Christmas done...

Hi there,


Well, I'm awake in the middle of the night... 3.00am right now... so why not do a little blog post.


I hope you all had a very happy Christmas if it is something you celebrate, and if not, then a Happy Holiday time with friends or family.  I was very lucky to have two close friends choose to join my family for Christmas Eve and then followed by an amazing seafood lunch... must find some pics to share...  cooked by my 'very good cook' friend Sarah.  


After the splendid lunch my daughter and I drove out to the Woodford Folk Festival to set up our hired camper trailer for the week to come, wow, what an ordeal it turned out to be... we've had a LOT of rain, so the camping grounds are saturated, making for some very muddy and unfriendly camping situations, I drove around looking for the right spot.. and steadily felt more stressed and less excited as the time went along... we almost got stuck a couple of times... and when I was about to give up and drive back home, I actually said out loud "I need Help!" .... right near the exit I saw a large grassy area and just pulled over... we un-hitched the trailer and just decided.. HERE.  We will camp right HERE.  it turned out to be a very wonderful spot indeed! (Thank you Angels or guides or whoever was on duty and heard my call for help, seriously, I believe it) 


I'll take some photo's of that too...  


We actually headed back home the next day to have a couple of comfy home days before the festival really kicks off, but our temporary home is there all ready for us to go back to today.


only a few more days left of 2010.... I'm wondering what the New Year will hold... and what my heart desires to bring forward.   What are your hearts desires for the New Year?  Share if you feel like it. x


Take care, bye for now
Love,
Denise.

Oprah's here ...

Today I feel like offering a tribute to someone who seems like a dear friend to me... unusually for me... I actually dreamed about her last night...  I got to hang out with her for a night and a day... we chatted and just hung out like old friends, it felt so real that this morning it truly felt like it had happened!


Her name is Oprah... and I've been inviting her into my home for over 21 years now, via her show on tv, she has brought me so much information regarding life, health and harmony and many other wondrous things too many to name, what a profoundly awesome woman she is.  I see her as a truly magnificent example of what a beautiful open hearted person can bring into the world.


I am so pleased she's made it down to Australia, the energy people were talking about feeling at her shows this morning in Sydney is a testament to the positive addition she has made to so so many lives.


I was surprised by some negative comments I heard while out at the bank and doing errands today.. but I guess not everyone resonates with Oprah's kind of vibe... sometimes it takes a certain amount of self control to not tell them what I think!  I so wanted to tell them to SHUT UP! DON'T THEY REALISE HOW MUCH GOOD SHE HAS DONE IN THE WORLD... that's why this little blog is helpful... I get to say my piece here.


I wasn't lucky enough to go to the show, but I felt the joy of it watching bits and pieces as they came on tv today... and I'll look forward to the shows early next year.  


She has made the world a better place by offering herself in service to humanity, I salute her.


Bravo to you Oprah!


love,
Denise xo

Full Moon in Gemini

Wow!!  I receive a great email update from www.chironewitsen.com and to my delight and surprise, this month one of my paintings... done last year comes to life in a very special way ... well the name and idea of it do!!!   LUNAR ECLIPSE / FULL MOON in GEMINI:  Tues 21 Dec 2010, exact at 6.13pm Queensland time (AEST) at 29 degrees Gemini

it can be hung either way.... it's a representation of harmony... yin yang... with a Gemini Full moon twist, with the twins making the shape of the yin yang symbol.

Gemini Moon

Beautiful canvas prints can be made of this painting too, so if you love it, don't hesitate to enquire about having your very own copy of it.  The original painting is also available and is valued at $2,950.

New moon is on Monday 6th December... for anyone who likes to set their intentions for the coming weeks, that's a great time to do so.  

Love Denise xo

Envy... Cafe display

I have my prints on display again,  funky 'Cafe Envy' this time at Mooloolaba, visit during November if you wish to see these ones xo

The Shabby Chic, fun ones

3 of the Yoga Series, holiday fun, and some red delicious

These are canvas prints

... you'll find my original artwork at

Tiffany Jones Fine Art Gallery

I took a delightful 'mental health day' off today, a hot stone massage with gorgeous Angela, and then a couple of hours at the beach, I didn't do any 'work' and I accepted that that was OK!!  

