Moonshine : Making is medicine

Our lesson for this new moon was about showing up, obeying impulses, painting intuitively, operating on instincts alone. I went into this art journal spread wanting to paint a self-portrait - fierce, proud, celebrating and nurturing my body as it changes. Change can be hard - it's been hard this past week when my body has behaved in ways that are not my normal. But I've got this. The new moon symbolizes new beginnings and a fresh start, making it the ideal time to make wishes, set new intentions, and plant new seeds. My new moon intention is to embrace the changes, celebrate my strength, be grateful for what has got me here today....
Also on my mind are the lovely warming days and gorgeous roses in my garden

"My Mum"

and picked on my table

"Compassion" with Alstromeria

I talked about this book in a previous post : 

It is really adding another dimension to my art, helping me to celebrate what is around me seasonally - in New Zealand that is flowering and sap rise, a high-energy time when the whole earth sings of growth and regeneration. When it's this time in the northern hemisphere they celebrate with May Queens and Beltane fires. We are half way between Spring equinox and Litha, Midsummer's day and Summer Solstice. I am happy to "pause" as we have also been asked to do in this class in November, but I'm not waiting for the long dark. Interesting to see how those rose colours manifested in my painting ♥ 
Show up - with all the above in my head, and the only plan a self-portait, I first traced(ish) a photo of my own face and then laid down some gorgeous iridescent fiery colour.

Obey every impulse...I ♥ stencils so I gathered some favourites

More iridescent paint all shimmery

Operate on instincts - so glad I was moved to use white too - so pretty

Then the universe (OK FB!) showed me these wonderful words from Victoria Erickson that fit my feelings perfectly. I cut down an old calendar page and fed it through my printer to get this lovely background colour ♥

I am trying to flow gently with the changes happening to me - this past week, art has helped so much when I've not been feeling my best : "Making is Medicine".
Not sure what next in the background (maybe it's done) so decided that the face needs my attention next, and that ended up including hair (stencils) and gorgeous floral serviettes to trim the dress and head

After playing around a bit with the poem, I decided that it needed to be cut up so as not to completely obscure the lovely layered background

A few minor touches, and here's the finished spread 

Get the links to all Effy's offerings for 2019 HERE (including Moonshine 2019), and check out the info about how to save by purchasing Early Bird bundles HERE.