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Positively Orange

Blogging has opened up a new world to me. It has been a year since I started blogging and I have been exposed to many positive things. I have meet many new virtual supportive friends who have similar interests, whether it be photography, visual journaling, positive thinking, prairie life, nature, illustrations, watercolour painting, multi-media, drawing faces, music, cats, and even certain colours. These friends have left encouraging and motivating compliments, and have helped me deal with adversity and have assisted me in celebrating the positive in my life. Blogging has brought me closer to family members and friends!

The seed that planted my interest in blogging was a very special, thoughtful Christmas gift from my husband last year. It was a gift that kept on giving. He enrolled me in watercolour classes at our local college with a beautiful spirit Gena LaCoste. I learned new colour theory, techniques, to love professional grade artist paper, brushes and paint. I learned to take risks, to share, to accept critiques, to learn more...that there are artists at all levels of experience, and it is never to late to learn, explore, create and reflect.

Gena has a blog that celebrates her passion of watercolour painting and the west. During the time leading up to my lessons, and during my lessons, I visited her blog every day to see what beautiful creation she painted each day. After my lessons, Her blog got me thinking, I should blog too, to celebrate my journey, to allow myself to explore the great big art world, and to refocus my thinking.... Think positive, open my mind, and expand my learning, seek new opportunities... I contacted her for advice, and her positive encouragement became the sprout to the seed earlier planted. She became my first follower!

Since that day, I have made a few close blogger friends and my blog has been visited from all kinds of places throughout the world. I have had almost 10 000 views. One of my followers, Maria, nominated me for a Liebster Award to celebrate being a new blogger. I was supposed to nominate five other bloggers who have less than 100 followers. I have struggled to pass on the award, because I enjoy so many blogs, and I hate to single out anyone. Every blog I follow, I promote by visually including them down the right side of my blog and I guess, that is my way of nominating each of them for positively influencing others to follow their dreams and for having the courage to share their areas of passion. Terri, Denthe, Michelle, Tammie, Maria, Lorik, Ross, Ted, Renee, Paul, Jessica, and the Journal Fodder Junkies, I Follow because I find their ideas inspiring!

Today's iPad, Paper 53 art is called Positively Orange, because I have come to really like orange. Lorik and Maria, two artists that I follow, are doing a challenge called Mandarin Orange Monday, and they have convinced me that orange is grand. I think my love of orange disappeared when I said goodbye to the seventies and hello to my teens in the eighties. Orange was a colour of the past, and neons, pinks, blues, greens and yellows were the colours of the "future". Now that I think of it though, my favourite dress when I was 18 was orange and my favourite t-shirt was orange too,and my favourite kind of cat was "orange", so I guess I actually did have a secret like of orange.

I also have found a neat artist in a magazine called Where Women Create. Her name is Dinara Mirtalipova, and her blog is http://mirdinara.blogspot.ca/. She uses oranges and folky colours. She loves patterns and illustrating, and I tried some of her ideas.


Thank you to all of you who visit and encourage me. You are my muses and I am grateful to have you in my life! You've made my year positively orange....and red, yellow, blue, green, indigo, violet, and all of the colours possible!




Comments

  1. Congratulations on your blogoversary Renee! So glad you took up blogging, it's been a joy to see you progress on your journey! Love your latest piece, love the loose style and the lightness of it.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Denthe! A year has brought about a lot of experimenting and has given me the courage to explore many styles!

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  2. Woo Hoo! Congratulations on your first year of blogging Renee! I am so happy you started blogging! (That Gena spirit has a strong influence!). I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every post and I am captivated by your positive outlook and encouragement. There is a rare beauty in your words and artwork and it's refreshing! You have a very positive influence on many of your fellow bloggers and you're journey has certainly been an inspiration. May your 2nd year be as rewarding to you as it is to us, your followers!

    By the way, I am so happy to hear you have rediscovered a love for orange as well! LOL! (my favourite colour since Holly Hobby in the 70's!) Looking forward to seeing more orange kitties, flowers, etc., with hints of orange! (this is coming from a girl who wears orange shoes and an orange jacket!)

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  3. Ah, gee! I am flattered! How sweet! Blush, blush!


    Since this post, I have realized I actually have used orange in quite a few art pieces and some of my art glass that I have purchased are orange. How strange is that?

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  4. It was sooo nice to read what you said about orange and MoM.....made me smile and even got a couple of goosebumps:)
    I guess my love of orange was big in the seventies, but I know it started when I was even younger . It started with peachy colours and by the seventies I was going around painting my bathroom light switches and taps (old house) bright orange!! Not to mention the lovely old wooden table...probably should have left it as it was. I admit to know having orange walls in a couple of rooms:)
    Love your happy artwork - orange cat and owl too:) And all the curly patterns (i have an orange cat too;)

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  5. I am so glad that you enjoyed reading my thoughts. It is nice to have an audience. Isn't it funny how we like to surround ourselves with colours that make our hearts jump with joy? I was on a blue and silver phase for a while, then red, then blue, then red.... I always bounce back and forth. Since this entry, I have noticed that orange often appears too!

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