Flora Bowley::Bloom True

Bloom True Online Course Gallery, Part Two

"I sell most of my paintings, but I think this one I will keep. It is very special for me." Conni Altmann

Sharing some more of the wonderful paintings and testimonials that have come out of the Bloom True e-course. Next class starts June 11! 

"Bloom True is an incredible journey of painting through intuition. The imagery in "Dive Through" unfolded before me, painting this piece was soulful and unforgettable." Peg Pritchett

 

"I have never painted without a plan or drawing so for me this is very brave. I hope to continue to loosen up, spiral in, spiral out! Wonderful experience, very pleased with the outcome." Robin Westenhiser

 

"I've never painted before so I have a long way to go but I'm thrilled with the way Flora got me started on this amazing journey." Leanne Chapman

 

"This painting just poured out of me after 4 weeks of absorbing Flora's words and concepts. It came from a place deep within and to me she represents my inner, brave warrior woman." Tanja Zinkl

 

"Flora's talent, inspiration and encouragement changed everything for me. I'll never look at my art the same way again." Sherry Williamson

 

"I feel this piece is about finding my voice and the two birds represent that journey of finding my place, believing I am an artist with bountiful creativity. To me, even submitting the piece is an act of bravery." Mitzie Styles

 

"I feel empowered when looking at my painting. It's kinda raw and a little bit wild. Lightning striking the Tower as the Crow soars skyward." Cat Athena Louise

 

"The most important thing I learned: don't be afraid to try things out! You can always see it as another layer. This is a very liberating feeling. It has made me way more adventurous and bold in my way of painting." Denise Thewissen

 

"I found this course to be a nourishing environment to play, explore and grow within my own style. It's been a beautiful discovery to see what I create." Andrea Henning

 

Do you want to discover a new way of painting? The next session of the Bloom True e-course begins on June 11th.

Join us!

Let go. Be Bold. Unfold.

Bloom True Online Course Gallery, Part One

"I loved learning all the layering/mark making techniques... I think I am most proud of this painting as I really took my time with it and tried to listen to it unfold." Nathalie Vachon

As promised, here is the first glimpse of some paintings that emerged from my first ever Bloom True online course.  I know I sound like a proud mama bragging about her kids but, really, I am just totally blown away by the depth and beauty of what my students created.  And, beyond the beauty of the finished paintings, I must give a nod to the brave journey required of the soul to paint in this intuitive way.  This process actually requires you to let go completely and trust that your paintings will be born naturally if you can simply (or not so simply) get out of your own way.  You have to release the need to know what your paintings will look like before you start and be ready to embrace the mystery of the unknown. It's a brave path of the heart, for sure.  Again, my proud mama self is bursting with joy as I hear about the break-throughs, empowerment and joy many of my students experienced as a result of this course.  Hurrah!

Over the next couple of weeks Beth Nicholls, my amazing collaborator and founder of Do What You Love, will share some of the paintings created in the last course.  Each painting has its own story, and the creation of each painting offered a unique journey for the artist behind the brush. Through several gallery posts we want to share how one e-course can inspire beauty in so many different ways. Enjoy! (And if you want to join us for the next course beginning on June 11, sign up here. We have a limit on class numbers and the last course SOLD OUT, so be quick!)

 

"Having never painted before, I was thrilled to learn how to paint with your easy to follow prompts to create and have fun. I am now brave. This experience was a joy. Thank you." Helen Martin

 

"The course gave me courage, changed my way of painting and looking at the surrounding world. I trusted my intuition and gave it to her lead and began to happen on canvas things that really came from within me, this is something I was looking for a long time." Agata Kwiatkowska

 

"I now create and live in a realm of positivity, curiosity, and excitement- goodbye self-doubt and criticism! This, my first 'real' painting, brings me joy." Carolyn Mackin Watson

 

"With Flora's guidance, I discovered that creating is intrinsically connected with intuition. This piece came from my soul so naturally--a wondrous feeling! Thanks for a lifechanging course" Carrie Schmitt

