Shadow Work

I was online and came across some beautiful face stamps that I wanted to try. It took ages for them to arrive from America but I was so excited to give them a go. They are a basic outline then you can turn them into whatever you like.

I painted her and stuffed I up and painted over her again. I wanted to have a go at using darker skin tones. I cut her out.

I had a tonne of geli printed paper I had made a while back and it was killing me trying to find the best background for her. I did a poll on Facebook and Instagram but everyone had different ideas, there was no clear winner. I knew I wanted the gold paper as the main background.

I love to use old hardcover books in my collage, so added those in the mix.
I ended up deciding on this beautiful turquoise which looked like trees. The black moon is from another stencil which I highlighted in white pen.
I tore the book pages into tree and branch like shapes.
I tried to find pages with words I liked for example "intention", "incantation", "gritty", "moonlight" and "silence".

There was a theme beginning to appear.

I stapled the gold paper to the canvas. I didn't want to glue it flat, I wanted there to be light ripples which caused shadows in the light. Everything else I glued down,

The last steps I did were to add some french knots to hold down the flowers in her hair, stuck the black and white thread down the side and added lots of pen work to her face and the trees.

One of the things I love to do most is shadow work. This isn't some scary magical thing.
It is all about self awareness, sitting with your thoughts, acknowledging them, learning from them and growing.

I teach it in my adult classes and it is a big part of who I am.

I added the words "Don't be afraid of your shadow" as a reminder to you to not dwell on the past, learn the lessons and move forward. All the answers you seek are inside you. You just have to be still and listen.

She is a reminder to you that you are strong.

This artwork would look beautiful in a floating timber frame.

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My name is Jade and I live in the beautiful Blue Mountains, Australia.

For me, art is very grounding. It pushes me to learn new things about myself by constantly asking questions and it keeps me in check.

My motto is “There are no mistakes in art, only happy surprises”. If you make a mistake, you learn from it and can always turn it around.

Most of my art is created unintentionally, meaning I have no set agenda, it just comes out. So, to me, "Creative Abyss" means imagining and creating something from deep inside.
I work in mixed media and love using lots of layers. My mantra is "Texture, texture, texture!"
Creative Abyss is a fun way for me to let my hair down, be creative, learn about myself and have a whole lot of fun.

MY PURPOSE: My purpose in life is to create art and to share it with others, whether that be selling my art or teaching it.
I am a self taught artist, constantly learning new skills and sharing them, teaching kids' holiday workshops and giving private lessons. I stand for painting with all my heart and soul, pouring love into it so it can be the best possible version. I paint for myself. I stand for growth and learning.

MY MISSION: My mission is for everyone to have something in their homes that they can connect with on an emotional level. When times are great or not. Something beautiful to look at which inspires them, something calm to look at which quietens them, something perky that inspires them to take action, something inquisitive that they can mull over. People are so caught up in work, raising kids, the mundane tasks of life that we forget to take time out and check in with ourselves.