It's safe to say that I have a very unique relationship to flowers. I'm a bit obsessed.  They draw me in and have me inspired to capture their beauty. I'm not entirely sure where this came from because we certainly didn't have lavish gardens growing up.  I don't even recall a relative growing flowers.  

What I do remember is the petunia's that my Mom and step dad grew at the front of Mom's house.  They were hung in baskets from the eaves at the front of the house.  Joe loved tending them and would fertilize regularly.  The blooms were so prolific, you couldn't drive into the garage without scraping the dangling limbs of flowers.  It was spectacular!!

My husband made a comment in passing the other day, that many people like flowers in the "oh that's a nice flower" move on sort of way.  Where I'm a "stop the car, I have to get a picture of that flower" kind of person.

Certainly it's the colour that draws me in and I have done some study around colour and how it affects our moods. The shapes are also fascinating for me.  Unbelievable shapes and details in the various petal styles of flowers.  They are amazing. 

Let me show you how flowers helped me recently.

The other day we had some controversy in the studio.  I work with 9 other artists and 1 artist uses spray varnish, a highly toxic airborne pollutant.  The first time he used it in the studio the director set up a new protocol so that he could continue with his process and not expose the rest of us to the toxins. He has continued to disregard those protocols.  We need to sort this out, but that's not my point. 

I left the studio angry.  I was hurt that he will not see the impact on the rest of us.  I was also questioning my continued leasing of studio space in this location.  You see I have a 3 hour commute to get there each day.  If I'm not able to work because of his varnish, and have to leave the studio, then it is not the place for me. 

Again, these are just the decisions that I need to make for my health and my career. 

The point of this is to give you some context for why I was angry.  I came home so frustrated and defeated.  I decided to walk home from uptown, where the bus drops me off.  It's not far, and I needed the walk to blow off some steam.  As I was meandering through the residential streets, of course, some flowers were shining away at me.  I crossed the street and had a moment photographing them and taking in their beauty. They were Peony Tulips like the ones pictured at the top of this blog post.  Immediately I felt calmer.  I felt happier.  I knew that this too shall pass.  Flowers are a bit of a spiritual encounter for me.  And my tears spring up as I'm writing this.  Not surprising.  This often happens in my work.  

It's my hope and intention to use this spiritual experience, these emotions, to help me capture the beauty of these flowers.  They teach me so much about patience, about trusting myself, about staying connected to my emotional self.  They are more than a pretty flower, so much more. 

​Take a look at this current piece.

Again, I cried.  This piece is called "The Duo."  22 x 36" Oil on Canvas.  Absolutely stunning.  The detail and nuances of colour bring these blooms to life in a way that rocks my world.  I'm humbled to be able to paint like this.  

So you see my work is about more than pretty flowers.  It's about the spiritual connection, the emotional connection, the transformation in us that can happen when we are in the presence of beauty.  

​I do hope you enjoy this little glimpse into my world and my process.  Leave a comment below if there is something you'd like to share about your connection to flowers. 

Are you curious about the paintings I have available for purchase?  Or the pieces I have coming up? The drop down tab will take you to upcoming piece.  Then click the link below and take a look.  Let me know if you have any questions. 

Click here to go the my available pieces.

The quick, easy answer is no, and that's not entirely true. 

I have good days and not so productive days which is certainly to be expected.  I'm in the studio six days a week and I average 4 hours a day of painting.  I'm very focused and manage to attend to the business end of things as well as the social media activity alongside getting the painting done.  I rely on my schedule and time management to keep me on track.

It is inevitable, however,  with each painting that I hit an area of uncertainty and almost boredom as I get challenged by the details I'm working on.  I've also learned that the challenge is simply a moment to breath and regroup.  Let the painting show me the way, because there is a way through the uncertainty. 

I find this such a great life lesson.  Just breath, relax and let the next right move reveal itself.  It always does.  

Painting has taught me so much about relaxing and letting things be.  Trusting in the process.  

