Saturday 20 December 2014

All you need is Love

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.”
Rumi

Christmas is here once again, the season of joy and goodwill!

Sometimes however Life doesn’t go according to plan, and joy or goodwill seem to vanish into thin air. It’s very, very tempting to just crawl back under the duvet and stay there until the mince pies are all eaten, and the last of the tinsel has been put away.


Fortunately art is the perfect antidote to the stresses of Life. How nice it is to slip into the studio, light a few scented candles (it is Christmas, after all) and enjoy the quiet solitude of painting.


"You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet."
Franz Kafka

Whilst I paint, I contemplate all the things that I have to be grateful for… good health, a wonderful family and a really great circle of friends.

Social media has made the world a very small place and gives us the opportunity to connect in ways that we never have before. Every day is full of joyful surprises… it could be the simple pleasure of seeing someone’s beautiful artwork,  learning something completely new, or the buzz of getting words of encouragement about your own work. It’s just comforting to know that there are like-minded people out there.

I finished my page of prickles for the Natural Sketchbook Exchange.
One of the things that I have really enjoyed being part of this year has been the Natural Sketchbook Exchange. Not only has it been a great way of keeping motivated and inspired, but I’ve also made some truly wonderful friends. Throughout the year, we’ve all had our trials and troubles, but we’ve also managed to support and encourage each other.

"Qui audet adipiscitur"
~She who dares, wins~
It was through Facebook that this conker commission came about. I admit that I was a little nervous about this because the recipient happens to be an RHS gold medallist (no pressure then), but I hope she’ll like this. I’m giving it the title “Qui audet adipiscitur”, or “She who dares, wins”.  

Finally, I gave in and succumbed to the Christmassy theme. This sprig of mistletoe was calling me, and perhaps a bit of joy and goodwill is what I need. And whilst I might have missed the boat for this year’s celebrations, I thought this would make a nice Christmas card for 2015.
See, I’m not late, I’m super organised!!
Happy Christmas Everyone!


“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. 
It goes on.”
Robert Frost


18 comments:

  1. Love you Shevaun. Love you spirit, your optimism and your strength. Glad you are feeling a bit Christmassy. That mistletoe is so pretty. xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Debbie. You're one of my special friends. xx

      Delete
  2. What a lovely post, Shevaun. I'm still "quite" young, but I already know how Life is. And thank god art exists to help us carry on and step forward when problems face us. I am also very pleased to have such lovely Facebook friends who never stop showing their art and encourage me to paint more. It's so inspiring. I'm glad you're back.

    That is a wonderful painting for a Christmas card!! I wish you the best, merry Christmas!

    Gui

    PS: I have always wondered where you keep all those quotations, have you got a little notebook were you write them so that you don't forget them?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Gui. Merry Christmas to you too. I save the quotes everywhere... notebooks, my phone, my laptop. It's nice to find them unexpectedly when you are looking for something else. I think we all need little reminders sometimes.

      Delete
  3. Really lovely blog post Shevaun....strikes a chord with me! Beautiful Christmas card too :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dianne!! Well, you'll get the card NEXT year, haha!!! Yes, it's time to crawl out from that duvet!

      Delete
  4. i love your pretty painting space with it's white chair and clear peaceful feel to it
    and i hope you and yours have peaceful and happy holidays

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Vi... we all need a quiet space to escape to from time to time. Happy holidays to you too.

      Delete
  5. How lovely and poignant! You are an inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Monica! What a lovely thing to say! Thank you.

      Delete
  6. What a lovely post Shevaun! I feel lucky to be one of your "virtual" friends and have missed seeing you these past days. You are always kind, cheerful and generous with your comments and posts. I admire you very much and I love your work!
    Happy holidays and a great new year to come.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maria, we're all so lucky to be able to connect so easily and share our passion for the natural world. And see! It's comments like yours that bring a smile to my face! Happy New Year to you too

      Delete
  7. Due to recent health issues, I echo your sentiments. All we can do is remain with what we love and do our best. I have so loved watching your blog this year and look forward to 2015 and what you do. Have a wonderful and peaceful 2015. BTW, I looked up conkers and now know what they are :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rhonda, you make me smile! I'm so glad that you have enjoyed the blog and I really appreciate your comments and your encouragement. Here's to a happy and a healthy New Year!!

      Delete
  8. I enjoyed your delightful paintings and interesting narrative and quotes...once again. The conker looks like it is just about to swing around or maybe just coming to rest, and the title is perfect! She will love it! I can relate about the solace of art, and the daring it takes to do it sometimes! Best wishes to you for joyful creating in the coming year!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful post Shevaun, apologies for the lateness of my comment - I've been feeling rather distant myself and have been hiding in the studio trying to recover from a bitterly disappointing 2014. The only way is up! Anyway, I hope you are OK, I worry about you after what you've said. I hope the studio and brushes are giving you the nourishment you need. All my love x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jess. Well 2015 has started off brilliantly for you, so hopefully you'll go from strength to strength. Art is a great healer xxx

      Delete

I love the feedback so please feel free to comment. Thank you!