Staying Positive and Creative Through Isolation ... Tree of Life

This is a post I created on how to make your own hanging  'Tree of Life'


You will need:

1.  Heavy wire .. to make the outer circle
2.  Thinner wires in a range of colours to cretics the trunk and branches
3.  Beads to crystal chips

Instructions:

Firstly: Cut a long length of wire of the thicker wire (approx 1.25mm is ideal) create the outer ring (approx 5 inch in diameter).

Create the outer circle:
With the remaining length of the wire loop around the edge to create spiral pattern and strengthen your circle.
** Don't worry if it goes out of shape, you can amend this at the end.

Create the trunk: 
Twist the different toured pieces of wire together to create a trunk.  Twist together in pairs to start with, approx 3 inches in length, leaving a gap at the bottom to create the roots.









Create the branches:
Start to create the branches by attaching the remaining loose wires around the top of the circle to create branches (see image on the left).  Thicker branches are created by doubling back on the branches to create off-shoots.  When you have finished it should look something like the image on the right.

You are now ready to add the beads or crystals.

Adding the crystals / beads:

Add as many or as few crystals as you want till you are happy with how it looks.

Once you are happy with the look, you can add a hanger using a piece of wool, nylon thread or by making a wire hook 

Staying Positive and Creative Through Isolation .. Unique coasters

Staying positive through social isolation has not always been easy, but Nic e weather and a positive attitude has helped.  With that in mind I am adding a couple of tutorials that I have made and published on social media over the last couple of weeks.

This is the first tutorial that I did at the start of isolation .. How to create your own unique coasters with a ceramic tile and a bit of decoupage.

Materials needed:
Ceramic tile - I use the cheap white ones
Tissue or decorative napkin
Mod Podge
Scissors
Pain Brush
Varnish (optional)

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Good luck and keep positive xx

Time to Reflect and move forward

Transitions

I have found the transition from full-time work to self employment more difficult than I anticipated. In a way I felt like I had lost my sense of identity.  I had gone from leading a busy, hectic and all encompassing job role to running a business running creative workshops in a relaxed and social setting.

Not for one minute I have regretted my decision to leave work, however, I felt like a part of me got left behind when I left work, I lost my sense of identity.  You can't do a job for 15 years and it not become a part of your identity and who you are.  For a short while I lost my sense of worth; I didn't feel like I was helping people in the same way - I now realise I was wrong ... but it wasn't easy.

I was struggling so a couple of weeks ago, I decided to go away and spend a weekend on my own at a place I absolutely love, a place where I feel safe and I could reflect and get my head around everything that had happened over the last few months.

This place is Sandyhills, Dumfriesshire ... a little haven on the Scottish coast and my all time favourite place.  This was my second visit, my first was a couple of months earlier on a short break in the summer; when I enjoyed a few days of painting and fantastic scenery.

Sandyhills, Dumfriesshire

I spent my days twisting wire and taking long walks along the beach thinking about the past, the present and the future, adjusting to how things were and how they might be in future.

I enjoyed my own company and just let things happen, let my thoughts drift and let decisions to come to me as they needed to. 

I sat and looked out into the openness around me and just enjoyed the peace and tranquility of what was around me. 

I didn't force anything ... and it worked.  

After 2 days I felt content and at peace with everything.  I felt like I could move forward with a more positive outlook, knowing I was doing what I was meant to do and I had a positive future ahead of me. 

Whilst I was away I was contacted by a school, who want me to go in and not only work with the parents and children but also work with the teachers on a well-being workshop.  Since I came back I have had more attendance at my workshops, I have had more interaction with associations wanting workshops and contact from local organisations. I am working with homeschool parents and children twice a week on art and craft workshops, which I love.  

Positivity through creativity is most definitely the way forward and is a mantra I stand behind wholeheartedly.  

My workshops not only impact positively on me but also on the people who attend them.  I made the right choice and I am moving forward happy I made the right decision.

New Beginnings

Since my last blog so much has happened in my life that I have felt like I'm on an emotional rollercoaster at times.