I have a sign in my studio "Just Paint Ciel."  This is my mantra.  Don't worry about a thing, just paint. Ultimately this is what this business and practice is all about, painting, and bringing beautiful flowers to life on a canvas. 

From the multitude of reactions and appreciation that I receive, I know that I'm having a good effect on people's lives.  It brings me a tremendous amount of joy to paint like I do.  I take the up's and down's as I go.  I trust that whatever challenge I'm facing will pass as long as I allow it to move off easily. 

Does this resonate with you?  Leave me a comment and let me know how you manage the up's and down's.
​

{Why I create art}

My art is having an impact and that’s not why I create. Not initially any way. It’s about exploring my relationship to things that move me. It’s about control. Controlling my tendency to shut down, numb out and allow negative thoughts to consume my experience.

I grew up with a lot of trauma. I was disconnected from my body, surviving, shifting with conditions around me. Trying to make sense of things and protect myself from the pain and confusion I was feeling.

I’ve been reacting and making decisions from my ideas of how things are versus knowing what’s really going on. Our thoughts are not necessarily the truth.

I navigate shame, fear, self criticism, and doubt pretty regularly. Anxiety is a common companion. These are all residues from these traumatic times.

Art, flowers, landscapes have brought me back to a place of feeling. A purity of knowing what’s true for me in the moment. Creating from this inspired, connected and emotionally charged place is magical.

I’m addicted to this level of feeling and enquiry.
I want more. I want to understand how I am impacted by nature. Thankfully my inquiries are resulting in beautiful art works that my audience loves too.

My love + viewers love = more love in the world.

Win, win, win.

#flowerpaintings #flowerart #federationofcanadianartists #cielellisartist #fineart #bcartist #realismtoday #federationstudio

We all lose confidence.  It happens.  Either we have others influence us, or we simply doubt what we are capable of. 

I, like you, have had people tell me things that tore my confidence down.  Like the time my drawing teacher waltzed me out of class saying "Sweetheart, this clearly isn't for you."  Did drawing become a passion of mine? No.  Never was, and this comment certainly didn't help. 

I'd like to say it was the pivotal comment that had me turn away from my love of drawing, but that's not how it was.  I drew things because I needed to express something in pictures which was easier than trying to explain it. But drawing was never my first love.  It is more of a utility than anything else.  And I'm okay at drawing.  I can express what's on my mind through images.  

When I decided to go full time into my painting career, it was not from a desire to draw, but a curiosity about painting.  How could I get to the painting process without drawing?  I didn't focus on drawing.  Drawing is not the point of my art.  Colour is.  Depicting realistic images is.  Expressing a mood and feeling is definitely the focus. 

I know that if I had to draw the flowers that I paint, I would not be an artist.  I'm not willing to spend 20 hours drawing a flower onto my canvas before I can dive into painting it.  I'll spend 30 hours, 50 hours painting it - no problem.  Like this 39 x 39" Painting of a peony.

So where is the thing that has you stop?  What's the barrier to you making your art?  Where do you lose confidence? 

(I'm really asking you this.... so pause for a moment and consider the things that are stopping you.)

I looked for ways to get to the painting process quickly and in my case the projector was the solution.  I project my image on to the canvas so I can get right to the painting process.  Now some would criticize me for this.  There is a bias in the art world that if you use a projector, or an image to work from, or some other technology that you are 'cheating' somehow.  Not a real artist simply because you aren't free handing everything you create.  

This bias is the problem.  This measurement that we aren't a real artist unless we do things in a certain way.  

I'm kind of done with the judgement.  I want to encourage you to be done with it also.  This is your life, your creative life.  What is the thing that has you lose confidence?  Find a way around it.  You do not have to get stuck at this hurdle. Your art is the point and whatever process you need to create it, is your privilege to decide and use.  

Maybe the fire and passion for your work hasn't kindled strongly yet, For me, I have a fierceness about what I'm spending my life energy doing.  I'm not really open to other people or ideas telling me I'm wrong.  I trust that the fire in my belly, which inspires me to create, is a more trustworthy source to follow. 

