Energy Art and Healing

Energy Art, Chakra Jewelry, and Crystal Essences

2012-02-12T16:09:00.001-06:00

"Attunement" by Primal Painter

This image is a brief foray into the reds. oranges and fuchsias of the lower chakras. The rendering of the angels was pure energy art. It seemed like they pulled themselves into existence using my hands as tools.. You might have to look closely to find them, there are four altogether plus the written words Love, Heal, Protect, Forgive, and Believe along with the reiki symbol choku-rei which amplifies the energy. The intention for this print is to be open and attuned to the healing energy of angels and Christ Consciousness.

Well, it's a miracle, here I am at my much neglected blog. (blog, such a weird word......blaaaaawwwggg) I don't know about other people, but I've been having a weird 2012 so far. Things feel different, intense and ungrounded, some kind of urgency co-mingled with a generalized anxiety. Hmmm, what could it be, what could it beeee....... Whoremoans? Solar Flares affecting the earths magnetic fields and thus affecting us on an energetic level?

You know, I'm really starting to think that the changes in the solar system with the sun being pivotal are sending some highly charged energy waves to the earth, and we can either sink or swim. At first, I thought the objective would be to fight that energy, creating shields to protect myself from it. Below is an energy art print called "Solar Flares" that I created when I was in that particular mode of thinking.

I ordered prints of this one, even have it in draft form on Etsy, but still haven't listed it. It just doesn't make me feel uplifted, it feels more like an attack. Yeah I'm not into it. I don't think it's any coincidence that the yellow third chakra in this image is off center, (so is the throat)....and the yellow colors are muddy. I resist looking at the lack of yellow in my art which tells me that I probably have some third chakra issues.

Third chakra - self identity, intellect, thought, bright yellow. If I had to guess, I'd say that I'm thinking too much about the process of energy work, exerting too much control when in fact I need to flow with the process and connect with the Source by being a pure vessel, a tool, a channel. It's all about releasing that insidious need to control, getting myself out of the way and instead, trusting, allowing, and flowing.

Anyway, right now I'm more inclined to think that these intense solar energy waves could be utilized and integrated into our own energy fields and used as tools to evolve and enhance our energetic connections. Maybe it's not something to fight against at all, maybe these waves are triggers for spiritual and energetic growth, openings, opportunities.

As synchronicity would have it, I was contacted by Debbi, owner of Ascended Earth on Etsy to see if I wanted to trade my print "Twin Souls" with one of her crystal essences. I got all goosebumpy and buzzy which is a clear cut sign that this is an awesome idea!!

"Twin Souls" by Primal Painter

She chose "Divine Blueprint" for me. Click the link to read the whole description. Here's a small excerpt:

To create this ASCENSION ASSISTING Divine Blueprint vibrational essence, the energy of over 100 high frequency crystals was alchemically transferred into purified water, with the help of the Sun, Archangels Raphael and Michael, St. Germain, Ascended Master Hilarion, the Nature Spirits, Elementals, and Devas.

I love what she does and who she is. She's a kindred spirit for sure. I got my essence two days ago and immediately took four drops. I instantly felt buzzed and was all zoom zoom Zoom!! Haha..... Two days later, I feel awesome! I take the essence with intention, which I believe enhances the effects. "My intention is to be open to and integrate with the highest vibrations possible of this essence for the highest good of all".

I made an energy art print yesterday called "Heaven" during a time when I felt high as a kite on essence energy.

I love looking at this one, it's so... I don't know, soft and gentle, kind, sweet, safe, wholesome, love, light, heaven, paradise. It's how I imagine Christ Consciousness. I might even change the name. On the angels arms are the handwritten words Love, Heal, Protect and Guide. Good vibes, good vibes......

I've been making some new necklaces that are creating some buzz here in my little circle. I've sold a few of them right off my coffee table. And people are coming back wanting another one for a friend or two. They really do have a fascinating flash and energy to them that seem to attract attention and give a little lift.
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"The Healer" by Primal Painter

I'm gearing up to get my newest necklace design up, which is chakra oriented. It's actually double sided, with a print and magnifying glass dome on both sides. Sandwiched between the domes is a genuine copper disk. The chain and the hook clasp are also genuine copper. Copper is a semi-precious metal and is considered to be a good transmitter of energy.

They feel incredible when you hold them in your hand. They fit perfectly, are smooth and calming, retain heat like crazy, and emit a noticeable vibration. I think they make for a good energy healing tool especially when used in conjunction with your own stated intentions. If my lesson is the same as yours, don't be too specific in your intention, just be open to the positive benefits it might provide trusting your higher self to do what's in your best interest. Here's a sneak peak.....

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Well I'm off, have a great one!

Laurie

Chakra Art and Diagnosis

2012-01-17T22:26:00.001-06:00

"Moon Angel" by Primal Painter

This is my latest orb interpretation...worlds within worlds. I'm lovin' on those colors. I made this one into a necklace, too which looks awesome:

"Moon Angel" - from my new Energy Art Reiki Jewelry line

Well, the world is a freakin' mirror,.a MIRROR I tell ya! Good Gawd, if only what I was seeing was purr-dy. But nooooo, what's getting reflected back at me is fugly as all get-out!!!! To be fair, I can balance that with the times that what gets reflected is all good. That happens alot, I'm just being a drama queen, Miss Tied Up in Knots with a bad case of whoremoans..

It's just so much easier to feel self-righteous rage at the other person's shortcomings. But I tell you what, that feeling of explosive rage sucks the big wang. (To self: that sounds kind of vulgar when I see it in writing, haha, oops)

The Universe is providing me with mirrors so that I might recognize that the issues that drive me insane in someone else are a reflection of issues that exist in me.. I have to say, that sucks.....

These mirrors are showing me that I still have some unresolved anger and resentment at a variety of experiences. I think 2012 is a time for releasing all that old crapola, learning the lessons from our experiences, getting to the root and yanking that baby out once and for all.

Easier said than done, as usual. I mean, the root could go back to last week, childhood, the womb, or a previous life, who knows. It might be like one of those tap roots on passion flower vines that go so deep and all over the place that you'll never get it out unless you excavate the whole area. Wow, that would be a real drag...

It seems to me that creating energy art for the past eight months, has triggered some much needed healing and balancing within me, but now I need to get out of all that upper chakra blues and purples I've been indulging in and get back into the lower chakras, the reds, oranges, and yellows. (Wailing) Ick, I don't wannaaaaa................... But I suppose it's for the best, so here goes, a depiction of the problem I'm having.

So apparently I'm having heart chakra issues as indicated by all the green. But why? The red around the perimeter of the orb looks like a barrier between the light of an open chakra and the flowing movement around it. First chakra - feelings of survival, feelings of being safe. Heart chakra - giving and receiving love......that would make sense. I don't feel safe in a certain situation, trust has been compromised and it's blocking the flow of the heart chakra. Fortunately there's an angel to help out and lead the way to understanding and healing. Enough dilly dallying, Angel, let's get a move on.... What? What's that? I have to do some introspection? Some lesson learning? Some (shudder) forgiveness? And the dreaded, "letting go of the need to control"? Crap.....

I embedded the reiki symbol choku-rei in this image to amp up the healing energy, and I also wrote the words love, heal, forgive, and guide inside the orb as well. They're hidden in the image pretty well. A person would have to look really close to find them, but I actually like that idea. I think it might connect the viewer to the energy of the image on a deeper, more energetic level. (I love my fancy new tablet and pen, by the way..hehee)

Well, I'm off to ponder and introspect, ugh. Wouldn't it be nice to just float around in the blues and purples forevah and pretend like those lower chakras don't matter? That would be awesome!

Until the next episode of Miss Tied Up in Knots, have a good one.

Laurie

Energy Art - Healing Orbs

2012-01-02T10:04:00.004-06:00

"Healing Orbs" by Primal Painter

This energy art image was inspired by a video that my brother sent to me awhile back that shows an undeniable orb in it. He has a night vision camera out in his woods to catch cool videos of the deer, and he's got two different videos with orbs in them.

In the one with the deer, notice how the deer actually seems to sense or even see the orb as it zooms by. It's fast (top center) so you have to look quickly. Anyway, I think I'm going to do a series of energy art orb interpretations, the one above is my first.

Oh yeah, Happy New Year!! It's the big one, 2012! What's going to happen this year, I wonder? I don't know, hopefully nothing too catastrophic environmentally. I feel that this could be a year for an expansion in consciousness for lots of people. Embracing a more connected and spiritual attitude by releasing some negative and self-centered ways of thinking would be an awesome way to spend 2012!

I was watching tv yesterday, (on my new big screen tv that my awesome daughter Andi and her boyfriend Dustin bought us for Christmas...what the?!!! seriously?!!!!! Crazy girl!!) Anyway, I can't remember what channel it was, but all day long the movie 2012 was playing, over and over again.

I don't know if you've seen that movie, but it's like an epic fear mongering kind of movie. It's a cool movie, don't get me wrong, especially impressive on a big screen tv, but really? Day one of 2012 the studio execs said "Oh let's start the year off with some hardcore brainwashing of DREAD".

It's all possible I suppose, if you want to believe in the worst outcome possible. It's a fact that the sun is in an active period of solar flares and unrest, peaking in 2013, and the magnetic storms from these flares seem to trigger crazy weather and earthquakes. It's also a fact, that on December 21, 2012, the planets will be in a rare alignment that could affect the the magnetism of the north and south poles, triggering a strong gravitational pull that could affect the continental plates.

I'm not skeered!!!! I do plan on having some supplies on hand, just in case. So will everyone else, though, and with the widespread anticipation of this date, we could actually trigger our own disasters without anything even happening!! It's a crazy time to be alive!! Would you believe that December 21, 2012 is the 28th anniversary of when I was raped and attacked? How weird is that.....

Anyway, blah blah blah...... I've been thinking really hard about my artwork and how I want to spread some love, light, and healing energy into the world through the images. I see myself as a Lightworker in this aspect, and I also see all the people who buy my artwork as Lightworkers. As a matter of fact, I see everyone as Lightworkers.....we all play our part in spreading our intentions and energy into the world, good or bad. Hopefully, we can reach the point where we focus on the good.

I was reading about Lightworkers, and came across this website. I know I'm not really supposed to copy and paste a bunch of paragraphs from someone else's words, but this is just so right on, I had to do it....

http://www.jeshua.net/lightworker/jeshua3.htm

Lightworkers are souls who carry the strong inner desire to spread Light – knowledge, freedom and self-love – on earth. They sense this as their mission. They are often attracted to spirituality and to therapeutic work of some kind.