 

"Thank you so much for the class...it was an awesome experience and one I know will greatly affect the way I paint from now on." Denise Riches

 

"I was thrilled to finally learn Flora's techniques & spin them into my own unique style. As this painting evolved, I was surprised & delighted in the results." Emily Franz

 

"My painting of this Dancing Girl is about continuing to dance and delight in life amongst the challenges we all face. The bolder reds paint a picture of strife, power and passion, muted by the smokier blues that suggest uncertainty and the unknown. Throughout it all, the girl dances boldy and brightly on, radiating color and light to those around her." Mary

 

"This painting flowed without effort, don't know why...it seemed to paint itself. I was very happy with the end result." Patricia Howell

 

"The painting is called the Joy Tree (which I sold recently) YAY!! first sale ever. ) and pretty much expresses my joy and also some of the deeper emotional work that was part of doing the wonderful Flora Bowley E-Course." Shona Hutchings

 

"I kept hearing Flora's voice saying 'it is only a canvas.....paint over what isn't working and paint through the block. Work with what is working and be brave'. I love the outcome." Sojna Widmer

 

Do you want to discover a new way of painting? The next session of Bloom True the e-course begins on June 11.

Join us!

Let go. Be Bold. Unfold.

 

The Bali Report

Hello and greetings from beautiful Bali.  I am happy to report that the week-long yoga/painting workshop that took place here last week was amazing---almost dream-like actually.  I'll admit, we went in a little bit blind on this one.  The website for the resort looked great, but you never really know what you will find in real life. I was literally crossing my fingers the first time I walked down the winding sidewalk leading to the spot we would be spending the whole next week. 

With no small amount of relief, what we found at Swasti Eco Cottages was a very special oasis, with a very gracious staff, perfectly nestled away from the bustling center of Ubud.  Our little sanctuary was complete with an organic restaurant, goats, bunnies, a beautiful spa, a lovely pool, statues and a meticulously manicured lawn (cut by hand with a scissors...as ya do in Bali!). Our daily trips to town for shopping and eating excursions actually involved walking through an ancient forest full of monkeys and temples---a surreal and magical experience in and of itself.  Our whole group stayed in sweet bungalows where fresh flowers "magically" appeared all over our rooms everyday, and our yoga and painting sessions took place betwen the  organic garden and a wall of tropical lushness.  Like I said, d.d.d.d.dreamy.

Morning yoga

The location of our workshop was not the only bit of uncharted territory we were navigating.  This workshop was a also a first-time collaborative effort between my yoga teacher and dear friend, Lisa Mae Osborn (owner of the Bhaktishop Yoga Studio in Portland, OR) and myself.  Not to my surprise, the blending of Lisa Mae's yoga teaching with my painting process created a sweet combo-experience ripe with metaphor and plenty of opportunities for personal growth.  Offering this workshop in Bali, a place that holds art, ceremony and life in such a sacred way, no doubt added to magic. And, let's not forget about the precious ingredients of TIME and SPACE---time and space away from routines, jobs, responsibilites and all things familar have a powerful way of providing an instantaneous and fresh perspective on how we see ourselves and our lives away from the things which define us. Who am I now?  Who am I here?  Who do I want to become?  These are questions I often find myself pondering while traveling.

Lisa Mae getting her paint on.  So fun to see my yoga teacher painting!  YES!

One of my favorite things about Bali---piles of offerings found everywhere.

I'm definitely feeling a little bit awestruck and a whole lot grateful for the opportunity to return to this magical place three years in a row, this time sharing the experience with 20 other people.  I mean really?!  Is this actually my life?  Looks like it.  My mantra these days is: thank you thank you thank you thank you, thank you...

My demo painting after many twists and turns...

