Happy New Year 2017!

Happy New Year!  Thank you so much for your continued love, support and friendship!  I am wishing you all a happy, healthy year full of art, adventure and dreams come true!

I am thankful to have spent the end of 2016 surrounded by family and friends both at home and at the beach!

I am happy to report that 2017 is off to an artful start!  I have 4 new pieces in the Del Ray Artisans "Simply Abstract Show" that runs through the end of January and am almost finished with a small series inspired by my Reiki training.

Next up, registration for my upcoming art parties and workshops! Hope to see you soon!

Spread your Wings!

"Spread your wings"

Allow your transformation to begin as you unfurl your bright, beautiful wings!

Holding on and letting go...

"Holding on and letting go..."

Today I am posting a painting inspired by the upcoming graduation of my oldest daughter, Autumn, from high school and her journey to Art School in New York!  For me, this time of transition has been a roller coaster of emotions and a lesson in finding the balance between holding on and letting go.  

I am happy, nervous, scared, excited, sad, and everything in between and often all at once.  As I sort through thousands and thousands of photos (no exaggeration here) I am reminded of all the happy memories we have created together as a family.  I cherish our time together and I will hold onto these memories as I let her go and send her off into the world.  I am hoping she knows how much I love her and how much I believe in her!   How proud I am of her for working hard and staying true to herself, even when that meant flying solo.  And though I will miss her, I am looking forward to watching her blossom as her dreams take flight!  I love you Autumn Rose!  

Congratulations to all the graduates out there and their loved ones!

This painting went through several transformations to become the painting it is today.

On our journeys, we may set off in one direction and then somewhere down the road, change course and find ourselves facing a completely new horizon.  We may go through several changes along the way, overcoming obstacles as we move forward.  This painting started out as a heart with wings.  I originally called it “together we soar.”  I thought of it as a “work in progress” and sat with it like that for several months.  

"Together we Soar!"

Then one day,  I saw mountains on the canvas.  At the time, things were very unclear for me and I was trying to remind myself to “trust that the fog will lift and all will be revealed.”   And thus, a transformation took place and a new painting was born.  This new painting hung on my wall for a couple months and then my vision changed again.  

"Trust that the fog will lift and all will be revealed"

This time I was dealing with the upcoming graduation of my daughter and her leaving home.  I envisioned her gently floating over the city, lifted by a bouquet of balloons. One hand holding on and the other letting go as she drifts away from home and soars closer to her dreams.  And so, another transformation, the birth of another painting and the beginning of a new chapter!  

"Holding on and letting go..."

I love that in the final version of this painting, you can still see some of the under layers. They not only add depth, texture, and contrast, but special meaning as well.  I love that there is a heart with wings and a mountain of strength just below the surface supporting Autumn on her journey!  I love that the word “trust” is still visible in the sky.  I like the subtle arrows pointing up as well as the less subtle arrows (former mountains) pointing in different directions. I like the faint outline of an abstract bridge below Autumn as she makes this important transition and celebrates this special milestone.  As I am writing this, I now remember that beneath the heart with wings, lies another bridge--the very first layer of this painting.  It really has come full circle.  I guess it's time to cross the bridge!  It's time to hold on and to let go!  It's time to SOAR!

Exhale--breathe out fear and doubt, breathe in love and joy!

I got a little behind in my painting and posting for my “50 to 50 project.”  Here is painting 6/50 “Exhale”.  

This intuitive painting began one afternoon in December.  I was already stressing out about the holidays when my youngest daughter’s health issues flared up again.  We were led to believe that a surgery was in her near future.  I was in major freak-out mode and needed to de-stress, so I grabbed some paint and a blank canvas, turned on some music and let my mind rest and my heart play.   With intuitive painting, you don’t begin with a pre-conceived image or outcome.  You simply put brush, fingers, etc to the canvas and let your intuition and intentions guide the way.  It’s no surprise that what emerged for me after several layers was the word “exhale” — a message I desperately needed to hear at the moment.  It’s also no coincidence that the image that appeared bared some resemblance to my daughter.  

Luckily, just before Christmas we got the great news that my daughter did not need surgery!  Miracle or mistake—maybe a little of both.  Either way, my family and I were overjoyed and relieved!  We were able to put our stress (and my painting) aside and enjoy the holidays.  After enjoying a “second holiday” thanks to the recent blizzard, I was feeling like I was finally caught up on everything and that I could actually breathe again.  Then we had our follow up visit.  It was recommended that my daughter undergo another test, this one more invasive.  Even though it’s not a life threatening illness or a major surgery we are facing, as a mom, it is still very stressful.  Immediately I started to tense up and go into worry mode.  

It was time to go back to the canvas and finish what I started, or at least pick up where I left off.  Some new details and words emerged.  More reminders for me during this stressful time:  “breathe out fear and doubt, breathe in love and joy!”  Hopefully, I will be able to follow the message in my painting and focus on my breathing…remembering to Exhale…to breathe out fear and doubt and breathe in love and joy!  Hoping and praying that my daughter’s procedure will go well and that her health issues will soon be resolved!  Maybe this painting will bring comfort to her as well.  Not sure if I’m done with this painting or not, but for now I will set it aside and allow it to be a gentle reminder, knowing I can always return to it when I feel called.  Sharing this very personal story and painting a face (which I tend to avoid) were both big LEAPs for me (My word of the year).  Thank you for allowing me to share.  Remember to Exhale… xoxo jackie

"50 to 50" Personal Challenge: 1/50 "She followed her heart through the seas of change!"