Out with the Old .... In with the new

After 15 years of working in adult education I decided it was time to leave ... for many reasons.  Things had changed so much that I no longer felt it was right for me. I chose adult education to help change people's lives; to help people realise that it is never too late to learn or re-train. I know the importance of education later in life!

When I left school with poor qualifications I thought that was it; I was lucky I got a job and remained in employment for mucho if my earlier adult life.  It was only when I was in my mid 20's that I decided I wanted to do something different and opted for further education and eventually university.

Even now 'every day is a school day and a learning opportunity' 

As with all jobs they change and evolve and I'm ok with that, I've adapted, changed and evolved many times over the last 15 years; but when things change so much that the environment you work in becomes toxic and your health and well-being become so affected that you start to lose your perspective, somethings wrong. In short ... I lost my happy! It wasn't only affecting me, it was affecting my family.

I decided to leave and it felt like a weight had been lifted.  I knew I had made the right decision but didn't expect the next few months to be so hard.  I didn't realise how much of my sense of self was invested in my job until I left, deciding to stay on a casual contract just to teach the Amazing You Course.

I knew when I decided to put my notice in I was going to start my own business.  It's something I've always wanted to do so I thought why not ... lets go for it.

Before getting into my own business, I spent a lot of time over the summer working on getting my happy back and this involved spending a lot of time on creative past-times mainly painting and drawing but with a little wire work built in to get me ready for my new venture.

Newfangled

Newfangled 

My plan was to start by running workshops promoting 'positivity through creativity' .. an ethos I stand by from not only working with people with mental health issues but also from my own experiences.

Over the summer I started to think about what I was going to do and by the end of August I was ready to make a start.

Initially I was happy, things were going great but then September hit, so did my 50th, so did what would have been the date I would have gone back to work after the summer break...

My emotions were all over the place, still are.  In my niavity and arrogance I suppose I thought I'd leave work, the cause of my unhappiness and decline in my own mental health.  Things would get better.  I'd had a great summer, my workshops were going ok, for a new business and I was doing what I love.  So why was I not jumping for joy?

My life was calmer, I'm doing something creative everyday and yet I am still, on occasion, not all the time ... unhappy, uncertain and at times lonely.  I've gone from being part of a team to someone who is, for the most part, on their own ... with decision making and planning.

I had no idea how much of my sense of worth was invested in my job until it was gone.  My life is less busy, less stressful and less hectic and for me .... that's hard.

I discussed this with my best friends, who helped me to put things into perspective, understand that a period of adjustment is needed and things take time. You can't forget 15 years of routine over night.

I know I made the right decision when I left.  I know my future is bright and I have what it takes to make my business a success.  I just need to give myself time to adjust and come to terms with my new life, my new future.

St. Edmunds Church, Wooton, Isle of Wight

On a recent holiday to the Isle of Wight we were very lucky to be within walking distance of the beautiful old 11th century Norman church built 1087AD.

St. Edmunds Wooton 8/8/18 by S. Johnston

St. Edmunds, Wooton

 








The church is medieval in origin. The patron saint of the church is St. Edmund, King and Martyr; King of East Anglia during the time of the Danish invasions of the late 10th Century.

Legend has it that he was captured by the Danes and given the ultimatum of surrendering his Christian Faith and his kingdom - or death.  He refused and was therefore, rather gruesomely, tied to a tree, fired with arrows till dead before his head was cut off and thrown into a nearby wood.

Legend has it that when his friends came to retrieve his body they heard a faint cry 'here, here' and eventually found Edmonds head; guarded by wolves.

His body was originally buried at Hoxne; the site of his martyrdom before being later interred at a monastery at nearby Beodericsworth, later known as Bury St. Edmunds in the 10th Century.

Edmund was venerated by his enemies as the Patron saint of England until George was introduced by returning crusaders.


Although the details of his martyrdom are legend, Edmund is mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle as having been killed by the Danes. St. Edmunds symbol is a crown with arrows through it and the wolves are featured in the window behind the Rector's chair.