Where do you lose your confidence?  Stop it.  Decide what you want.  Learn the skill you need.  Find another way.  Use your creativity to help you design a way that works for you.  Your creative urges are the point and what you contribute is valuable and necessary.  

As I see all the challenges we are facing socially and globally, I know that falling into despair may be a part of the journey.  I also know that my despair over the events of our current times is not going to help anyone.  I will process it all and take care of my emotional/spiritual self along the way, however, what I can do is keep my creative spirit alive and well.  I can continue to contribute beauty and passion by producing my gorgeous paintings.  

I'm reaching thousands of people through my social media channels.  One painting received over 6500 reactions.  Each one of those reactions is evidence that my work affected another human being.  

I don't really care if I'm criticized for using a projector because the end result is that my work is brightening the lives of people all over the world.  The ripple effect of that is unmeasurable.  I feel blessed to do the work that I do and grateful for the gifts I've been given.  

You, your art, your desire, are also a part of this.  What you contribute is necessary and important.  I'm repeating myself here, for a reason.  Judgment, comparison, lack of confidence are all things that are stopping you from sharing your gifts.  Set these limitations down, don't give them any attention.  Find a way to allow yourself to create and share it with everyone you know.  You will have a positive impact and you will inspire other people to meet their day with a bit more hope, a bit more joy, a bit more encouragement.  

This is what we do as artists.  It's not necessarily about what we make, but what we inspire in others.  Please find a way to continue to produce what you feel inspire to.  

Namaste my dear friend. ​

It sure has been a great unfolding. When my client proposed this idea of leaving the pencil sketch, greyscale, then moving to full colour, I really wasn't sure how I was going to pull it off.  My main concern was that the painting would look unfinished.  What unfolded was my process of conceptualizing the idea into a reality.  

As much as I'd like to say I 'knew' how this piece would come together, I'd be lying.  I really didn't know.  Where do I stop and start the greyscale?  How much of the pencil drawing do I leave?  None of the questions could be answered before I simply began. 

I've learned to trust myself, or rather trust my guides.  When it comes to my creative journey, I am really not in the driver's seat.  My intuition, my muse, my creative guides are really guiding me.  I honestly feel that my creative work is a spiritual practice.  I show up and commit to doing the best work I can and my guides agree to show up and lead me.

I trust that I'm exactly where I need to be and I'm so darn grateful for this career, for the beauty I'm creating, for the love I'm sharing with others.  

I do hope you enjoy it as well.  Please leave any comments by clicking below.  

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Last fall I became aware that studio space was available for rent on Granville Island.  Now if you are not local, Granville Island is a wonderful community of artisans, quality food vendors, clothing stores, restaurants, fancy card shop etc.  Wonderful diverse community of stores.  In the main market is the food vendors.  Fresh veggies, specialty butchers, cheese importers, handmade soups, pies, chocolates, you name it, you can likely find it in the market. As well as the Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery and Studios. 

The Federation of Canadian Artists is a not for profit organization that I've been involved with for a couple of years, and it just so happens they have studio space available for artists. 

Again, last fall, I thought it would be wonderful to secure one of these studio spaces. I wasn't sure how to swing it, or what size was available etc.  I hopped in the car on a particular drab day and went to see the spaces in person.  I'm a big advocate of taking your dream for a test drive.  Actually experiencing the space to see if it is a fit.  In this case, I could totally see myself in the space.  I came home dreaming about how I would decorate it and arrange my artwork for maximum effect. The only thing stopping me from taking a space right away was the long wait list of other artists wanting to rent these spaces. 

​I forgot about it and carried on with the painting I had in my home studio to finish.  

I had submitted a piece of artwork to an upcoming show at the Federation so my husband and I drove down there to wander around and have a lovely bowl of our favourite soup.  While we were there, the studio coordinator called and said that there was a space available for me in the studio.  Oh my gosh.  How exciting.  So we walked over and took a look at the space in person.  It would be perfect.  

Yikes.  Now to figure out the finances of it all.  I wasn't sure how I would afford the added expense, but I knew I was going to dig in and make it happen.  I quickly put a call out to my network asking for help and boy did my community come through.  I sold a couple of pieces within a couple of days and this dream became a reality.  

