Tag Archive for: Dominique Hurley

My Cup Runneth Over – Body, Mind and Spirit Retreat

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Division No. 1, Subd. O-20141109-01653I woke up this morning wanting to blog about my transformative weekend, knowing that if anything I share here inspires you in any way, then it will have been worth my delaying today’s painting session.

How do you fill your cup ?  How do you make sure you’ve taken care of yourself so that you have enough to give or share with others?

As you know, I fill my cup by connecting to Source through painting and being in nature, with or without my camera.  I also do so by growing in my understanding and practice of unconditional love.  One of my favourite ways to do that in the past few decades has been to attend personal or spiritual growth workshops.

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Well, this past weekend at the Body, Mind and Spirit retreat at Lavrock Center in Salmonier, I did just that.  I filled my cup to overflowing. What a blessing!

When it came my turn to hold the talking stick during our opening circle on Friday night, I expressed to the 53 other people there how I hoped to gain an even deeper trust that this path I have chosen (have been guided on) continues to support me and others in love, beauty, and abundance.  I explained that although my life had continued to be magical after my return from my year studying art overseas, the fact that I had no idea what 2015 held for me had brought back some of my scarcity issues and fears.  My heart swelled when Lucy, the organizer, played a song whose lyrics included “Make me an instrument of thy peace” – the mantra that came to me that very morning during meditation.  On Sunday afternoon, during our closing circle, I expressed how my fears had been transformed and that I was leaving with a renewed sense of my own power, purpose, abundance, and a much deeper trust in the future that I’m architecting with my every thought and action.

IMG_8569I also expressed that I was leaving feeling honoured by all that I was able to share and witness over the course of 3 days.  This is my third such retreat, and every time I am impressed with how Lucy O’Driscoll and her team of presenters have been able to create a safe, non-judgmental, loving environment for the participants.  As a presenter myself, there’s no expressing how fulfilling it is to know that what I was able to offer through my two workshops not only provided tools for participants to take with them on their life journeys, but also created the space for some profoundly life-changing aha moments, as individuals attested to during and after my workshops.  Knowing that my being there made a significant difference in the lives of several people still brings tears of joy to my eyes.

I’ll be sharing a summary of both my “Simplifying Your Life” and “Developing Your Intuition” workshops in upcoming posts. For now, I’d like to talk more about some of the gifts I received this weekend. They say that by giving we receive. That’s very true.  Unconditional love is the only thing that keeps filling your own cup the more you give.  There’s something to be said too, however, for the power of allowing, receiving, and accepting.

Transformational Training With Tina Olivero:

When not presenting, I had the chance to attend two other workshops. Using my pendulum to guide me (as all of the workshops would have been great refreshers), I was guided to both of Tina Olivero’s sessions: Self Love and Thought Awareness.  I totally recommend attending one of her workshops – she offers Transformational Tuesdays here in St. John’s, and there’s a weekend retreat coming up at the end of the month. Tina’s biography (both her life and death experiences) is impressive. Her studies have been in ontology (the branch of metaphysics that deals with being-ness) and she used to train the trainers for Landmark – a program that I have heard wonderful things about. The list goes on. Basically, Tina presents herself as a thought adjuster and helps people to create a future that is in alignment with who they really are.  She’s truly an inspiring teacher!  Her workshops were perfect for what I had hoped to gain this weekend for myself.

Basically, I was reminded about the duality of human beings – the human part describing the ego and our propensity towards fear and smallness, and the being part describing our Higher Self and the choices for love that are available to us in every moment.  We covered a lot in our 6 hours together.  I ended up writing 4 words down as a reminder:

Future: something we architect from our thoughts
Integrity: keep your promises to yourself first and foremost
Responsibility: being able to respond from Higher Self at every moment
Perception: Nothing has meaning except the meaning you give it.

Her sessions reminded me of the Master Your Mind – Peak Potentials Training workshop I attended in LA in 2008 with several inspirational teachers.  I offer you this video summary I  made at the time using my photography; I just noticed it’s up to 9,200 views on youtube.  May it make a difference in your day.

Shamanic Ceremony with Alison Normore:

This weekend was also a great opportunity to reconnect with Alison Normore.  Some of you might recall that I took an intuitive 26-day road trip across the island of Newfoundland shortly after I moved here in 2011. The only thing set in my schedule were her Munay-Ki Initiation retreat and her New Earth Medicine – Awakening week-long retreat in Gros Morne National Park during the Peruvian Shaman Tour.  This past weekend, the whole group participated in a wonderful sacred water ritual that Alison led indoors.  It was supposed to be an outdoor fire ceremony, but with the 130km/hr winds, rain, hail and wet snow, I’m glad we stayed inside.  Alison also gave me a ride to and from Salmonier and was my only roommate, so we had a nice chance to catch up.