Psychological characteristics of lightworkers:

-	From early on in their life, they feel they are different. More often than not they feel isolated from others, lonely and misunderstood. They will often become individualists who will have to find their own unique ways in life.
-	They have trouble feeling at home within traditional jobs and/or organization structures. Lightworkers are naturally anti-authoritarian which means that they naturally resist decisions or values based solely on power or hierarchy. This anti-authoritarian trait is present even if they seem timid and shy. It is connected to the very essence of their mission here on earth.
-	Lightworkers feel drawn to helping people as a therapist or as a teacher. They may be psychologists, healers, teachers, nurses, etc. Even if their profession is not about helping people in a direct manner, the intent to contribute to the higher good of humanity is clearly present.
-	Their vision of life is colored by a spiritual sense of how all things are related together. They consciously or subconsciously carry memories within them of non-earthly spheres of light. They may occasionally feel homesick for these spheres and feel like a stranger on earth.
-	They deeply honor and respect life which often manifests as a fondness for animals and a concern for the environment. The destruction of parts of the animal and vegetable kingdoms on earth by human doing invokes deep feelings of loss and grief in them.
-	They are kind-hearted, sensitive and empathic. They may have trouble dealing with aggressive behavior and they generally experience difficulties in standing up for themselves. They can be dreamy, naive or highly idealistic, as well as insufficiently grounded, i.e. down-to-earth. Because they easily pick up negative feelings and moods of people around them, it is important for them to spend time alone on a regular basis. This enables them to distinguish between their own feelings and those of others. They need solitary time to touch base with themselves and with mother earth.
-	They have lived many lives on earth in which they were deeply involved with spirituality and/or religion. They were present in overwhelming numbers in the old religious orders of your past as monks, nuns, hermits, psychics, witches, shamans, priests, priestesses, etc. They were the ones providing a bridge between the visible and the invisible, between the daily context of earth life and the mysterious realms of the afterlife, realms of God and the spirits of good and evil. For fulfilling this role, they were often rejected and persecuted. Many of you were sentenced to the stake for the gifts you possessed. The traumas of persecution left deep traces within your soul’s memory. This may presently manifest as a fear of being fully grounded, i.e. a fear to be really present, because you remember being brutally attacked for who you were.

This is me!!! And it's quite possibly many or even most of the people I've come to know in the past year through this blog, facebook and Etsy! How cool is that?!!! I have big plans, big plans for my energy art this year. Andi also got me one of those tablet things with a pen so I can actually draw within my images without using the clumsy old mouse.

I swear, when I opened that package on Christmas and saw what it was, I got the strongest surge of goosebumps ever! I couldn't even talk for about 10 minutes because of the lump in my throat (don't look at me, I'm going to cry!). I got a brief little vision of what I would accomplish this year, and the gratitude and excitement was overwhelming. I'm going to make a difference! This is what I'm supposed to be doing! And with this pen, I can get detailed so that huge images on say, canvas, will look awesome. I can also embed the reiki symbol choku-rei into my artwork to amp up the energy. I can hide words that give off good vibes in the designs. Endless possibilities for Lightwork. Thank you, Andi. I sure do love you!!!

Well I hope everyone has the best year ever!

With Love and Light,

Laurie

11-11-11 Experience

2011-11-14T09:23:00.000-06:00

"Alignment" by Primal Painter

Wow....what a strange weekend this has been. Friday was 11-11-11, that was the culprit! According to the website Earth-Keepers.com, Arkansas was the site for a big crystal activation with Eureka Springs (my town) being at the north apex of a triangular vortex that covers about 150 square miles or so. Whether or not all this true, I don't know, but I like knowing about things like this, just in case!

What I knew for sure, though, is that the energy of the collective consciousness would be very high on this date if for no other reason than the sheer numbers of people focusing on an energetic activation and setting intentions for a higher purpose. That alone was worth acknowledging and participating in.

So I went to Magnetic Spring (a power place with noticeably high vibes) here in Eureka at 11:11 a.m. on 11-11-11 to do a little meditating, to release some old crapola and to set my intentions for a higher vibe of being. There were about 10 other people doing the same thing. Eureka is a big drumming town, so someone started to bang a drum and chant, but fortunately stopped after a minute or so because it very obviously was not resonating with the high, fine energy buzz..

I found a nice spot in the sun, had a bag of recently found crystals between my legs (at the root chakra) and experienced about 30 minutes of major goosebumps and emotional surges. It was exciting! I set my intention to release all the old emotions and experiences that no longer serve a higher purpose. Anger, fear, resentment........all that stuff. Then I set my intention that my life purpose would be crystalline clear and that everything I think, say and do would be for the highest good of all.

I don't know what other people felt, but afterwards, there was no "TA DA!!! I"m healed!!!!" moment. I felt strangely disconnected for the rest of the day. Super tired and just kind of blank. On Saturday, I woke up pissed. All these old scenarios of anger and resentment kept running through my head like never-ending reruns and I was feeling it all. (Poor Jamie, my boyfriend..lol) Needless to say, it sucked and I was a first class bee-yotch!!!

Finally, I decided to make some energy art with the intention of releasing all this crapola. This is what I came up with, and thankfully, it worked. (I still have to work on it some). By 4:00 or so, I was feeling somewhat normal again.

On Sunday, I woke up tied up in knots with some kind of generalized anxiety. Nothing specific, but just a fear-based, strange "I'm skeeered" feeling This also sucked! What the.....?!! Where's my "TA DA" moment? So I made another energy art image for releasing fear and anxiety. This is what I came up with.....

I thought it was interesting that this image is full of bubbles, because that's what this whole weekend felt like....bubbles of stuff bursting through the surface. All upper chakra colors, though, which I thought was unusual. It seems like it would have been lower chakra colors. Strangely, after I made this, I felt some relief from the fear and anxiety, but I started feeling pissed again, with a whole new set of memories! Crap!!! Layers upon layers upon layers of shizola stored up for God knows how long.....lifetimes, maybe.

I don't know what I think I'm doing dragging all this crap around with me for all these lifetimes. (In a snarky voice) "Oh, I have to pack my bags with this sh*tty experience and this crappy emotion that nobody even remembers except me and drag them around forevah....." Stupid!!!!!

Today I feel better, but still no "TA DA" moment, but it's still early. Maybe it takes a while to integrate and kick in. My hands have been feeling really hot, they're usually cold, so maybe that's an indication. By the way, my daughter and I went crystal hunting a week or so ago, found a bunch of beautiful little crystals, and now they feel really strong , very buzzy. But that's another story.....a Celestine Prophecy kind of story! I plan on using some of these crystals in some future wall sculptures.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my strange experiences. Anybody else feel weird stuff this weekend or is it just me?

Have a good one!

Laurie

Abstract Art and Finding Balance

2011-11-03T08:19:00.000-05:00

"Balance" by Primal Painter

For the last month, I've been struggling with being productive with my artwork and I was just wondering why. Don't get me wrong, creating art is super fun, but the marketing and the writing of the descriptions and the BS (Blatant Self-promotion) involved in selling art is a real drag. It hangs me up and I get to thinking that I HAVE to do this or that before I create anything, then I just head towards the nearest fantasy book and a spot in the sun.

I need to find the right balance, which is why I created this energy art print "Balance". I'm thinking of having this one printed on a large canvas, like say a 16" x 20" and if nobody buys it, that's ok because it'll look awesome on my wall! Maybe I'll change up the colors and make it more purple-ey.

Maybe I've been approaching selling art online with too much emphasis on the HAVE TO's.... I have to make money has been a big motivator, but apparently it's not enough because I'm eyeballing that book on my coffee table and that spot out in the sun.

Money sucks because I HAVE to have it, and I rebel against the Have To's. Or maybe I just need to work on my underlying "money sucks" attitude. How about this......I LOVE money, I want to roll around in it nekkid and smell it and throw it in the air and spend it on unnecessary things...wheeeeeee moneeeeeeeyyy (maniacal laughter)!!!! Well maybe that's not exactly right either... (One extreme to the other... yay for whoremoans)

My intention with making art is to tap into its healing and energetic qualities while still keeping it visual and fun eye candy....to create something that makes people say ooooooooh, or ahhhhhhhh, or lifts the mood, or makes them feel happy, or triggers an insight, or gives them goosebumps or elevates the vibe and well being. (That's a lot of "or's".....)

So maybe I need to approach all the marketing tasks with the attitude that this is an opportunity to possibly help someone or make them feel a little bit better in some small way. It's a way to spread some light into the world, an opportunity, not a job. Hey now that sounds awesome in words, quotable even, I wonder how it'll translate in real life....

(The next day)

Oh noooooooo!!!! I just bought two big bags FULL of tempting books at the library book sale for $2! .............I'm doomed!!! I wonder if I'm sabotaging myself ...or maybe I'm testing my will power and self discipline. Crap. I rarely pass self imposed testing scenarios out of sheer rebellion against myself. (Do other people rebel against themselves or is it just me?) Doomed...haha... I'm Dooooommmed.. Now there's an example of self sabotage if I ever saw one.

It seems like I would have grown out of this rebellious stage by now but instead of rebelling against other people and their rules, I mostly just rebel against myself. Good Gawd, that's sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud. lol

Well I have to go do something productive.......after I look through my giant bags of books. Look at that, I'm doing it again.....Gah!!!

Have an awesome day!

Laurie

Check out my Etsy Shop for wall sculptures, abstract art, energy art and reiki jewelry

Crown Chakra Angel and Energy Work Insights

2011-10-20T10:47:00.001-05:00

"Crown Chakra Angel" by Primal Painter

This energy art print is all about connecting with the Source and our Higher Selves and finding our true path, our spiritual purpose. It's crown chakra oriented, with whites and violets. The angel has on a crown, and the energy is swirling and moving and sparkling. She's riding the waves towards enlightenment with grace and ease.

So I can't believe it's October 20......What the....?!!!!!! How did that happen? I feel like I've just awakened from some kind of daze and a whole month has passed by. Have I done anything productive in that month? Well let's see here......there's got to be something.......several unfinished projects, that doesn't count......I've done several new energy art prints so that's something at least. Other than that I think I've been lost in a whole slew of fantasy books about other worlds and alternate realities.

I just finished reading Stephen King's "Insomnia". The main characters develop insomnia and start to see auras around everyone and everything. Eventually they discover that there are many levels to reality that go higher and higher up. Of course with Stephen King, there's a little gruesomeness thrown in there (hehee). Still though, I thought it was interesting that I randomly picked up that book and there it is,....auras, energy, and levels of reality that exist just beyond our ability to recognize them. Timely....no surprise.

Maybe we need a little mental vacation every once in a while, especially if we aren't taking "real" vacations. Or maybe I'm just using that as an excuse for a terrible bout of procrastination and lack of self discipline. I'm feeling a little more grounded today, so maybe I just needed a little fantasy vacation.

The other night I had a really bad nightmare. My boyfriend said I was thrashing around, moaning, and breathing really hard. Of course being male, he thought it was a sex dream, lol. Noooooo, I was being bitten by a snake.....On second thought, maybe that was a .........noooooooo, lol. Ewwwww!

I was sticking my hand in a hole or someplace I didn't belong, and this big fat two foot long snake unhinged its jaws and latched onto my right hand. I.....was.....freaking.... OUT!!!! It happened a second time during that dream, and I think I woke myself up with a scream or a cry. Jamie said I spoke out loud "Please God, don't let there be any snakes in here".

My take on this dream is that I've been meddling in places I shouldn't be meddling. I've been doing several distance reiki sessions lately, and typically we just let the energy flow from the Source, through us, and into the recipient with no tapping into their conditions or emotions. But I've been picking up on all kinds of things that probably are none of my business. I feel things in my own body that they feel in theirs.

For example, this last one I did (the day before the snake nightmare), I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach by a horse. It was really painful and anxiety producing. It turns out that the person had a bad asthma attack that day that left her feeling sore and bruised, and she even used the term being kicked by horse when she described it to me afterwards. Typically I only feel these aches and pains for 15 or 20 minutes, but this time I felt this pain for a couple of hours despite my intention to let it go. That's probably not a good thing.

