My Zentangle Classes on Skillshare

I am a certified Zentangle teacher and I have three classes published on Skillshare.com. It is a great platform filled with a variety of classes you can take online. I highly recommend checking out this site and especially my classes.

I am offering my first class free until the end of this year. This class will teach you the basics. The other two classes are beginners and beginners/intermediate. After you complete the free class, I believe you will want to continue because it is addictive in a good way. By investing in yourself you will become a happier person giving you the ability to face your life’s challenges. I will be adding more classes in the near future.

Because I am a skilled art practitioner, I create a nonjudgmental environment encouraging my students to not think about the end result, just enjoy the process. In the Zentangle community we do not believe in mistakes, only happy beginnings; this is why we do not use erasers.

I encourage you to check out the site. If you are finding yourself feeling anxious from the volatile political climate we are living through, creating Zentangles will take you away from your internal fears and anxieties, into a world of peace with creating tangles with lines and circles that will amaze what YOU ACCOMPLISHED. YES YOU!

https://skl.sh/2LEYgMH

Hugs

Jude

P.S. Please share this link to a friend who you believe will benefit by this art. It will make a great holiday gift.

My Beacon of Light

Week One of Life Book 2015

Halo by Beyonce

It has been a while since I painted. I am working hard creating fiber art and began missing the feeling I get when I am immersed in my paint and just playing.. I received new lessons from Life Book 2015 and the first lesson inspired me to play with paint. Do you like my “Beacon of Light?”

She makes me smile and gives me hope there is light surrounding me every day; a beacon of light to lead me to make the right decisions, gain confidence, be happy and make others happy as well.

I hope she does the same for you. All my best dear friends.

Virtual Hugs sent you way…

Jude

A Mother Knows What Her Child Does Not Say

A Mother Knows!!

Danny’s Song by Anne Murray

A Mother does know what her child does not say, it is called mother’s instinct. I had a very strong mother’s instinct. I knew when my son Michael was sick, depressed, upset or tired. I looked into his eyes and they told me everything I needed to know. He is now an adult with children of his own but I can still read his eyes. I will always have the mother’s instinct no matter how old he is.

For Jason, however, he was unable to communicate. I understood very early in his life how to communicate with him and how he communicated with me. For example, he was diagnosed to have apnea as an infant. This means he stopped breathing. When Jason finally came home after five months in the hospital, I used my mother’s instinct on him as well. After observing his apnea spells, I realized he was using it to get attention. He was holding his breath. Unfortunately for Jason, he held his breath so long, he was unable to start breathing again until he turned blue and fainted. When he reached this point he then started breathing again. He would recover and look at me. He got the attention he wanted.

When he was older, I was able to read his facial expressions along with his eyes. I would ask him a question and he would respond with either a smile, pout, frown, or tears, depending on what the situation was.

After a surgical procedure, I was invited to see him in the recovery room. I would ask him if he was in pain and he would look at me with tears in his eyes and a pout that extended down to his neck. This very clearly meant he was scared and was experiencing pain. The nurses would give him pain medication, and after a few minutes, he smiled at me and fell asleep.

Jason and I had a special connection with communication. He depended on me even more because I was able to understand him. It was the greatest gift I could give him and I was honored to be his communicator.

I only wished he could have found a way to tell me he was leaving me for a better place. I had a hard time accepting his decision to enter heaven’s door without saying goodbye. I finally realized he needed to do it his way.

Best wish my friends,
Hugs….Jude

Silent Tears

“A Strong Woman knows how to keep her life in line. With tears in her eyes, she still manages to say…I’m Fine!

Inspirational Mixed Media Painting

River of Tears by Eric Clapton

I am the strong woman in this quote. For many years I needed to be strong so I could stay in control. Staying in control was the defense mechanism I created within my soul so I could continue to advocate and care for my disabled son. However, I cried silent tears. I never cried at my mother’s, father’s or son’s funeral because I didn’t allow myself to do so. Again I cried silent tears.

On the outside everyone believed I was a very strong woman. “You are a wonderful mother and a very strong woman, I don’t know how you do it”, I heard. I cried silent tears. I still cry silent tears for the loved ones who passed away. I cry silent tears every day thinking about my son in heaven.

I can relate to Eric Clapton’s song, River of Tears. All of the silent tears I cried for many years are enough to fill a “river of tears.”