I'm also feeling a whole lot of love for the women I get to meet through my workshops.  This particular group hailed from the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Malaysia.  Although half of them came as Lisa Mae's yoga students and half of them came primarily to paint, the group embraced both aspects of the workshop and friendships between the "yoga people" and the "painting people" formed quickly and naturally. We were all a big happy family by the end of the week.

And a little shout out to my dear friend and hilarious friend, Tara Morris---this trip would definitely NOT have been the same without her.  Tara joined us to photograph the workshop, because every workshop needs a professional photographer, right?  Well, not exactly, but when your favorite photographer is also one of your best friends, and you really want her as your travel buddy, anything is possible.  Stay tuned for a entire yummy post with her gorgeous shots...

Tara and I, day two Bali.

I now have ten glorious days to relax.  Well, not exactly.  I will be relaxing a bit, but I will also be spending loads of time re-vamping the next version my online course---a labor of LOVE for sure.  I am excited to announce the next course will have even more demo videos (close ups, people, clooooooose ups), new studio exercises and other fresh tidbits of awesome inspiration.  Over the next two weeks, I will be posting a series of paintings created by the students in my first online course. I gotta say, the work produced in the first course was really amazing, so I hope you enjoy checking it out. There is still room to sign up for the course beginning on June 11tth.  You can do that right here.  I would love to have you join me!

For now, I'm going to soak up a little bit of the paradise that surrounds me.  I'm still making the most of a trade I did two years ago here in Bali.  Paintings for Villa = Yes please.

Lucky girl.

xo, flora

Book Release + Signings!

It's official people.  My first book, "Brave Intuitive Painting" has hit the shelves---it's time to celebrate!  Creating this book was truly an act of love, a deep journey of the soul and one of the most challenging things I've ever done.  I poured myself into this baby, and I'm so excited to share it with you now.  For those of you who have already ordered or purchased the book, THANK YOU.  If you ordered the book through my website, you'll be happy to know that your book was lovingly signed, packed and shipped off (with the enormous help of my dear girlfriends) yesterday!  Keep an eye out for those special brown envelopes arriving on your doorsteps very soon...

To celebrate the release, I am holding a couple of events in Portland, OR, over the next two weeks, and one in Melbourne, Australia in June (and possibly others?).  I would love to see you, meet you and sign a book for you.  If you don't happen to be in Portland or Melbourne, but you would still love a signed copy of the book, I will happily ship you one just as soon as I get my hands on the next shipment (early June)...apparently Amazon just snapped up the rest of the first run.  I'm thinkin' that's a good sign!

EVENTS...please join me.

May 3rd, from 6-9pm Release Party and Signing @ Hunt and Gather 1302 Northwest Hoyt Street, Portland, OR. 97209

May 8th, from 7:30-9pm  Author Talk and Signing @ Powell’s Books 1005 W Burnside, Portland, OR. 97209

June 7th, from 6-9pm Author Talk and Signing @ Readings St. Kilda in Melbourne, Australia 112 Acland St, St Kilda, Victoria, 3182

*Shamelss promotion alert* If you have already read the book and feel inspired to write a review on Amazon.com or any other online sources, I would be so very grateful. Apparently these reviews hold the golden key for book sales these days, and I would LOVE this book to find it's way into more hearts and hands! Thanks ya'll!

xo flora

 

A Beautiful Glimpse Inside a Colorful Workshop

About a month ago, I had the pleasure of returning to the lovely Teahouse Studio in Berkeley, CA, to teach two Bloom True workshops over the course of two weekends.  During the second weekend, my sweet and talented friend, Zipporah Lomax (yes, that's really her name...she goes by Zippy, even cuter) asked if she could photograph the workshop, because, well she likes me and she likes art.  When a super talented professional photographer generously asks you this, you obviously don't say no.  It was such an honor to have Zippy capture this special weekend for us, and I'm happy to be able to share it with you now.  Thank you to all my amazing students, the Teahouse gals and Zippy, photographer extraordinaire! 