It has now been just over a week that I've had the studio and I've been so productive and loving the community.  I now have 7 other artists that are in the studio with me, working, creating, laughing, and sharing.  It's wonderful. 

This was such a fabulous decision and I'm excited to see what I can create from here.  Here is a commission piece that I'm currently working on.

Thanks for being on this journey with me.  I'd love to hear your comments about my dream coming true or something that came true for you.  Simply comment below. 

This is the message my client sent me after she saw her painting, in person, for the very first time. 

As I write this I can feel the emotion rising again.  I feel so blessed.  She was speechless.  The painting that I created, from scratch, from simply my inspiration, moved her.  It moved me.  I feel the impact of this work.  Sharing delight and beauty with clients.  

This is the painting.  |Luscious White | 18 x 30" Oil on Canvas.  

There are many hours in the studio, while I'm working on my own, that I lose sight of the bigger picture.  Ooh that's a pun.  The process that I immerse myself in, for hours on end, can feel so removed from the impact of that creation.  However, you need to know that I'm addicted.  I love the feel of oil paint on my brush, the glide of beautiful colour sliding across the canvas, the subtle nuance and change in colour that brings the whole piece into 3-D reality.  This process still amazes me.  I can transform a 2-D canvas surface into the impression of a 3-D image.  It's quite an amazing process. 

What's even more surprising, is that my paintings have an emotion, or rather they can cause an emotional reaction from the viewer, bringing us closer to intimacy and true presence in the moment.  

I feel so blessed. 

Are you curious what else I've created?  Come have a look. 
Click here to be directed to my website. 

Do you have a piece of art that's moved you? I heard from a woman in the UK, how she saw a painting of cherry blossoms in bloom a few years ago and she can still remember how it made here feel.  She is still kicking herselt for not purchasing it right then. Ahh, the regret of the painting that got away. 

If you'd like to be included in my email list, receiving early access to new work, and first access to specials and freshly released work, then leave me your information below. 

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Procrastination is not necessarily a bad thing.  It could mean we don't have enough information.  It could also mean we don't want to do the thing, by we I mean our creative muse.  We could also be tired, angry, sad, hungry, or any other state that needs our attention.  Procrastination in itself is not a bad thing. 

The key is figuring out why you are avoiding the thing that you want or need to get done. 

Sometimes it's simple overwhelm.  Too many details running around in your head that you can't make sense of.  For me, I use a system of organizing my work and predicting the time each one of my pieces will take to complete.  This really helps me because even though I may not meet all the timing perfectly, I do meet it most of the time.  Over time I've been able to adjust my expectation and my scheduling to better fit my actual speed and desire.  This is super helpful when commissions come in because I can better predict a completion date for a client. 

When you are making those completion date prediction make sure to tell you client a date that is further out than you actually need, so that you can surprise them with an earlier completion date. Underpromise and overdeliver when you can. 

Now I'm not a numbers person.  This may be you too.  What I've figured out how is how to use numbers to my advantage.  

I use a very simply, free program (https://clockify.me/) to track the actual time I spend on a painting.  I can then calculate the square inches of that painting and I arrive at my per square inch painting speed.  (This will be a ballpark number as more complicated paintings will be slower)

9x12" painting = 108 square inches.  13.5 hours to paint = 810 minutes. 
810/108= 7.5 minutes per square inch. 

How many days a week are you painting and how many hours per day? 

2 hours of painting 4 days a week = 480 minutes @ 7.5 minutes per square inch you can paint 64 square inches in a week.  

See how this works.  You next painting is 240 square inches
240 x 7.5 = 1800 / 60 minutes = 30 hours @ 2 hours/day = 15 days. 

Now go to your calendar and mark down those 15 days.  This will give you a really good idea of the commitment that is needed each day, each week, each month to actually achieve your goal. 

Do you see how empowering this becomes?  This will help your goal setting so much. 

