The Butterfly Collector

Wild Swan!

These past few weeks have brought many changes, challenges and awakenings. Some sad moments and some life altering epiphanies.... and now I can say I am looking forward to what comes next ...more love, more joy, more living in the present moment ...more ART, more creativity ... more sharing with others!!!

And more new projects I am excited about ... including a Fairytale Colouring Book which is in the works. Its the book I always wished I had as a child ...the one I wish to give to many, many children and hope will be given as a gift many times over.

Above is Wild Swan ...she was one of the first drawings. Many more have been drawn and are in the works. Soon they will be collected into a printable book and coloured to heart's delights!!! Promise to show you when its all finished!

This week has also brought Miso Soups for lunch and the arrival of some beautiful books that have opened my heart, brought wonder and delight to my soul and made me think and act in my truth... here's a little list to share ...

Girlosophy, The Flinch, The Minimalists Essential Essays,  Living With Joy and Daniel Egneus's beautiful version of Red Riding Hood. There is a little video below of his journey making wonderous paintings and drawings for this gorgeous book. Happy Weekend, Fly Free and keep  a look out for this week's Free Printable too!

 

Petite Theatres and Pencil Fences!

Good Morning my Butterfly friends!

Here's a little post about the things wonderful April has brought me ...

Pretty leaves and vanilla tea leaves.

The creation of a Puppet Theatre for my son's classroom ...they are making animal puppets at the moment, I can't wait to watch the performance... 

A trip to the beautiful town of Daylesford ...where we found a Pencil Fence hiding in a lane and this most fabulous shop! 

And new creations on my messy desk ... little birds greeting the day and farewell to the Pink Butterfly... which reminds me that as it gets a little colder its time to find the perfect warm kimono to swan about the house in! Stay warm and Stay tuned later today for a new free journal page.... Shae xo

Rain Blossoms!

"The raindrops danced in the pink sun as the aqua blossoms reached for the light."
A new little painting appeared today and told me she wanted her portrait taken ...so here she is in her pink and aqua glory with antique painted sides to make her look a little more mature. She's also been decorated with some textured vintage wallpaper for a little luxury! For now she is starring as a feature in my ETSY shop ...but I do think she would rather be adorning someone's wall who loves her even more!

Angels, Wings and Flying Things!

 

"She wandered away from the ball... into the shadows with the key, secretly wishing she could really take flight, just like the pretty creatures she was about to set free"

A new painting to share today and a peek into my studio where another winged creature is currently in creation ...I just can't wait to see how she looks when she's finished and then I will tell you the magical story of how she originally came into being!

 

Moon Veil!

Moon Veil. Copyright Shae reid 2012

Moon Veil is a painting I finished this last week. I wanted to express the beautiful and sometimes torturous cycle of what I and so many women pass through on a monthly basis. Layers, feelings, emotions , joy, ups and downs. Things that need to be expressed, shared, written down, thought about, meditated upon, birthed a new, celebrated and worked through.

Sometimes feelings, pain and emotions that seem to have a hold over you, that you can't shake away or control. Sometimes we need to be very still, listen and think about these and why they are present. 

I especially wanted to share this after being given the gift of watching an amazing film called The Moon Inside You ... a film that questions, raises myths about, challenges taboo's, asks the world about and celebrates the female cycle and the gift of life it can utimately bring.

A must share with your daughter ... and even your partner ... to understand you a little better! You can watch a preview HERE!!!!

Don't You Ever Wonder ? ...Free Journal Printable!

A whole week has gone by and its time to write another journal entry. Here is my second Free Printable Journal Page for you to download to your computer. I hope you enjoyed using the last week's one and that it prompted you to write insightful and imaginative thoughts. This week's page in pink and blues and greys is all about wondering!

Wondering what to do tomorrow, next week, next year? Where you will travel, who you would like to meet, what you would like to create next! Or maybe you are wondering and wandering in daydreams of being brave ...in costume, in love, in adventure ...write it all down ... a single word, a sentance, a quote that inspires you or a whole page of prose! I would love to know your thoughts, if you would like to share?

P.S. If you would like to recieve them weekly in your inbox please subscribe to my blog's feed and I will keep posting them on the right hand side of my blog under the heading Free Printables ( just in case you miss one or would like another!)

Dreaming Of Pancakes!

Dreaming Of Pancakes. Copyright Shae Reid 2012

"Deep in the forest of her imagination, she slumbered and dreamt vividly that her bird friends would present her with a breakfast of pancakes with icecream and mayple syrup on her awakening"

This new painting will be available soon in my etsy shop as a print and card. Later today I will post my second Free Journal Page Printable! 

Lost in Jewels and Stars and Glitter!

My Desk with Cheesecake and Coffee. Shae Reid Dec. 2011
Its the holidays ... beach weather. Time for sleeping in and books, lazy mornings and walks in the afternoons, spending time with my boys. Good food being created in our kitchen and treats appear in the cupboards. Daydreaming in my studio where there is coffee and wild cheesecake, working at night in here when my boys are asleep...I long to paint... boldly, big ...in pastel hues with indulgent brights added in to make my paintings pop! But alas... I am going through one of those frustrating moments where it doesn't quite seem to work. Too many ideas, too many directions, wanting to do so many things at once and then I am lost in the wonderment of which way to turn next, which way to weild my paintbrush.Experimenting with pen and watercolours, black ink and my computer to create new designs and patterns and then again returning to my paint box...wanting to create work that means something...to me...to someone?

Self Portrait with Jewels and Stars. Copyright Shae Reid Dec,. 2011

I know this will pass ... divine timing and ideas must come into play first and then it will all fall into place once again ... a new burst of inspiration. For now there is reading to be done,learning, the rediscovery of some famous masterpainters, welcoming a new year with friends and the completion of some speckled stars overlooking Venice and a white forest on canvas to be worked upon ...

Oh and I thought I should add in my ballet flat black glittering shoes too. I lost one of these to the sea, the tide swept it away when I wasn't looking ( a perfect little boat for an unsuspecting sea nymph?) ...I only got to wear them twice... oh well, things come and go, but here they are photographed to be remembered for a moment and maybe to be included in a future painting. Celebrated under our Jacaranda tree which is raining violet blossoms each day ... another inspiration from the window of my studio! Maybe getting lost is a good thing sometimes?

Feather and Bloom Gift Tags! ... Free to Fly to a Happy Home!

It Twas a few days before Christmas and I just wanted to pop in and say ..

"Merry Christmas to all my friends, fellow Facebookers and lovely readers of my Blog. I hope you have a wonderful time filled with love and friends and family in the next few weeks!"

And to share a little gift with you too... I just whipped up this batch of Feather and Bloom Gift Tags in my favorite colour... aqua! They are all ready for you to print out onto some card and tie onto those last minute presents!

Happy Holidays everyone! Shae xo 

Experimentals!

The last two weeks have been filled with experiments with paint, paper, glue and lots of sketching with all kinds of materials. I am nearly half way through the first part of the surface pattern design course I am doing with Rachael Taylor and Beth Nichols. 

So far we learning how to make motifs for patterns, find our own style, find inspiration all around us and I have managed to torture myself on Photoshop too. Fortunately with Rachael's step by step instructions and taking it very slow I am formimg my first patterns and I am so excited to see them come together. I promise I will show you soon! ... in the meantime I have had fun creating this new collage, patchwork style painting I've entitled "Apple Blossom".  I loved making this from ideas in my sketchbook, playing with colours and added in pieces of vintage wallpaper, in fact I think I shall make more! Happy Creative Weekend to All!