I've been depending on that clairsentient ability to show me where to put my hands, but really I should be using the sensitivity in my hands when I do a scan to give me that information. It's almost like I'm showing off when I use my clairsentient skills. "Look at me, look at what I can do, isn't that Amazing!!" Ego has no place in energy work, and I think I've let my ego butt in.

Ah well, lesson learned I guess. But I have to admit, I feel a little let down that I need to block that ability because it is kind of amazing, but it really doesn't serve much purpose. I just need to adjust my intentions when I'm doing a distance session. Refinement, it's all about refinement, not just in energy work but with artwork. It's all a process, an evolution.

Maybe that's why I get hung up on reproducing something I've already done. I mean, I can do it, no problem, and it'll get better every time, but I don't feel that same thrill as when I create something entirely new. Then I procrastinate and nothing gets done. Man, I am spoiled rotten!! And I thought my little dog Bobo was spoiled, geeze.....

Well, I'm going to tie up some loose ends today and finish some things up that I've been putting off for weeks now.

Have an awesome Thursday! or Friday or whatever it is....

Later,

Laurie

An Overview of Energy Medicine

2011-09-25T09:05:00.007-05:00

"Through The Veil" by Primal Painter

"Through the Veil" is one my latest energy art prints. Wow, it's dark....the dark side....the light is there through the veil but being guarded jealously by a little gremlin warrior dude brandishing a spear. What the....?! This is a far cry from my usual angels of light and love. Wow. Does anyone else see this little gremlin dude, complete with tail and horns? Geeze, I must have a blockage ( I wonder what it could be? Surely not....the computer?!!!)

I think once again, I've gotten all sucked down into the dark world of the internet. You know, editing listings for the dreaded Search Engine Optimazatation, (gotta please the friggin' google gods) and now Etsy has their search based on relevancy, so editing, editing and more editing. I've reached the point that I'm referring to Etsy as Blehhhhhh-tsy. That's mean, lol. I've had the best month for sales ever, so it's starting to pay off financially. I'm grateful, I'm just being a brat. Anyway, time to take a break and make sumthin' purty!

Maybe I need to do some energy work on myself, something new. I have a guest poster for today, and she's written a great overview of some different forms of energy work. The following was written by Melanie Bowen. She has a blog but is in the process of re-working it, so I'll include a link at a later date.

Energy Medicine Promotes Better Mind for Healing

With the endorsement of a growing number of medical professionals and a plethora of books on the subject, energy medicine is becoming better known to mainstream medical communities. Although there are many techniques, the goal is basically the same in each modality: restoring the body’s natural flow of energy.

While some forms of holistic treatments, such as yoga and qigong, are ancient, almost all of them have undergone transformations in recent years. Modalities like EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and Healing Touch are relatively new developments designed to use old concepts to meet contemporary needs. Each method has its own lingo and style, and understanding them can be confusing. A brief description of some of the most popular might make it easier to distinguish between the many modes of healing.

12 Popular Kinds of Energy Healing
• Reiki is a form of Japanese hands-on healing and relaxation. Reiki energy is transmitted through attunements from a Reiki Master to a student.
• Healing Touch is highly regulated and was developed by medical nurses in the 1980s.
• Quantum Touch practitioners focus on breathing in order to circulate healing energy.
• Acupuncture is the use of needles applied along the meridians by trained practitioners to restore the flow of vital life energy.
• Emotional Freedom Techniques is a trademarked name for tapping done along the meridians. It is sometimes described as acupuncture without needles.
• Energetic Bodywork, such as massage, craniosacral therapy, or shiatsu, affects the body’s energy system through manipulations by a therapist.
• Qigong is an ancient Chinese practice that uses slow, deliberate movements to circulate qi, or energy, through the body.
• Yoga is centuries-old spiritual practice that has eight different limbs, or steps. The most well-known are meditation, poses, and controlled breathing.
• Meditation is a broad term that describes the process of focusing the mind in order to increase awareness and experience divine oneness.
• Shamanic Healing originated from the Native American culture’s invocation of help from the spiritual realm.
• Theta Healing is done by a practitioner who enters a theta brain wave state to clear blocked energy from the client.
• Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to enhance physical and emotional well-being.

While none of these techniques promise to heal diseases, all of them have the potential to decrease discomfort and promote good physical, mental, and spiritual health. Cancer centers are now recommending complementary medicine as an aid in coping with the side effects and symptoms of cancers—from rare aggressive diseases like mesothelioma that is triggered from asbestos exposure to more common types like breast cancer. While they might not change breast cancer or mesothelioma life expectancy, they have the potential to return the body to a state where it has greater capacity to heal itself.

By Melanie Bowen

This was really well written, and I'm totally looking forward to reading Melanie's blog. It reminds me that I used to use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) quite a lot and with noticeable success. I'm going to try it again and see if I can shake this funkity funk. Sometimes things need a little shake 'n bake (ok maybe not the bake) to get them moving again. Tapping on accupuncture points while focusing on the issue at hand sounds like just the ticket.

This video is a real quick overview of the accupressure points used in EFT and the general technique. There are tons of videos on youtube about it, but if you want to get the official and original version, Gary Craig is the founder. His website is http://www.eftuniverse.com/

I'm going to add a little twist to my technique and look myself in the eye in the mirror while I do it. Hey now, there's an idea......Manifestation Mirrors!!!! Uh oh, another thing to add to my "to-do" list. (Let's see here, page 12, number 124: Create a manifestation mirror.)

Thanks for the heads up Melanie! The right information seems to come along at just the right time, and the timing is right to explore some new things and rediscover some old things.

Later,

Laurie

PS: I've got a bunch of new poses for chakra girl wall sculptures ready to be manifested into reality, so I may be missing in action for awhile. They're going to be totally cool!!

Chakra Girl Energy Art

2011-09-05T10:33:00.001-05:00

"Chakra Girl" by Primal Painter

So I was thinking, "What is the definition of my art, what is the purpose, what am I trying to accomplish here? Is my art in in the category of energy art? (yes) Is it in the category of visionary art? (yes) Is it in the category of spiritual art? (yes) Is it in the category of healing art? (yes) Is it in the category of chakra art? (yes) Is it in the category of reiki art? (yes)" That's too many frickin' categories...

"Chakra Girl" is the first in a series of wall sculptures where I'm attempting to translate energy into a three dimensional form. She's sold already, within about 12 hours of listing on Etsy (yay, thank you Myra!), and she generated some buzz in terms of views and hearts. A good sign! All of sudden, my head is once again in the clouds (did it ever leave?) with visions of bigger and more ambitious projects.

The purpose of "Chakra Girl" is to open and stretch the chakras. When writing the description, it occurred to me that it might be good to more clearly define not just a purpose, but a category for the kind of art I'm creating.

Some definitions:

Visionary Art: "Visionary art encourages the development of our inner sight. To find the visionary realm, we use the intuitive inner eye: The eye of contemplation; the eye of the soul". - John Grey

Energy Art: Energy art is the process of creating art that intuitively taps into the energy of an intention, a thought, an idea or an emotion and translates it into a visual form with healing properties. I wrote that definition, but there are other definitions such as this one, by Dr. Sylvia Hartmann:

Energy art is any form of art that takes the reality of there being other dimensions than just those we can see, hear, feel and touch, smell and taste into consideration.

The purpose of a work of energy art is to create something which has not just a physical reality but also an energetic reality, and that actually does something at the energy levels.

Chakra Art and Reiki Art also describe what I'm doing but they seem to be more sub-categories than the main category.

Visionary art sounds kind of arrogant in a way. Come to think of it, Healing Art also sounds arrogant. It implies that I'm a healer and I'm not. I'm just the delivery guy, the tool. Energy Art is the most applicable, but maybe that's because I wrote the description. lol It's not exactly something that a person might think to search for, though.

Anybody have any thoughts on how a person might categorize my art? I've confused myself (not hard to do these days!)

I'll think about it another day.....

Well, Happy Labor Day! (Labor Day, what a strange unholiday sounding phrase....labor day......It should be Unlabor Day) Oh no, my brain just short circuited.......Words.....Gah! Colors......Wheeee!

Later,

Laurie

"Tree Spirit" and Thoughts on Duality

2011-08-26T15:06:00.010-05:00

"Tree Spirit" by Primal Painter

So I was thinking (oh no, not that again) about that short-lived phase I went through about two weeks ago where I seemed to be tapping into the energy of the trees. The post I made during that phase was a little "out there", I have to admit.....but the energy was interesting......and pure......and flowing....full of swirls and shapes and colors and light....totally non-verbal or mental.....and at a very high vibe. I liked it. It was very far removed from human energy, though.

I crashed and burned after holding that vibe for only a short time. Blew a fuse! Short circuited! Then I came tumbling, tumbling, tumbling down and landed flat on my back looking around going "What the....?!" Apparently I'm not to a point where I can sustain that pure of a vibe. Bummer maaann!!

Those trees, I tell ya, they got it goin' on! No worries, no words, no thoughts....just being......the essence of the "I am".

I made this energy art print "Tree Spirit" during that phase. It was created from a photo of trees on my property, and I warped and twisted and morphed and pulled out a tree spirit. She's pretty, isn't she. I'm very drawn to this image. Her face has a hard line through the center of it, with light green on one side and dark green on the other. I take that to mean there's an element of duality in there somewhere. Probably because I, a human, have that duality, that element of light and dark, and I've projected that quality into the image.

Maybe there's nothing wrong with having that level of duality, maybe it's just the human condition, or maybe it runs through everything even trees. I doubt that, though. The energy of the trees felt very simple, pure, and unconfusing for the short amount of time I was able to hold it.

I think duality is part of being human though. There's the dark side and there's the light side. For some people, the dark side might only entail a little self-indulgence in say, Dove Dark Chocolate, even though it triggers migraines. Or maybe the dark side is more emotional and when, say, someone in our life behaves badly, we get caught up in their drama and have mean thoughts about them. What a crock! Who am I? Judge and Jury? Since when? Since alwaayyss! Geeze. Trees don't do that! A lesson to learn.....

Part of it has to do with holding onto things....(I think). The tendency to take an old experience and the emotions it generated, and projecting them onto a new experience even though they don't really fit....(but I'll make it fit, by Gawd! It's all about me, me, MEEEEE).

Then I ran across this daily channeled message by Dyan Garris that seemed to sum things up nicely. I don't know who this Dyan Garris chick is, but she comes up with some relevant sh*t!

Daily Channeled Message® by Dyan Garris

Today's energy asks that we examine the concept of narcissism. Is there something that makes you think someone is thinking about you 30 years later? Is there something that makes you think that whatever is happening is all about you? Or perhaps it is that you know someone like this. When we are self focused like this, we find that we have trouble getting rid of old patterns, stuck energy that gets stuck not in the craw, as one may think, but in the root. And the root is where we create. The root feeds the plant. If we can't get over the past, then we effectively block our ability to bring in any new energy whatsoever. If you're still pouring weed killer - or even water - on a plant that is long since dead, it may not even occur to you to stop doing that and spend the twenty five cents for a new bag of seeds.