I create visual journal pages because the demon inside my soul taught me how to cry silent tears and I am going to get rid it through every page I create in my visual journal. It is my therapy. My subconscious is going to kick this demon out of my soul through my paintings. I am healing with every stroke I make. How refreshing!!

If you are living with something very painful, either mentally or physically, pick up a journal and write. Write your feelings down. Get them out of your head and on paper so you can see them. If you are creative, paint; use a visual journal for the same purpose. Don’t cry silent tears like I did for years; get your feelings out of your mind and on paper. It is the beginning of cleansing your soul from all the demons living there for years. GET THEM OUT!, otherwise you will develop a physical illness like I did.

I have anxiety. However, I am being treated and doing fine. My mind was filled with all my pent up frustrations,fears and pain, it overflowed its cup (so to speak).

Well I need to get off my soap box.

Best wishes dear friends…
Hugs
Jude

Two New Paintings Completed

I am busy this fall showing at local craft shows. I have three this month, two in November and two in December so far. In addition to the above I received the proof of my book which needs to be proofread again before it is finalized. With that being said I also visit the gym three days a week and babysit my grandchildren on Tuesday for 14 hours. Wooo….I am tired just thinking about it. Don’t let me fool you…I love every minute I spend with all my activities, especially my grandchildren.

Below are two completed paintings. I tried a new technique using tracing paper. I trace either a found image or an image from my sketch book and trace them. I collage the tracing paper with the image on the painting. What is cool about this technique is the tracing paper is so thin that when it is placed on the painting you can see the mixed media background through it. I really like how it turned out and definitely will be using this technique again.

I do not like my handwriting and I am always looking for a way to print my quotes without typing them. By using the tracing paper I can trace over the letters and it appears like I printed it. It also allows me to overlap images that really gives it a cool look.

Disability Awareness

Disability Awareness

Cool isn’t it?

I am hoping this fall will be a positive experience for me. I really want to spread the word about my inspiration paintings and the positive effects they can make in my community. Disability awareness is my priority along with equality and peace. Of course it would be nice to sell a painting or two. My inner critic needs to “shut up” and only one sale will do the job. 🙂

Have a great day
Hugs
Jude

Sacred Eye from Life Book 2014 Class

A strong Woman knows how to keep her life in line. With tears in her eyes, she still manages to say, “I’m fine!”

Do you like my sacred eye? This is another lesson from Life Book 2014. I had the quote sitting on my desk waiting for me to catch up with the lessons to create this.

Interestingly I never cried throughout the challenging years with my son. I easily will cry with a sad movie, a sad book or an argument with my husband or my son. The tears would flow with no control. I try so hard to keep them intact without success.

I never cried at my parent’s funerals or my son’s. I wanted so much to but I mentally kept the tears intact. I needed to be in control. Control was my defense mechanism throughout the years. Having control of my emotions was how I got through caring for my dear son. When I needed to cry and really wanted to….my eyes were dry. :-(.

Enough posting for today. Have a great week my friends and hope to post sometime during this week if time allows.

Hugs,
Jude

Strong Women Fighting Unknown Battles

I painted this with a quote I feel truly passionate about. It was my life for many years.

I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

Enjoy my dear followers!
Hugs from Jude

Life Book 2014 – Week 25

Always Believe Something Wonderful is going to Happen!

Barry Manilow – It’s a Miracle

Have a great weekend my friends!
Hugs
Jude

The Best Accessory a Girl Can Own….

CONFIDENCE

Confidence

I BELIEVE I CAN FLY

This is my latest painting. It is for sale. If you are interested please contact me with a message.

Have a great day,
Hugs from
Jude

Life Book 2014 – Week 23

Took a few minutes out of my busy day to take the next class waiting for me in Willowing Arts – Life Book 2014.  I hope you like it.

 

Stag

CIRCLE OF LIFE – WRITTEN BY SIR ELTON JOHN

I live in the country and so many days I will find dead deer along the roadside. I really get upset. I realize the deer cross the road without looking. I also realize they can cause a car crash. I am really careful driving through the country roads. Many times I see a few baby deer cross the street ahead of me and I slow down, stop and watch them cross the street. They are so beautiful.

Have a great day and weekend. Hugs from Jude