Been away...

Hi everyone!  just a quick note - as i've managed to grab a moment on a computer... I've been away all week and wont be back to my studio until monday arvo.  I've been madly trying to complete my business plan all week and am going crazy not doing anything creative!!!  so I'm looking forward to getting back to the studio and completing my canvas and starting some new ones with inspiration from my trip here in Carnarvon!  I haven't forgotten you!  Stay tuned peeps - and i'll see you soon.

x me

Tash Tapper is Tops!!!

serendipity stepped in yesterday and in a very short space of time i managed to organise a photo shoot in my studio with new up and coming local photographer Natasher Tapper.  I wanted to get some pics to use on my new website - yes it is actually happening so make a note that April 2nd is the day when the new and very much improved Donna Heart site will debut on the www!   Here's a few photos that tash sent over this arvo just to whet my appetite - isn't she just the bomb!

now go and leave some love at her facebook page and tell her to get a website!!!  and wish her some luck as she's ready to have bub number two and did the shoot all the same :)  thanks tash :)

thanks so much for stopping by - i really do appreciate your support

x me

Kapoc Love Day Two

so this is how far i got last night with this painting, and i'm really quite happy with it so far!  It's a whole new world when you start painting on a large canvas, and something i've discovered is that i need new brushes, bigger ones!!!  I have one large brush which isn't enough when i've got two colours going at the same time!    Just doing a little research on tonal values and think i'll need to be more mindful of that as i go along, and also really reallt want to get stuck into some colour theory, and become more purposeful in ho wi choose colours (rather than just random!!!)  Although intuition is a great thing, mixed with some knowledge would definitely give me more breadth and width in terms of knowing where i want to go with the painting.  I know i want to use some gold leaf in this one, and either some smaller seed pods or some birds as well.  I think it is somewhere around 70% complete.  perhaps...

so what are you up to in the studio?  take some photos, post a link, i'd love to see your journey as well!

x me
Post script: when i lived in the kimberley i was amazed at these Kapoc trees - with their beautiful yellow flowers and fluffy filling cascading out of popped seed pods.  The seed pods themselves are amazing - some round and ball-shaped, and others like little birds with tiny beaks.  I took photos of them and now after about 8 years they are finally finding life on my canvas.  the realisation is that sometimes a dream takes a while to blossom, but it always does when the time is right...

What You Do Matters...

For all the mums out there who often lose heart in the day to dayness, or wonder what it is we're doing exactly here?   Watch the little video above (i cant work out how to put it in the body of the post - sorry!)

x me

ps: you're wonderful :)

kapoc love

ok - so i've just started this canvas tonight.  i should be in bed.  i am soo tired.  but once i started it i just.couldn't.stop.  it was like i was in the zone, you know how sometimes when you paint time just stands still?  like the dome of silence, except mine had ABBA hits pounding away in the background ;)

anyhoo - you may remember a while back i posted about this little seed pod which i knew was going to fire up my muse at some point in the not-so-distant future???  well here 'tis - my kapoc/flora s bowley inspired ever so BIG canvas!  well, it's big for me at least.  and you know what?  I think i could get used to this 'up-sizing' thang.  stay tuned for an update ;)

x me

My New Painter BFF's

a few nights ago i had dinner with an old bff and watched Mama Mia (with Meryl Streep) and remembered just how much i have always loved ABBA.  so i've just downloaded the 'best of' and am humming away as i type this post to "Chiquitita"  hmmmm 'how i hate to see you like this, there is no way you can deny it..."  not sure if i've ever listened too intently to these lyrics, but just love the melody!  i digress...

Speaking of BFF's... i serendipitously stumbled across some absolutely beautiful paitings/artists last night.  have you heard of Reed Danziger?  or Stephanie Toppin, or Jennifer Scott Mclaughlin?  I wont be surprised if I'm the last to know (really, i'm usually a bit late on the uptake lol!)  but if you haven't - just check out their work below - and then click on the links and feast on the rest of their amazing creations - aahhhhh such wonderful free flowing beauty - just love it!  oh!  and how could i forget?  Flora S Bowley?!  (slap hand) what i wouldn't give for a pinky finger of her talent - breathtaking!

here's a taste...