Dang, girl, that's good! I'll have too look her up and insert a link somewhere.

Ok, that's enough blah blah blah for today.

(What's with the weirdness of the font and the highlighted stuff?) Mercury Retrograde still in action, no doubt. Eh, whatev.....

Later,

Laurie

Abstract Art, Auras and Energy

2011-08-12T11:38:00.002-05:00

"Third Eye Open" by Primal Painter

So I got to thinking about how energy, my energy in particular, is tied into what's happening in the immediate environment. I noticed earlier that my energy, my auric energy, seems to be very tied to nature. The trees dropping their leaves in order to preserve their energy and then re-directing their energy into the root system seems to be so symbolic of what's happening to me right now.

It seems that with energy healing, there are things, emotions, thoughts, and identities that start to shed and drop away...like leaves.....like an alter ego.....like a false self......like a low vibing flawed human with fear and judgment running the show. I don't really believe that I'll ever reach the status of unflawed human, but I think my goal will be to become a higher vibing less flawed human! How would I say that though if I were to sit down and make out a specific intention?

Speaking of specific intentions, I wonder how important those are? When we put our intentions down into words, doesn't that mean that we're trying to take control, and ultimately, isn't releasing control the end goal? I mean, I know that what we think is what we are, but what if the goal was to transcend literal thought and enter the realm of pure high vibing energy with the freedom of accepting what is and flowing with the twists and turns, the ups and downs...like a graceful dance. Like a willow tree blowing in the wind. If I were I tree, I'd want to be a willow tree..bending and flowing, twirling and curling, long hair, like a goddess. Willow trees are the yoga goddesses of the tree world. lol

I noticed that I haven't done any energy art digital paintings lately, and I think maybe it's because I got into being too specific with the intention...too literal, too controlling with not enough pure flow, not enough interpretive abstract. I enjoy it when it's more free-flowing and less pressured to perform the intention. I mean, what do I know? For all I know, the intentions I set might be totally off, timing wise. Something else might need to happen first that I don't even know about. I think the intention needs to be more open, less controlling and energetically higher and finer, more like something that's completely beyond the five senses, more like light and movement, a higher vibe. Then, when the imagery is finished, it'll be subject to individual interpretation based on what the viewer needs in order to acheive a higher vibration.

I think it comes down to this: "My intention is to be a a clear and open energetically artistic channel for light, love, and healing for the highest good of all. " Then step back and let it happen, let it flow.

Maybe I'll do one right now and see what happens.....

3 hours later:

Hehee, fun! . My first impressions are of an abstract aura, chakras and the meridians. The aura is the energy field that surrounds us and connects us to our surroundings and the Source, the chakras are the vortexes of energy that pull in the energy that the aura has collected, and the meridians spread that energy around the body through a weblike network. The moon and the sun are both present in this one. I would say that we need to be aware that we are significantly influenced by the activities of both the sun and the moon. Strong gravitational pull, solar flares, coronal masses, magnetic fluctuations, all of these things can affect our brain chemistry and the physical aspects of the human body. What to do about it? I would say that being aware of these things is the first step, then make a concentrated effort to allow those energies to flow through us, transmuting into an energy that balances and raises the vibe. Make ourselves into a light source that emanates in every direction, reaching around the planet, even around the universe, and see light streaming in through our aura and crown, magnifying, then spreading out through a web that connects everything and everyone. We transmute the negative and turn it into the positive. We take it in but we don't own it, we infuse it with the light and the love that comes from the Source and pass it on through.

So I can talk the talk but now I'll have to see if I can walk the walk.

Wow, that's some deep sh*t..lol

Later,

Laurie.

Rain!!!!

2011-08-09T10:21:00.000-05:00

"Fire Angel" by Primal Painter

It rained!!!! And the temperature is 68 degrees!!!!! Wow, what a difference that makes in the energy around here. For the last three weeks, we've had temperatures above 100 degrees with about a week of temperatures above 108. That's craziness! Two days we hit 114!! Combined with no rain since mid June, it's been a brutal time for the environment around here.

Several of my oak trees are completely dead at the tops, and the leaves are dropping like it's winter. I have to wonder if my own energy levels and moods are tied into the energy levels of the trees. I sit outside on the balcony and survey the scene, and for weeks now have felt so withdrawn and forlorn, like I'm running on empty. I imagine that's how the trees feel which makes me think that maybe my empath abilities aren't limited to people.

A couple of days ago, I was sitting on the balcony feeling melancholy and was thinking about auras and magnetisim and how those things might influence the immediate environment. I thought that my aura must surely be stuck to my body, not expansive at all, with limited light and magnetism. Right then, this huge beautiful yellow and black butterfly floated by very slowly, checking me out. I thought it was going to land on me, but it just hovered around me for a second or two, then floated about five feet away. Then it came back for a second pass, hovered around me for a couple of seconds then floated away.

Maybe this was a sign that my aura and energy are still intact and active, but I've allowed my energy levels to reflect that of the trees? If that's the case, the same challenges will exist with living among the trees as it does living among humans. A lesson to learn from the trees: They probably don't get forlorn, they just accept what they can't change and adjust themselves to fit the circumstances. They drop their leaves to reserve energy and focus on strengthening their roots. I need to strengthen my roots.

The last couple of weeks have been strange. Computer issues out the ying yang! Frustration, time spent on the phone with nice people whose accents I can't understand, cell phone problems, air conditioner problems, airbrush problems, camera problems...Good Gawd! Mercury in retrograde is a Bitch!

The sun has been shooting off some significant solar flares lately which affects everything too, although I don't think many people realize that. They affect the earth's magnetic pull which can trigger volcanoes, earthquakes and extreme weather so you know they have an influence on us puny humans and our devices.

I decided to track down all my internet connections the other day to see what the problem was, went out to the phone box on the outside of the house, opened it, and right at face level is a wasp nest filled with angry wasps. I froze, they froze, then they swarmed me and chased me all around the yard! I got stung four or five times, three times on my face which promptly led to a massive migraine. Man!! In retrospect, it was probably funny seeing me screeching, flailing my arms, and running in circles, lol. I swear, if I could make an exact duplicate wig of my frizz bomb hair and put it on the end of big stick, I could market it as the best wasp catcher ever!

The high point, though, was the package I got from Melinda at Inspiration Earth yesterday. I won her giveaway last week and got a bottle of organic sweet vanilla body scrub, a bottle of lavendar bath salts, and tinted grapefruit splash lip balm. I instantly filled the bathtub and soaked. Oh....my.....gosh......!!!! I swear, Melinda, you could make a fortune selling this line to upscale spas and health food stores. Beautifully packaged in glass bottles, and talk about superior products! That sugar body scrub made my skin look 10 years younger, the bath salts eased the chronic migraine I've been having, and the lip balm has just the right amount of tint and makes my lips so soft. I can't even say enough about how wonderful these products are! As usual, everything that comes from Melinda is top notch! Thank you, Melinda!

Well, I'm taking full advantage of this beautiful day and am getting out into the studio. I've been doing some things in the studio, like the top photo. The frame doesn't really look that blotchy in person, but the camera is picking up on color variations that aren't visible to the naked eye...or maybe it's just my naked eyes. lol I also painted several mats (just out of matboard) in different colors for the prints. I have two more color combos for the frames, but I'm changing direction. Too boring! And all those listings I have to write up...gah!!! And the photos I had to take for the listings...double gah!! And the editing I have to do for the photos....triple gah!! #@*%)#@(* How I wish all I had to do was paint and create!

I have a couple of new projects up my sleeve that should be fun.....for a minute! lol

Later,

Laurie

Amethyst Spirit Quartz

2011-07-24T09:49:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh, I got the most beautiful crystal ever from Jennie at LadyGraniteJen over at Etsy! She contacted me a week or two ago and asked if I'd be willing to trade my print "The Angel's Way" for her amethyst spirit quart crystal. I said oh heck yeah!

It's about 3" tall or so, I haven't measured it, but it's as big as the palm of my hand and fits there like it was made for me! When I opened the package, the first thing I saw was this iridescent bubble wrap, and went ooo, purty. Then when I unwrapped the crystal, I could only bring myself to glance at it for a second because it was so beautiful! I squeezed my eyes shut and held it away while waves, and I mean HUGE waves of goosebumps went coursing through my whole body, and I was saying "Oh my Gawd" over and over again in a high squeaky voice.

So I looked at it again, and could only do a glance before I had to look away and let the goosebumps surge and squeals of excitement spew forth. The dogs were all sitting around staring at me and looking at each other like they were wondering if they should do something about my fit. Finally, I was able to stop and gaze at it, hold it, and feel it's totally amazing energy!! It's strong but smooth, I love it! I got goosebumps for several hours! Wow! I hold it a lot and the energy just resonates perfectly and feels like exactly what I need.

I've always had an affinity with rocks and crystals, but I've never had a reaction quite like this one. This crystal wanted to work with me (at least for awhile) and Jennie, bless her heart, was generous enough to let go of it. She had lived with this crystal for about a year and a half before being compelled to pass it along to me. Thank you Jennie!

Check out her Etsy Shop if you get a chance, she makes some lovely jewelry with beautiful stones. Here's a blue quartz necklace with amethyst and citrine beads that's really nice. Click on the image to go to the lisitng.

My boyfriend is also a rock and crystal person and he's very drawn to it as well. I see him looking at it and sometimes holding it every so often. When I read about the properties of an amethyst spirit quartz, I understood why we're both so drawn to it.

Here's a little information about the properties of an amethyst spirit crystal.

http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/spirit-quartz.html

Spirit Quartz carries the vibration of universal love. It may assist you to let go of issues you have been holding onto... and forgive both yourself and the other person.

These crystals radiate a very high vibration. They may open the third eye chakra, thecrown chakra and the higher crown chakra or soul star chakra... and may align and purify the entire chakra system. Spirit Quartz are powerful stones to heighten metaphysical abilities.

They have the ability to align the lower self with the higher spiritual self... and manifest into your life those spiritual attributes. These are stones that will assist you with your ascension process... and they may activate the Lightbody.

Each of the different colors will resonate strongly with different chakras and this is useful as you may choose which area spiritually you wish to work on. All types are highly spiritual... but each has its own specific vibration.

Nice, huh! I did a couple of energy art images from the photo of this crystal. I'm not done, I'm still playing around with capturing the essence of its energy but here's a couple of them.

This one retains more of the visual elements of the crystal itself with some energetic imprints showing through. I like the colors, very sixth and seventh chakra.

This one is more energetic in nature. I like the movement and the spiral, the light source and the feeling of an emotional landscape in the background but the color isn't right, plus it's too dark. It reminds me of the crystal healing room in Atlantis. I say that as if I've been there or something, lol. (Maybe I have...in another life!)

Thank you again Jenny! For you to initiate sending me the perfect crystal at the perfect time shows a true connection between us!

Well I'm off! Later!

Laurie

"First Chakra Activation" Healing Energy Art

2011-07-17T10:22:00.002-05:00

"First Chakra Activation" by Primal Painter

"First Chakra Activation" is the latest in the series of first chakra digital paintings that I've been working on in an attempt to activate my first chakra. I may tweak it a little more as things get moving, or I might feel compelled to do an entirely new one. One thing I've noticed is that things are always in flux, nothing stays the same for long, and for me, I function better when I go with the flow.

