my first day at work as an artist...

finally... the long awaited day...
my first {of many to come} Monday at home as an artist.

on sunday night i had butterflies and nervous energy... it's the big one ya know - stepping into the job of your dreams. i fretted over what i would do, how i would fill my time, what if i got artist's block. i even giggled with chris that i worried what my boss (i.e. me) would be like... would she let me take lunch breaks?

the morning arrives.
i wake early. eat a cheese roll and scrummy new yogurt for breakfast.
do some tai chi for 20 minutes.
finish up some digital illustrations.
smudge my studio to free up the energy {it worked a treat}.
meditated in front of my SEED altar {thank you SEED HANDBOOK}
lit some candles, burnt some wildflower essential oil
and got to "work"... referencing my lil book of doodles, i began two mermaid paintings... and finished up Goddess of the Garden.
at lunch i cycled up to the post office to send off some client pieces,
and felt like a *hero*

my first day as an artist.
it was simple and balanced and good.

i know there is so much more to come on this journey...
but i have begun.
i will rejoice in that for a while... i have BEGUN.
no matter what the fears or the what ifs -
they are incomparable to the what if i hadn't leapt.


love,
leaping leonie


"Use what talent you possess - the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best."
~ Henry Van Dyke

magic in an old garage...

{click on images to make larger}

I was at a barbeque on Saturday night. It was raining, so we were all sitting on camping chairs inside an old garage. Light streamed through one small window, and as my friends were chatting, I took the above shots.

Who knew that a photo shoot of the oblivious on a rainy day in an old garage would turn out so beautifullly?

Keep your eyes peeled - I have a sneaking suspicion that magic is happening all around us, every moment of every day.

Tia Emma, Julia, Andrea

I also got to meet Andrea and Julia's aunt Emma who is visiting from Equador.
I practiced my Spanish introduction over and over again. She doesn't speak English, and I wanted to be able to say something she could understand...
Ola Tia Emma! Como estaz?

We forged a friendship based on that sentence, Andrea's interpreting and many hugs.
I just love her already!

We are all beings of light and we are here to light the way for each other.
~ the daily om

the creative embers...

leonie & her fairy friends
photo & imaging by juliana
{click on image for large size}

"Keep stoking those creative embers in your womb........... poking, prodding, nurturing, pushing the boundaries of your self created limitations until they no longer exist.... revel in the feeling of freedom......... investigate the new worlds you have created............. bask in the delicious warmth of your inferno."

~ Raquel Clark, artist


This Friday night's post is brought to you by two dear goddess friends, raquel & juliana, from my womens circle...
may their words, wisdom and gifts seep through from the screen to touch a knowing part inside you.

I am so deeply blessed to know you both, and to have you nourishing my insides with gentle words, loving wisdom, and a wildish living of life.

OBDM

my new business card

had an interview today to show off my portfolio ~
and am very excited to announce that shortly I will be selling my art at the Old Bus Depot Markets.

i can leap tall buildings in a single bound!
i am LEONIE, SUPER DREAM CHASER AND CATCHER!

waning moon and the clearing...

the waning moon.
the desire to cut away energy, friendships, self-limiting beliefs that no longer served us.
the power of the waning moon {you can read more about it here ~ bless you juliana} to help us re-evaluate what needs weeding to make room in our heart garden.
so at lunch we go to the park.
we make a tiny altar ~ some stones, some candles, much loved oracle cards and the sacred cauldron {my clay lunch dish}.
we write on green pieces of paper all the things we want to let go of. the things that stick more in our sides instead of allowing us to see our magnificence.
and we hold the paper over the candles. let the flames lick up the sides, before placing it in the sacred cauldron. we thank it for the purpose it played in our lives, and state that we want to move on. embrace the new, the healthy, the nourishing.
we each take another piece of paper, and write in a big love heart the things we DO want in our lives. what we want to manifest.
and we keep these close to us. we will dream these babies into existence.

we walked back, feeling lighter. cleaned away. as though we had just put down large suitcases of baggage. at work, we become consumed with the idea of cleaning out, throwing away, clearing space for the new to grow. i go through my backpack and find things i have been (literally) carrying around on my back for a year now. stuff i don't want to carry around anymore.

there is a lightness in our step.
a vibrance.
like turned soil, we drink up the rain and begin to nourish the new seeds waiting to germinate.

"You think of yourselves as humans searching for a spiritual awakening, when in fact you are spiritual beings attempting to cope with a human awakening. Seeing yourselves from the perspective of the spirit within will help you to remember why you came here and what you came here to do."

~ lightworker.com

angels surround us...

and i am coming to see
that angels surround us
always

look closer into the eyes of the people beside you
and around you
look deeper and deeper
and you will see the earth angel.

there is divinity in every breath, every step, and every soul on your path.



"Life is a tapestry:
We are the warp;
angels, the weft;
God/Goddess, the weaver.
Only the Weaver sees the whole design."
~ Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

"All God's angels come to us disguised."
~ James Russell Lowell

"Outside the open window
The morning air is all awash with angels."
~ Richard Purdy Wilbur

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."
~ Michelangelo

F r e e

"Free" - pastels on paper

Illustration Friday's topic this week is F R E E...

