Join the fun!

I will be teaching a Create Art with Abandon class for teens-11yrs + 

(grown-ups are invited to come, too)

at:

The Collective + Makery 

4724 Main Street, Lisle, IL 60532

Saturday,  January 20  9:00am-11:00am

Creating art with abandon is about letting your creative spirit out to play without concern of the finished piece or outcome.  
In this class you will have a starting point.
No white page/blank canvas staring back at you, unless that is what you want.

When we allow ourselves to create freely it is absolutely amazing 

what the end result looks like! 

Experience it first hand in this relaxed environment.

Come on and...

NOTE:  There will be a class for adults to be scheduled in February.  

Let me know if you are interested in, at least, knowing when it will be.

Not at the top of my game

When I got up this morning I didn't feel "at the top of my game".  

I felt off - I couldn't pinpoint any reason why, I just did.  

Because I am an avid believer in the Law of Attraction I know how important feelings are.  

Good or bad, your feelings conjure up very strong chain reactions.  

Setting all sorts of things into motion to reinforce your feelings.

I wanted to shake this feeling. So... I did what I knew best to do.  

I went into my studio and created art with abandon, no concerns for the outcomes.  

I did a spread in my art journal.

Worked on four sculptures that I have in progress.

I was enjoying this time creating in my studio.

By late morning I was getting my groove back.

I finished the day off with this lady.

fall classes

2 more pages + YouTube video

I have steadily been finishing up pages for my Create Art with Abandon journal.  Here are 2 more to be added.  These pages begin as left over pain while working on other art.  Whatever paint is left on the brush just gets wiped onto these watercolor pages, dried,  then stowed away until the next. After a while I take them out and put finishing touches on them.

So I was thinking it would be great to put these pages in a You Tube slide show to be available for all to see.  Here's the link for that, I hop you will check it out and let me know what you think.   (Note:  these 2 pages have not been added yet.)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo1aJrSolOM

three pages added

Yesterday there were 3 more pages added to my Create Art with Abandon journal.  These pages begin with left over paint from mine or students brushes, these pages are used to demonstrate a technique or sometimes the reverse side of a stencils will be added, or simply anything else may included.  The pages are dried then stowed away.  After a while I will remove them from my bin and add details to complete it.  After doing this for many pages, I am totally convinced that art can be created with abandon and that each and everyone of us are creative.  Sometimes we may just need a little guidance and/or reassurance.  This is one of the deciding factors for me to teach Create Art with Abandon classes.  If you want you can read more about my mission here  http://www.createartwithabandon.com

For the one below, it was clearly in my heart and mind to include messages of encouragement.  They are speaking to me and the journey I am on.   I've enlarged the photo so you can take a moment to read the messages, do the resonate with you, too?

it is me

I have been dedicating time to draw more faces.  I continue to be surprised that I can even do this!!!  This is the motivating drive behind Create Art with Abandon.   I want to encourage others to let their creative spirit out to play and uncover your creative talents.  WE ARE ALL CREATIVE!   You absolutely never know what is there inside you  until you give it a chance to come out.  I am filled with gratitude that I took the chance to travel this creative path.  I am learning more and more about myself, everyday.  I continue to be thirsty for more. It  was in August 2011 that I drew my first face that ignited my spark.

Yesterday afternoon, I took my pencil and drawing journal, turned on some music, lit some incense, sat in the chair in my studio, and started drawing myself.  I had thought about drawing myself many times but could not muster up the courage.  This was the day I chose to overcome resistance and just do it.     Sometimes it wasn't easy looking at all my wrinkles and darkness under my eyes.  Yet it was me.  I knew my take on it was personal so I asked my husband for his opinion, after all he does see me all the time.   He hesitated, then began his remarks.  Naturally he was right, just don't tell him!  :-)  I proceeded to erase one whole side of my face to begin again.

It's funny because as I write this post and look at my drawing I still see things I could change but I won't.  I delcare it done.  I recall the self talk thru this process and it makes me smile.  

                                                  After all...it is me!

a family that creates art together...has fun together

I visited my sister, Bonnie,  this weekend in Indiana and decided to gather some of my family together to Create Art with Abandon.  I immediately was able to fill five seats around the table.  They were all ready to be relaxed, hang out with family, and create art.   I enjoyed listening to the remarks and seeing the puzzled looks on their faces after each layer was applied to the canvas.  I know they were wondering how in the heck anything worthwhile would come from the "mess" they saw on their canvas.  With a little reassurance and chanting the mantra "there is no mistakes in art" each person began to to see their piece of art coming to life.  This is the part of teaching Creating Art with Abandon classes that fills me with such joy.  When each person realizes, from deep within, that they are creative.  It touches my heart even more when it's family.  Just look at the awesome pieces they created.  

            

                                            

      

Family Time = Creating Art with Abandon

Karen was searching for something she and her family could do together.  Looks like she scored on this one!!  Create Art with Abandon was just the right thing.  Just look at those smiles on those faces.  Next scroll down to take a look at the art created.  BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL ART!  We even remarked how each piece had a different style.  When you create art with abandon it comes from within out onto the canvas.  I am honored to have the priviledge to witness this time and time again.

We had a really good time!  Karen had taken a class previously and knew this is what she wanted her family to do together.  As you can see, her husband and son joined us and they didn't seem to be there by force.  I will admit that I was a little anxious about having men in the class yet when we began we were creating art with abandon, there was no differentiating between male & female.  A good lesson for me to learn.

Thanks Karen, Brian, Zach,Kate, and Olivia for sallowing me to share family time with you.  It was fun!   I look forward to creating art with you again.

http://www.createartwithabandon.com

if the shoe fits

We've all heard the saying,

I am feeling the magnitude of that expression and it feels "just right".

