She Has The Spirit Of An Eagle

In her is the courage and strength to take a leap of faith and soar to enormous heights letting her dreams guide her heart.  

XO, HARMONY

Animal Totems: The Bear

Hello dear friends.

I was recently hit with enormous creative inspiration and have been painting up a storm.  This is a feat within itself as I am still operating on newborn baby time.  I did not expect my creative energy to return so quickly and with such force after giving birth 2 months ago, but I cant stop its flow and must just let it channel through me.  I wanted to share with you a bit of what I did this weekend.  This is a piece from what will most likely become a series on spirit animals.  I love the idea that our animal friends teach us about ourselves through their natures.  That we can both relate to them and gain insight into ourselves from their spirits.  They can also teach us how to grow, and be more patient, more selfless, more balanced in our lives.  I wanted to start with the Bear.  Maybe because I feel like a Mama Bear right now, but nevertheless, here she is...

"I have the spirit of a bear.. grounded and strong, 

fiercely protecting that which I love, 

leading others with a cautious mind and an open heart"

Here's the finished piece.  She's quite large (about 16" x 22").  I used vintage papers for the under layers, then kept building texture, color, shape, and design on top.  I couldnt decide whether to add words to this one, so for now she is complete until I change my mind again.  ;)

What other animal spirit would you suggest for the next one?

XO, HARMONY

Grow Fearless...new artwork and a message for you.

This is a new painting and part of a new inspirational mixed media style for me.  I have been really evaluating what I want from all this, the blog, the etsy store, the craft shows, the art that I make.  I have some really big dreams for it all, hopefully resulting in the running of a creative retreat center.  Sometimes I get really overwhelmed by how far I still need to go to get there.  Sometimes those thoughts turn into negative voices telling me I wont get there so I should stop pretending that I will.  Do you have big dreams that seem so far away sometimes?  If so, I just wanted to say to you today to keep stretching, dont look back or hold yourself back with your fears, Keep Growing and Grow Fearless!  I think that everyone should live their life free of fear and hold on to a boldness of heart to always move forward towards whatever they desire for their lives.  Just wanted to encourage you with that today.  I am offering prints of this painting at my Etsy Store, if you want to bring one home to remind you each morning to Grow Fearless in your life.   My fearless moment in the next week or so will be putting all this new art I just finished out there for people to see, judge, and decide whether there is a market for it.  It is always a scary moment to put new work out in the public, when I dont know how it will be received, but it is my dream to make inspirational art to encourage closet creatives like I was for so long.  So for every "I dont like it" or "I could make that" comment I will hear at the show, I will hold on to courage and wait for the person that discovers the meaning and heart of my work and gains a bit of their own fearlessness.

Leave me a comment and let me know how you are going to take steps this week to be more fearless in your life.

XO, HARMONY

The Gift of A Creative Mother: Guest Post by Cami Smith

 Hello! Here we are at the start of another week.  I hope your weekend was whatever you needed it to be.  Mine was hectic, but good.  So to get inspired and start out our Monday,  I am really excited to introduce you to one of the amazing women that I have recently gotten to know through my sponsorship swap project.    Meet Cami Smith.  She is the voice and heart behind her blog Colorsmith and an incredible fiber artist (all these amazing works are hers!).  She also Art Journals and does beautiful Mixed Media work as well.

Cami has a heart for art making and has done so her entire life for no other purpose or intention than because it is who she is.  In fact, Cami grew up with a creative artsy mama that taught her about the beauty and passion that living a creative life can offer.

This really struck a chord with me, because as a young mom and an artist, I want my own children to be given the opportunity to discover their creative spirit, and let art making be a part of their lifestyle regardless of whether the world believes they have "talent."  I believe that creative expression is a natural part of being human, and that everyone should participate in it.  So I asked Cami if she would be willing to share a bit about her experience growing up with an artistic mother.  I hope you enjoy her story as much as I did.

"Turpentine in our kitchen cabinets were as common as a box of cereal.  I grew up with an artist for a mother.  All my friends loved coming over to our house. I'm not sure why... certainly not because we had some cookies baking in the oven.  My mother was not one for cooking.  Oh, I didn't go hungry.  Certainly not intellectually.  We just had food that seemed to mingle with art supplies.  

Every thing was a drawing surface to my mother. When she would come home with some groceries, she would stop as she was folding the paper bags. She would tell us to hold still, then she would proceed with her charcoal pencil and start to draw us on the blank part of the paper grocery bag.  Or maybe start drawing the fruit that she just placed in a bowl.  Our kitchen had an on going mural of the fog coming over the San Fransisco Golden Gate Bridge being painted on the wall.  In her bathroom, she drew her self portrait with her eye makeup pencils on many of the tiles around her mirror,.  She had a wonderful collection of self-portraits until the house keeper decided to wipe it clean!  

