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Behind the door of where I create

26/6/2013

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I have had my little studio for coming up for a year in August, and I thought it would be lovely to share where I create.  If you're like me, then you're a little nosey and we all like to see inside people's rooms and houses, don't we?  Aren't there heaps of magazines geared exactly to this!!!

One that I love but have yet to get my hands on is Where Women Create, which is an American based magazine.  Would love to have a good ole' nosey in there.

So today, I thought you'd like to be nosey and take a look inside mine.

I'm shaking it up this week and have recorded a bit of a vlog from our back garden sitting on our new little bistro set that I discovered for sale in our local post office window.  So happy with it!
In the video I talk about my space, what it means for me to have it and also announce that I'm going to be releasing my first ever 10 day journey next week.  You'll have to watch to find out what it's about!!!  

It will take place 14th - 23rd July.  All on line. 

Did I say FIRST EVER.   It's going to be a really magical time.

I'd love to know where you create or hang out.... where is it?  In the kitchen, garden, do you have a nook somewhere?  Are you working on something, or planning on getting some studio space, please let me in on it as it makes me happy to see that people have their own little corners, rooms, chairs, couches, workshops.   Why not tell me in the comments below.  

Till next time,
Jules xxx

If you'd like to receive my weekly newsletter with first dibs on behind the scenes video, healing art and free digiwallpapers, then come and join the journey, Would love to get to know you in there.  Sign up below; all your data is sacred to me and I don't share it with anyone - scouts honour.



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It's all about Practice: how my style has developed and when doing what you love, you have to practice every day.

19/6/2013

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This weekend I handed over a "Soul Portrait: Family" to an old school friend.  She has remarried and suddenly her family of two had grown exponentially, to seven.  

I had the honour of giving them a Soul Portrait: Family as a wedding gift. 

We go back
a long way, over 40 years  (yikes!) as our mothers were very friendly. We shared a love of hanging out every Saturday and playing with our Tiny Tears and Teeny Tiny Tears.  But secretly, we mostly loved sneaking into her older brothers' bedroom, they had a pool table in there and lots of games - it was in the attic, with mucho nook and crannies to snoop!

I have been creating family commissions now for three years, mostly on canvas, and my work has evolved over these years. When I look back at the very first ones I can see how I have developed faces. That very first one winged its way to Israel and is still pride of place in their apartment.  


The intentions were still there; I still weaved Reiki healing and blessings, but the style was all with acrylic paint.

I was in Ryman's last week, the stationary store and I began talking to the assistant as I was buying more pens (for those who know me, you'll laugh at my love of pens and stationary!) 

She asked to see my work and as I have my portfolio on my iPhone, I showed her.  She told me how she would love to draw 'just like that' but 'just can't.'  

"There's no such word as 'cant' I tell her - you just have to practice and seek out tuition along the way to discover basics."

I tell her that I have been trying to learn to draw faces all my life, from the very first time I created my own children's book in primary school.  

I never ever thought I'd be able to draw a face.


In fact, I avoided them at all costs and tried to draw landscapes and flowers (which I still do constantly).

I hesitated with portraits because I looked around me and saw wonderful faces and thought "I'll never be able to draw that".

I was absolutely right.

I would never draw 'like that' because, well, we have to find our own style.  


Find our own Way.

We may take tuition or an online class that helps us to draw faces and teaches us basics, but ultimately it boils down to practising every day and honing our own style.

We never know if we're ever going to find it, or discover it and we look in awe at others who have their own artistic style.  

We wish, we wish that we could find ours.

It is only in perseverance and daily commitment (even for just 10 minutes), do we start to see our own artistic style appear.

The girl in Rymans agreed and I left the shop, hoping that she would pursue her dream and find a class so she could find her style.  

We always tell ourselves that we're no good as artists and I truly believe that we're just comparing ourselves to someone else's painting/picture/photograph and trying to get 'there'.  

We'll never get 'there'.  Because, well, that's just 'theirs'.

We are US.

We have to find our own way.  

So when I look back at my paintings over the last 3 years and I look at what I have done over the last 6 months, I finally realise that I have found my style. 

My practice is paying off - I'm finding me and in that, I'm able to draw you.

I don't replicate your photographs - what would be the point of that? It will be an interpretation of you that you'll love and you'll look in your own eyes and see yourself.

Your eyes.

I spend heaps of time, looking at your photographs when I'm drawing you and your family.  I'm not copying, I'm getting a sense of who you are and translating that onto paper.

It's a magical process for me.

I love it.

Now, my art is very much focused on illustration on paper, with pens, markers, more pens and heaps of magic.  