I recently celebrated my 49th birthday and thought a fitting and meaningful way to mark my journey towards 50 would be to create 50 new paintings. Turning 40 brought about great change in my life as I experienced what I call my “Artful Awakening” or “Mid-life Metamorphosis.”  My forties have been a period of opening and fully awakening to my creative dreams and desires.  It has been a journey of great personal, spiritual, and creative growth.  As I approach the milestone birthday of 50, I feel the currents of change stirring within me and around me.  I am not sure what my future holds, I only know the ground beneath me is shifting and the waves of change are coming.  It is with these thoughts, emotions, and intentions that I created the first painting of my “50 to 50” personal challenge.  

Number 1/50 is called “She followed her heart through the seas of change.”  I hope you like it and I wish you well on your own personal journey.  Please feel free to follow my journey at www.jackietury.blogspot.com and to share your own.  If you would like to purchase a print of “She followed her heart through the seas of change,” please email me at jackietury@gmail.com or PM me on Facebook.  Looking forward to journeying together!

Ideally, I will create and post one new painting a week for 50 weeks. Realistically, I know that some weeks I may not have the opportunity to paint and other weeks I may have time and inspiration to create more than one painting.  I am giving myself permission to “go with the flow” on this one and allowing myself to drift between the shores of the real and the ideal—finding a sense of balance along the way.  

Beach Bliss--Giving Thanks for Time at the Beach!

As Thanksgiving nears and we count our blessings and focus on gratitude, I give thanks for the following experience.  It has taught me that  by “giving in” instead of “giving up,” you open yourself up to possibilities and experiences you wouldn’t have otherwise had.  I am so grateful for this one!

I recently returned from a weekend at the beach.  Though it was not what I had originally planned or intended, it turned out to be EXACTLY what I needed and I couldn’t imagine it any other way!   As usual, I packed WAY too much stuff and planned WAY too many projects!  In the end, I was happy to just RELEASE and LET GO!  To REST and RELAX!   

From beginning to end, we were blessed with gifts from the sea and the sky!  Gorgeous sunsets where the sky was on fire with hot pinks fading into lilac mists…serene sunrises where the sky was a glow in radiant warmth…and my personal favorite—a beautiful full moon rise over the ocean, complete with shooting star!  Truly magical!  

The moon rose from the ocean a pinkish-orange, then turned yellow and white illuminating a clear path of moonlight across the ocean to the shore!  We rushed to touch our feet to the glowing waters like mermaids and  danced in the moonlight like wild women playing in the ocean’s surf and howling at the gorgeous moon!  We had gourmet meals from nearby restaurants and enjoyed our ocean-view round the clock!  We had plenty of solo time to rest, read, write, reflect, walk and just veg out to the sounds of the ocean waves!  

There were great shells to be found each day—whole whelks, moon shells, scallops, clams, oysters, and more!  Dolphins played in the waves in front of us!  I even had a 90-minute massage called a “body blessing” that included reflexology and a shen energy treatment!  Thank you Ashli, it truly was a blessing!  One of my other favorite experiences was painting on the beach ALL day Saturday!!!   I started 7 new intuitive painting canvases!  I would paint a layer, then go for a walk while it dried…paint another layer and go for another walk…you get the picture!

The last day was cooler and slightly overcast and the water was calm.  The whole beach seemed to whisper “peace”.  It was a perfect ending to this much needed Retreat!   It was pure Beach Bliss!  I feel blessed and full of gratitude!  Thank you God, thank you Universe for knowing what I needed before I did and giving me this wonderful gift!   Wishing you all Peace and a Happy Thanksgiving!

Bloom True -- A Journey into Intuitive Painting with Flora Bowley!

This post is a brief summary of my Amazing Journey into Intuitive Painting with Artist Flora Bowley! It all began in February with the start of Flora's Bloom True e-course which I had received as a gift! (You can read more about the first few layers in my earlier Bloom True post. )  I was ready to let loose and try something new and couldn't wait to get started.   I wanted to experience painting with total freedom and abandon--no limits and no expectations and that's exactly what the course delivered! 

I loved the entire process from start to finish--from blank canvas to full bloom!

My Bloom True Collection--finished and unfinished!

Above is my entire collection of Bloom True Canvases!  The original 4 canvases I started with are pretty much finished and are all beach themed (unintentionally/intuitively).  They are the Mermaid, the Underwater Scene, the Sea at Sunset, and the Bullseye.  Canvas #5 is on the easel and is pretty much finished as well.  None of these 5 are officially named, signed, or have the sides painted yet, so there may still be a bold move or two left.  They are also in various stages from more finished to more chaotic and almost tribal.  But for now, I'm declaring them done in all their various stages.  The other 6 smaller canvases are all in various beginning stages and still have several layers to go.  Most likely, they will have to wait until after the Artful Awakenings Beach Retreat I am hosting to get finished.

Below are photos of my journey and the transformations of the canvases in reverse order.  I loved seeing how each new layer totally transformed the painting!  For me, this was the most difficult part and the most rewarding!  Sometimes I resisted painting over layers that I loved, but when I did, amazing new layers emerged! The black and white layer was often my favorite.  I loved the wild energy!

I am looking forward to Blooming True again and again one blank canvas after another!  Thank you Bloomers for sharing this journey!  Thank you Flora for being such an amazing, talented, generous, inspiring artist and teacher!  I highly recommend this class and hope to paint with Flora and my fellow Bloomers in person one day!

The original 4 canvases in their black/white layer

The original 4 canvases in their  pink/purple layer

The original 4 canvases with another warm color layer

The original 4 canvases with the first cool color layer

The original 4 canvases on their first intuitive layer!

Original Canvas #1

Original Canvas #2

Original Canvas #3

Original Canvas #4

Canvas # 5:  (added during the class)

Two more small canvases I added during the class

Thank You Flora--you are Amazing!