprise you at times, but it is nothing short of making sure to showcase the wonderfulness I observe while staying authentic to my style preferences. I do not want to become a copy of someone else, nor do I wish to create something that already exists, i want to add to the creation process my bit of Tanya-ness! By adding to my life all the things that are truly useful to me at each phase I need them! I'm telling you, having this much control over your life is a spectacular journey.
In truth, I wouldn't have been here if I didn't embark on the Self-Mastery Journey to find myself again. So, just in case you Wanted to know what we get up to inside the Membership?
For me the research into the Old Masters works must reflect not only a deep adoration for their work, but respectfully showcase their techniques with a modern take on the tools. It also doesn't have to be an Art Subject either... It can be any area of interest!
We must use our knowledge to produce work that build on the reputations of the legends without ever copying their work, but rather find a way to learn & interpret, then use the information to build upon something magnificent. Therein is the challenge to recreate & never reproduce. This process takes time, many hours of contemplation, revising & re-drawing so to speak, to find that uniqueness we so deeply desire to capture.
This brings me to mention what we are doing inside the Membership in the last third of the year. Without any surprises here, we'll take a look at the elements in our lives that we can improve to grow even further than we've grown thus far. I always gasp when I think of how mundane my life was before I began making plans & setting achievable goals. And I know some of you are already thinking "... there she goes with the goals again", ha-ha-ha yes, we do need them & they can be easy short goals, nobody said they had to be million dollar ideas, unless that is what you are aiming for...
For now, with a small goal of improving my drawing skills, I can focus on figuring out how the masters before me created their work. I am eager to learn a great deal from this book!
As much as I adore my pattern collections now, I am always ready to inject some more authenticity into my work & improve along the way.
Maybe I'll stand out as Library worm or a Museum rat, but there are books & things in these places that people have long forgotten about. Things like poetry, timeless crafts, paintings & Alfresco's that took decades to paint! None of these instant gratification stuff where you can instantly get recognition for doing something idiotic on a 15 second tik-tok.
NO! I'm talking about things that take time to develop & then stand the test of time long after you are forgotten by the masses... Something that can stand the test of time!
There are so many more things just waiting to be discovered by the inquisitive minds of creative who invest a little time into finding what they are looking for. Can you invest time in a project & see it through? Are yo able to manage your time well enough to endure every step? It takes a special type of dedication to do this & I'm so proud of my self-transformation in the many areas of my life. They certainly wouldn't have been able, if it wasn't for the lessons I've learned so far...
For me, the Romantic Eras of the past have infused itself into the way I want to live my life & in return, I want to give back to life in the same way.
You may have noticed a few weeks ago where I mentioned watching the series Bridgerton.
Well, as much as I wanted to see every episode, all I could place my attention on was the room decor elements, the delightful wallpapers, the playful colours of the dresses & of course all the luscious garden scenes. Not to mention the extravagant foyer bouquets & delicate hairstyles.
I was watching a few episodes until I saw a scene of bouquets on a tall pedestals filled with purple & yellow flowers... Yep, you saw right through me... as I became sidetracked & now have the series on my list of "things-to-do-later". So, no spoilers in the comments please, I'm still wondering if the gorgeous Penelope is perhaps the ever elusive Lady Whistledown who so elegantly muses us with the gossip bulletin!
I'll have to put my Sketchbook to good use. The stories are fun to watch, but I find it so much more rewarding to painting while the television is on pause...
I was more interested in filling a page with yellow & purple watercolour flowers than to watch the drama on screen. Although the wallpaper scenes were just gorgeous & I couldn't take my eyes off the decor either!
With the TV on pause, I completely forgot to continue watching. I painted on & on for hours with the clear intention to create a soft, delicate pink Rose for my book cover. Once the Rose came to life, I went to my Studio office & created the final cover design in digital format with modern technology. As contradictory as this may sound to all that I've written above, our creative careers would never have flourished the way they did, without the aid of every piece of software we now use daily!
After three months of drawing, research & technical editing it was time to reveal... And with it comes the first edition of the Powerful Floral Remedies for modern lifestyles!
More Pre-Orders are still being taken for round two. As the first batch has been sent out earlier this week, I'm tidying up the Studio for now, awaiting their arrival.
I am simply elated about them & find the paper texture a delight to use, the cover designs are printed off site & embellished by adding a painted gold trim, but all the packing is done in-house to give you a little something extra in the mail...
You'll have to order one to see what it is ;-)
The Pink Rose in it's honourable position
Giving the Rose a front cover place was the perfect spot for it, especially for this particular book.
The Rose represents exactly what I wanted to bring out in each of us. Their symbolism is a connection around the full spectrum of love. Roses have a gentle releasing energy & assists in letting go of fears to balance out our emotions.
The essences of a Rose can brush over our deepest doubts to bring in a well rounded state of mind. With it, a little more balance that we can utilise to embrace a life that holds a loving, yet caring power. All of which is needed to elevate our creativity & unfold our journey ahead. Just like the petals unfold the full majestic beauty of a real Rose, so do our emotions come into balance when we allow it to unfold for us.
Starting as a bud with the full potential to become a glorious Rose is how we need to transform ourselves petal by petal. Slowly revealing what we may become before we even see the beauty that lies beneath.
If you're not ready for a whole book of flowers, may I suggest a mixed floral colouring page to print at home on your favourite paper
On your PC, Right click, Save the file & Print it at home
Now, because I've immersed myself into the world of all things Historical, Gilded in gold, Modern, Antique & Vintage I know of a course you may also love to take.
As one of the students of Repertoire & now also Team Bearbell, I'm looking forward to the Course by the Swedish Rose called Bärbel Dressler. I just know this course is going to ruffle my tail feathers a bit more & it might just be the thing you've been meaning to try yourself.
I'll share the non-affiliated link here
There is more... After I've taken all Bärbel's Skillshare Classes, I can only say this: "There is a wealth of drawing excellence just waiting for you. I'll share Bärbel's Skillshare Classes here just to entice you to draw on them for your own pleasure.
Who knows, we might have another History Nerd (or I would say Pattern Nerd) in the making! Want to learn some drawing skills from the Swedish Rose???
Classic Illustration - Drawing From Objects https://skl.sh/3LCjJm1
- where you'll learn to draw several detailed objects like a teacup, a pineapple & a broccoli
Classic Illustration - Drawing The Acanthus https://skl.sh/3Dy9cpN
- You guessed it, you'll learn to draw a variety of styled Acanthus leaves to compliment your current drawing style or to add to your collection of skills
Learn to Design Arts and Crafts Patterns - Part 1 https://skl.sh/3Uu3JGm
Learn To Create Arts and Crafts Patterns - Part 2 https://skl.sh/3qW2AtS
I could leave you with those, but in keeping with the Skillshare drawing theme, let's add one of my own favourite classes on Skillshare. Get those dip pens out & experiment with Sunflowers & line drawings in a variety of techniques. All of these classes have workbooks & resources you can use to help you along.
Dip Pen Inking: Create Variation with Sunflowers https://skl.sh/3S34QLo
- This is my class all about drawing Sunflowers with ink & creating variation with hatching techniques
Eager to know what we get up to inside the Membership?
This was a really long post, but I had much to add this time around.
As always, have a happy creative life!
with Much Love
Tanya
xo
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