Jodi Ohl recently hosted a Color Lovers Challenge that I participated in. I loved every moment, especially the challenging ones. But for Day 12 which was Vibrant, I used a canvas I was working on for the challenge and saved a place in my journal to come back to and finish at another time.
So this was the vibrant watercolor abstract painting I made in my journal. I added a quote by Zig Ziglar which pretty much summed up the challenge: “If it doesn’t CHALLENGE you, it won’t CHANGE you.”
Sahara Rose is an author, inspirational speaker and host of “Highest Self Podcast” which I enjoy listening to. In her latest book, “Discover Your Dharma,” Sahara shares her ancient wisdom but with a modern day flair. I recently finished reading her book and loved it!
When I started reading, I didn’t have any expectations as to where it will go. But I have to say, that I was quite surprised in the accuracy of finding my Doshas and using them to fulfill my Dharma.
In Ayurveda, Doshas are the 3 energies that make up every human being, Vata (air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (earth). We have all three but in varying amounts. Your Dharma is to find your soul’s purpose.
The physical imbalances we experience in our minds and body are a reflection of what is going on at our soul’s level. So having a better understanding of your Doshas and Dharma will help you to heal your body and move forward which Sahara does an excellent job of explaining in her book. She gives you the tools and knowledge you need to better understand your soul’s purpose.
I also learned that your Dharma is not set it stone. You may end up taking a completely different path than when you started on your journey or you may just make minor changes to the path you’re on. But ultimately you need to live a life that makes you happy and share your special gifts and talents with the world in a positive and fulfilling way.
I highly recommend reading “Discover Your Dharma.” It’s a well written book that is easy to understand with tools to help you find your soul’s purpose. To find out more about Sahara Rose, visit her site at iamsahararose.com.
Thanks for stopping by!!
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“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give your gift away.” ~ Pablo Picasso
I’ve been listening and reading a lot of inspirational works. There’s one thing I’m noticing that keeps coming up and that’s “Attitude.” Attitude is defined as: A manner of thinking, feeling, or behaving that reflects a state of mind or disposition.
Attitude seems to be the foundation of our lives and is a reflection of what is going on in our minds and where we our in life. Our success or lack of, is based on our attitude, and it is tightly woven in with our thoughts. The two are pretty much intertwined.
It stands to reason then that a Good Attitude gives you good results. But if you have a poor attitude towards learning something new that could move you forward in your life, you’ll just get stuck in the mud and won’t go anywhere. If your attitude is one that all the cards are always stacked against you, then you’re powerless to change anything.
All of these negative attitudes make you a magnet for attracting more negative situations into your life. Have you ever had a day that starts with one thing going wrong and then there seems to be a domino effect of one thing after another that keeps going wrong? By allowing yourself to dwell on the negativity in your day, you allowed your attitude to become negative and thus made yourself into a human magnet for attracting more negative situations into your life.
So how can we change? Start each day with gratitude and the intention of how you want the day to go. Don’t jump out of bed, rushing through your morning and responding to the day as you go. Instead, take a minute to set a clear intention on how you want your day to play out. I mean really think about it and allow yourself to feel how wonderful it is to have such an awesome day!
Do this every day and you’ll be surprised at how your life improves when you set a daily intention to maintain a positive attitude.
I hope this inspires you in some way today. Thanks for stopping by!!
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“A great attitude is not the result of success; success is the result of a great attitude.” ~Earl Nightingale
The last week of Jodi Ohl’s Color Lovers Challenge which runs 30 days. Just a few more to go! If you missed my earlier creations, I’ll have links at the bottom of this post. These are my latest creations:
Day 26 – Favorite Color
My favorite color is blue, for my love of the ocean. So for this prompt I did an abstract and added a fun quote “We do not stop working and playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop working and playing.”
Day 27 – Contrast
The prompt was contrast so I decided on painting the night sky in watercolor. No words, no quotes, just the magic and mystery of the night sky.