St. Edmunds church was built on the site of an old Saxon church as mentioned in the Domesday Book, 1086 as Odetone.  Following the Norman Conquest the church was built as a private chapel for the nearby manor house, now known as Wootton manor Farm. The original building is the present nave with an extension, the chancel, being added 200 years later.

Around the end of the 14th Century, a chantry chapel was constructed on the north wall of the church.  This was later demolished in the 16th century during the reign of Henry VIII.

The present Chapel of Remembrance was built on the same site in 1892.

The entranceway is a beautiful Norman doorway, the font is Jacobean with a Victorian base and the pulpit is also Jacobean.  The railings and restoration work were designed by Percy Stone, well-known architect.

The stained glass is late Victorian and on the wall of the side chapel is a 
Royal Coat of Arms thought to date from 1813.



References: 
http://woottonbridgeiow.org.uk/stedmunds.php
http://www.cofeparishofwoottonbridge.org.uk/st-edmonds-testamonials/

A Week of Art

So last week I did a week long intensive art course.  I had a great time ... 4 hours a day of learning new skills: What a wonderful journey.

Monday was all about values of shading using different weights of pencils.

We started off with a value image of a person.  Using a light box we drew the outline of the image and then using our pencil tried to replicate ate the shaded shapes to create a 3 dimensional image. 

After lunch things moved on a step and we shaded a portrait of a female face.  Again we used the light box to create the basic outline before using the pencil and smudge stick (which I love by the way) to create the tones and shades in the face.  I have to say I was quite impressed by the outcome. 

Keith, our tutor was excellent; demonstrating and explaining what we had to do and I learnt a lot about values just in day 1; which set me up well for the rest of the week.

          

Shades of Grey

 

Portrait in Shades of Grey

On Tuesday we moved on to a bit of watercolour using light and shade, mixing our own Paynes Grey using ultramarine and burnt umber.  Incorporating the light is something I need to work at, but it's all in the practice.

River & Boat

                      

On Wednesday, we moved on to charcoal and using pencil again.  Elephants were the subject of the day.  I have to say being a big fan of elephants, I enjoyed every minute of doing these pictures.  Again we used the light box to create the outline but the shading is all me.  Very scary at first smudging the whole image with the charcoal; but having confidence in the technique and Keith's demonstrations, gave us all hope.  Again I was thrilled with the completed picture.  It went through ups and downs before it was completed, but as always say .... "don't judge it till it's finished"

         

Looking for Love

There you are ...

Thursday was back to watercolour.  We started by creating a colour wheel before moving on to painting trees of different shapes and colours using  values again Using different amounts of water to create light and shade and different brush techniques to create the foliage  and detail of the trees.

Once we had tried a few different styles and colour mixes, need to be very careful with green as it saturates very easily, we went on to paint a landscape creating more of a blended affect than distinctive.  I have to say this was a challenge. To me it looked like a big smudge of colour and I get very judgemental of my own work.... But I worked at it until I came up with something I was fairly happy with.... Need to fill that glass up when it comes to this style of painting.

On Friday we went back to what we loved ... charcoal. This time it was gorillas in the morning and forests in the afternoon.

Lost Love

This week I learnt a lot about colour, value, light and dark, shades and tones.  The group was very supportive with each other and the teaching was very informative, with step by step demonstrations and instruction. The whole week was a fantastic, positive experience.

Boats at sunset

Had another wonderful session at Art group this week were we did watercolour paintings of boats. 

I chose the one with colour, as I always do and I have to say I am pleased with how it turned out.

The more I do this, the more fun I am having with it.  It helps having local artist Keith Palmer, leading the course.  I am lucky enough to have a best friend who has passion and enthusiasm that is infectious.

I love my sewing and crafts, especially working with wire but this is a whole new journey that I am embracing.

Today I leave work for new ventures (more about that in my next blog) and next week I am starting my new future with an art course - recharging my batteries and getting my summer off to a positive start. Looking forward to whatever transpires.