Self acceptance. 

Denise xo

"You need to play"

Good morning,


It's a bright sunshiny morning ... I've been for a beach walk along Mooloolaba earlier.. and on following my own inner voice I did not take my ipod today.  So while walking along I asked myself... what do you need from me today?  The answer was quite clear - "I want to play" ...  


It may come as surprise to hear that despite having a studio filled with paints, materials, and a bunch of spare canvas's I rarely, if ever, make time to play.... because I am a 'professional artist' it all gets a bit confused for my Virgo Time Manager Self... that part that always thinks I should be working towards something worthwhile, or not at all.  It's quite a sparse way of thinking... because intrinsically I know better.... when we allow ourselves to have fun and play; that life giving energy spills over into the rest of our life, work and mothering or whatever else we show up in the world to offer.


So that is the message for me this week... make some time to play.


I thought of using a pale blue with some red... and some patterns... 


Oh... speaking of colour.... I'm totally loving the The Color Wisdom Cards that I ordered recently... they've come in the post from USA... and I did myself a 4 card reading on the weekend - about being 'Blocked' ... some great insights were given to me, I'll have to ponder that a bit more before I can put into words.  You can get a free reading online anytime if that tweaks your interest too.  Today I've chosen to write in blue... that's all about communication and the Throat Chakra.  (Two of the cards that showed up in my spread were Blue November and Brad Blueberry) 

"Blueberry Tartlets" on display now at 

www.tiffanyjonesfineart.com.au

I went to see the movie 'The Social Network' last night, WOW... those programmers are very passionate about their work... it's amazing what effort goes in behind the scenes for a platform like facebook.  I love Michele Meiche's take on it that the internet and the social networking abilities are a divinely inspired tool that can be of great use for us to connect with other like minded souls.  She has a great radio show Awakenings  I listen via podcast regularly to.   Here's her blog http://consciousinspiredliving.blogspot.com/ 




So... I'm going to sign off for now... 


Have a great week,


Love,
Denise

SPArkle event... phew 'Spring Things' ready at the last minute

... goodness me... this blogging thing really needs far more attention than I seem to be prepared to give to it!


I was in a big flurry last week... wanting to finish a painting in time for display at a Breast Cancer Fundraising event..Pacific Kia SPArkle Night Oct 2010

Gorgeous friend Rachael Donovan, Kim Morrison, 

Denise Daffara & Fleur Whelligan 

"Spring Things"

120 x 85cm

now on display at

www.tiffanyjonesfineart.com.au

and here is the gorgeous Tiffany Jones looking stunning at the SPArkle night, where she, Rod & Stefan set up an absolutely fabulous display of artwork especially for the viewing pleasure of those who attended; featuring very special Australian artists, pictured above is a luscious red pastel by Kate Smith.  It's a rare occasion to have such a high standard of artwork on display  at a local event, and out of the gallery, so I really appreciated Tiffany's hard work to make this happen.

"Bon Jour" is available as a petite print on canvas

rolled $75 (easy to post)

or stretched ready to hang $125 

One lucky lady won a print of 'Bon Jour' that I donated for the night...

So.... that was last week... and this week I'm thinking of what new paintings I can do for the coming holiday season, the local toy store is so kindly telling us with their outdoor signage... only 9 weeks 'til Xmas!!  Oh my gosh!

My youngest daughter and I will be taking off to the Woodford Folk Festival right after Christmas day... so I'd better get things very organised before that... I'll be off the air for a couple of weeks in January for sure.

I was chatting to a very dedicated blogger & client who became a friend Nikki Parkinson of Styling You at the event.. and she recommended I really try and blog at least once per week!  So I'm going to try to get here... ok...  She even does vlogs now!!! omg... I am sooo going to do that one day... I could pull up with a cup of tea and chat for a few minutes... surely??

Perhaps I could ask for topics that might interest you?

Thanks so much for stopping by... 

Love,

Denise. xo

a month later . . .

Helllloooooo


I can't believe it's been a MONTH since I last dropped in here... I had thought I'd be telling you all about my progress in my Feminine Power Telecourse... well... it's been so jolly fabulous I've not even thought of blogging!!!