We went on an adventure this weekend. Packed one bag, left Charlie at the kennels, and headed east to Sydney. Wind blowing in our hair.

We stayed with our beautiful friends Gaby and Sonya, as well as meeting up with a few of the Sydney Succulent Wild Women tribe. It was delight. Sheer delight. Staying in a gorgeously old house with plaster ceilings. Strolling down the warm streets to eat noodles for dinner. Eating far too much mushroom pate and my favourite hommus. Exploring the largest cemetary in the Southern Hemisphere and collecting buttercups. Going to the Mind Body Spirit festival, and meeting the amazing Toni Carmine Salerno {oracle card artist extraordinaire}. Laughing until our cheekbones ached. Catching the train into the city and wandering for hours, faces turned to the sky and the skyscrapers. Getting glued to Gaby's couch. The fantastic buddhist & joss paper trading company, filled with chinese delights. Sleeping on an air mattress - it's like camping, but without the insect repellant. Chris eating fish guts sushi. Visiting Adyar bookstore. Sitting around the table playing with pastels {see above picture} and making up adventures to do next time.

If I take it down to its purest form, we:
adventured :: laughed greatly :: ate muchly

As we drove back this morning, I began reading the miraculous "Be Here Now" by Ram Dass.
And I realised that the weekend was so GOOD was because I stopped thinking. Just started being in the moment. All the thoughts that have been rolling over and over and over in my mind lately had been like ceaseless waves crashing upon the shore. On the weekend I jumped off the mousewheel. I got to have a holiday from my own brain.

I laughed more, ate more and saw more,
and for once I wasn't analysing where I was at, what I was seeing, how others saw me when I laughed {ugh. the list goes on}.
I got to reside precisely where it was all happening: in the moment.

And damn, that is the most free I have felt in a long time.

Be.Here.Now.

Gaby, me and Sonya.
Goddesses of the Moment.

the good delights...

the good things...
:: a piece of writing by the amazing Victoria SkyDancer
{who has given me her permission to share it here}

"We grieve
Because we become rather attached
To these mortal vessels of flesh
That house our unquenchable souls.

We grieve
Because we perceive loss
When the material fails:
Lost potential
Lost opportunity
Lost connection
"Gone, Forevermore"

We grieve
Because we get stuck in that place of "gone"
And we have forgotten
That the other side of matter
Is Energy...
Just because we cannot see
Does not mean they are absent.

Yet it is because we are Energy
Having a Material experience
That we grieve.
It is our nature.
It is okay."
~ Victoria SkyDancer


:: dew on grass and good friends.
:: sumptuous intro on 4chairsdesign
:: divine illustration by kurt halsey
:: hankering after the "52 things" book
:: eat more Sauerkraut
:: thrilled to pick up "the seed handbook" from the library


off on an adventure for three days... to see my goddesses.
it will be good to see them.
it will be good to be away from computers {my arms ache}.
it will be good to be on an adventure.
it will just be GOOD.
it already is good.

me, gabs and sone.

blessings, to you my friends.
love,
leonie

on his 32nd...

A conversation I recently had went like this:

So how did you meet Chris?

We worked together. He was the computer guy. I would break my computer just to talk to him.

What was it like when you met him the first time?

I thought he was the most beautiful man on earth.

How long ago was that?

Over four years ago.

What do you think now?

I think... he is the most beautiful man on earth.


Happy 32nd birthday honey.
I.love.you.

the art resources...

Two collaged journal pages: Fullness, Ripe and Abundance.
Acrylic paint, tinsel and leaves.
{click on images for larger version}


"Don't ask what the world needs.
Ask what makes you come alive and go do it.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
~ Howard Thurman


I've found a few guides written by other creatives that I have found immensely useful.
I am so grateful to them for sharing their knowledge and experience in the creative world ~ it makes the path less travelled seem a lot less daunting. Hoping among you creatives, artists, writers and joyous sensual lovers of life, you each find something to spark your day!

~ Hints on holding an art booth - by kathy cano murillo

~ Crafting for cash - by kathy cano murillo

~ How to start as an illustrator - by keri smith

~ Seven steps to getting published - by keri smith

~ How to make a living doing what you love - by keri smith

~ Recommended reading - by keri smith

~ Inexpensive adventures for leading an artistic life - by penelope dullaghan and friends

~ The superhero guide to designing a creative business - by andrea scher




















"spirit angel" by chris

goddess. in every me and every you.

"Goddess: Magic fell from her hair"
Acrylic and mixed media on canvas

"To me there is no difference between one person and another; I behold all as soul-reflections of the one God. I can't think of anyone as a stranger, for I know that we are all part of the One Spirit."
~ Paramahansa Yogananda

:: watch a drawing evolve
:: amazingly excited to have been gifted on my birthday the fabulous books of Pronoia and Dinotopia. To hold these books in my sweaty little hands is pure joy. Pronoia is aimed at adults for the children inside. And Dinotopia is a kids book, but is essential reading for us "adults"
:: send a love letter email to yourself in the future. I did, and it felt GOOD.