She loved studying wild life and insects.  We always had some creatures in living in terrariums like turtles or tarantulas.  She would often get us up at dawn ( reluctantly) we would go for a bird watching walks and stop to sketch what we saw.  And ... I know this sounds kind of crazy but if she found a dead bird, she would wrap it up carefully and put it in the freezer so she could study it more closely and draw it when she had time.  Yes, dead birds somewhere next to the frozen peas. 

It was not uncommon for her to point out the "negative space" between the trees as we would be driving down the road.   She always took us to classical music concerts, ballet performances, museums, gallery exhibits and operas.  We had a big poster of Beethoven and on December 17,  we propped up it on a chair by the kitchen table.  She would get a cake from the bakery and would sing happy birthday to him.  So our intellect was well fed.  

I have an extreme appreciation for the creative soul.  You might ask, how does this translate to raising my own children?  Well my son is in grad school studying classical trumpet.  My daughter studies ballet with the Russian Ballet company.   But other than the free range chicken I buy at the super market, I don't have any dead birds next to the frozen peas in my freezer!"

(The photos included in Cami's guest post are of her mother (85) surrounded by her found objects, sculptures and canvases in her studio where she lives in Seattle.  All other photos are of Cami's original artworks, as can be seen on her blog).

Thank you so much Cami! I hope to be as creative and inspiring as a mother, as yours was for you.  I highly encourage you to check out Cami's blog and get to know her better.  She is also on Facebook and is an incredibly inspiring person to get to know.

Just a reminder: Only 2 days left to enter the BIG Sponsor Giveaway!  8 incredible prizes by 8 incredible women for ONE winner :)  CLICK HERE TO ENTER! 

XO, HARMONY

Artist Inspiration of the Day: The Lovely Wyanne

 Together is Better by Wyanne

I really wanted to show you a new painting process video today, but it seems that hitting the 8 month mark in my pregnancy has seriously slowed me down and I am not working as efficiently as I used to.   So until I finish that project later, I thought I would share another artist's process video today.  This is a snippet of one of my favorite artists to get new technique ideas from.  I watch her videos all the time and get filled with inspiration and creative energy.  Her name is Wyanne, said "Y"-an, and if you havn't discovered her yet and explored her world, you've been missing out on some beautiful paintings and probably some of the best painting process videos I have ever watched.

Garden Wild by Wyanne

It was actually her videos that encouraged me to start using alcohol and inks in my mixed media works.  She just posted several new videos and listed new paintings, and I instantly fell in love with this amazing little owl.  If I could afford to snatch it up and put it in my boys room, I would do so in a second.

Hello World by Wyanne

Whether you are a painter, art journaler, creative player, you should spend a little time today exploring her videos, they truly are inspirational and FUN to watch.  Maybe it will give you he courage to try something new and artsy today.

I hope you found something inspiring here that brightens your day.  The idea is to keep going, keep pushing through, and keep your eyes open to discovering your creative self bringing the world alive to you in totally new ways (oh and playing with lots of bright colors helps too). 

XO, HARMONY

A Morning Photo Session: New Artwork!

Remember my morning run and impromptu garden photo session a few weeks back?  Well, I have turned some of those pics into art! I was really inspired by this artist and her incredible art yarn paintings, and thought I could do something similar with hand stitching.  I printed the photos onto fabric and mounted them into my newly purchased oh-so-amazing vintage metal hoops, and just plodded along one stitch at a time.  They took me a lot longer to complete than I had thought they would.  Everything on them is done by hand, no pattern, just me slowly painting along with a needle and thread, creating a truly organic pattern that celebrates and tributes the beauty and art that can be found our natural world.  I finished them last night, and so my son and I staged a bit of a photo session with them this morning so I could share a special first look at them with you. 

They measure 4", 5", and 7" and have vintage hand dyed silk ribbon to hang them from.  They are one of a kind original mixed media fiber art, and I couldn't be more proud of them.  I will be listing these on Etsy later this week, so if you are interested in any of them and want them reserved for you, please message me. 

So if you are wondering what happens behind the scenes when trying to photograph art while taking care of a small child, then here's a bit of the other side to our morning.

Here's me on the front porch, because its the only place in my horribly lit Florida home that gets decent light in the morning, and yes I am still in my PJs.  I'll be honest though, I spend most of my days now working at home in my PJs.  What's the point of getting dressed when all my pregnant self wants to wear is baggy shirts and stretchy pants anyway?  I can still just barely see my toes, Yay! - I did have to lean forward a bit though :)

Baby boy was on the hunt for more flowers for me to photograph.  We have very little as far as flowering plants in our yard right now (who has time to garden?) but he did very excitedly produce this lovely purple wild flower discovered under a bush.  He loves to bring me flowers, roots and all.