As I said in the video I used to over predict what I could get done in a month and then be sadly disappointed when I didn't reach my goal. My goal was unreachable with the number of hours I was able to paint.  I wasn't doing anything wrong - which my inner critic was happy to tell me, I was simply setting a goal too large for what I could actually complete. 

With these numbers in place, I was able to set more realistic goals, meet my goals and reduce the procrastination that the overwhelm was causing.  

I could look at my calendar and know exactly what I had to accomplish that day. 

Keep in mind some days things go sideways, unexpecteds things crop up.  It's okay, simply adjust as necessary. If you are having to adjust too often then maybe your daily goals are out of line, or your commitment to your work needs to be adjusted.  

Either way you get to decide and make adjustment however you feel necessary.  This is your business and your career after all. 

Leave me a comment below.  Let me know how this resonates with you.  What are your challenges in setting goals?  

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Here's a snapshot from May 2019.  This is a painting that I thought, at the time, was okay.  I'd done my best.  I knew it wasn't finished, but I wasn't really wasn't sure what else to do to bring this one forward. 

Now, Nov 2021, this is where I'm at with this painting.  What a marked difference.  The texture, the detail, the use of colour, the sensitivity to bring this beautiful flower into full experience, all of it has changed.  

I have known for a few months that I wanted to bring this piece out of the archives, because I suspected that now I was ready to answer the questions, the questions I didn't have the answers for a few years ago. 

I'm so glad I did because the different is remarkable.  

I love taking photographs of my work because it makes possible the acknowledgment of change that may have gone, otherwise, overlooked. 

As we work/struggle/yearn for change we can forget to measure how far we have come.  

In my classes, I often encourage students not to judge a painting too early, not to let the self-doubt stop you, to trust yourself and trust the process. This painting is a clear example of what is possible when we allow ourselves the time and attention to grow.  Going back to this older piece, I feel the tender heart of my artist self who was yearning for an expression that could move other people.  

Now, I feel like I've reached a level of skill that I'm able to achieve what I'd hoped for.  To really have you feel and sense the presence of this bloom.  The beauty, colour, dynamics of its shape all come together to have you experience this precious moment with this gorgeous bloom. 

I hope it moves you, this journey and the results.  May you feel uplifted and hopeful for the change that is already underway within your life.  Take those progress photos so you can look back on how far you have come.  

If you'd like to stay in the loop with me, Please join my email list.  This year, for the first year, I'm starting a Collectible Christmas Card Campaign.  All that you need to do to enter is, join my email list and leave me your full mailing address.  You will receive the first limited edition mini print with your Christmas Card.  So very exciting. 

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​

As a fine art painter, I use the photographic image as a guide for creating my artwork. When modern cameras can capture images in such detail, why would we paint a painting of that same image? Why is the photograph not the end of the creative process?

This is a really great question. And please don't misunderstand me, photography is an art form all on it's own, so I'm not diminishing the importance of photography in the art world. 

What I am saying is that, for me, creativity doesn't end at the photograph, it's actually the beginning. I love what a photo can capture particularly as an inspiration for my painting practice. 

I think the deeper question here is: What is creativity?

I mean there are many simple definitions, like the act of creating something from nothing.  This is a definition focused on the doing of creativity.  What about the being of creativity?

In my creative life I've explored weaving, spinning, tapestry, knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch, felting, silk painting, jewellery and metalsmithing, woodworking, book binding, sewing, cooking, paper tolle, painting, and drawing.  This is all that I can think of at the moment. So these are the doing aspects of creativity. 

In contrast, the italian lighting magazine that inspired me to create a stacked and layered ring in silver used my skills of doing creativity in order to bring the being of a creative vision to life. 

See creativity comes from a source within, an inspiration searching for a medium to express itself. The being creative is where the magic happens.  When you connect to an idea, a feeling, a vision and then allow yourself to figure out the form and shape so that you can create your idea in a tangible way, that's the being creative and doing creative things coming together. 

So what happens if you feel blocked to the creative inspiration coming to you?  Great question.  I'm going to write about that in my next blog post. 

Leave me your comments below if you have any thoughts from this one.