Here's a tiny glimpse inside our colorful world...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in joining me at a workshop, there is still room in these...

"Bloom True Moves" outside of Ashland, OR, July 19th - 22nd, 2012

"Call of the Wild Soul" in Somerset, England, Sept. 27th - 30th, 2012

"Squam Italia!" in Moro d' Oro (one hour from Rome), Italy, Oct. 3rd - 7th, 2012

Bloom True: the E-course starts on June 11th, 2012 (runs for five weeks)

 

Bloom True Moves!

The amazing Miss Robyn Kautz

It is with great pleasure that I am finally able to share with you a very special project I have been dreaming into creation for months--- Bloom True Moves!  I am thrilled to join forces with two of my favorite movers who also happen to be two of the most inspiring women I know.  Heather Beckett (yoga and voice work), Robyn Kautz ("Sacred Sass" dance) and I look forward to blending our respective passions to offer you a truly unique four-day celebration of movement, art and soulful sisterhood.

This intimate gathering of thrity women will be held at the lovely Buckhorn Springs Retreat Center near Ashland, OR, July 19-22, 2012.

Buckhorn Springs Retreat Center

Join us as we dance, stretch, breathe, sing, mingle, relax and paint our way to a place of more freedom, joy and fun in our bodies and our our canvases. The intention of this retreat is to provide an empowering, enriching and relaxing experience for everyone. You do not need any kind of experience to participate. For more information + registration, please visit the Bloom True Moves blog.

Hope to see you there!

"Release and Grow"

Painting is good medicine

"Write blog post" has been on my to do list for the past three weeks.  Every time I look at my list it just stares back at me--- "Hellloooo, remember me?"  Well, let me just say that I have not forgotten about you my sweet little blog!  I have just been completely immersed in my Bloom True e-course with little energy for writing left over at the end of the day. We are now in the final few days of the course and I'm coming up for breath. 

Well, actually I'm sitting in Portland's cute airport getting ready to fly to San Francisco to teach a workshop this weekend at the Teahouse Studio.  Oh, and next weekend too.  I guess this is my kind of "breath." 

I will write more about the e course next week, but I will say this---I feel like I'm on the other side of an enormous mountain.  This particular mountain was a pure labor of love, one that I poured every bit of my heart and soul into on a daily basis for months.  I'm honestly not sure who learned more, my students or me? 

Presenting this intuitive painting process in an online format was a challenge.  The process can be quite an emotional roller coaster as I'm sure my students can attest to!  There were times where I just wanted to give a virtual hug to everyone who was struggling.  I did as much of this kind of supporting as I could muster through the written word, images, quotes and videos.  But, in the end, it was up to each person to step into their own form of bravery as they faced their canvases---alone.  From what I can see, this inaugural group of brave bloomers totally stepped up to the challenge. 

Can you tell I'm feeling like a proud mama right now?!

In the midst of this course, I also created a 20 foot long mural.  As you do when you're crazy like me!  This mural was a commission and I painted it directly on the wall in a condo in Portland.  I'm quite sure I would not have made time to paint over the past couple weeks if I didn't have to, but I'm so grateful I had this commitment.  Squeezing those hours of painting into my very busy days was a pure gift, and this is why:

The process of creating something out of nothing (see blank wall below) is intoxicating---like pure soul food.  As humans, we are designed to CREATE, but it's so easy to just watch instead.  By creating, we come alive inside.  We are reminded of our infinite creative capacity and our ability to create our LIFE---anyway we want it.  It's such a metaphor in that way. If we allow it to, creating can re-connect us to our most raw and pure state of BEing and to a place where anything is possible and new worlds are born with the simple swoosh of a paint brush. Every time I paint, I am reminded why I feel so passionately about sharing this process with other people; Creating is a crucial part of being alive, and painting is good medicine for the soul. 

(To read more of my thoughts on this topic, check out an article I wrote about my "Dream Job" right here.).