For this series, I wrote down an intention statement, memorized it, then repeated it to myself as I worked through the process. The statement was "The process of creating this image will open and clear, heal and strengthen, balance, align and activate the first chakra for myself and for viewers. This image is infused with healing reiki energy and can be used as a tool for healing, transformation, and manifestation."

I also repeated affirmations related to the first chakra during the process so the images can be infused with their energy. "I am safe and secure in my environment, physically, emotionally, financially and mentally. An abundance of money flows to me. I have healthy relationships with the people in my life and my environment. I have a strong life force with an abundance of energy and am securely grounded. My hormones are balanced and my endocrine system is healthy. I welcome challenges as opportunities for growth. I create my own reality. I communicate with God and my Higher Self and always know what to do."

"First Chakra Unmoving"

This is the first one I did. It's a little dark with some areas of cloudiness with possible blockages, and seems to be just sitting there. It's kind of cool looking visually, though.

"First Chakra Communication"

This is one where I asked for help from the Source and my Higher Self to get things unblocked and moving. If you look closely, (click on the picture) at the center is a bearded moon (symbolizing God) speaking with an angel (symbolizing the Higher Self), both starting to swirl their energy and wisdom into the chakra.

"Starting to Spin"

This one is the beginning of activation. The clarity and colors become a little more defined, balance and alignment are leveling out, things are starting to move. Then I ended with the top image which represents a fully activated and healthy root chakra, although it might still be a little dense.. I'll keep working on myself and do another in the future, maybe it'll be more translucent.

Wouldn't it be cool if I could actually get them to spin? I saw someone with a spinning avatar on twitter, I wonder how they did that?

So I was curious, do you have a favorite? How do you feel when you look at them?

Well I'm heading out to the studio while I'm migraine free!

Have a great Sunday!

Laurie

First Chakra Healing

2011-07-10T12:35:00.002-05:00

"First Chakra Healing" by Primal Painter

So last week when I made my latest Chakra Angel called "The Angel Way", I thought it seemed like my first and second chakras were too small. I created this digital painting to help with the issues that might be clogging things up. Throughout the entire process, I focused on clearing and activating the first and second chakras, colors red and orange, with issues being thrown into the violet flame for transformation. The angels are overseeing the process and providing protection and guidance. I still need to tweak some things here and there in it, though, like changing the color of the moon, maybe making it smaller, and working on those flames so they aren't so blocky.

Before I did this one, I started another one that was also root chakra oriented. I wanted to see what was happening down there so I could address the issues more specifically, although I don't know that being specific is really necessary or even desirable. Just jump in with both feet and be done with it! I don't know why I have to drag things out.....

"The Quest" by Primal Painter

This one is almost scary, the designs in the border look like serpents. Ewwww, I'm not really into serpents. She's (me) focusing on the source of light and pulling herself out of the muck and mire. She's holding energy balls in her hands for courage and to light the way, illuminating the shadowy places.

Here's a little more detail about the first chakra, or root chakra as some might call it. It's all about basic survival, primal sex drive or the desire to procreate, and bodily life energy. It's also associated with the endocrine system, hormones, or whoremoans as I like to call them. There are chakras in the bottoms of the feet, and the first chakra is connected to those as well. If the first chakra is compromised, grounding might be difficult and hormones might be out of whack. Uh, yeah, that would be me....

The root chakra is also the seat of the kundalini energy. When kundalini explodes upwards through all the chakras and out the top of the head, it can be like a huge rush of hot energy

I experienced the kundalini being unleashed during my reiki I training. For hours, it was like I was on fire on the inside. I was convinced I was burning up with a fever, but my skin felt cool to the touch and I wasn't running a temperature. My brain was all fired up and I was jittery. The next day I felt like I'd been hit with truck or had the flu,. it was wild. Energy work is not imaginary! There was one other person in my class who had experienced the same thing, so I wasn't crazy!

Some people try to get that kundalini rush and even try to sustain it indefinitely, but it takes a toll, or at least it did on me. I think I felt a little of that energy while I was working on that second digital painting, and now I'm feeling the crash. There's got to be a better way...... Maybe a third painting to level and balance things out, a painting that shows a healthy, open activated first chakra with strong grounding cords..... Oh ok! (lightbulb)

Well, I'm off....

Have an awesome day!

Laurie

A Little Cowboy Portrait and Garden Woes

2011-07-03T12:01:00.000-05:00

I just finished this portrait of my niece's little boy, Read. He's a cute little ole' cowboy! It's been awhile since I've done a realistic anything, let alone a portrait, so it was a little challenging but not too bad. It's cut out of wood and then mounted on an 8 x 10 wood backboard for framing. I used to do woodburned portraits for a living years ago. This one isn't woodburned, it's airbrushed and I've never actually airbrushed a portrait before.. I could have (should have) accented the highlights and deepened the shadows now that I see it from this perspective of a photograph.

And my lettering leaves something to be desired....I'm no Sara! I just kind of free-handed it on there and didn't try very hard I'm afraid. Lettering, eh, not into it. I've already sealed it, though, so it's done and I just have to accept it. Airbrushing doesn't leave a whole lot of room for expression like brushwork does, though. In retrospect, if I had to do it over, I'd probably brush paint it so there would be little more character in the rendering. (Stop it, Laurie, it's finished..gah!)

My niece Kris works with my sister Nancy who has a very successful tax and financial consulting business and she did our taxes this year. In typical Laurie style, I assume that she might like something more personal than cash for payment. I hope that assumption isn't one-sided! Maybe I should've asked.....

Well the deer ate my ENTIRE garden and started in on my precious purple phlox. Right down to the stems. Man, I was just like, ERRRRRRRR. They even ate the tops off my giant sunflowers and my morning glories. The only thing left is a bumper crop of passion flower vines. By the way, passion flowers are super cool looking, but they spread like alien freak plants.

Between the early flooding, the hail and the cold followed by record heat, draught, and now deer, it's not been a good year for growing things. If that's not bad enough, my cherry tree has no cherries, my apple tree has no apples, my mulberry tree has no mulberries and my pear tree has maybe six pears. What in the world... ? I don't know if it's crazy weather or if the honeybees have taken a hit and things just didn't get pollinated. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any honeybees this year. I bet it's because of that damn electric company and their toxic herbicide program. I'd rather have growing thngs than electricity. We didn't even get any black raspberries this year and those are always copious.

Ah well, whine whine wah wah wahhhhhhh. I'd better get out into the studio and make something before I depress myself and everyone around me! Gah!

Have an awesome whatever day this is!

Laurie

"The Angel Way" Abstract Energy Art

2011-06-29T11:35:00.000-05:00

"The Angel Way" by Primal Painter

I really love this one. The colors, wow, sunglasses worthy! (heheh.) The imagery has a nice flow, the hidden angels and moon face are super cool, and the vibe when I look at it is high. I'm going to put a moon face in all my digital paintings from now on, it'll be my signature. Back in the olden days, I made a decent living making a celestial line of mirrors, chimes, wall sculptures and mobiles, and I still dig that celestial vibe......and pyramids, I like pyramids......and spirals.

My desire to communicate seems to be at an all-time low, but my creative juices are flowing pretty well, so that's a good sign. During this phase of non-verbalism (or non-verbalocity, or no-talk-aholicism) which I have come to call "The Great Silence of the Yams 2011", (Yams is code for vocal cords), I decided I should do another chakra angel to check in on the condition of my energy flow.

I was surprised to see the blue throat chakra so open. I thought it would have a "Closed Until Further Notice" sign on it or maybe a "Danger-She's Gonna Blowww!!" sign nailed to it. There must be something else going on with me because I sure do feel strange....cocooned......internal.......like I'm in a womb, all wrapped up and closed off to the outside. Not stagnant or stuck, just inside myself, like in the eye of a tornado where everything is still but all around me is a wild whirlwind of debris, Wizard of Oz style. Weird sh*t, maan....

What she would look like matted and framed

The Crown Chakra - White, the combination of all colors, (some say violet, I say white) Our connection to Source, our connection to our higher selves, everything is one, part of the whole, the spiritual aspect of believing in something greater than ourselves and the knowing that everything could make sense if the veil came off. The veil is thin right now, I get glimpses but not the whole sh-bang. The glimpses keep me hanging out in the crown because of the mystery, that curiousity, that burning desire to "know". (Know what?). It's so big and sparkly and bright and shiny and happy and safe. No wonder I like to hang out there although according to this diagnosis, it's probably out of balance with the rest of the chakras because of it's gi-normous size. Balance is everything, but then so is timing....patience, grasshopper.

The Sixth Chakra -Purple (some say indigo blue, I see purple) - The Third Eye - The Seat of Intuition - "I see you", Na'vi style from the movie Avatar, seeing the issues behind the pain. This one doesn't look too bad. I've been working on blue and purple digital paintings lately while focusing on the fifth and sixth chakras and I think this process has cleaned out some of the cobwebs in both of them. Cool.

The Throat Chakra - Blue - Communication, change, committment, verbal self expression, speaking your truth. It looks fairly open and clear but it's out of alignment, not by much, but by enough that it needs attention, more work, the next step. I'm still convinced there's something stuck in my throat but I can't see it in this picture. (Maybe it's behind, maybe I should do an image from the back side, yeah)

The Heart Chakra - Green - The Bridge between the upper and lower chakras, the mediator, love, nurture, empathy, compassion, understanding, Christ-like. (I wish I was more Christ-like). It looks open and cleared out, but not very vibrant or active. I recently finished the heart chakra painting with the intention of opening and clearing, so this is good. The next series of chakra paintings will have movement, activation, spin, and spiral. (spirals!!!)

The Third Chakra - Yellow - The Solar Plexus- thinking, intellect, self worth, self-esteem, self identity, who am I?, what is my purpose? why am I here? There's something I'm supposed to do. I know I can do it. I'm slightly out of alignment with my higher purpose but it's close....I think too much and don't feel or do enough, possibly because the second chakra isn't open enough.

The Second Chakra - Orange - Hara - the center of emotions, (easier to shut them down and pretend like they're not there) male or female identity, sexuality, intimacy, bonding. Poor ole' second chakra, it's open but needs more, lots more. The color is good though, so some clearing has taken place so at least there's been some progress..

The First Chakra - Red - Root - Kundalini - Procreation, survival, safety and self preservation, bodily life energy, stamina. And there it is, that puny first chakra. The plant is only as strong as its roots. It's not dark, so that's good, it's just small and needs to be more open and activated.

And the grounding cords, what grounding cords? There's a red light at the bottom of the angel where it looks like the grounding cords have disconnected and pulled back into a dark cave. That's not so good, but this is a typical problem with me. I have a tendency to float....

So now I know what to focus on. I love chakra angels!

(Disclaimer: These chakra attributes are how I understand them and are not necessarily how an expert might define them.)

Until next time, whenever that may be......

Laurie

Butterflies and Lilacs

2011-06-19T09:55:00.003-05:00

"Through a Butterfly's Eyes"

Ruh-Roh Raggie... Not everything has to be totally abstracted out I've discovered. How about a little realism/abstract combo action. This image was just my first attempt, so it's not a finished product or anything. I thought I'd share the very first one so that months later I can see how far I've progressed..