Stephanie Toppin

Jennifer Scott McLaughlin

Reed Danziger

and last but not least Ms Flora.

aren't they just amazing...

thanks for stopping by - let's know where you're from - i'd love to hear from you :)

x donna

a little bit o' randomness

i just love this colour green for a wall.  one day, when i get my own place, i'm going to paint a wall this colour.  maybe it's the contrast of the bright yellow boots, or the beautiful hand woven coloured baskets.  the spray of flowers, or the way the light dances across the wall.  either way, i just like it alot...

btw, i'm making laksa for dinner tonight.   haven't had it for years.  told you this was random, x me

trusting my journey and a business plan

it seems that starting something is far easier than keeping it going...  well this is my road hump at the moment - and the somewhat simple task of writing a business plan (how hard can it be with a business as small as mine?)  is appearing looming ahead of me like a gloomy dark mountain.  history has it that once i "pull my finger out" and just get it done, i find myself wondering what all the fuss was about, so i'm trying to learn from lessons past.  on the flip side i'm very excited to have finally made a decision about who to design my new website.  so watch this space folks, hopefully in a months time there will be a funky new face of donna heart on the web - i'm really, very excited about this! 

and tonight i celebrate the 18000'th visitor to my site (actually i think it was me - oops!)  ok - so 18000 visitors then - still pretty happy 'bout that one!

well, i have a comission next to set my mind to so looking forward to that one.  and tomorrow folks - yes tomorrow I WILL do my business plan.  Friday is TV day in our house and the peeps get to choose 45 mins each so i will buckle down then and get the good part of it done. 

hold me to it will you?

x donna

live your dream...

hi folks!  just thought i'd post the latest from my studio this week.  as mentioned before, i want to explore more of my experiences from living in the kimberley, and one of the things that stands out in my memories are the magestic, yet very quirky boab trees.  these guys are so hardy and grow in the most amazing places.  i've seen them sticking out of rock faces - seriously. this painting, as with many of mine, started out as an image inmy minds eye, and turned out completely different!  it was supposed to be all tones of white and greys on the left hand side merging into colour - but something else happened along the way, and well, this is it!  obviously not a realistic painting, but it depicts the excitement and energy of a dream just breaking through into the realms of possibility - just like that baby boab tree emerging from the nut.  and with the warmth and light and all good things, it will become that awesome magical, mystical and solid tree... 

       

i haven't yet put this up on my etsy shop for sale, but will do that tonight. 

take care, bye for now!

x me

my (dream) studio...

ok - so if i ever get the opportunity - this is the type of studio i'd like love to have... except instead of the pool, i'd have an overgrown bush trail of australian beauties like wattles, gums, boronia, calistemons and grevilleas a dry river bed weaving through the bush to this little place of peace, light and seclusion.... i bet my muse would love it there...ahhhhhh

photos: Mike Newman

little canvases

just a quick update to show you two more little canvases (or boards actually) that i finished off last night.  i have some really large boards which i'm working on now of some more beautiful australian kimberley inspired pieces.  i'm exploring images in my minds eye and ones taken by myself for a series of boab and landscape paintings  - and it all started with this one here...  so be sure to pop back in soon to have a look at those!  in the mean time - if you'd like a print of any of my paintings, feel free to contact me through email or etsy - as i haven't yet loaded up all the prints that are available to you at the shop just yet...

i choose brave

8 x10 mixed media on claybord

i choose (to be) brave is a mantra i have had whirring around in my brain this year, and here it has surfaced  and spilled out onto this little canvas as an outward reminder to me, that i need to actually choose to be and live brave - rather than thinking it is a quality that one either does or doesn't possess...

awesome love

8x10 mixed media on claybord

i just love all the colours in this one, (yes, i am still revelling in my Claudine Helmuth paints - scraping out the meagre offerings left inside...) it is so full of energy and life!  this is the type of love that knows no bounds, and for me that is the love between my children and i. really. really. awesome

Do or do not

i have a new favourite saying.  in fact, this could be my all-time favourite.  ever...

 "Try? Do or do not. There is no try."

Yoda