If you’re interested in Alison’s work – she’s got two events this week in St. John’s and more around the island.

So Much More:

There’s nothing like the power of unconditional love.  The only way we can be truly loved, however, is to be seen and accepted for we we truly are.  These retreats give participants plenty of chances to let go of masks and barriers in order to show themselves.  Many expressed their surprise at how much they opened up and how they didn’t feel judged for what they revealed about themselves.  Beautiful! Powerful! People don’t always feel safe doing so in society. Once people have tasted the deliciousness of being authentic and have been supported for being so, the easier it becomes to building communities around ourselves that can love and accept us for who we are.  Rich!

Apart from that, there was plenty of food, laughter, and fun this weekend.  Thanks Lucy for all your work over the years in providing these annual retreats.

Next Body, Mind, and Spirit Retreat – May 1-3 Weekend at The Wilds Golf Resort

IMG_8572Scholarships:
Every year, Lucy graciously offers scholarships for her retreats.  In addition to the 50/50 draw at each retreat, she raises funds for these scholarships by organizing silent auctions – asking participants to donate items or services that others can bid on.  Her sister Clare was the very happy winner of the painting I created for that purpose: “Royal Retreat”, which will adorn her new home.

I am also very grateful that I had a chance to share my art with the participants during the weekend.

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Whatever helps you fill your cup, I truly hope you prioritize it on your to-do list this week and every week.  You’re worth it. You and those around you deserve it!

Namaste!

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New Painting: November Showers

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It’s easy to figure out what inspired this painting, simply by its name.  Being back in Newfoundland, it’s inevitable that I would add to my collection of weather-inspired pieces.

November Showers-Dominique Hurley

November Shower detail1- Dominique HurleyThis is “November Showers“- 12″ x 16”, acrylics & glass beads on gallery-wrapped canvas (no framing required) – SOLD. It’s one of the pieces that I’m bringing with me today to the Body, Mind & Spirit retreat in Salmonier, where there are heavy wind warnings for today (up to 130 km/hr) as well as rain (not that unusual here).  Luckily, the sun will come out on Saturday afternoon and hopefully stay with us until the end of the retreat on Sunday.  You never know in Newfoundland…

Did you see a smirky face in the painting?  When I look at it, I see the spirit of a being that isn’t phased by the weather – its joy is something that is carried inside no matter the environment.

What I really like is how the light catches on the glass beads and transforms the piece as you change your position.  That’s hard to show in a photo…

November Showers detail2-Dominqiue Hurley

 

 

 

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New Painting: “All the Days of My Life”

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All the Days of My Life-Dominique Hurley.jpgOK, so by now you already know how much I love and am grateful for my guardian angels, who have been at my side all the days of my life (although perhaps not the same angels the whole time – I don’t know much about their contract terms, job security, retirement age, turnover rates, etc.). What I do know is that they’ve done a truly wonderful job, even when I put up a fuss 🙂

I’m also very fond of the archangels, whom I call upon quite regularly.

It would only be natural, therefore, that I have more than one angel painting.  I’m adding to the collection this week with this one:

“All the Days of My Life” – 12″ x 24″ – Acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas – SOLD

 

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New Painting: “On a Wing and a Prayer”

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As an English as a Second Language teacher, I’m often familiarizing students with the meaning of idioms/ expressions.  I’m going to go one step further today and share what I learned about the history of the name that came to me so clearly for this painting. Actually, I’ll take it two steps further because I’ll add my own spiritual twist to it.

“On a Wing and a Prayer”  – 12″ x 24″ – acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas (no framing required) – SOLD

On a Wing and a Prayer-Dominique Hurley.jpg“On a Wing and a Prayer” – the idiom

  • Expression meaning that you’re hoping to succeed at something, although you’re not prepared enough or have very little chance of success.
  • first cited in the 1942 film The Flying Tiger when John Wayne’s character describes a plane that was just attacked by the Japanese as coming in with only one wing and a prayer.
  • was made even more popular in 1943 through Harold Adamson and Jimmie McHugh’s WWII patriotic song Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer

My twist:

On a Wing and a Prayer detail1 -Dominique HurleyWhen I “received” the name for this painting, I had to look on Google to double-check the meaning.  The reference to war notwithstanding, I was surprised at the less than optimistic definition.  I didn’t want one of my paintings to be associated with “only the slightest chance of success”.  So I meditated on it (ie. stared at the painting while rebounding on my new mini-trampoline – a perfect addition to the studio).  It didn’t take long for its message to dawn on me.  When undertaking a new project or looking at the future (as the woman in profile is doing here), we always have a choice to focus on the best possible or worst possible scenarios.  It’s so easy to get caught up in all the details that we miss the beautiful tapestries we are weaving with our lives.  One can choose, however, to trust the vision of our Higher Self, who, like the bird, sees the path before us as well as the bigger picture.  It answers our prayers for guidance, prayers that help us focus not on the impossibilities, but on the infinite possibilities of life.  There!  That’s better, isn’t it?!  I could go on, but I’ll let you add to that positive spin on your own.

On a Wing and a Prayer detail2 - Dominique HurleyInteresting fact about the hidden layers:  As I’ve explained before, my paintings often consist of multiple layers (of paint as well as meaning). These layers are added on intuitively with a spirit of play and exploration until an idea forms.  Well, this is one of those paintings that has a very rich history indeed.  Beneath the layer of crimsons and gold that forms the base to this finished painting was another layer with another 8 hours of zentangle patterns.  It is all but invisible now.  Was that wasted time?  No. It’s simply part of the meditative process that went into creating this piece.  When I ended up covering it up, I didn’t dwell on what I had “lost”, but focused on the new possibilities.  Nothing could take away from the joy those 8 hours of pattern-making gave me.  It’s all part of the process and infuses the piece with that much more love and energy.

On a Wing and a Prayer detail3-Dominique Hurley.jpg

 

 

 

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* Guide To Intuitive Painting / ** Guide de la peinture intuitive

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*Would you like to learn the intuitive painting process? It’s all here.  Give it a try and have fun!

It is with great pleasure that I provide this summary of the “Les mains dans l’art” (Hands On Art) workshop that I taught across the province of Newfoundland & Labrador thanks to the Réseau Culturel de la Fédération Francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador (FFTNL) and Heritage Canada. My hope is that it will not only serve as a reminder for all the teachers and participants, so that they can continue their multi-layered journey into the magical world of acrylic paint, but also inspire some of you to try out this avenue of intuitive creative expression. Ready to paint?

01_Port au Port_1522074_1512135659031968_8194920878061840375_n** Voulez-vous apprendre à peinturer d’une façon intuitive?  Allez-y! Amusez-vous!


C’est avec grand plaisir que j’offre ici ce résumé de l’atelier “Les Mains dans l’art” que j’ai facilité à travers la province, grâce au Réseau Culturel de la Fédération francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador (FFTNL) et de Patrimoine Canada. J’espère qu’il servira autant comme rappel pour mes étudiants et leurs enseignants que comme inspiration et guide pour ceux d’entre vous qui veulent essayer cette voie d’expression créative intuitive. Êtes-vous prêts?

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* BACKGROUND / ** CONTEXTE:

* I have been painting in this style with acrylics since the 1980s, but this step-by-step teaching methodology was inspired by the teachings of the old Masters (as taught to me at the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art) and by fellow artist Flora Bowley.

** Quoique je peins dans ce genre depuis les années 1980s, cette méthodologie pédagogique, étape-par-étape, a été inspirée à la fois par les enseignements des Maîtres anciens (tel qu’enseigné au Vienna Academy of Visionary Art) et de l’artiste Flora Bowley.

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* MATERIALS NEEDED / ** MATÉRIEL NÉCESSAIRE:

  • * acrylic paints in warm and cool colours as well as black & white
  • variety of paintbrushes & sponge-brushes
  • palette paper
  • canvas boards or stretched canvas
  • water containers (2 per person)
  • variety of mark-making tools (possibilities are endless: comb, toothbrush, bottle caps, old dead pens, special brushes, stencils, sea sponges, nets, bubble wrap, leaves, stamps, spray bottle, spatula, etc.)
  • plastic tablecloths (can be bought in rolls – if so, scissors)
  • painting shirt or apron (very messy process 🙂 )
  • rolls of paper towels or rags
  • hairdryers (or more time)
  • music
  • colour wheel to teach basic colour theory
  • sample canvas for each step (if teaching a group)
  • an open mind, an open heart, no expectations
  • ** peintures acryliques en couleurs chaudes et froides ainsi que noir & blanc
  • variété de pinceaux, pinceaux éponges, et brosses
  • palette en papier
  • cartons ou châssis entoilés
  • bocaux d’eau (2 par)
  • variété d’outils pour faire des marques expressives (les possibilités sont infinies: peigne, brosse à dent, capuchon de bouteille, stylo, pinceaux spécialisés, éponge de mer, filet, film à bulle, feuilles d’arbres, étampes, vaporisateur, spatules/couteaux, etc.)
  • nappes en plastique (peuvent êtres achetées en rouleau – si oui, ciseaux)
  • tablier ou chemise pour la peinture (processus très salissant! 🙂  )
  • serviettes en papier ou guenilles
  • musique
  • séchoirs à cheveux
  • cercle chromatique pour enseigner la théorie des couleurs
  • un esprit ouvert, un coeur ouvert, la libération des attentes

