100 Happy Days challenge

Today is day 1. I have decide to join the 100 Happy Days challenge with my creative process on Instagram.  I am excited because it feels like I have just signed up at an art gym to work my creative muscles. I have recently picked up my brushes and hitting the paints daily. It feels good. I feel more fulfilled everyday, no matter what obstacles the day brings. Painting was missing for along time in my life.  I am finding a way to paint in short sessions with all the interruptions life brings. Family and healing health had consumed my last year and now it's time to work those creative muscle to get them lean, toned and strong. Follow my #100daysofhappiness on Instagram @astridfox_art.  If you would like to learn more about it go to http://100happydays.com and find out more. Get happy, I dare you.

All my children

Today's Palette

It's interesting how I allow my personal growth and gut healing journey to be work in progress, yet I expect my artistic journey to be ready for presentation faster.  I am looking at them as all my children; my youngest is my gut healing, it has been all I focus on because it has been crying the loudest. It need a lot of care and patience but I feel I am finally getting a hang of how to take care of this baby. My personal growth is my middle child, it's always been there, not much complains, going along with everything. It's quiet. My eldest will be my art. I have greater expectations from it because the concept has been with me the longest. I went to art school, I painted religiously before my real kids were born so I expect that I can pick up a pencil or brush anytime and can produce work ready for show.

So how do I get my creative juices pumping like my healing juices?  I just need to do it more without expectations. By making more rough sketches, doodles, experiments,  I can build a library of references to use later. The most fitting part about the title of this post is the best way get back into my art is through my children. They can produce work intuitively without hesitation. I learn that I don't need to wait for the perfect moment to start painting. Today I painted with my 4 years old drawing beside me and later jumped from one side of the room to the other while I continued to paint.

His canvas 

Abstract Expressionist at work

My canvas 

Good cause to fuel my creativity

It's been about a year since my health took a turn from too much stress. The year was filled with confusion and uncertainty, followed by fear, then acceptance and the confidence to move forward. I still found it extremely hard to focus my energies to put together even little creative projects. I have periods of highs and lows. On good days, I may forget that I have an chronic disease with no known cure, on bad days, I can sleep 18 hours. Every time I conquered a flare up, I gain a bit more knowledge and wisdom about my body and how to calm the symptoms down. I no longer panic like before and have learned to be patient with the healing process.

Along the way, I have found support through social media. Facebook has numerous support groups for people with IBD. I also found amazing support through the Post 30 Paleo group. This group is filled with positive support. On instagram, the following hashtags have connected me to people who are affected specifically with #IBD #crohns #ulcerativecolitis. My favorite hashtag is #UCwarrior. Amongst the many people who shares their experiences and #IBD stories, I came across a brave lady www.kellyontherun.com You can read about her #purpleproject.  I was inspired by her energy and positive attitude even when times were and still are tough. I decided to reach out and use the opportunity of the cause to fuel my creativity. I am designing a series of work available on www.society6.com/astridfox  with proceeds going towards the #purpleproject.  I hope to bring more awareness to this debilitating and often invisible disease. Please show your support by sharing about the project or making a purchase. My energy levels are still quite inconsistent, so often my time to work on this series maybe around 3am when I am awaken by stomach discomforts.  More designs to come!

Return from Health hiatus

I know, I have been away for awhile, but not without a good reason; health.
In the past 6 months, I devoted all my time and energy on healing my body, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in June and have been in the hospital a few times. Through lots of research, I learned that by changing my lifestyle and eating a Paleo diet, I have been able to maintain good health again. It was a pretty rocky road but I am on the mend now.

I tried to come back to my art several times to help me get through some of the darkest moments, sometimes it helped, other times, I just didn't have the brain power to do so ( brain fog). I am looking forward to the new year to come with plans for new beginnings. I started exploring oil pastels and oil sticks and think my oil paints will get to come out to play very soon. The fumes that associated with oil painting made me take the long break from them after the arrival of my children. Now with my condition, I definitely didn't want to be around toxins either. Lucky for me, I didn't have to look too far to for an answer.

The client has chosen

Let there be colour. Stay tuned.

Fame and the red carpet

My almost 9 yrs old and I were discussing the topic of being famous and the red carpet. I took that parenting opportunity to talk about how not to let what society sets as standard of goals and success limit his dreams.

I tried to explain to him in Lego terms, of how he built his hobbit hole with his existing pieces without owning a pre-designed set. The goal was like getting on the red carpet, once he finished his magnificent creation, and made a few changes here and there, he got bored. It didn't just stop there, so he took it apart and built another creation that he proudly shows me.

Later, I realize how it was another lesson I am learning through my children. I thought back to when I was pregnant with him, I gave myself 5 years to get "there" in my art career. I thought that when I see my name on the wall of an art gallery, I will feel that I am a successful artist. Since then, I learned that showing in Public Art Galleries, Theatre Concourse and City Halls did not make me feel that career satisfaction I thought I would achieve. I continued to dive deeper into my creative process and left the pressure of a timeline aside and got back to enjoying making art. Now, as I constantly try to balance raising my children with creating my art, I am starting to feel creative energies converging into a place of harmony. Here is one of the earlier creations my 9 yrs old made, the one I was referring to has been taken apart before I took a photo of it. I was disappointed in myself that I missed the photo op, but my 9 yrs old consoled me that he still has the base and can rebuilt it again... just for me. I look forward to his next Lego creation and will not miss the photo op as his creative energies are strong and can take shape in different forms at the blink of an eye.

Also a remainder if you had something in mind to order from my society6, free worldwide shipping ends March 17 so get on it!

http://fearfog.tumblr.com/

Happy customer

A happy customer shared the photos of her new iPhone skin by yours truly. Thanks again Lady T