With that said, here's a little glimpse of the progression of the "soul food mural" (please excuse the poor quality...the light was pretty dim and all I had was my handy iphone.).

Wouldn't it be fun to wake up in this forest everyday?!

Stay tuned for more e-course reports including images and testimonials from my lovely students.

xo flora

 

 

 

 

 

Doodles Unleashed

There are so many wonderful new art books coming out these days---it's awesome.  I love that artists are getting a chance to offer the world their unique perspectives and techniques and that so many students are able to learn from these inspiring people---inpiration at our fingertips!  I recently had the pleasure of reading Traci Bautista's newest book, "Doodles Unleashed."  I must say, after page one, I was feeling all sorts of inspired.  As a semi-traditional painter---you know, I use paint and brushes and that's pretty much it, I was really inspired by Traci's use of so many different materials to make marks, stamps and stencils.  I'm thinking, "Geez.  I need to mix it up!" 

I also love Traci's encouraging words and "just go for it" attitude.  This is something I bring into my own workshops, so it was great to see another artist whole-heartedly giving so much permission.  Sometimes I think that's all we need---permission to start, permission to explore and permission to figure it out as we go.  Amen.

I have yet to meet the author of this lovely book, but her good energy oozes off the pages and I hope our creative paths cross one of these days soon.  For now, I will keep picking up her book when I need a bit of inspiration and a reminder to keep exploring in new ways.  Even though I preach that kind of exploration, it is so damn easy to forget!  Thanks ,Traci, for reminding me and for creating such a wonderful book.  I'm sure it will inspire many.

 

 

Two New Workshops: England + Australia!

The blooming continues around the world!  I hope you can join me for one of these brand new workshops in England + Australia.

Call of the Wild Soul (great name, right!?)

The UK Sacred Art Retreat: Sept. 27 - 30, 2012

Somerset, England

I am very honored to be a part of this inaugural sacred art retreat held in the mystical English countryside.  Created by visionary and artist, Erin Faith Allen, this retreat brings together four unique and powerful teachers---Teesha Moore, Madelyn Mulvaney, Orly Avineri and me! 

Over the course of three inspiring days, you will have the opportunity to work with three different teachers, each presenting a unique workshop meant to free and feed your creative spirit.

My one-day workshop, "Brave Intuitive You," is a soulful one-day workshop brimming with creative prompts, inspirational new approaches to the creative process and plenty of one-on-one encouragement.  The intention of this workshop is to bravely swing open the doors that keep us from expressing ourselves fully to welcome in pure unbridled spontaneity and a river of creative flow.  Weaving together a variety of painting, drawing and mixed media techniques along with simple movement, meditation, and writing exercises, I invite you to make friends with your inner artist (she’s in there already!) while offering you a fresh perspective on your creativity and a deeper connection to your brave and intuitive self.  Each exercise in this workshop is specifically designed to help you loosen up, be bold and allow your art to unfold in ways you can’t even imagine before you begin.

This gathering will also include nightly entertainment, amazing vegetarian food, yoga and meditaion classes and a show-and-sell creation boutique.  More information about this lovely gahtering right here: www.callofthewildsoul.com

And this, my friends, is the castle where we get to paint! 

 

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And for all you Aussies out there, I'm so happy to let you know that I will be returning to your fine country once again!  This time around, I will be offering only one workshop in the fine city of...

Melbourne, Australia: June 8 - 10, 2012

This three-day workshop (non-residential) will take place at Gasworks Art Park, a vibrant arts center just south of downtown.  In this intimate (only 15 students) workshop, we will create two large scale paintings as we explore a whole new way of painting from a space of freedom, non-judgment and experimentation. This process is about loosening up, letting go of expectations, having fun and allowing your art to unfold naturally. .