I love working this way.  

So here's a trip down memory lane (for me) and maybe an introduction to you, so you can see just how I have developed and how I have found my style.

I know you can find yours - in whatever medium you choose; pastels, watercolours, oil paints, charcoal, recyled materials, sculpture, furniture, flower arranging, creating music, writing stories.

It's all there for the taking.

We are creative beings at source and we have to honour that.  If we keep it numbed down, then it numbs us down.

Find what you love and practice every day.

Because I can vouch for the fact that you mustn't give up.  You have to keep on carrying on to find what out makes your heart sing.

So that when you look at it, you'll know.

You've found your own style.


I'd like to share with you my new additions to Soul Portraits and that's the mini Snapshot Videos that take you through the process from sketch to colour, interspersed with blessings and lots of love.  Check out the video below to see the latest one I did for my friend.
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What would you love to develop but you keep putting off because you look at someone else's and think you'll never do it like them?

Let me know in the comments below - let's talk about it.



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My very first canvas, sent all the way to Israel.
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My second commission for a family who wanted the word LOVE built int here and symbolic jewellery.
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Another canvas flew to Israel.
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A Wedding Day Commission.
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You can begin to see the shift. I'm now illustrating on paper.
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The 3 steps to finding your colour story and soulstyle.

12/6/2013

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Back in October last year, I was enrolled in Hannah Marcotti's Spirits of Joy. Every day we were sent an email with a piece of writing and a prompt for us to explore, muse and develop.  This one particular day, she asked us: "What's Your Colour Story?"

Ok, so I knew the colours I liked but had I really assessed what was in my wardrobe? More importantly Was I Actually Wearing My Colour Story?  

So I'm asking you now: What is YOUR colour story? The story that makes your heart sing, with fabrics feel sensual as they sit next to your body?  


Or do you just throw on the same thing every day.  Jeans and Sweats.  (Hands up, I do that too).

As far as the average female goes, I really don't have alot of clothes.  I have sent so much to the charity shop and recycled  heaps, especially when we upped and went to live in France back in 2009.  Since our return a year later, I have been so careful to not just add quick sale purchases back in.   

I have gone minimal. 

Yet I know what colours make my heart sing. How do I know that?


You only have to look at my old inspiration books & boards - ones that go back a looooong way.   I was first introduced to them at university back in 1995 - in those days they were called Treasure Maps.  I have been keeping them for about 18 years now - whenever I see something in a magazine that appeals to me I cut it out and stick it in my inspiration book and it is here, I get inspired as well as get clear on what I like and what I don't like. 


Vision Booking/Boarding: Quite a beautiful act really.  If you haven't fallen in love with Vision Books, then I heartily suggest that you sit down and give them a go.  This is a great book by Joyce Schwartz.

Vision Boards/Books also tell me my colour story.  

However, I realised that I wasn't necessarily being true to my colour story. 

On that day, Spirits of Joy asked me to turn to magazines once again to find it.   
And here's what I discovered - on ripping, cutting and sticking.   
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My colour story. 

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And here

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One of my Inspiration Book pages from 5 years ago

I then decided to empty everything out on to the bed and look at what colours were present.  
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Looking at my wardrobe before I began, you can see hints of my colour story in there can't you?

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Emptying everything out on the bed and beginning to notice.                     

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The dark side. Lots of black and something I wanted to move away from.

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After I had organised my clothes into some kind of flow where those colours that felt right together hung together.  


[ps our wardrobe scenario is not ideal right now as I share the bottom half with hubs, but it is what it is.]

I then dressed up: [such fun, highly recommend it] taking some selfies to see how I could actually mix and match what I had, this included all my jewellery too.  

Let me tell you, it was such a lovely thing to do, to see how I felt in the clothes and really be clear about what felt lovely next to my skin and made me feel divine.  (there wasn't much - it is still a work in progress). 

But here are a few examples:
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Love this dress but don't wear it often enough.  

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It's all about layering for me

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I made this skirt out of a pair of jeans and a skirt.

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Scarves and more scarves, there's nothing quite like discovering your colour story from your scarf collection.

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The very first mala bead necklace that I made recently.
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My dressing up station!

So here are my 3 Steps for you to find your soul style and colour story

1.  Grab some magazines;  (ask your hairdresser for the ones they'll throw out)

Spend at least an hour, with a unlined notebook, or just a large piece of paper - use whatever you have to hand (back of wall paper, old book you can paste over).

Without thinking, just turn the pages and rip out clothes, colours, images that really capture you.  Don't analyse it, just rip.

