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

My Art Merch wish

When I was a teenager, I took a photo of my painting, took it to the mall's dog's ears, and had it printed on a tshirt to give to my boyfriend. I guess I have always wanted to see my artwork on merchandise. I love to paint big and bold and fewer and fewer homes can house my larger size work. With my Art Merch, my art can enter people's lives as a iphone case or skin or hang out on your couch as a pillow. I am so happy to see my society6 shop grow. See! And I am getting a few likes along with sales. When my likes go up, I get more motivated and want to add more work and product. THANKS for fueling my creativity * blush*

Alla Prima

On exploring the Alla Prima method, I have always aimed to produce work that conveys spontaneity. It's not easy making something look just right and not over worked. I have discovered that I am a fairly fast painter, I think I often try to paint fast to capture the movement and freedom of Alla Prima. There is always the question of loose and quick vs. unfinished.

John Singer Sargent is my all time favourite painter who captures this sense of Alla Prima. I don't know how he actually paints, fast and free or meticulous and detailed, but his work always feels open and airy with the right amount of energy.