* Note: The FFTNL has prepared a French vocabulary list for the arts (with English translations) that you can find here.

* Notez:  La FFTNL à préparé un petit lexique des arts que vous pouvez trouver ici.

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* THE STEPS /** LES ÉTAPES:

* This workshop is about both technique and creative exploration – a process of letting go in a non-judgmental space of experimentation. There are no mistakes here. Everything is a step towards what will be.  I have divided these instructions into easy steps for the development of your own unique acrylic universe. You’ll be transforming your canvas with every layer, which in turn will inspire what to do next. Once you’re comfortable with the steps and principles, you can change the order, skip steps, etc.  Welcome to the world of intuitive painting!

** Cet atelier est à la fois techniques de peinture acrylique et exploration créative – un processus de libération dans un espace de non-jugement et d’expérimentation. Il n’y a pas d’erreur ici. Tout est un pas de plus vers ce qui sera. Les instructions sont divisées en étapes faciles pour le développement de votre propre univers acrylique. Votre toile se transformera avec chaque couche, qui par la suite inspirera la prochaine étape. Une fois comfortable avec les étapes et les principes, vous pouvez changer l’ordre, sauter des étapes, etc. Bienvenue au monde de la peinture intuitive!

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* Step 1: WARM COLOURS
Use warm colours to create a base coat in any manner you like and with any tools you like (blindfolded, with hands, dry brush, wet on wet, etc.). I gave my groups only 5 minutes to use all their warm colours and try all their starter tools to help loosen them up.

**1ière Étape : COULEURS CHAUDES
Utilisez des couleurs chaudes pour créer une couche de base de n’importe quelle manière et avec les outils que vous aimez (les yeux bandés , pinceaux sec, les mains, avec un vaporisateur d’eau, etc.).  Je n’ai donné à mes groupes que 5 minutes pour aider à les réchauffer: toutes les couleurs chaudes avec tous leurs premiers outils.

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* Step 2  : COOL COLOURS
Once the first layer is completely dry, use cool colours to create as many kinds of marks and designs on top. Be creative in finding natural or man-made mark-making tools (sponge, comb, leaves, various paintbrushes, bottle caps, stamps, etc.). I gave students 10-20 seconds to play with each toy before passing it to their neighbour on the right.

** 2ième Étape: COULEURS FROIDES
Une fois la première couche est complètement sèche, utilisez des couleurs froides pour créer autant de types de marques expressives et de motifs par dessus les couleurs chaudes. Soyez créatif pour trouver des outils naturels ou artificiels (éponge, peigne, feuilles d’arbre, différents pinceaux, capuchon de bouteille, des estampes, etc.).  Mes étudiants n’ont eu que 10-20 secondes par outil avant de le passer à leur voisin de droite.

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* Repeat Steps 1-2 as often as you like. Wait until each layer is completely dry, or you will create muddy colours.

** Répétez les étapes 1-2 autant de fois que vous le souhaitez. Attendez que chaque couche soit complètement sèche, sinon, le résultat sera des couleurs boueuses.

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* Step 3:  : CONTRAST
Use white and black (side by side for increased visual intensity) to add more marks or designs if you want to stay abstract, or to start building your subject if one is already calling you. If you prefer a more realistic look, you can use all shades of white, grey,  and black to build a three dimensional effect on your figures or in your landscapes, etc.

** 3ième Étape: CONTRASTE
Utiliser du blanc et du noir (côte à côte pour un plus grand contraste) pour ajouter plus de marques expressives ou motifs si vous voulez rester abstrait, ou commencer à développer votre sujet si vous en avez déjà une idée. Si vous préférez une peinture plus réaliste, utilisez toutes les nuances de blanc, de gris, et de noir pour peindre une image plus dimensionnelle.