Man, I tell ya, that gimp is a fascinating tool. As I learn more and more (all completely by accident) about the wonderful things gimp can do, I see endless possibilities. Or maybe it's just the drugs I've been on for the last few days for an incessant migraine, I dunno! Not that I like the drugs, I hate the drugs, they make me tired and I know my aura is filled with black clouds because of them. Nothing can really be done about a brain injury though, so I just need to feel grateful that I don't get seizures which were also a possibility when the brain injury occurred.

I don't know if it's the migraine, the creative burst I'm having out in the studio, all the eclipses and solstice energy or the disturbing discovery that some people lack integrity and will steal my images and words, but I've been strangely mute for the past week or so. I'm still feeling pretty mute, but thought I'd stop in and say hi.

It just occurred to me that I'm also gearing up for some throat chakra work so that could have something to do with it too. Much of the imagery I'm creating right now is in blues with some purples thrown in which is a good indication that I'm moving up into the higher chakras.

I really want to put a chakra guide page at the top of this blog, but being mute doesn't seem to be conducive to writing. I did manage to get a "What is Reiki" page up, so that's something at least. If only I could multi-task like my sister who can do a million things at once and do them well! I'm not like that. Working out in the studio takes away my interest in writing and words (and cleaning and reading and everything for that matter!). . The creative process for me doesn't include words. My brain thinks in terms of imagery, shapes, colors and patterns. I like fantasy land better than literal words so I might be there for awhile.

Well I'm already talked out......

Later!

Laurie

Earth Angels - A Wall Sculpture for the Planet

2011-06-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

"Earth Angels" by Primal Painter

This is the first in a series of wall sculptures I plan on doing over the next month. This is an experiment where I'm incorporating my energy art prints into dimensional art. I actually had a different one in mind for the first piece, but I've been hearing so much about volcanoes, tornadoes, fires, and crazy wild storms that I decided to do an Earth Angel protection piece.

I'll be going back to my usual "in your face" color schemes next, but this one is about the planet, and the planet makes me think of greens and earthtones. The energy art print I used in this piece is called "Mother Earth"

"Mother Earth" by Primal Painter

(Whoa, do you think I used enough links? lol)

I got a wild hair the other day and decided to google "Primal Painter". There were quite a few strange sites where I got mentioned, many seemed like they were overseas. Did you know that your comments on blogs show up in google searches? Tweets? Wow, I don't know about this internet stuff, I'm feeling kind of exposed.

How weird is this? This website has my words from a listing on Etsy attached to one of their own images. They changed a few of the words (which I highlighted) so it wasn't an exact knockoff. They even put some of my images (excuse me, effigies) on this page, too, without any links to me or my shop. I think they pulled them off my wordpress blog.

One of those prints hasn't even been listed. I feel a little violated I have to admit. I guess I could change my attitude to "Wow, they like me, they really like me!" I dunno, it's just weird. I emailed the owner of the website but got no response of course. Since then, the print of the girl has been taken down and there are three of "The Violet Flame", so I don't know what the heck is going on. All I know is "Ewwwwwwwwwww"!!

I think maybe I need to at least protect my images. I don't know if there's anything that can be done about words, especially when they change a few here and there. I guess I need to put a watermark on my images so they aren't so easy to steal. I don't know how to do that, so I guess I'll add that to my overwhelmingly long list of computer related chores.

Here's the questionable website. The image my words were attached to were of some statues in Japan.

http://melindatanner.com/artists-self-representing/sculptures/modern-

sculptures/abstract-art-wall-sculptures-by-primalpainter/

“Healing Energy” by Primal Painter

Abstract Healing Energy Art Photography Print

I created this abstract energy art print in March 2011 in response to the disaster in Japan.

This abstract art print is inspired by my wall sculpture entitled “Clearing the Chaos“. Through a very intuitive procedure that reflects a distinct flow of energy, I created this piece of abstract art.

From beginning to end, I focalized on infusing the effigy with Reiki healing energy in the form of colors, light and patterns. I believe that anyone could gain from the energy of this print. Those who are sensible to energy might feel it in the form of vibrations, tingling, or plainly a lift in mood or sentiment of well being.

____________________________________________________________________

Dimensions: 8″ x 10″, could be hung vertically or horizontally. The effigy extends all the way to the edges of the paper

Colors: Red Violet, Reds, Pinks, Oranges, Yellows, some Purple, some Blues

Paper: Kodak Professional Endura Metallic Paper

I’ll sign, date, and title it on the back.

The metallic paper it’s printed on is very glossy, pearlescent, and has a shimmery glow with deep vibrant colors. I had it printed at a professional photo lab.

I plan on incorporating these new energy art prints into three dimensional wall sculptures, original paintings and also into pendants, brooches, mini wall hangings and magnets.

To see other modern abstract art, energy art, wall sculptures and pendants, go to my Etsy Shop or my Artfire Studio.

Abstract Art Wall Sculptures By Primalpainter

Add a chic, modernistic look to any room with this striking pair of candle sconces! Matte black finish lends drama to slender curved metal wall plaques; each supporting a clear glass votive cup. Why not add your favored brightly-colored candles for an ultra-artistic display? Iron with glass cups. Candles not included. Each is 2 3/8" x 4 3/4" x 8" high.

Abstract Art Wall Sculptures By Primalpainter Picture

Abstract Art Wall Sculptures By Primalpainter Photo

Abstract Art Wall Sculptures By Primalpainter Image

And how strange that these images are under a description for candle sconces! If that's not bad enough, underneath my photos were bad reviews.....of candle sconces!!!! Gah!!

I'm going to ignore it all for a while. Once again, the computer seems, I don't know, Eeevilllll! The studio is a much nicer place!

Have a super fun weekend!

Laurie

"Forgiveness"- The Heart Chakra

2011-06-06T11:13:00.001-05:00

"Forgiveness" by Primal Painter

Finally I finished my heart chakra painting entitled "Forgiveness". I'm no Speedy Gonzales, that's for sure, but I'm glad it's done. The timing has to be right for clearing and healing, so I just have to be patient and trust the process.

I had a hard time with the photos because the center is a bright pearl white that dominates the camera exposure. If I expose it so the center is white, the rest of the colors are off. I may need to work on the editing some more. I swear, it seems like there are times when I spend as much time on the photography, photo editing, and descriptions as I do on the creation of the piece itself. I don't enjoy all of that technical crapola, it's too much like work! I only like doing the fun stuff...is that wrong? lol

I did a couple of necklaces, too, but I'm starting to think that I don't want to focus much on those anymore, although I've sold two. The photography and the editing for those are really time consuming and the final price just doesn't justify the amount of work.

Pretty, though.. The metallic paper used for the print really catches the light, but again, super hard to photograph! This one is smaller in diameter than my other pendants, I like it better smaller and the chains are cool but a pain in the ass when I CAN'T SEE!!! Gah! When will I just get over it and get glasses? NEVER!!!!!! (Geeze, who was that yelling in a rebelliously childish way. Was that me? lol)

I'm starting to get back to where I started, but with a twist.....three dimensional wall sculptures but using my energy art prints as the focal point. I might even use the necklace concept and incorporate those shapes into the wall sculpture rather than using them just as necklaces.

I love making the energy art prints, though, I mean really LOVE it, so I won't stop doing those. So...much...fun!!! As with everything else in my world, though, I have to be in the right zone to do them or it becomes frustrating.

It's actually fairly easy to see when the timing is right for just about any endeavor. Does it make me go "Wheeeee!" or does it make me go "ugggggghhhhhhh". Pretty simple really. The trick is paying enough attention to recognize the energy levels and emotional/physical responses and having the self discipline to stop and do something else. I'm getting better but I still have a rebellious streak that kicks my ass. I used to get a thrilling buzz when I was rebellious, now about half the time it's more like a jarring, malfunctioning "gonna burst into flames" ooogley kind of feeling. I'm growing up, oh noooooooo!

The heart chakra issues were intense, to say the least. I did several energy art prints to help me get through it, though. I believe working on the prints really made the process easier than the previous chakra paintings where I got blindsided with hardcore issues and didn't utilize any extra tools. Those prints, I tell ya, there's something in those prints......

Well I'm out to the studio today. I got poison ivy between my fingers and it's slowly starting to pop up in all kinds of unfortunate places on my body. I don't even know where in my yard I picked it up, so I could get into it again! Gah! Nothing's worse than poison ivy between your fingers! (well, maybe there are a couple of other places that are worse, but I won't get into that...)

Have an awesome day!

Laurie

Welcome to the Jungle

2011-05-29T20:55:00.002-05:00

"The Clearing" by Primal Painter

I've been into some serious blues, purples, and turquoise lately. I can't help it, it just happens. "The Clearing" is focused on transitioning from the heart chakra to the blues of the throat chakra with maybe even some of the purple sixth chakra showing up. Things are on the move!

My heart chakra painting should be finished in the next few days, assuming the timing is right. I had to let it breathe for awhile, not to mention letting myself adjust to the clearing that took place. This energy art print is my way of paving the way for the fifth chakra painting, the throat.

Daily Channeled Message® by Dyan Garris

There is a somewhat softer edge to this day as closure and resolution seem to be right around the corner. As the energies begin to shift now and we can begin to have hope for the future, Spirit asks us to examine a few things. Who or what is your source? Who or what have you been giving your power away to and why? If you've been waiting for a situation to change, waiting and wondering why someone isn't doing or hasn't done something differently, or wondering why someone has the attitudes and point of view that they do, wonder no longer. Focus your energy instead on your own center, your own power, and your own source. Everything is a reflection and you are in there somewhere. Peer inside the darkness and find your light. Reclaim your power.

The Mirror Card

The Mirror

"When you look into this mirror

The reflection is not of you

This window is here to help you see

Far beyond yourself it's true."

That's a cool message I thought, and one that I should examine (Great....another message to examine..gah!)

As I'm sitting here, Bobo, my crazy little jack russel terrier is racing madly around the house, bouncing off the furniture for a little extra speed and momentum. He stops every few seconds, tries to speak in Human, and then he's off again. Lol, dogs are so funny. Bobo is especially entertaining with an equal amount of "highly annoying" thrown in which he follows up with "super sweet". His voice...good Gawd! So LOUD......and Brain Piercing.

Bobo, such a cute, sweet, smart, annoying little guy! I wuv him.

A couple of months ago, Bobo (affectionately known as Bobo McBratz) was racing around the house like Speedy Gonzales and Penny, our roommate Jeremiahs' very overweight hulk of a black lab (affectionately known as Penny McPhatz), decided to get in on the chase.

Penny McPhatz, she's obsessed with food...and lasers

They were racing around the house at top speed (well, Penny lumbered...the house shook ) with Bobo going up and over all the furniture, easily evading the Incredible Bulk. Penny decided to cut him off at the pass as he was going over the top of the couch that separates the living room from the dining room. She jumped on the couch and somehow launched her walrus like body over the back, and they collided in mid air. Bobo richoceted off Penny like he was shot out of a cannon! lol He went flying through the air backwards and bounced off the cedar chest. lololol

Oh my gosh, that was so funny, and he was so mad! I was sitting in the recliner laughing at this turn of events, so Bobo jumped into my lap and proceeded to cuss Penny up one side and down the other. I've never heard so many different sounds coming out of that little dog's mouth before and I've heard a lot of sounds as he tries to speak in Human (he's very smart and on occasion gets pretty close). What a tirade! So Penny has to tell her side of the story and sits right at my feet, looks me directly in the face and says "Grrrrr woof.......grrrr woof".