With this course we've been listening in to a 2 hour session on Thursday mornings (Wed night for the USA peop's) then that goes on to a shared time of about an hour, where we have been able to speak to women from all over the world sharing our inspirations and learnings from that particular weeks topic...  it has been truly life changing!


Since beginning this course..


I have joined in a co-creative partnership with a friend to create a website (she did most of the work on that...) called Luscious Lunches we hosted our very first Luscious Lunch on Friday 17th Sept.. with 29 guests!!!!  and launched a gorgeous meditation cd of a beautiful friend of mine Linda Ireland of Mountain Heart Meditations... which I did the cover for!  

 I have taken myself out for my birthday lunch... met the owner of the restaurant I chose to dine it... to find that she was ready for a change in the artwork in there... offered to show her some of my works that are available as prints... and two weeks later had organised them to be printed and stretched and they are now hanging in a prestigious gorgeous restaurant space on the Mooloolaba Esplanade, in Queenland, Australia....

Me, Linda and Nik 

just over a week after my artwork was hung in that restaurant... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=202898&id=135083163527&ref=mf


also at that Lunch... I was able to speak and share the little story about taking myself out for lunch and then being invited to hang my artwork in there.... I was so thrilled about this experience.


Our Lunch was a fabulous success... and later that night I got a call from the staff at the restaurant to say one of my large prints had sold!


... you know... I 'm going to sign off for now... there are more things but I have to go back to a painting I'm working on...


bye for now,
love Denise xo

Smashed to pieces

“There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic.”
- Anais Nin

How very interesting . . .  I have had that quote on my website for years now... ever since it's beginning, the words of Anais Nin resonated within me so well.  So... it is with some perplexity and a certain amount of acceptance I faced a small creative dilemma . . . probably over a year ago now I went to some mosaic classes, this art form has always fascinated me and I was busting to break stuff and turn it into something gorgeous for my garden... but interestingly.. I did the project to about 90% completion... I made a beautiful bird bath... but had not permanently fixed the platter to the top, and I had NOT GROUTED the finished base.  

So... earlier this year when we had builders doing our home renovation my 'almost complete' bird bath got knocked.. and the platter on the top fell and lost some of it's tiles.. this was ok I thought... no harm was done to the base... I'll get to it one of these days... "Nooo, don't worry about it" I said.  "It doesn't matter"

Okay... so now just a couple of weeks ago my husband dragged the hose across the path of my  'ac' bird bath.. and this was the result : 

it's quite "shattering" really... I have learned I need to follow through and complete a job... 

I abandoned this project before it reached it's full potential and beauty.... and I am learning through the Feminine Power course that I am taking... I have actually been abandoning the girl inside me all of my life.. and now I am the woman she needs me to be to take proper care of her.  This is a huge realisation, and only came to me today thanks to the amazing facilitation of the course . .  

Deep emotional wounding is apparent in us all . . . it's how we come to terms with loving ourselves out of it, and being true to our wonderful selves that is one of life's mysteries and blessings all at the same time.

I'm putting myself back together again... 

with love

Denise x

Feminine Power week one...

I have begun a very interesting journey along with over 800 women from 24 Countries around the world!  I think that in itself is remarkable!!!


Here are some figures, for those of you who like numbers ...  Australia 49, Canada 85,  Chile 2 China 1, Denmark 4, Finland 2, France 4, Germany 5, Guam 1, Hong Kong 2, Ireland 3, Italy 1, Netherlands 7, New Zealand 3, Norway 2, Kataar 1, South Africa 3, Spain 3, Sweden 2, Switzerland 1 United Arab Emirates 1, United Kingdom 34 and USA 572!!!  


So.... to begin with we set our personal intentions for the course.. I'm not sure about sharing it here just yet... I may prefer to just talk about the course, and leave the contents safely in their cocoon of the group.... I'm finding that these online courses (this being my third) really can become a magical nurturing and inspiring little place of safety.  When you listen to an inspiring speaker, and are invited to join a group of women... a little door of your heart can experience a little knocking... sometimes a still small voice can be heard whispering to you to ... trust... let go... leap... 


this is an example of something that can happen... when you listen to that little calling... and take that leap...