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* Step 4: GLAZE OR WASH
(Note : Depending on time, I sometimes explained Step 4 before Step 3 during my workshop tour)

Add a unifying glaze by using a tiny bit of one colour and a small puddle of water or acrylic glazing liquid (more stable, but longer to dry). Test on a corner to see if the colour is too thin or too intense. Think: do you want your overall look to be warm or cool? As the glaze/wash is transparent, it will render some colours underneath more neutral (cool ones if you’re using a warm glaze or warm one if you’re using a cool glaze).

** 4ième Étape : GLACIS OU LAVIS
(Notez : Lors de ma tournée provinciale, surtout en fonction du temps , j’ai parfois expliqué l’étape 4 avant l’étape 3)

Ajouter un lavis ou glacis pour harmoniser les couleurs. Utilisez un tout petit peu d’une couleur et beaucoup d’eau ou de medium à glacis acrylique (plus stable, mais plus lent à sécher) . Essayez sur un coin pour voir si la couleur est trop faible ou trop intense. Pensez: voulez-vous que votre toile finale soit chaude ou froide? Comme le lavis est transparent, il va rendre certaines couleurs plus neutres (les froides si vous utilisez un glacis de couleur chaude ou les chaudes un si vous utilisez un glacis de couleur froide).

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* Step 5  : KEEP ON LAYERING 
Keep layering with black & white and colour.  Apply various glazes on specific sections (tiny bit of colour and water or acrylic glazing liquid) or straight paint, especially on the whites. Any colour you add on top of white will be brighter, more vibrant. So whether going for glazes or full-on paint, it’s better to put white underneath if you want the colours to pop.

Repeat any step as you feel moved to. Spend time looking at your canvas. Explore and develop what is already taking shape there. You might even want to use this as a background for a collage – use all you have ever learned and go from there.

** 5ième Étape: CONTINUEZ LES COUCHES
Continuez avec le blanc, le noir, et les couleurs.  Appliquez des glacis de maintes couleurs sur des sections spécifiques  (tout petit peu de couleur avec de l’eau ou medium de glacis acrylique) ou de la peinture pure, surtout sur les blancs. Toute couleur que vous ajouterez par dessus le blanc sera plus radiante et intense. Donc, il est préférable que l’évolution de votre toile se fasse avec maintes couches de blanc avec soit glacis sur des sections spécifiques ou couleurs pures.

Répétez toutes les étapes aussi souvent que vous le souhaitez.  Passez du temps à regarder votre toile.  Explorez et developpez ce qui se dessine déjà.  Ceci pourrait aussi être un arrière plan pour un collage ou autre technique – tout ce que vous avez déjà appris.

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* ENJOY!
Play and have fun! There are no mistakes, just learning. The beauty with acrylic paint is that you can keep adding layer after layer until you are perfectly happy with what you’ve created. It dries quickly. Be gentle with yourself, knowing that each layer is part of the evolution. It is not rare for me to think a painting was more appealing 5 layers back … I just keep on going, embracing the mystery and listening to both my heart and my painting. Where you go with this will be totally up to you – find your own unique voice and enjoy the process!

P.S.  If you want to dive deeper, Flora Bowley has a wonderful online intuitive painting course I’m affiliated with. Click here to learn more.
Flora Bowley

** AMUSEZ-VOUS!

Jouez et amusez-vous! Il n’y a pas d’erreur, que de l’apprentissage. La beauté de la peinture acrylique est que vous pouvez continuer à ajouter couche après couche jusqu’à ce que vous soyez parfaitement satisfait avec ce que vous avez créé. Soyez gentils avec vous-même, et rappelez-vous que chaque couche fait partie de l’évolution. Il m’arrive de penser qu’une peinture était plus attrayante 5 couches auparavant … je continue à accueillir le mystère et j’écoute à la fois à mon cœur et ma peinture. Je vous invite à développer votre propre voix artistique en explorant et en ajoutant à ce processus, tout en vous amusant!

***5_Exemples 3

* EXAMPLES:
Here are examples of some of my finished paintings created with this multi-layered technique. The « before » shots are of backgrounds created by multiple repetitions of all the steps, not necessarily in this order. The « after » shots are what happened once I « heard » what the painting wanted to become (something that sometimes doesn’t happen until 10-15 layers in). It’s about trusting the flow and enjoying yourself. You’ll find you will feel freer about jumping around and mixing steps the more experienced you become, the more comfortable with mixing colours you are, and the bigger your canvas. This is only the beginning!