Then Bobo looked at me and loudly said "arrarrrarr, rrrrr, yip yip, grrr ow ow ow whine whine squeal arararrrrr ow ow ow" with his voice hitting a range of octaves that were mind boggling even for him. I couldn't help but laugh, and while Bobo typically enjoys making me laugh, in this case it just made him madder and escalated his tirade. heheee Poor wittle Bobo....

Here are the rest of our dogs....

Ellie Bear, better known as The White Devil.

She's my daughter Andi's dog that apparently is now my dog seeing as how it's been almost 3 MONTHS since I agreed to babysit her for supposedly a WEEK. She's getting better behaved or so I tell myself. She's super smart and does tricks like a circus dog, most notably a very entertaining "Ninja Roll" (but only if there are high quality treats involved like meat. Dog biscuits, crackers....those are a no go).

Chance, my Bubby Dog

He's the oldest, the most obedient, the most loyal and protective and always has a smile on his face.

Patches, better known as Patches McPhartz

She's the sweetest, most sensitive and gentlest of our dogs. She always knows when I feel bad and tries to give me some lovin'. This picture was taken in the Great Blizzard of 2011.

Needless to say, sometimes it's a madhouse around here, a madhouse sitting in the middle of an increasingly unruly jungle. I wouldn't trade it though, I love my crazy jungle.

I know Memorial Day is about war veterans, but it's also a day that I choose to honor the memory of my mom, my dad, my aunts (especially Aunt Gladys), uncles, and grandparents.

Have a great one everybody!

Laurie

"Riding the Waves" Send Light to Joplin, Missouri

2011-05-25T12:12:00.001-05:00

"Riding the Waves" by Primal Painter

Here's another experiment with painting using Gimp tools. There are two hidden faces and a little moon in this one....I swear, I can get immersed for hours with this stuff! I don't know exactly what the meanings are for these faces. The girl seems to be connecting with lunar energy and the high/low tides of emotion. Maybe she has issues with the people represented by the faces and is working on energetically releasing them although the faces don't necessarily look like enemies, just observers.

I'm not done yet, I see a few more faces in there that need to be pulled out. Hmmm "pulled out". I wonder if that's like pulling out a tooth? Bringing to the surface to be healed? I don't know, all I know is that this is some fascinating stuff and hopefully it will all make sense at some point.

I did a distance Reiki session with the sweetest girl the other day named Anya. She's a new Etsy seller and just started a blog. Her shop is called ShopDionne and her blog is Start With Style . Anyway, the session was way cool, and I realize once again that I'm clairsentient. I "feel" what the other person is feeling, including physical sensations, although for some reason, many times I'll feel things on the opposite side of my body from where the person is feeling them. I always think I should be clairvoyant where I "see" things because it's so easy for me to visualize, but I don't seem to do that during a session. Sometimes I'll "hear" things, so I might have a little clairaudience going on, but I don't really trust that yet....I have a vivid imagination that might be filling my head with thoughts or at least that's my suspicion.!

Anya is into Reiki and seems to be very clairvoyant. She connected with me also during the session and told me of the visuals she received during it. She saw me climbing a mountain, the higher and steeper the better, sometimes I'd lose my footing and slip, but I didn't feel fear, I just kept going. I was also wearing a cape which she interpreted as me not taking myself too seriously. lol I'd say that was about right! When I reached the top, I was being chased by wolves, but I hid in a tree that had spy holes in it. I threw the wolves off by leaving my false self out where they could attack it. She had some nice encouraging things to say about me.

I thought this was a very accurate reading from someone who didn't know of my journey at all! I have to really think about that part where I leave my false self outside as a decoy and let the wolves go after it. That visual keeps coming into my mind, so I'm thinking there's some profound wisdom in it that I need to wrap my brain around. Anyway, it was super cool and I'm really glad to have met her.

Well today is a studio day. The sun is out, the rain has stopped for a few hours and my grass has grown about 10" in the last week!! We missed the tornadoes that hit Joplin and Oklahoma. Joplin is about 1 1/2 hours away, 30% of the city was leveled (Joplin is a fairly large city) and 123 people are dead so far. The scenes from there are heart wrenching.

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning. It had to have been a mistake, but if it wasn't, I hope someone gets their ass fired. On tv, there were some previews for the 8 a.m. news. They were showing scenes from Joplin and one was of the rubble of a house There was a closeup of the dead face of a kid buried underneath. I almost puked. Of all the insensitive shit I've ever seen, my Gawd that was some of the worst.

Sorry for that visual. Put it out of your head, but send love and light to that poor community and the traumatized family of that little kid.

Later,

Laurie

Energy Art using Gimp's Airbrush Tool

2011-05-22T10:52:00.007-05:00

Work in Progress by Primal Painter

I've started to do some actual rendering with Gimp as opposed to my usual freestyle happy accidents. This is one of my first attempts. I came up with a happy accident, then went into it with the warping tool and starting moving things around and painting with the airbrush tool. If you enlarge it, you can see the details better. I'm torn between making the details in her face more distinct or making them even more vague.

I'm really clumsy with that darn mouse, I wish I had one of those tablets where you can use a pen to draw on the screen. Wow, I could really do some awesome things with that, but alas, it's out of my reach financially at the moment.

Now for a little something I don't normally do. Sara, a wonderful painter who creates very inspirational work, tagged me on her blog Simply Sarafina Paintings to fill out the ABC's of Me questionnaire. I'm not usually into that kind of thing, I might moan and groan a little at the thought, but I didn't want to let Sara down. Copy and pasting wasn't working, and after answering the questions twice (TWICE), I finally gave up. So Melinda from Inspiration Earth, sent me a pdf file and lo and behold, I think it's going to work.....(groan...just kidding).

So for the THIRD time..............

A. Age: 50 (what?) Did I say 50? I meant 49
B Bed size: Twin size which is right next to my boyfriend's queen size. Weird, you might say, but frankly I got tired of being bounced around all night like I'm riding in the back of an old pickup truck driving really fast through a bumpy pasture. (That's fun, by the way, when I'm AWAKE)
C. Chore you hate: All of them, especially dishes....and vacuuming.....and dusting......
D. Day: Today or maybe tomorrow
E. Essential start to the day: Doggy kisses. Boyfriend kisses? Eh, not so much (just kidding, that's too mean....heheh.)
F. Favorite color: All the shades of purple
G. Gold or Silver: Gold.....or silver
H. Height: 5'8"
I. Instruments: Piano and saxophone when I was a young whippersnapper. Actually I wasn't a whippersnapper until I was in college...What is a whippersnapper anyway? Is there any whipping of any snappers going on? hehee (don't go there, Laurie)
J.Job title: Professional....uh.......Bum? Oh I meant Professional Artist
K. Kids: A 21 year old daughter, Andi and a bunch of furry, feathery kids - 5 dogs, 3 cats, 2 goats, 2 bunnies (down from 28 when I realized the meaning of humping like bunnies), 9 chickens
L. Live: Yes, I Live, some days more than others.
M. Mum's name: Velma, she passed on from bone cancer in '99
N. Nicknames: Laurie Belle, Mama Cat
O. Overnight hospital stays: 4 overnighters
P.Pet peeve: People who eat crunchy food with their mouths open, like Doritos (Gah! I'll keeell you!!)
Q. Quote from a movie: "Ai-Yi Yi Yi Yi Yi Yi Yiiiiiiiiiiiii" from the movie Avatar
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: Older sister and brother Nancy and Steve, a younger brother Eric
T. Time you wake up: 6:30 to 8:00 a.m.
U. Underwear: oh uh, (blushing), no thank you
V. Vegetables you dislike: slimy cooked spinach like they used to serve in the school cafeteria (grrr-ossss)
W. What makes you run late: My dogs chasing the car down the road then having to turn back and put them in the house, forgetting something and having to go back, putting things off until the last minute, not accounting for traffic, photo ops
X. X-rays you've had: tons which may explain my unearthly glow
Y. Yummy food you make: Hahahahaha, I don't cook (at all) but sugar snap peas that I've grown in the garden are the best
Z. Zoo: Zoos suck

Well I did it!

By the way, I got the most amazing package from Melinda, Taylor, Jordan, and Riley yesterday. It made tears come to my eyes it was so sweet. Melinda sent me some orange flavored lip balm and my lips still feel soft from yesterday. She also sent me some Invigorating Hand Sanitizer made from witch hazel and essential oils...it's really amazing stuff, and so is she. The handmade cards she sent are absolutely gorgeous....and I mean gorgeous! Taylor sent me a lovely purple bookmark with my name on it, Jordan sent me a super cool handmade card and four of her needle felted acorns (so cute! I have the perfect little bowl). Riley sent me a handmade zebra card and a sweet note. Let me take a picture real quick.......

That photo doesn't really do those handmade cards justice, they're extremely well done and appealing! Thank you so much Smitten Family. It wasn't expected or necessary, but I'm thrilled and touched!

Now for a couple of pictures of the things I smell when I walk outside (in addition to dogs and goats....)

Orange Blossoms are loaded this year....

Nothing is better than honeysuckle!

Mini Holliehocks are gorgeous!

Wild roses....yum.....

I think I forgot to size all these photos down. Does this page load super slow because of it?

Have an Awesome Sunday!!!

Laurie

The Violet Flame

2011-05-19T12:09:00.001-05:00

"The Violet Flame" by Primal Painter

This is my latest Energy Art print entitled "The Violet Flame". The violet flame is also called the flame of transmutation, freedom and forgiveness.. I really like this one, but then I say that about almost every new print I come up with. This one came about after I saw the Dalai Lama last week and he was talking about forgiveness.

Forgiveness.....sounds so easy but for me is so hard. I thought to myself "What the...? Why, why is it so freakin' hard to forgive those mean people and circumstances that are ancient history but the scenario continues to play out in my brain?" Can anyone relate to this or is this just something I do?

Mostly what I'm having problems with are scenarios where I see myself as having been victimized in some way. I can say the words "I forgive you".....nuthin'......I can cut the energetic cords to the people and situations involved.....nuthin'......I can put a shield around myself so those cords don't re-attach....nuthin'...

I was driving to Fayetteville the other day, and here comes some re-runs that trigger a flare of anger. I decided to thank the Universe for having me live through these scenes of victimization, acknowledged that I still feel the anger, and envisioned the image above, "The Violet Flame", as taking in that anger and burning it up, transforming it into forgiveness and compassion.

Within two seconds of envisioning the Violet Flame, I let out a howl of emotional pain. Vague flashes of faces and feelings were going through my mind. I had to pull off the road and had a full-on meltdown of crying, whining and sobbing, strange noises that I can't even describe... good grief, you'd think I was being tortured. Then it was over....gone. That night, I had a dream that I was in a pleasant social situation with a few of the people who had hurt me in the past. Interesting....

This release didn't cover everyone, unfortunately, but at least it's a start. Also, I can clearly see that what's under the anger and resentment is pain. I suppose now I have to keep doing it until all of it's gone. Gah....always some kind of uncomfortable internal work to do....