Throughout the workshop, I will demonstrate many of my personal painting techniques such as layering, dripping, stamping, expressive mark making, etching, patterning, drawing with paint and carving out imagery. I will gently guide you with prompts through this fun explorative process, as I share tips about color combining, using translucent paints, finding your own voice, and bringing your paintings to life with variation and contrast. I will also offer ways for becoming “unstuck,” moving through challenging moments and getting back in your creative flow. Our luxurious days of painting will be infused with music, poetry, yoga-inspired stretching, dancing, writing and sharing circles…all to help us open up, let go, get inspired and bring more joy into the process of art making.

For more information and registration, please email: liza@lizazeni.com

Discovering Melbourn's vibrant street art in 2011. Photo by Liza Zeni.

Blooming True Mexican Style

I must admit that trying to convey the magnitude of magic that was present during our week-long workshop in Mexico is a little daunting, but here goes...

Yep, that's San Miguel de Allende, a beautiful gem of a city nestled in the Sierra Madres Mountains and fondly referred to as El Corazon de Mexico (the heart of Mexico).  To be honest, I had surprisingly never heard of this magical land until I received an email from Miss Rebecca Brooks about eight months ago.  Rebecca was keen on taking a Bloom True workshop, but alas, they were all full.  Was I interested in teaching a workshop in Mexico, she wondered?  One sparkly converation later, (we were kindred spirits for sure), it was ON...a workshop born out of TRUST, a desire to follow our soul's longing and no small amount of BRAVERY.

Arriving from four countries, ages 35-83, fourteen brave women gathered together for seven dreamy days in the sunny courtyard of Casa Carmen, the oldest bed and breakfast in San Miguel...can you say charming?  It's no surprise to me that this workshop attracted such a special group of women.  We were all there for the same reasons---to gift ourselves seven days of pure creative time, to meet like minded people, to explore a beautiful city and perhaps the most important reason---to dive into our own personal journeys of letting go, stepping into the unknown and embracing ourselves with MORE LOVE and MORE JOY...yes please!

Our days together were deeply soulful---with the perfect balance of laughter and tears.  Each day started in a circle where we settled in, eyes closed, hearts open and birds singing.  Then we talked.  We talked about art, of course, but the conversations often widened to hold our stories of personal awakenings, tips on letting go, favorite books and ways to move through fear and accept what IS.  As the official teacher, you might imagine that I was doing most of the talking---oh no!  I simply created the container for this amazing group of women to share their unique perspectives and their wise wise words.  I'm sure I learned just as much as everyone else during those circles!

Morning circle...photo by Michael Murnane

Fueled by inspiring quotes, positive affirmations, painting demos, time spent sketching and writing, great playlists and fresh jugo, we painted up a storm for about five hours each day.  We made repeat trips back to the local art supply store to re-stock on our lucious jars of vibrant Mexican paint---the colors were AMAZING!  Our evenings were spent exploring the colorful streets of San Miguel, eating in the hundreds of great restaurants (the rooftops were my fave) and doing some sweet bonding with our fellow bloomers. I think everyone would agree that it was a very BLISSFUL time.

*Check out more gorgeous photos and beautiful words by Miss Andrea Scher right HERE.

Yummy paints...photo by Michael Murnane

For me, the most amazing thing about this workshp was the TIME we had---time to really sink into the process, to explore many ways of approaching FOUR big canvases, to let go into the luxurious hours of creating freely with nobody telling us to stop or to clean up or to...go home.  This was the key!  I know my approach to painting (not knowing what will happen before you start...totally letting go...embracing the unknown) can bring up all sorts of emotions which often opens doors into news ways of being.  And THIS, my friends, takes time...sweet deep time.  You can be sure I will be offering more of these longer format workshops.  I think I'm addicted.

"Papel Picado"  my Mexican demo painting

Now that I'm firmly planted back in THIS reality (not such a bad one, I must say), it's time to put some final shiny touches on my Bloom True E-course...it starts on Monday and I can hardly wait to unveil this exciting new project to you (there are still a few spots open if you want to jump aboard in the final hour!)

Exploring San Miguel...photo by Andrea Scher

 xo, flora