An  Amazing Synchronistic Magical little Story... 

Just since our call at the beginning of this journey (Thurs 12th August)... I heard the voice of a lovely who said she lived on the Sunshine Coast... she actually lives in the next suburb to me.. minutes away!  we had never met... and during that call when we were asked to say hello from anywhere around the world, I thought.... ok... this course is about stepping into my power... so I quickly pressed ‘1’ before I changed my mind... so I too got to say hello to all who were on the call from all over the world.. and I felt so privilaged and happy.

...so.. this Lady on the phone and I saw eachothers faces on the forum, and connected very briefly in writing, saying we would soon be able to have a little local group.. and another lady has popped up just 20 mins away in Noosa...!

ok... so here’s the magical moment...

 my husband and I were walking along through the cafes at a little place called Cotton Tree on Saturday... I was feeling particularly good this day, and I was thinking about the course I had just begun, the sun was shining it was a brilliantly gorgeous day .... and at that moment I looked across to my right... and a lady was sitting at a cafe table smiling straight at me, I instantly recognised her as the woman I had heard introduce herself on the phone, and who's picture I had seen on the forum... we embraced like old very special friends immediately and introduced our bewildered husbands... and then my new friend wisely said “To Be Continued” ... it was one of the most enlivening, beautiful and lovely things I’ve had happen in a while.  

and that’s only two days after the course started!!!  What will these next six weeks hold I wonder?  xoxo

the view from a little seat in a rock wall at Alexandra Headland,

from the same seat.. looking across to Point Cartwright. 

I am deeply grateful for the place I live.

and for the potential for miracles in the every day.

love Denise xo

goodness me...

Good evening ...


it's a New Moon in Leo today/tonight, it's an important time for setting intentions, wishes, dreams and plans for the coming days/weeks.  I had a full day, highlighted by meeting with a like-minded dynamic woman who I am so happy to have met.  Another intuitive friend pointed out... the first two weeks of the New Moon time are for setting intentions, and taking ACTION, and then the second two weeks you get to sit back a bit and see the fruit of your actions playing out.  Something about that made me feel the urgency to quit mucking around and get a bit more serious about doing something!  I must admit, I sometimes get a bit flakey on it and hope/wish/day dream it's all going to work out... well... I have come to realise that I owe myself a bit more of a commitment than that.


I begin the 7 week tele-course this week with Feminine Power (facebook page fyi) and I'm feeling the rumblings of something being stirred up.  


here's another interesting post I happened upon... as I went googling for a 'New Moon in Leo' pic to share : planetaryapothecary.com ... unfortunately, I haven't quite figured out a super fast way of finding an image, getting it onto here and including where I got it from.. mm, yeah, need a bit more practice on that.. and now is not the time for such things!!


ok... so I'm off to set some intentions.... oh... and it looks like I've made the new banner WAY TOOOOO   W I D E !!!!!  mmmmmm, I'll fix that as soon as I have the inclination! 


Denise xo

Dream Boogie with SARK new session starting Sept 22

I am absolutely thrilled to be an affiliate of SARK's products and courses... I love her work so much, and can relate to her realness and effervescence and magical sparkly spirit.
if you need a little boogie boost... check this out.


Denise x  


SARK is very colourful xo

Big news!  Best-selling author and artist SARK (aka Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) has just announced a new session of Dream Boogie with SARK, starting Wednesday September 22.  If you sign up by August 15, you save $20 with the "Early Dreamer Discount", and you also get a bonus jump-start workbook called "SARK's Purple Dream Crayon: A Playbook for Naming Your Dream"

SARK has been teaching workshops all around the world for over 25 years, and now you can work with her directly in this a dream productivity program that is packed with inspiration and innovation to help you move from dreaming to DOing.

You can enjoy some fun, free "Dream Boogie" samples, including interview audio snippets, plus colorful SARK videos, workbook downloads, and other funky little goodies for your dream.

Red, red, rEd, rED, ReD

RED is my favourite colour, this is a mixture of paint in a tray I used yesterday... I wished I could have created that very same pattern to keep for ever... I guess that's where photo's come in a little bit handy.  