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Day 28 – Apple/Orange/Lemon/Pear
I took today’s prompt literally. I made a whimsical watercolor painting of an apple, orange, lemon and pear and added texture to each one. I added a quote: “Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well.”⠀
In case you missed my previous pages, just click the links:
I joined Jodi Ohl’s Color Lovers Challenge which runs 30 days. We’re in the home stretch with just a few more days to go!! If you missed my earlier creations, I’ll have links at the bottom of this post. These are my latest creations:
Day 22 – Winter
I painted a watercolor snowman for winter, it was the first thing that came to my mind, lol. I made the trees out of paper I previously made and decorated them with garland and baubles. I added a quote by Lucuis Annaeus Seneca: “True happiness is… to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.”
Day 23 – Analogous Colors
For this prompt I used a violet/blue, blue and green/blue for the painting. I was short on time so I had to get this done pretty quick. I played with lettering and added glitter for a little bling.
Day 24 – Red and Green
When I think of red and green, my mind goes straight to Christmas and the holiday season. I made an 8×10 canvas with acrylic paints, added stamped images and Christmas cut outs and accented it with gold ribbon.
Day 25 – Excitement
Today’s prompt is excitement and my mind goes to fireworks and all the shimmering sparks in the night sky. Although my art may not necessarily evoke a feeling of excitement for the viewer, I can assure you that I was very excited as I played with new techniques and mediums. I had so much fun with this one.⠀
In case you missed my previous pages, just click the links:
I joined Jodi Ohl’s Color Lovers Challenge which runs 30 days so I’m posting several days at a time. If you missed my earlier creations, I’ll have links at the bottom of this post. These are my latest creations:
Day 18 – Energy and Movement
I painted a little ballerina in watercolor and added the quote “Dance is an art, paint your dream and follow it!”
Day 19 – Ice Cream
When I was a kid I used to love the fun ice cream flavors like cotton candy, blue raspberry and mint chocolate chip which is still my favorite. So I decided to create an abstract in colors representing all the fun flavors from way back when. I added a fun quote: “You can’t buy happiness but you can buy ice cream. And that’s kind of the same thing.”
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Day 20 – Water/Ocean
I painted the ocean with watercolors and then made a sail boat out of paper I previously made. I added a quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.”
Day 21 – Earth
It was only a matter of time before an angel popped up in my challenge. But I like to think we have a greater power watching over us, so for this prompt I painted an angel holding the earth. I added a quote by the Dalai Lama: “It is our collective and individual responsibility… To preserve and tend to the word in which we all live.”
In case you missed my previous pages, just click the links:
I joined Jodi Ohl’s Color Lovers Challenge which runs 30 days so I’m posting several days at a time. If you missed my earlier creations, I’ll have links at the bottom of this post. These are my latest creations:
Day 14 – Forest/Mountains/Grass
I painted this a while ago in watercolor but thought it went well with the prompt.
Day 15 – Flowers
I decided to do a loose watercolor painting of flowers and of course couldn’t resist adding glitter for a little bling 😉 I added a quote by Henry David Thoreau which I love “This World is but a canvas for our Imagination.”
Day 16 – Sad
I had a hard time with this one because when I looked at all of my paint colors, they’re all bright and happy. That’s not a bad thing but definitely made it hard to paint “Sad.” ⠀ So this was my take on it, an abstract watercolor, kind of a stormy day. I added a quote by Vivian Greene “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”⠀
Day 17 – Candy
Yesterday’s prompt was candy and with the holiday season fast approaching, the only thing that came to mind was a candy cane which I love. So I painted this in watercolor and added a little quote, “Candy Cane Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses.”
In case you missed my previous pages, just click the links:
Alfalfa sprouts are mild flavored and very nutritious to eat. Studies have shown they are a high anti-oxidant, anti-aging food source. These little sprouts can help fight cancer, lower cholesterol and diabetes, prevent osteoporosis and more.
I used to buy fresh living alfalfa sprouts at my local grocery store but sadly they stopped carrying them. So I decided the freshest and safest way to get them was to grow them myself. I’ve tried several sprouting trays and they don’t always produce the best results.