** EXEMPLES:
Voici quelques exemples de mes œuvres créés avec cette technique. Les photos “avant” sont d’arrière-plans crées suivant les étapes 1-5, pas nécessairement dans cet ordre. Les photos “après” sont le résultat final lorsque j’ai compris ce que la toile voulait devenir (ce qui parfois ne se produit pas jusqu’à 10-15 couches plus tard). Il s’agit de faire confiance au processus et de s’amuser. Vous pourrez être plus libre de sauter des étapes et de les mélanger lorsque vous gagnerez en expérience, vous serez à l’aise avec les couleurs, et votre toile sera plus grande. Ce n’est qu’un début!  4_example 2 3_exemples 6_textures 1_pas à pas 1 2_pas à pas 2

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* WORKSHOP TOUR:
To see the full blog post from each location, click on the group name.

** LA TOURNÉE:
Pour voir l’article descriptif complet pour chaque emplacement de ma tournée, cliquez sur le nom du groupe.

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1) L’ÉCOLE SAINTE-ANNE:  Grand’Terre (Mainland), Péninsule Port-au-Port Peninsula (Terre-Neuve / Newfoundland)

66_Ecole Sainte Anne_Leslie Quennehen FFTNL__DSC0466

2) L’ÉCOLE NOTRE-DAME-DU-CAP:  Cap Saint-Georges, Péninsule Port-au-Port Peninsula (Terre-Neuve / Newfoundland)

67_Ecole Notre Dame du Cap_Leslie Quennehen_Port au Port__DSC0872

3) L’ASSOCIATION RÉGIONALE DE LA CÔTE OUEST (ARCO): Grand’Terre (Mainland), Péninsule de Port-au-Port Peninsula (Terre-Neuve / Newfoundland)

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4) L’ASSOCIATION FRANCOPHONE DU LABRADOR (AFL): Labrador City/Wabush (Labrador)

64_Dominique Hurley_Labrador City_Atelier AFL_DLH_9348

5) CENTRE ÉDUCATIF L’ENVOL: Labrador City / Wabush (Labrador)

69_Dominique Hurley_Labrador City_l'Envol_DLH_9400

6) L’ÉCOLE BORÉALE: Happy Valley – Goose Bay (Labrador)

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7) L’ÉCOLE DES GRANDS-VENTS, Saint Jean / St. John’s (Terre-Neuve / Newfoundland)

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8) FESTIVAL DU VENT– Saint Jean / St. John’s (Terre-Neuve / Newfoundland)

Atelier Saint Jean_Dominique Hurley_DLH_0474

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3 New Paintings

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IMG_8530I got back from my cross-province workshop tour on Friday.  I have 2 “Les Mains dans l’art” workshops left here in St. John’s, one on Wednesday morning at l’École des Grands-Vents and the other, open to the public for free, in late November during the Festival des vents.  If you’re familiar with French, you’ll notice that both these names includes a reference to Newfoundland’s winds.  Well, I’m glad to report that Hurricane Gonzalo didn’t hit us hard, at least not where I live.  During the heavy rains and wind of the last 2 days, I was in my beloved studio painting in preparation for some upcoming group exhibitions.  The river in the backyard was half way up the hill when I woke up this morning, but it’s on its way back down again, and we’ve since had sunshine and unseasonal warm weather.

FALLAANL2014The 3 paintings for next weekend’s Art Association of Newfoundland & Labrador Fall Exhibit and Sale were finished before I left for my workshop tour.  I just hadn’t photographed them yet.  If you’re in St. John’s, I hope you’ll join me and the many other artists displaying at the Arts & Culture Centre October 24 (6-9pm reception), 25 and 26.  Free admission.  I’ll definitely be there on Friday evening.  Please share this information. Thanks.

Here are the 3 new paintings I’ll have on display/ for sale during that exhibition (or before if you can’t wait).

1.  “Seabird” – 12″ x 12″ – SOLD, acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas (no framing required).
This beauty’s hair is flying in the NL winds, lifting her into a state of freedom and elation as she turns her eyes upwards to the skies, one with all that is.

2. “Mirage” – 24″ x 36″ , acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas (no framing required). – SOLD
The subtle energies emerging from the background simply asked for me to bring this tree to life.  This is quite a new look for my work, even if it’s easy to recognize it’s mine.  I can see the influence of my time studying in Vienna with this one.