I visted the amazing website of Tori Hartman today and when I did the "free colour wisdom card reading" I got "Rose - Red" ... and yesterday I tried it and got "Cherry Red" haha, there must be something in it!!  I have decided I'd love to own the deck... maybe it could be fun to give readings to people and have them create a painting also relating to their card and hearts desires.

It's shifting and changing times around here... the energy lifts and then falls... some days it all feels like its running along perfectly.. then crash... something out of the blue seems to floor me.  I would like to embrace the shift, release the fear of change and  go with this flow that seems to be taking me whether I like it or not.   It's not a devastating blow.. I've had a couple of those in my life so I know how that feels.. this is different... it's growth, but unseen possibilities glisten in the distance.. I have snippets of sparkles showing themselves daily, 

amongst the mundane and the usual... I often receive much needed peace from just watching birds, especially my chickens.. one of the red ones flys up onto the gate to be the 'first to glimpse the scrap pot offerings', but I take the opportunity to place one hand under her little round chest and the other to give her a head to tail pat... she endures the outrageous misunderstanding and then flutters back into her territory as soon as she possibly can!  

I've never seen a Robin red breast in person, but I do love them so, hence I popped one in to a painting recently... see in previous post here

'A Night To Remember'

(c) Denise Daffara

Well dear ones, I'll sign off for now... 

Denise xo

Quiet Times, Winter, Going Within, and Cakes!

Seriously... this winter has been all about cakes and tea and self nurturing and going within... it can be so disappointing and disquieting to have such few painting sales, it's a 'sign of the times' but still I feel I want to paint.  So I'm working on a series of yoga/meditative poses, with a strong vibrant tree in the background, these paintings are feeding my soul which is far more important than the bank balance.  I realise I live an extremely fortunate life, I cannot complain of lack, and besides I prefer to remain optimistic and know 'this too will pass'.

petite lime meringue tart at Montville patisserie

Moroccan tea at 'Moroccan restaurant near the Emporium  in Brisbane,  when I went to collect some unsold paintings from a show...  rather than spending the time alone and disappointed I arranged to meet a friend and we spent several hours chatting, laughing and had cake & tea... and a divine havarti & pumpkin pizza.. alongside this roaring gas heater with a flame higher than I've ever noticed before on a gas heater, it made us feel so cozy and nurtured, the staff at the restaurant were so attentive and fabulous.

Cranberry tea & lemon tart, yet another 'treat' on a friends deck overlooking the ocean... just because.

"Peace for Me" (c) Denise Daffara

And here is my latest .. the beginning of a series I mentioned above... yoga/meditation type poses that feed my soul and nurture the chakra's their colours relate to.  This is one that is aimed at the heart chakra, 

I used this passage from a helpful website about the Chakra's

what-are-the-7-chakras

"HEART CHAKRA" 

"located in the centre of the chest. It's function is: love, its inner state is compassion, love.  its colour is green and its planet is Venus.  Its stones are Green/Pink stones - Peridot, Rose Quartz, Malachite.  Meditation on: I Love.  Balancing this chakra is important for the circulatory system, heart and thymus.  It also affects spiritual love, compassion and universal oneness.  Energies: Water, Calming Soothes, Relaxes."

So... today as I woke with a headache for the third day... and realised I'd made a big mistake with our internet provider and therefore had caused us to have no connection for a few hours, which was not appreciated by those in the house who need it for their work... and then received a call 'had I forgotten an osteopath appointment for 5 minutes ago?'... heck... I was so pleased to hear the word 'osteopath' I said, "see you in 2 minutes" and dived into the car with no shoes on and went and had my neck fixed... 2nd vertebrae twisted makes for very uncomfortable headaches, it's so strange that my love of painting creates such bad posture habits that brings me sore neck and headaches???  maybe its too much time at the computer as well... hence my gaps in blog posts...

So.... it's been a somewhat challenging time this winter for me... I'm so grateful I have great friends around me to bounce things off now and then and to laugh with and walk with and drink tea with ... simple things like this help so very much.

take care,

Denise xo