The days of birthing and rebirthing...

I've had a delightful birthday. Delightful, peaceful, easy and full of love. I feel in me a growing contentment and an understanding that life is continually showering me with blessings. Sometimes the blessings feel painful in the moment, but I sense that the breeze of time will carry away the sand until I can see the treasure.

My 23rd birthday was one of layered goodness. Each peeled back, without expectation, until my insides were dancing.

On Friday at lunch, me and some of the delightful people I work with decided to celebrate Leonie's~Birthday~Eve. We walked in the spring sunshine to eat delicious Indian food. I drank wine that tasted of frangipanis, and we laughed loudly. The ever spectacular Ben dropped by to hand me my birthday winnings: a Barbie birthday card and matching badge. I think it was a vague attempt to beat the birthday card I gave him last time of a sparkling unicorn.


Ben hands Leonie her impressive Barbie award

I then decided in my infinite 23 year wisdom that one simply MUST ride the carousel after eating Indian food. Some of my dear friends enthusiastically joined me. Others had to be manhandled aboard. Within minutes, we were all giggling. Up, down, up, down.


Aaron, Lile and Andrea aboard the Carousel Love

Others took it a little more EXTREME.

Exhibit 1: Nick.


I think he gets excited by the prospect of poles

Impressive ride of the day goes to Andrea.



After dismounting our trusty steeds, we proceeded to catwalk it back to work. Why walk, when you can CATWALK?


It's hard to be this hot: Aaron, Nick, Lile, Andrea, Erin


Work it: Aaron, Nick, Birfday Girl, Andrea

It was indeedy the most delicious of Birthday Eves, and a wonderful way to farewell 22...

I awoke the next morning, to Charlie peering into my birthing day face.
I turned to Chris and proudly announced:
TODAY! TODAY MY DEAR IS THE DAY I CAME OUT OF MY MOTHER'S VAGINA!
Aren't you happy I did?

I think it's important to step into birthing*days gracefully.
*gigglesnort*

Later that afternoon, we had a picnic at Tidbinbilla National Park. It was picturesque and beautiful.... Tidbinbilla holds a special place in my heart - it is the place that I feel like "home." Chris and I often bushwalk there ~ it is teeming with wildlife. Lush alpine country at the base of the mountains ~ it doesn't get more perfect than that.



We were joined by some gorgeous friends ~ Debra, Juliana, Andrea, Julia, Paris and the Paris family: Veronica (goddess), Balthazar (4) and Alexander (2).



We ate delicious food, laughed heartily, and made friends with some emus that decided to hang out with us all afternoon.



I like to call this shot "Inga and the Emu"
It's my classic Swedish tourist expression that I use in wildlife shots.
{Even funnier is that this shot looks totally photoshopped}


Deb makes friends with Alexander {Paris in background}


I am the mighty Balthazar! Modelling GOD!


Juliana: "I feel like I'm in my element. All four of them."


Superheros:
Veronica's shirt says
"I make milk!
Reverse:
What's your super power?"
Alexander's super power is bass jumping off chairs.


My name is Alexander and I am super CUTE


The Paris Tree!


The gorgeouses: Andrea and Julia. Can you tell they are sisters?


Paris and Alexander. Sometimes walking gets tough.

We then got treated to a gymnastics show...



Which got a little more complicated when Alexander decided to step in...



After delish food, we hiked up a small hill to a gorgeous outcrop of rocks looking out to the mountains.
We scattered like lizards: climbing up to the highest points or lying on the rocks, drinking in the sun. At one point, I looked down and there were bodies strewn everywhere on the rocks. Obviously, my tribe are rock people.




Andrea, Julia and Juliana. Soaking it up.







embracing 23. embracing the view.

It was the perfect way to end our picnic :)
Afterwards, Chris and I took Andrea and Julia to meet my dear friend, HANGING ROCK. The rock is where I had my inner marriage ceremony, and it is the place I go time and time again for peace in my heart.






We leave this beautiful place late in the afternoon. I feel deeply joyous and moved by the radiant and miraculous people I have in my life. I speak to my mother-in-law on the phone, and she tells me I will be spending the rest of the night on the phone. I laugh, and tell her that I wasn't expecting to.

When she hung up... my phone began ringing. At times I was speaking on one phone when the other would begin ringing for me, and I would speak into two at once. I went to bed at midnight, with a hoarse voice and a singing heart. My mum called and told me about the day I was born. I spoke to dear friends I hadn't heard from in years. Friends who knew me when I was 16 and still love me. School friends scattered across the globe.
LOVE TO YOU ~ Matt, Sonia, Zetty, Mooky, Martin and Shan...

I went to sleep on my first night as a 23 year old,
with a knowing that love is never broken,
and the image of vases overflowing with flowers of friendships.

I feel more authentic on my celebrations of life than ever before.

I feel like I'm starting to know who I am,
where I'm at,
and how I'm loved.

There is so much in this beautiful world for me to discover,
and I am on the path to find it.

"Thiiiiiiiiings can only get BETTTERRRRR
Can only get BETTTTEERRRRRRRRR"
~ D:Ream