Start pasting with a glue stick into your book and see how this builds.  


Write down anything that pops into your mind.  Something may remind you of a holiday, a relationship, a piece of music.  Write those words on your colour vision.

After you have finished: Step back and admire your handywork.

You are beginning to see the colours your soul likes.  Does this reflect in your wardrobe?


Next step:

2.  Turn to your Wardrobe: when you have a spare few hours.  Empty everything on to your bed and split into piles.  
  1. I Love/Wear all the time
  2. Haven't worn for years
  3. Love but needs mending
  4. Saving it for thin self/when I win the lottery (i.e. release it).
  5. Definitely don't want, recycle/charity shop (ps don't forget to wash before you give away).

Now go through everything and photograph your colour connections when they're laid out.  See what mixes and matches and if you're permanently in one colour.  Do you feel happy about that? 

Package everything up for mending and charity shop 

Be really honest with yourself here.


3. Set up your Dressing Up Station and Play

Here's where you try on different outfits and see what goes with what.  Do you remember doing this when you were younger?  Often you'd spend hours messing about in front of the mirror, trying on different looks, hats, scarves, bags.  Stuff you used to do with your best friend.  

Now you're going to do this for yourself.  


Take photos and record what you look like.  This is so important in getting to know your soul style.  Open up instagram and share on there. I'm @julesdolly


Make a decision to wear clothes and jewellery that make you feel sensual and gorgeous and limit the times when you just throw things on, quickly.

Soul Portrait Colour Story

When I'm working with women on The Soul Portrait Healing Sessions, one of the questions I ask early on is about colour story.  I want to draw you in clothes that make you feel good, so if you're constantly in jeans, would you like to be in a dress that's figure hugging and sensual?  

Do you actually know what you like?                           

We talk about what colours make your heart sing and what you want to invite in to your life plus what you wish to steer away from.

Developing your colour story is part of the experience.  Your finished Soul Portrait will be there to inspire you and make you feel desired and sensual, so helping you discover this, is what I'm here for.  


I have had fun retracing my steps here and it reminds me that I am still a work in progress.
Hope that it has helped you too.

Much Love
Jules xxx
If you'd like to find out about the Soul Portrait Healing Sessions, here's a 30 second taster.  
Liking this blog post? You can find more over at Soul Portrait Healing where you can download all 12 Soul Portrait DigiWallpapers for FREE and if you sign up to my weekly Newsletter, you'll receive a new one every week in your inbox, along with first dibs on behind the scene videos, other goodies and healing insights.  Too good to miss heh?!?!
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Soul Portraits: A Healing Story

4/6/2013

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I have set up camp in my garden.  The sun is shining and I have 2 work days at home.  

After much untangling of wires and relocating our wifi router to give me a better signal out here, (it's now balancing on the radiator in the hall to give a stronger vibe!) I can settle down to write my blog post and invite you inside something so very special.  

Wow, I don't know where to start. 
Ok, so here goes.

I have been so very fortunate to be part of a Joy Tribe of Sisters online, women I haven't met, but who's day to day stories I witness. 

It is truly a nurturing, supportive and loving space.  We all came together because of an online course we did with Hannah Marcotti (check her out), but it has transformed into something so much more.  We have discussed so many deep issues plus lots of frivolity too.

I haven't shared much in my outside world due to wanting to finish the project, but I have been slowly creating Soul Portraits for 75 of the women who stepped forward. 

Let me tell you, it is no easy thing to step forward and share your photographs with someone you haven't met, so this is a testament to them, their trust and the love that was developing. 

Selfies were taken, faces were seen.

One by one they came forward and through our interaction, emails, skype chats, I created a Soul Portrait of each of them.  This has been going on since December and at the weekend, I finally completed all 75.  

Yesterday I shared the short video I had made, bringing all of us together under one roof, sitting around one virtual table.  There have been many tears and beautiful comments which really touch my heart.  

I am proud to share this video here with you.  

Each Soul Portrait is filled with Reiki healing and symbols, becoming a very powerful totem. It is more than the image, it's the healing process of stepping forward, for declaring what they wanted to manifest and to look their divine self in the eyes.  Once Again. 

I don't think I need to say much more as the sentiments within the video tell the story.  

Hope you enjoy and if you want to find out more about The Soul Portrait Healing Sessions, or follow the journey I am on, not only with all these lovely women, but with many more stepping forward, then you can get updates every Friday in my newsletter.  

Much love to you all this beautiful sunny Tuesday.
Jules xx


Please do share this video with women in your own network. I'd love for you to do that. 
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