Getting frustrated, I decided to go back to basics and try using a large, wide mouth mason jar with a sprouting lid. This is working beautifully and is very easy. I only need 1 Tbsp of seeds and in about 4 days, I have fresh organic alfalfa sprouts that are delicious and crisp. The sprouts can be stored in the fridge for about 4-6 days.
Alfalfa Sprouts taste great on salads, sandwiches, in smoothies and anything else you can think of. Below are instructions to grow your own spouts and links to Amazon.com for the supplies.
Instructions to Grow your own Sprouts:
Fill a wide mouth mason jar with 2 cups of cool, fresh water and add 1 Tbsp of High Mowing Organic Alfalfa Seeds (I’ve had good results with this brand, the seeds are sourced in the United States). Cap the jar with a sprouting lid and soak the seeds for 8 hours. Then drain and rinse the seeds keeping the lid on. Store the jar upside down, in a bowl, at an angle so water can continue to drain.
Rinse and drain the seeds with the lid on once in the morning and once at night. And again store the jar upside down, in a bowl, at an angle.
Repeat step 2, everyday for about 4 days until your sprouts are ready.
On the last day, depending on the light in your kitchen, you may want to move the grown sprouts to a window where they can get indirect sunlight to make them a little more green. You only need to keep them there for a few hours and then store them in fridge until you’re ready to eat them (also, I rinse the seeds before eating to remove the hulls).
I joined Jodi Ohl’s Color Lovers Challenge which runs 30 days so I’m posting several days at a time. If you missed my earlier creations, I’ll have links at the bottom of this post. These are my latest creations:
Day 10 – Happiness
I did a watercolor wash with a watercolor butterfly painted separately and then cut out. I added a quote from the Dalai Lama” Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” ⠀ After putting everything together in the journal I made a last minute change and decided to write the quote directly on the page. This is why you shouldn’t create art when you’re tired because I finished this late at night and well, I left out the word “made” from the quote 😂😂😂 Oh well…
Day 11 – Neutral
This was a little challenging because I love my bright, fun colors. I painted an abstract and added a quote by Teilhard de Chardin “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience… We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
Day 12 – Vibrant
I debated on using this but it just went perfectly for the prompt because it is most definitely vibrant. This is actually a work in progress. I’m painting a 24″ x 36″ canvas with bright fun happy colors. So stay tuned for the finished piece.
Day 13 – Spring
Since I used a canvas for Day 12, I thought I’d continue with this 9″ x 12″ one. It’s one of my favorites for spring. When I think of spring, I think about cute little bunnies. There’s lots of color and texture on this piece. My favorite part is the crocheted flowers. What do you think?
In case you missed my previous pages, just click the links:
This was a watercolor painting I created as a background for an inspirational quote that I’ll be adding to it. It’s made with bright, fun, happy colors. At least that’s what I intended for the viewer to feel. What does it make you feel?
Color is amazing in the power it has in the mind and it’s affects on how you feel. A painting can be pleasing to look at, or not depending on the colors used. Some colors make you feel happy while others make you sad or depressed. Colors can even impact your shopping and hunger pangs.
Have you noticed how a lot of restaurants and fast food chains use red and yellow in their branding? It’s no mistake, it all comes down to psychology. Red has a tendency to make you feel hungry. While yellow tends to make you feel happy. When you see these colors while driving, you may pull in for a quick bite to eat even though you’re not necessarily hungry. So it’s no wonder that this is a popular color combination for them.
Blue can evoke feelings of serenity and trustworthiness and purple evokes feelings of luxury and romance, while pink is associated with femininity and innocence. I can go into great more detail about color but I think this gives you a pretty good idea of how it affects our minds. So stop and take notice of how you feel when you see certain colors.
Speaking of colors, Jodi Ohl a very talented mixed media artist is hosting a Color Lovers Challenge. It started yesterday and runs until October 15. Every day you have a new prompt to create a piece of art of any kind, no rules using colors of your choice. The link to the list of prompts can be found on her Color Lovers Challenge page. I entered and will be posting my creation for yesterday shortly on this blog, so stay tuned.
Would love to see you join and have some fun!
Thanks for stopping by!
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“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way.” ~Georgia O’Keeffe
Flowing Waters Art 