Then he decided that he needed to paint the cardboard that I was using as a background for my hoop shots, and drug out some white paint and a brush that he swiped from my craft room while I was busy shooting.  Here he is showing me how he painted my flower and made it pretty.  He also apparently made the walkway pretty as well...(somebody should be watching this child more closely).

So there you have it, my latest creations and a bit of our morning.  I have quite a few more of these hoops in the works that I am saving for Fall Craft Show season, but I just couldn't resist sharing these first few with you.  Have a lovely Tuesday everyone! I am off to hose down an exuberant young painter and a walkway. 

XO, HARMONY

New Works! The Sojourners Series Begins

I began a new series of paintings that I am really excited about, and since my husband is completely useless to me in reflecting an honest reaction to my art ("That's nice." - worst description of how you feel about an artwork ever!) and my sister (who is always the most blunt and honest with me about my work) is currently overseas for the next 4 months, I wanted to share them with you and see what you thought.

"Sisterhood"

2011 by Harmony

Original Mixed Media Painting

8X8 done on wood panel

I created this (above) painting on commission for a lovely pair of sisters to celebrate their journey both separate and together.  It really inspired me to think about each of us and our individual journeys that almost always have at least one "other" that makes us brave and gives us strength to be our unique selves.  My little sister does this for me.  We are almost exact opposites in personality and style, this led to lots of competitive behaviors and fighting when we were young, but as I have grown alongside her, I have discovered it is the beauty of our differences that I love the most, and that she helps me be who I am today.  So I was inspired to create a few more pieces of each sister on their individual journey, to reflect the duality of their spirits (connected together yet living separate lives). 

 "The Dreamer"

2011 by Harmony Lenasbunt

Mixed Media Original Artwork

6X6 done on wood panel

 "The Seeker"

2011 by Harmony Lenasbunt

Mixed Media Original Artwork

6X6 done on wood panel

More about how I made them: Each piece is totally unique, full of texture and  layers, as well as color and patterns.  I used vintage wrapping papers to create a base layer which I kept overlaying with paint, pastel, inks, adding more and wiping away over and over until the background was built up with as much character and beauty as the figure herself.  There are vintage lace pieces affixed to the edges, and the images are actually done on fabric, giving them a soft dreamy appearance. 

I am absolutely over the moon with how my vision for these paintings turned out in reality and am currently working on several more pieces for the series of Sojourners.  Thank you for letting me share them with you.  They are very dear to my heart.  Prints and wood mounted prints of them will be available in my Etsy Shop later today.  If you are interested in the orginals, or a commissioned work like this, please email me.

If you were represented in an artwork like this, what would your title be?  I am definitely the Dreamer, while my sister is completely the Seeker.  Any Wanderers, Pranksters, Mother Hearts,  Thinkers out there?  Tell me what word describes your current journey best?

XO, HARMONY

Journal Your Heart Out Today

I wanted to share my last 2 pages I worked on in my art journal.  This book has really become more of a love letter to my son, full of things that I want to say to him and encourage him with.  Do you art journal?  Its incredibly fun and freeing.  The rules are to not have rules and to just let your creativity flow.  Sometimes it's helpful to give yourself a time limit for working on a page, to keep yourself from over thinking and just keep creating from the heart.  These 2 pages are for anyone out there that needs a bit of courage to believe in themselves and follow their heart, even if it means going alone. 

Do you want to see how I created these?  Here's a process video of me working on them.

I skipped the first part, just when I was attaching papers and just getting started, so you didnt miss much. I used vintage papers, acrylic paint (and dimensional paint! this is new for me), oil sticks, ink, stamping, graphite, and charcoal in these.  I hope you enjoyed watching me art journal.  Share links to photos of your art journal here, I'd love to see them!  Well, I'm off to my son's very last swim lesson for the summer.  He's not quite a swimmer yet, but we are getting close! I'll be back tomorrow to share a NEW post series with you.  Coloring Pages!  Dont forget to enter a comment to win the three hand stitched hoops I am giving away.  Last day to enter is tomorrow. (click on box in the top right corner to enter).  Have a wonderful Friday everyone!

XO, HARMONY

Try It! A New Perspective in an Instant

The mommy-son team has been at it again.  Last night, right before bath time for my 3 year old, he asks me if we can color together.  Who am I to deny a creative inspiration moment for a silly thing like a bedtime routine?  So we pulled out a large piece of illustration board and my tray of soft pastels and had a glorious time!  Such a mess, such fun, I love those moments with him and am really aware that I have only 3 more months of just he and I before we add another set of tiny hands to our world.  When we finished and headed towards the tub, we had really started something interesting (it went way beyond pastel sticks at this point).  I had recently heard a tip for visualizing a piece differently by cropping into different areas and getting a new ideas from those details for a direction for the entire piece.  Since I had no real thought or idea for this work, I thought I would try it. 