3.  “I AM” – 24″ x 36″  , acrylics & tar gel on gallery-wrapped canvas (no framing required).- SOLD
You might recognize this imagery from 2 other pieces I’ve worked on this season: “Exaltation” and “The Astral Drum“.  I felt called to explore the theme and imagery even further as it continues to emanate from my soul, but this time in 3-D, using clear tar gel for texture, leaving the background layers visible while the Universe keeps evolving.

 

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Workshop Tour Day 9: Colourful Happy Valley

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Dominique Hurley_Labrador_HVGB Churchill River_DLH_9933I woke up at 3am with a bright computer screen inches from my face on the bedside table at my hotel in Goose Bay.  Last I remember, there were only 5 or so photos left to upload to this blog – less than 2 minutes of waiting time – but I guess my body simply decided it was time to sleep after such a colourful day.

Les Mains dans l’art:  L’École Boréale  – Happy Valley, Labrador

Dominique Hurley_Labrador_École Boréale_DLH_9727I left my hotel at 6am in case the road crews had already started work on the stretch of road between Goose Bay and Happy-Valley.  That, and I needed to hunt for breakfast as it’s not served in my hotel. Luckily, I found a Tim Horton’s on the way. Of course I had to Dominique Hurley_Labrador_École Boréale_DLH_9588test whether sugar on an empty stomach still gave me an immediate headache, something I tend to forget.  What can I say? I associate Tim Horton’s with Boston Cream Doughnuts…  I was OK after I followed that up with some healthier choices.  I was at the school a little before 7am, when Jean-Pierre, the director opened up. It takes me about an hour to set up the room, and I like to have it all done by the time the participants arrive.

We had a great morning – 3 hours here with 8 participants, including Mme Nancy, the teacher, and Dominic, one of the parents.  We also had a ninth, Mme Joanna, who assisted one of the children and a few others who dropped in to witness the fun.  You’ll see a couple of faces in this gallery, as the parents were there to give me permission.  That third hour is great as it gives the students time to go through the warm, cool, glaze, and contrast layers before spending time listening to their hearts and their artwork to repeat any of the steps with any of the tools.  Once again, we were all thrilled with the results, and Mme Nancy intends to repeat the process with future classes.  Wonderful!  I’m also happy to report that Oscar, the cutest bunny ever, is still very much white after our very messy morning in his proximity.  Thanks to all for yet another memorable experience!

Dome Mountain:

Dominique Hurley_Labrador_HVGB Churchill River_DLH_9684After returning to my hotel for lunch and to spread out my brushes to dry, I met Marie-Ève, the school secretary and pre-school teacher, and we drove our separate cars up to Dome Mountain.  I could see why she opted for that instead of trying to draw me a map.  What an adventure of twists and turns through the military base (major flashbacks from my childhood on Canadian bases in Germany) and up dirt roads up the mountain.  I’m glad to report I didn’t leave the floor of my snazzy little red Cube anywhere and that my tires survived the million potholes. I can see why this is a popular playground for all terrain vehicles in the summer and ski-doos in the winter.  Once at the top, you get a great panoramic view of the whole region (although the thick haze didn’t make for great photography).Still, it was a thrill being up there and the adventure ride had me grinning yet again.

I didn’t read about this look-out on any tourist site – I felt very lucky.  I didn’t stay long after my guide left for her appointment, but took a long time getting back down – avoiding potholes, taking pictures, and playing the “find your way back” game.

I was meeting Isabelle at the school at 3pm – she works for the French school board in St. John’s, and we’ve been following each other since Port-au-Port. We headed nearby to where the director had explained was the only access to Churchill River in town.  Yay! I was going to get my sunset over water.  I knew there had to be water nearby. He explained that access to it in town was restricted for strategic military reasons when the base was built here in the valley.  I had read about this trail that passes behind Warr’s Pharmacy.  That’s where we parked, and Isabelle went for a jog along the path that passed behind houses along the shore for a few kilometers while I took pictures.

We then drove to a nearby boat launch before she went back to her hotel to work, and I kept scouting for spots to set up for sunset.

I’m just amazed at all the sand here after the pebble and stone beaches of Newofundland.  At one point, I drove down a long sandy road and onto a huge beach where all-terrain vehicles obviously have their fun.  It was magic hour for the light. Heaven!

I left before sunset though because I didn’t want to have to drive out of there in the dark.  Instead, I went back to the beach at the end of the walking trail and enjoyed the show. Now it’s your turn.

