I am making the most of the sunshine here in Liverpool.  Believe me, it's not alot and there's quite a wind hooping up, but I have been indoors finishing off a Family Illustration and saw the sun in my back garden, so armed with my mac, I am now sitting on my hammock writing to you.  Running a creative business is fun and, yep, I do need some Vitamin D ✽ 

I get asked quite alot about how I create my Soul Portraits and Dollystrations and for a while now I have wanted to record a video of it.  A very new process for me - I'm normally lost in the sketch!!

I was curious myself to see how it looked and the other week, whilst I was creating the Sue Bryce Soul Portrait I set my digital video camera up to record the whole shebang.  The lighting isn't great and I have much to work on in getting this looking right, but still, pretty good, for a first timer.  

If you remember I also did a little video showing me finishing off the colour and edits of one of the Wedding Illustrations but that was recorded on my mac's internal video camera.

THE FUN BIT WAS I REALISED I DIDN'T HAVE A FIREWIRE CABLE FOR MY MAC

So I tracked down the right one and, it imported the visuals from the cassette.  Hooray!!

If you're like me, you like to know how this all happens!!  For those who received Dolly Art Weekly last week, you ALREADY HAD THE VIDEO sneak preview (plus got your 15% discount for the New Moon).

I always start with photographs, sometimes 2 or 3, but often I have just one.  I prefer as many as I can. It helps me get a real sense of who you are and my intuition begins to connect with you.  I don't spend lots of time sketching - I do one sketch, but I rub out ALOT, {as you'll see!!}.    

I set my intention to capture your SELF from the photos I have.  

It normally takes me between 30 and 40 mins to sketch you if this is an upper body portrait, {for family illustrations, that's a different story}.  Then another 40-60 minutes to complete the colour and extras.  The Reiki blessings are weaved as I'm doing it and afterwards in a meditation and reading. 

There's a point where I just know, I get a feeling.  I have discovered you on the page. 

Right in front of me.

These are not caricatures nor cartoons.  They can be frivolous, (I'm up for frivolity!) depending on your needs, but my intention is always much deeper than that.  Much deeper.  They are reflections of your inner and outer beauty.  Whether this is for an individual or a family/group (including your furry family).  

I want you to see yourself the way I see you.  I want you to LOVE yourself Just As You Are.  I want our families and relationships to heal and for us to heal our relationship with our selves and our body.

We often see Soul Portraits where an artist taps into a higher spirit realm to bring you messages, guides, and symbols.  

I am doing this too ~ the finished product just looks different.    

I want to show a reflection of your Soul in the Here and Now.

"Drawing Faces, Healing Hearts" That's what I'm doing.  

I'd love to know if you have stepped out of your Uncomfortable Comfort Zone and done something really different this week?  For Me, it was video.  Please feel free below to share below what you did, or are going to do?

With such kindness and warmth to my long standing friend Barefoot Doctor who very kindly gave me permission to use his music Soul Cleansing throughout this video. I'm excited and my heart is warmed  to say, I'll be using more of his Sonic Healing Music within my Videos. 


You can find more of his Sonic Healing Vibes Here

Years back when I was ill in my 20s with M.E (myalgic encephalomyelitis), I was not able to do any physical exercise.  Any form of exertion just sent me into more deeper fatigue, with muscle pain, brain fog and flu like symptoms - it was the most debilitating time of my life and lasted for 6 years, then took a further 3 years to fully leave me.   

Since getting better from about the age of 29, I never really fully engaged in aerobic exercise, I was so scared - if I am truly honest - there was some underlying message within my psyche that said "if you exercise, it will come back".  Forget Field of Dreams, this was Field of Nightmares. 

So I never really did anything that would really puff me out.  I walked my dog Lucy every day, but I wasn't a speed walker.  I swam a bit, here and there.  I belly danced.  I joined gyms, paid memberships and then never went.  I joined slimming world, weight watchers and once I was a member of the Rosemary Conley Fitness Club's where we did salsa for 40 mins after class.  I did it for a while, but still, nothing was ever consistent.

Since November I have been working on releasing and surrendering to this.  To stop fighting.  

Through a programme run by the beautiful soul Hannah Marcotti and her online Surrender programme, I have really looked at this very closely.  Coupled with having hypnosis and kinesiology sessions (muscle testing) I then stumbled upon a video from Amanda Oaks, from Hooptacular; Women Heal.  

I was hooked.  I found myself watching video after video of hoopers, feeling my hips move as I was sitting on the couch.  

So I jumped in - literally and bought "Pink", she's my 40" hoop and we love each other.  

Hooping is so incredibly aerobic, more than I ever realised.  It is allowing me to fall in love with myself again and to not be so hard on my hips and thighs which have had such a hard time over the last 30 years.  I have been pretty cruel to them really.

In devouring Amanda Oak's site Hooptacular on that very first night I came across Brecken Rivara.  I was so taken with her style - it was flowing and not staged. Magical to watch.  

So of course, it didn't take me long to start a sketch of Brecken - one of my 'Dollystrations'.  I sent it to her and I was deeelighted to hear back from her, she wrote: 

If you'd like to join me as I create more Dollystrations and Healing Reflections of people, why not sign up to Dolly Art Weekly, you'll get my newsletter, plus insights and discounts sent to your inbox.

Let me know below in the comments if you have had a difficult time with exercise and had a blockage with it, through health problem, perhaps.  I would love to be able to help.