I am officially in love with this technique for seeing things differently.  I totally know where I want to go with this painting now.  Try this sometime.  Take something that you are working on and need inspiration for, photograph it, and then crop into different areas and blow the images up! Instant New Perspective!

FYI: Just a reminder that there are only 2 more days to enter my giveaway for 3 hand stitched hoops, and I'd love to get more people a chance to take these little cuties home.  Click on the button in the top right corner to enter.

XO, HARMONY

Inspiration Through Messiness

I've been painting today! My son went out for the day with his dad, and I am soaking up every second of me time I can while they are away.  This of course means making lots and lots of mess in my art room.

I needed a creative jumping off point, and since I'd been so excited about this art book I just bought, I decided to start there. I've come to realize that abstract painting using bright bold colors mixed with different mediums and textures is really attractive to me, and as an artist still seeking her unique voice and point of view in my work right now, I am becoming really sensitive to what feels like "me" when I run into it.  So using some of the tips from the book, and my recent obsession with all things from this other artist/designer, along with a long running deep love for the work of this artist, I let my inspiration run wild.

I call it creative play, even though I usually refer to CP time as art making time with my son.  This was just me, trying to let go of my thoughts and expectations and just let loose my inner child.  It was happy play time just for me.  I video taped the first bit of it until my batteries ran out, but you get a really fun look at the process of mixed media work.  (FYI: a miracle occurred and the dead video camera decided to start working again, hooray!  It apparently just needed a week off to recover from its fall)

For this piece I used: paintbrushes, my fingers, and an ink roller to manipulate: water soluble pencils and oil sticks, gesso, block printing inks, black alcohol ink, distress inks, vintage photos, vintage wrapping papers, various fabric strips, painted tape, doily, gel medium, and archival glue on a cold-press heavy weight illustration board cut to 8"X10".

I LOVE THIS PICTURE SO MUCH!  It makes me really happy, from the bright colors, the contrast of the black ink, and all the yummy textures from the different materials.  I feel many more like this one will be created very soon.  I really feel like I am a bit closer to my goal of creating a unique and cohesive style and vision for my work through this piece.  We'll see where it takes me...

XO, HARMONY 

The Color of Fear and the Art of Being Brave

What does Fear look like to you?  To my 3 year old son, it looks like a red frog (which we think is his word for a dragon).  For the past 3 weeks he has been insistent that his bedroom door stay closed at night, demanding that we affirm that there are "no frogs" in the house.  It's terribly cute and equally sad, as it tears at my heart to know that he is scared and I cant fix it.  For no matter how hard we insist, nor what karate chopping moves my husband displays to show what happens to scary frogs that show up, neither our dutiful efforts to distract him and never mention the "f-word."  He still starts getting nervous at night-time and repeating "no frogs, mommy.  no frogs, daddy" until we shut his bedroom door.  We've tried putting him to sleep in his room with both of us with him, and putting him to sleep in our bed and then moving him, but both senarios end in a 3am terrified dash into our bed and a burrowing little boy into my side.  So here we are, with an abandoned bed in one room, and a floor full of baby boy and blankets in our own room, trying to find a way to help him be brave. 

the abandoned room

I also have to admit my own weakness for indulging his desire to be close to mom and dad during this phase.  I too had fears as a child, and they frequently brought me to my own parent's bedroom floor to feel safe at night.  Specifically, I had a reoccurring nightmare that would frequently bring me to a jolting wake-up, body covered in sweat and heart pounding.  Nothing would console me except to leave my room and sleep where I knew my protectors were.  Eventually it went away, and I found myself sleeping peacefully again, but I never forgot that nightmare. 

About 10 years ago, I was going through a really hard time emotionally, and started painting one afternoon to distract myself from my situation.  All I had to work with was some roughly cut old wood squares, a bunch of old canvas, and some really old house paint, and so I just started layering and layering, not thinking just painting. 

 I couldnt stop for 3 days, just layering colors over colors, square after square, until I ended up with a 6 square series of black, cream, and yellow stripes.  I thought very little about them, other than I thought they looked neat, and then I arranged them in a line, stood back, and found myself holding my breath.  I had painted my childhood nightmare.

I instantly felt a peace about my own life drama at that time.  I realized I had overcome hard things in the past and fears that was never able to truly understand, and I could do it again this time and grow from it.  I found my courage in those paintings, and I keep them on my dining room wall to this day to remind me that I am strong and brave, and that I can have courage to take on whatever life sends my way.

I hope this same lesson for my son, to find his own sense of courage and place of serenity.  Right now, it's my bedroom floor and that's ok.  One day when he's ready, I hope to teach him how to use his love of art making to bring him new discoveries about his own strength and spirit that he never knew before.  What are your fears?  How has art making been healing for you in those places?  What gives you courage?

 sleep tight sweet boy...

XO, HARMONY