Last night was my first group Create Art with Abandon class.  Six wonderful women gathered around my kitchen table to allow me the honor of guiding them to create art without concern for the outcome (abandon).  I'm sitting here at my computer trying to come up with the proper words to express how I am feeling yet the words are just out of my grasp.  It came to me that I am too concerned about the outcome of my story telling so I am going to practice what we learned last night, I am going to write this post with abandon.  Straight from my heart.

I was all set  with the preparation of the class and ready to go, just waiting for my doorbell to ring.  I sat on the couch in a moment of silence to express to the Universe/God how grateful I was for this opportunity.  The more I expressed my gratitude the more I began to feel the depth of what I was grateful for.  In those moments I came to realize how much creating art with abandon mirrors our lives.   We all begin with a blank canvas.  Each layer of paint could represent each experience in our life.  We may not like the color we just added or what happens when we glaze over a painting because it changed the look of our art, just like in life.  We may have bad things happen in life that changes what was before.   In painting, as in life, we can choose not to like what we have and call it quits OR we can take what we have and make it into something we do like.   Sure it may take a couple more tries to get things to the point of acceptance.  When we choose to try something else it can make all the difference in the world.  We are painters, painting our life.  

We began the class with each person writing on their canvas "there  are no mistakes in art".  At first they were hesitant but with a little coaxing and assurance that it wasn't going to affect their art we moved on.  You know what?  There are NO mistakes in life, either.   As we added layer after layer   I started noticing a little bewilderment of what the outcome would be and together we would chant  "there are no mistakes in art".   As the class went on, I must have said the word awesome, it seemed like, a thousand times.  I could see each piece taking form, coming to life, and that really excited me!   When all  the layers were dry and it was  time for marking the piece of art by adding the final touches, excitement was  mounting as they saw their piece being transformed right before their eyes.  My heart was filling with pure joy watching this unfold.   Ah, hell... I'd even say I was as giddy as a kid in a candy store.  There was something special in every piece that seemed to "make the art".  Hands down...everyone left with an awesome (there's that word, again) piece of art.

This class marks the official beginning of my Create Art with Abandon classes.  What a relaxing and fun way to gather with friends or family.  If you are fairly local and want to invite your friends to your house, I have the paints and supplies and I will travel.  My house is readily available, too.  

My website is under construction please email me at teresa@teresacash.com with any questions.

the naked truth

I am really hesitant when it comes to talking about what I am doing but since this blog is about my creative journey my intention is to bare it all.  

As you may or may not know I lost my job mid January due to restructuring of the company. (no moaning and groaning, please) At first it set me into a tail spin, oh hell, I'll even admit that I was frickin' lost.  Fourteen years is a long time.  It didn't take long for fear to set in by dangling all the "what ifs" in front of my face and trying to convince that doomsday had arrived.  Yes I was faced with the fact that I no longer had a steady job or a steady income.  But fear made it seem ten times worse.  I bought into it for a while.   I cried, I moped around, I felt really sad, I  felt broken.   All the while I kept my smile face on.   No one knew what I was feeling on the inside. 

It was around my birthday in February that I had had enough, I was tired of the pity party.  I resolved to pick myself up by the seat of the pants and move on.  The core of who I am has always believed that everything happens for a reason.  It's when we embrace the reality, get busy looking for the lesson(s) to be learned, and being grateful for what we do have that things will turn around.  Above all else is to have faith in the Universe/God.  That was my new approach.  I created a new routine.  I started going to the gym, I continued with my daily meditation followed by writing in my journal, and I immersed myself in creating art with abandon.   I look back at the artwork I have produced since January and my heart smiles because each piece mirrors this path I have been on.  

I firmly believe that this creative path I am on is exactly where I am suppose to be.  I'm not sure where is will take me, I just know that I will continue to put step in front of the other and be on merry my way.     

I can not be successful alone.  It takes people buying my art or items I make and sharing them with their friends and family.  I sincerely want to  my website as appealing as possible and your opinion would be extremely helpful.  I am open to constructive criticism.   Please browse thru my website at http://www.teresacashart.com and then send me an email at www.teresa@teresacashart.com providing me feedback.  I realize that your life is busy and I  am very grateful for your assistance.

1st semester of 48 Weeks

The intention of this blog was to be about my creative journey, as I set forth with joy in my heart and follow the path of my dreams.   I am an example of what can happen when we make a conscious decision toward change.  I believe we all are creative in one way or another.  Sometimes we just convince ourselves otherwise.  Remember... it was just a little over 3 years ago I did not know that I could draw or paint.  It was when I decided to let my creative spirit out to play that my creative life began to evolve.  It  is my mission to encourage each and everyone of you to let YOUR creative spirit out to play, too.  You will be amazed and joyful at what unfolds.

  

We can create art together.   We can have fun together.    Me & You & Your Friends, too!

 I was given sage advice from an artist friend of mine, Kelly Hoernig, "to explore who I am as an artist".  

Thank You, Kelly!

When the opportunity to join this class presented itself I knew it was going to be just the right fit.  It's hard to believe that 12 weeks have already gone by since I enrolled in  48 Weeks with Donna Downey.  It goes without saying that I am learning lots of techniques and using products I hadn't even heard of before.  I find this to be very exhilarating!!!  

I just finished the 1st semester and I wanted to show you the work I've done.  I am working in a moleskin journal, each piece measures16 x 23.  This is bigger than I am familiar with.   Since I have been doing this for 12 weeks I am really getting the itch to paint on a larger canvas.  One day soon!

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

WEEK 5

WEEK 6

WEEK 7

WEEK 8

WEEK 9

WEEK 10

WEEK 11

WEEK 12