It's been about twenty months since I last wrote a blog, though I've written much in other places especially with regard to a creative enterprise project. That project is in the latter stages of being condensed into a business model, the plan for it is huge.. that's because it's needed updating in the light of current knowledge.
Did you know that a business plan should be updated each year? Well I didn't so I had to go back in time, in a sense, to impressions of 1979 flowing on to 1986 when I led my first community mural project in South Acton, West London. Every part of the creative processes of the past are significant to now. The re-visits were well worth it. All of the mural projects that I've led and co-produced with local communities are on this website, under the menu tab 'MaKing Murals' on the left. Mostly this website is used for writing news, reviews and sharing useful links relating to creativity and enterprise.
There are many dimensions to creative practices, often I ebb and flow between writing, painting and making useful/decorative things. Recently I was asked 'why don't you focus one one thing?' and I responded with my usual honesty 'it's a seasonal flow I work in'. My workshop temperature is cold to the extreme in the Winter and the last one was exceptionally brrr!!
My Time Is ART
So, 37 and 30 years on.. here to there and back again, like the ever ebbing and flowing tides. It's been a colourful journey, some of the artwork that's on this website and other Internet platforms have been included in the digital stories I've written and illustrated. The digital art I've most recently worked on is shown below and has been made as a sidereal branch for what happened on another plane of existence when the character 'Istaria' rose out of the mud.
Below, the main character is depicted rising from the dark waters. There's no mud here, but she's covered in twigs and seaweed as she rises; pointing to the absent sun with her right hand she holds a crystal in her left hand and against her solar plexus.
The solar plexus is referred to by some as 'The Seat of Confidence'.
My own solar plexus needed something to get it glowing again.. perhaps one day I'll write a story about 3 Wandering Wizards one of whom assisted me (through something of a time machine) in re-connecting to the warmth of my passion for art and the re-ignition of creative flow from deep within.
Imagination Beyond Measure?
Admittedly, mine goes far into the field of all possibilities.. enjoy the impressions.
The Light Returns, Reflections of Istaria
click for 'Beyond the Ebb-Stream' free chapters
'Ways of Seeing' by Isabella Wesoly
ART of SOUL STEPS & ROBERT LANE blog entry 16th December 2014
The short winter days leave me with less time to make the best of daylight hours and there's always so much to do in my worlds of motherhood, grandmotherhood, research and creative ventures. I'm going with the 'flow of Nature' and embracing what I can do.
A couple of weeks ago I actually got out for a bit of a dance, it was totally unexpected and something I don't do enough of these days. I'm certain it's flowing back after a few soul steps. Funnily emough I don't often play soul music, another change in the making I feel. I love the playfulness of dance and music, but the steps I'm taking just now are more visually artful ones.
But on the subject of music, I had an email from Robert Lane about his up and coming gig dates for 2015. His words are always worth sharing, so over to Robert:
WORDS & GIGS FROM ROBERT LANE
As the year comes to a close I've been thinking about the last 12 months and the exciting things that I've been involved with; A lot of very rewarding gigs including Beverly Folk Festival, a whole load of new folk clubs like Lymington, Ely and Royston as well as return visits to some of my favourite places like Paul Murphy's Songwriter's Cafe, The Albatros Sailing Ship and Crossroads Blues Club. I've done some great theatre work including becoming a member of Foghorn Improv, two performances with Birmingham Rep and Tell Me About Your Ex 2. My guitar teaching and music and drama workshop stuff has continued to be interesting, challenging and lots of fun.I look forward to the new year surprising me with more new experiences and friends.
New Record I've commenced work on some new tracks for release at some point next year. The songs are a mixture of things that I've been performing live since the last album was recorded and brand new stuff that no one apart from me has heard...
It's exciting to be in the studio again and I can't wait for you to hear the results. As ever the recording is self funded, so if you would like to help out that would be most welcome! The best way to help would be to buy some of the music that's already available on my bandcamp http://robertlane.bandcamp.com/If you already own that music and would like to help towards the new stuff, send me and email and we can talk...
All the best Robert! I hope to catch up with/dance to you soon.
If I don't blog on again in 2014, it may happen in 2015!
You can follow my mystical and mad meanderings on Facebook, 'wall' posting as Isabella Wesoly.
ART of MAGNETISM blog entry 8th November 2014
This week I launched a new product package called 'Magnetism'. It's from the Blue Naga Collections range and includes gemstone items of Red Jasper, as well as Dzi bead and Magnetite bracelets.
The link to the product is on the right, just click on the word 'Magnetism'. But before you do that, I wonder if you have ever felt magnetized to a particular person, place or thing. Magnets work by pulling two opposite polarities together, north and south. Yet it is said that 'birds of a feather flock together'. I'm having deep thoughts about this.
As far as places are concerned, in the early 1990's a visit to a little valley called Millendreath (in South East Cornwall, UK) magnetized me. As years passed I came to visit the area again and again. Even though I've met pleasant people in these parts, it was more the place itself that drew me in. The natural flow of water into the valley, perhaps, brought an awareness on a subtle level. Then in 2009 I visited Andalusia in Spain, for the first time and felt something of the same feelings I'd experienced in that Cornish valley. As years passed I came to visit more and more places along the southern coast of Spain, the more natural parts are my favourites. A connection was made, via Google Earth, finding there's a line that runs north to south between the places that I've felt to be 'home'. I wonder is it something to do with water?
