2015 – A Year In Focus

By the dawning of 2015, I’d already decided to devote my year to my art. And that’s exactly what I did. With great focus, determination, trust and growing patience, I put my whole heart into my art, bringing it, my Self, and our partnership to a whole new level.

My art was my baby, my lover, my teacher, my seed and my tree. It was my whole world. I even went into hermit mode for part of the year to accomplish my goals.

As with all relationships, developing and nurturing this one required unconditional love, forgiveness, and faith.

I learned a lot in 2015 and wanted to share its celebration with you.

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Fourteen new paintings were birthed this year in addition to my mandalas.

Ten of these provided me with a chance to channel the energy I needed at the time, evolving through layers of meaning, reflection, connection, creation, and celebration.

All but one of these originals are still available in my online shop, where you can also order reproductions on canvas, HD metal plaques (only available for some sizes), and fine art or metallic paper.

One was a donation to a project that paired artists with local nursing home residents.

The other three Energy Painting Commissions. What an amazing experience to support others on their transformational journeys through these intensive experiences. This connected me to three women across North America in ways that further opened my heart and soul on my own journey. What an honour and blessing! My intention is to be of service to many more in this way in 2016.

“Tania’s Magnific-Essence” (12″x 12″)

“Carolyn’s Magnific-Essence” (11″ x 14″)

“Jen’s Magnific-Essence” (11″ x 14″)

I’d set the intention to get my business online in 2015. So in February, when a friend reminded me of Marie Forleo’s B-School, an intensive online business program for big-hearted entrepreneurs, I jumped on board.

This was quite the investment in time and money, but it felt guided and aligned, so I didn’t hesitate. And no regrets.

I now have a professional website that I designed myself and the marketing materials to get the word out. For the first time, you can now purchase my art online, even ordering prints of your favourite paintings and photographs in various sizes and mediums.  That was my goal!

That’s not all B-School gave me.  Through the course of several months, I gained even greater courage and confidence. I’m no longer camouflaging my intuitive gifts. I was able to build a business platform that cohesively offered my intuitive art & inspiration, including my unique style of intuitive reading, which comes with bonus visual gifts.

I also learned from pushing myself to the brink of burn-out, with months of 12-16 hour workdays, 7 days a week. I know the stress and pressure I was feeling was entirely of my making. My self-imposed deadlines came from a scarcity mentality. My technophobia came from overreacting to things outside of my comfort zone or control. There’s a lot I needed to learn about the futility of trying to force things to happen.

With the pre & post modules, B-School was my all-consuming full-time job and personal growth program for about 5 months.  I’ll be going through the it again in 2016. We have lifetime access. Plus my business and I aren’t the same as when we did it the first time. So I trust it’ll take us to the next level – more gently this round.

While I was with family in Ottawa a year ago, I received intuitive guidance to create a dozen mandala paintings. So when I got back to St. John’s, I submitted a grant application to help fund the project. I also ordered 12 – 30″ x 30″ canvases, which ended up taking a few months to arrive. Looking back, I’m so glad I followed my inspiration with action.

I then got so busy with B-School that I stopped connecting and listening for guidance. But on March 25th, I had a 30-minute Skype consultation with a coach for intuitives I met through B-School. Without knowing about my intention to create a dozen mandalas, she said my Guides wanted me to create a series on the Universal Laws… and there happened to be 12.

In April, I received news of a $1000 grant by the City of St. John’s, covering part of the materials for my project. My canvases arrived at about the same time. I needed the grant implementation deadline to force me away from the computer and into the studio. I’m so grateful as this was essential to my well-being this year.

Had I not followed through on my initial guidance with inspired action, there’s no way I would have completed the Enter the Mandala paintings by now or hosted the Winter Solstice Event.  Both parts of the Enter the Mandala project brought me in alignment with my life purpose. Here’s what one participant wrote to me about the event:

” I want to express my thanks and gratitude for the wonderful day you in-visioned and brought to fruition  … It was so powerful to be part of the group and to share all the heart-based energies that bathed us for the entire day. Until now, my only real energetic “community” has been online and I held fear around being seen fully in my life, all the while desiring to connect with like-minded and like-hearted individuals and groups. I feel as though the Solstice event illuminated a new path forward for me, while uplifting and transforming the heaviness of past patterns and obsolete beliefs about myself. The powerful energy of your artwork, of your soul expressing itself through your visionary co-creative process and story-telling, combined with the energetic offerings of Leslie, Regina, Katie and Tina was phenomenal to experience!” M.L.G.

This powerful collection (which now has 13 mandalas) has taken me deeper spiritually and artistically than any other painting project before it. The Universal Laws have taught me much, and I’ll continue to practice them as a key to my happiness.

My goal is to find a permanent home for them in 2016 and to keep on teaching what I’ve learned.

I’ve had many opportunities to share my work in St. John’s this past year. For this I am truly grateful.

These included:

• a month-long solo exhibition at The Sprout
• participation in juried and open group exhibitions at Eastern Edge Gallery, the Craft Council Gallery, MUN Botanical Garden, First Space Gallery, Le Festival du Vent, and Earth & Sky Healing Centre and Gallery.
• displaying my work in the offices of Dr. Laura Nurse, Tina O’Brien (Reiki/Facial practitioner), and National PR (juried pop-up gallery),
• live painting for 2 days at the NL Folk Festival
• booths at The Wellness Expo and The Healthy Living Show
• the Enter the Mandala Winter Solstice Event & Exhibition

These helped me reconnect to the the purpose of my art and of my life. They also helped me practice patience and trust in divine timing, especially when it comes to income.

I love sharing the energy that I channel in the studio. But I have to learn to keep on giving to this relationship with my art and its fans without becoming needy or over-dependent. That only stifles the relationship.

I value my alone time. First, I know I’m never really alone.  Second, I enjoy my company (most of the time). Being in hermit mode was great and very productive. But I knew I could get too comfortable and disconnected if I stayed there too long.

Sure, I’d talk to you through my blog twice a week, but that’s not the same. I had to get back into the community and the opportunities came when I was ready.

• I taught a fulfilling English Second Language Program at the university for 5 weeks in the summer
• I met new circles of like-minded souls
• I joined the Newfoundland & Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs for its business coaching & mastermind group opportunities
• I taught a few painting workshops though the Art Association of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Association culturelle francophone de Saint-Jean
• I participated in community initiatives like the Massonic Art Project
• I spent time some time with friends
• I joined with community during the Enter the Mandala Winter Solstice Event that I organized with 4 friends.

I’m so grateful for the foundation I was able to build for my business in 2015. After 26 years of being a part-time professional artist, I’ve made the leap to full-time (or almost). In 2016, I’d like to continue that, but with a better work-life balance.

Apart from a trip to Ottawa to visit family, I didn’t even leave town this year. I’m now open to a lot more leisure time alone and with friends –  in nature and new surroundings.

I’d also like to socialize outside of my current circles of women. If it’s meant to be and in my Highest Good, I’m open to meeting a man who’s similarly dedicated to growing in unconditional love.

I want to nourish my soul through more than just my art.

To do that, I’ll take the time to ask and listen for guidance as I continue to explore and express my love of beauty and the beauty of love.

2015 was a huge year for me and my art. 2016 is a mystery. I’m open to it. I welcome it. And I look forward to sharing it with you.