I head home to St. John’s in a couple of hours. Today, Day 10, marks the end of my travels. I loved being on the road, and I’m ready to go home.  The program isn’t finished though.  I teach in the school in St. John’s next Wednesday morning.  After that, there will be a community workshop open to the public during the Festival du Vent, on Saturday, November 22nd.  I’ll give you more details about registration as soon as I get them.  Thanks for traveling and playing with me everyone!

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Workshop Tour Day 7: Hike, Drive, Teach & Sleep

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I took a lot less photos today, so I won’t be going to bed at midnight again. Yay! Today, I left the camera in the car and went for a 25-minute power walk around Tanya Lake (vs. yesterday’s 2.5-hour photo walk around it).  It’s amazing how familiar the trail was – I even recognized specific blades of grass, etc. from my intense focus the day before.  Then, I hopped in the car and drove to Wabush (the adjoining town 10 minutes away) and went to take a look at Jean Lake. I was greeted at the gate by a spruce grouse right next to the road… but the camera was in the trunk….  There’s a 5km hiking trail around the lake, but I didn’t want to risk being late for school (a good habit I’ve kept from childhood 🙂  ) and was chicken about doing it alone (there are bears in Labrador you know!), so I took a few pictures and headed back to Labrador City past some great Hallowe’en displays.

Les Mains dans l’art: 

Dominique Hurley_Labrador City_l'Envol_DLH_9381Le Centre éducative L’ENVOL is quite a big school.  If I remember what the director told me, most of their students are in grades 4 and below. Today, I taught three grade 7-8 students. Although some from that class were absent, we made as big and fun a mess as any other workshop group. On top of that, the results, as you’ll see, were just as unique and creative.  We also only had 2 hours here instead of 3, but less line-ups at the sink and hairdryer station sped things up a bit.

Dominique Hurley_Labrador City_l'Envol_DLH_9392I’m thrilled that the visual arts teacher also participated today. With all the leftover supplies, he plans to pass along this new style of painting to the younger students. In fact, that’s what’s great about the layering process I’ve been teaching on this trip.  You can keep on building on top of it and in the end, simplify the concept so that the multiple layers of colour and texture become a fascinatingly deep backdrop to whatever world you decide to create on top – be it abstract, landscape, portraiture, collage, or other genres. In fact, you can take this initial intuitive process and integrate it to what you already know and love in order to make it your own.  Jason seemed to find the experience fulfilling, especially because it was such a different approach than his own. This school is very lucky. Jason’s education is in the arts, his work is stunning, and they have a fully equipped visual arts room. I was like a kid in a candy shop looking around while waiting for my little crew to arrive!  So much inspiration and lots of fun projects. Bravo!

Well, it’s 5pm, I’ve had my dinner. and would almost say I’m ready for bed… I think it’s a TV night.  I’m not inspired to go back out in this pouring rain and am quite tired today.  I fly out tomorrow at 11:45 am, so if the weather is good, I may hike up to Crystal Falls in the morning. We’ll see.

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Workshop Tour Day 6: Marvellous Monday!

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Dominique Hurley_Labrador City_Tanya Lake_DLH_9012

I knew that I was probably going to skip lunch, so I had a huge breakfast in the hotel restaurant this morning, including toutons, a NL specialty of pan fried dough smothered in molasses (I had a choice of having them deep fried, but opted for the healthier choice 🙂  – a far cry from my usual Vega smoothie).  I then headed out in the drizzle for a 2.5-hour walk around Tanya Lake at the edge of town.  Folks say it takes 30 minutes to walk the trail around it, but they obviously aren’t lugging a camera and tripod.  Here’s why it took so long for me.

Association francophone du Labrador:

1522074_1512135659031968_8194920878061840375_nAt the end of the trail, I was rushing to get back to the car, so that I could get to the Association francophone du Labrador by 11:30am.  I had arranged to be there early to set up before the 9 participants arrived.  As expected and hoped for, we had a lot of fun and the results were amazing, yet again.  I am thoroughly impressed with the creative process I witnessed here.  I witnessed courage, risk-taking, letting go, relaxing, confidence building, and a whole lot of colour. I even got a few ideas!  I tell you, teachers learn as much from their students as students learn from teachers! I’m so glad I remembered to take pictures, as I no longer have Leslie with me.  Enjoy!

The sun was bright at 4:30pm after class, so I drove above Labrador City for a while to get a better feel for the place.  There are truly lakes all around! I thought about going hiking, but I was too tired and hungry and my sponge brushes were calling to be laid out to dry before tomorrow’s class.  It was a nice drive and the light was gorgeous.  What a marvelous Monday!

Dominique Hurley_Labrador City_Atelier AFL_DLH_9357

 

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