I notice that the place I feel the constriction and blockage in my body is in my throat and neck. My throat chakra might be more damaged than I'd thought. It's probably an ongoing thing that goes way back, but I wonder if it has something to do with when I was attacked and raped. The fat end of a glass bottle was rammed down my throat, and I couldn't scream. Strangely, I couldn't scream even before the bottle was down my throat. It was like a nightmare....And I haven't really told the whole story, it's like a deep shameful secret.

I wonder if I need to tell that story. I just don't know if this blogging situation is the appropriate venue for it. I hate to think that something I've written has caused anyone to feel down or to feel sorry for me or anything of a negative nature. I'd rather make people smile and this story is very disturbing, yet it's also a story of survival and a slow motion journey to healing. I don't know, what do you think?

For some good news, Pixie Campbell, a fab Etsy artist and writer included "The Violet Flame" in her blog post the other day. I was stoked! Check it out: http://pixiecampbell.typepad.com/pink_coyote/2011/05/terra-incognita.html Within 24 hours of posting The Violet Flame in my Etsy Shop, I sold two prints, so that was super cool! Sometimes an image just resonates...

It's not raining today (yet). It's like living in a rain forest around here lately! I love rain forests, but oh how I miss my beloved sun and all the damage it does to my skin!

Have a good one!

Laurie

The Dalai Lama at the University of Arkansas

2011-05-14T08:56:00.006-05:00

I got to see the Dalai Lama at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville this past Wednesday thanks to my friend Pam who had an extra ticket. It was cool and I'm glad I went. I didn't take this top photo, but it reminds me of his infectious laugh and the way he would make jokes and laugh at himself. Can you believe the Dalai Lama is a jokester? Whodathunk......

I was amused to see him kick off his shoes and sit cross legged on the couch. I do the same thing! As a matter of fact, I kicked off my shoes and walked barefoot to and from the car to get to the arena. I think people thought I was a little strange, but I don't care, that's just how I roll. Me and the Dalai Lama are like this (crossing fingers).....

Here he is with his little red visor and sunglasses, he's a charming little man. The picture isn't that great, but we were up in the rafters so it's amazing I could get a picture at all. I have about two dozen pics where he looks like he's moving at super human speed from the blur.

His talk was interesting, although I wish I could have understood more of it. I had to really concentrate to understand his accent. It was kind of like when you have a computer problem and you call the tech department and someone with a heavy accent answers the phone....I love how accents sound, but sometimes it's so hard to understand! You can relate to that, right?

My friend Pam sent me a link to the transcript of his talk, so check it out, he has some interesting things to say. Dalai Lama Transcript

He laughed at himself a lot and called himself childlike. He's all about non-violence in dealing with anyone and anything. He said that having enemies or being around people that give you trouble is a good way to practice forgiveness and compassion. Everyone is basically the same and how someone else acts is their problem, not ours, so detachment from their behavior is important. Easier said than done, I say, but it sure is a good thought. I wish he would have expounded on how to forgive and make it stick, because I've found that forgiveness doesn't always happen just from saying the words.

Here's a little summary of who he is....

Question: How do you view yourself?

Answer: I always consider myself as a simple Buddhist monk. I feel that is the real me. I feel that the Dalai Lama as a temporal ruler is a man-made institution. As long as the people accept the Dalai Lama, they will accept me. But being a monk is something which belongs to me. No one can change that. Deep down inside, I always consider myself a monk, even in my dreams. So naturally I feel myself as more of a religious person. Even in my daily life, I can say that I spend 80% of my time on spiritual activities and 20% on Tibet as a whole. The spiritual or religious life is something I know and have great interest in. I have some kind of confidence in it, and thus I want to study it more. Regarding politics, I have no modern education except for a little experience. It is a big responsibility for someone not so well equipped. This is not voluntary work but something that I feel I must pursue because of the hope and trust that the Tibetan people place on me.

He's the spiritual leader of the Buddhists which I've always found to be a fascinating religion. They believe in reincarnation, and so do I. I find it hard to believe that we can learn all that we need to learn in one itsy bitsy human lifetime. When you think about it, the span of a human lifetime is like a grain of sand when viewed through the lens of the universe......in other words, it's really short!

He said that when people see him or other monks and gurus as being magical, that it's a bunch of nonsense. Then he laughed that funny little laugh of his that cracked everyone up even if we couldn't understand a word he was saying!

This is probably before everyone else's time except mine, but years ago there was a cartoon called "The Perils of Penelope Pitstop". The villain was called Dick Dastardly and his dog was called Mutley. Mutley had this whispery, raspy laugh "he hee heee heee heee" that sounded just like the Dalai Lama laugh. How funny is that?!

I can't say that I learned a lot, but it was super cool to see such a famous spiritual leader in person and to see how down to earth and childlike he is. His energy is very kind and appealing, definitely a high vibe kinda guy.

I don't worry about my own childlike (or maybe mine are childish) tendencies now, since me and the Dalai Lama are like this (crossing fingers)!

Again, here's the transcriptof his talk: Dalai Lama Transcript

Below is an energy art print I created from a photo I took of the Dalai Lama (the one above). It's called "The Vibe" and I feel it embodies his childlike nature, innocence, and compassion.

"The Vibe" by Primal Painter

Have an awesome Saturday!

Laurie

Chakra Angel

2011-05-07T09:47:00.001-05:00

"Chakra Angel" by Primal Painter

In response to the crazy weirdness I've been feeling for WEEKS, I thought I'd do a little evaluation of how my chakra system looks right now. I created "Chakra Angel" a few days ago with the intention of seeing what the heck's up. Frankly, I'm tired of feeling all discombobulated. (This is my word today, so I might have to find a reason to use it again.) (Why is it my word? I dunno, it's just a weird word.....discombobulated... hee!...who came up with that one, I wonder?)

I see a huge crown chakra at the top, nice, I'm glad to see that. One thing I usually don't have a problem with is a good strong connection to the Source, you know, God, the Universe, a Higher Power.. Sometimes I get all discombobulated (hee) with my Higher Self, but the Source is almost always a constant.

I'm surprised to the see that the sixth chakra, the second from the top, is smallish and dark. I always fancy myself as being an intuitive type, but according to this, my perceptions are.......discombobulated.

The throat chakra, well I'm not surprised to see that one compromised. I've always been an internal type of person. Sometimes I don't say what I mean, or I mean things I don't say or I don't say anything at all. Instead I'll fume or bury or pretend. Not exactly the ideal scenario, not that I want to yell and scream....or do I?

The heart chakra, not bad. What a surprise! Cool! Two weeks ago that puppy would've been closed up, maybe not even visible, so there's been some progress. Awesome!

Wow, the yellow solar plexus, the third, is HUGE! What's up with that I wonder? The third chakra is about self identity, how I see myself, how much do I believe in myself, how confidant I am. This is a good sign...but maybe it's too big, too open? A third chakra that's too open can cause stomach and digestive issues from not feeling safe in your environment. I don't have any of that so maybe I'm good..

The second chakra is not looking too bad. Good deal. I'm glad the work I've done on the second chakra is holding up although it's slightly out of alignment. That's easy enough to fix.... Visualize each chakra in perfect alignment with the others, listen for thoughts popping up as to why it got out of alignment in the first place.

The first chakra is looking a little puny. I'll do some more work there. Extending down from the first chakra are the start of some decent grounding cords but they don't seem to be too strong. I'll work on those, too, as I do have a tendency to float away into la-la land. (but, but...I love la-la land!)

A new way of diagnosis, cool! Did you see the moon face at the bottom of the angel? Did you know that you can actually airbrush with Gimp? How fun is that?! I'm going to start doing more hidden faces, images, and figures. I love art that has surprises! I'd really like to learn how to use the "layers" tool so I can superimpose photos onto each other.

There's some kind of tool, or computer where a person can actually hold a pen and draw on the screen instead of the clumsiness of using the mouse. (I'm terrible at drawing with the mouse!) Anyone know what those things are called? They probably cost a gajillion dollars or maybe even two gajillion dollars, but sure would be fun!

Well, I'm off.... Maybe someday I'll learn how to put page tabs at the top of this blog and include a chakra guide. I forget sometimes that not everyone is familiar with chakras, Reiki, and other energy work terms.

Have a good one!!

Laurie

Funny Dog Tease Video

2011-05-05T10:51:00.001-05:00

Heeheeheeeeee!!! Nothing like a good laugh to start out the morning! We have five dogs, and apparently I carry on conversations with them where I use a different voice for their responses. Apparently I even use voices with an accent, what's up with that? I don't even know any accents!

I don't think any of our dogs are Spanish or French, but then I guess I don't know for sure. Maybe in a past life, who knows. Actually, the accent I use is probably of no particular origin, maybe it's an accent with Dogland origins... Or Muttvania....Or Puppydelphia.....Or Poochawotami... lol Oh man, sometimes I amuse myself.

This is a totally subconscious thing I do with them. Someone pointed it out to me awhile back, and I thought "Huh, I really need to get out amongst the humans a little more, ya think?" I don't know, I have a tendency to like my make believe world here in Laurie Land, although a little more human contact might not be horrible.

This weekend I'm going out in public, so that should satisfy the human contact thing for awhile. It's our annual May Fine Arts Festival Artrageous Parade, so there will be plenty of bizarre make believe stuff going on, so maybe it won't be too much of a culture shock. For being so small, this town is a very colorful place with lots of action! We're frequently in the news for one bizarre thing or another. Anyway, if I remember, I'll take pictures and do a post about the parade.

Well I'm off to mow the lawn before the next rain comes in this afternoon. The grass has reached about 10" high, which should be loads of fun with my untrusty pushmower..

Have a good one!

Laurie

Heart Chakra Challenges

2011-05-03T11:03:00.002-05:00

"Angel Heart" by Primal Painter

I'm super excited to have been featured on one of my very favorite blogs of all time Dreams of Fae! Taylor Lynn is an amazing young girl, an excellent writer, a fantastic photographer with a great eye, a thinker, a protector of the environment, an animal lover, an avid reader, she's just got it all! Her blog is definitely a must follow. And while you're at it, check out her personal blog Perfectly Sensible Nonsense which is just as awesome as her business blog . To see her photography skills at work, check out her Etsy Shop The Forest Faery. Thanks Tay, I'm honored that you thought of me!

I created this Energy Art Angel (above) a few days ago in response to the issues I've been having with my heart chakra painting. (What? Issues with the heart chakra? Surely not.....) Gah! That's right, mucho crapola has been tied up in the ole' heart chakra.

It's just as I expected, and as hard as it is, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to clear out some of these issues. This angel is infused with the movement and colors of several chakras with the flow of energy going up and out, passing through the crown and transforming into light and forgiveness. The area around the heart is dark, but the light is illuminating the pain and
the anger, bringing them out of the shadows.

There's some interesting symbolism in this image, for example, the shape way above the angels head is in the shape of a shield (a light source is at the base). Do you see it? I thought it was interesting that a way of protecting the heart is in the saying "Shield's up." There are others, too, but somehow my posts always get sooooo loooonnnnggggggg....

My heart chakra painting started out good, it was really pretty actually. Then I took a break, looked at it a few days later and thought "Wow, this isn't real, this is how I want to be, but it's certainly not how I am". So I set my intention to paint my heart chakra as it is now. So now it's muddy, dark, messy, and ugly.....and then the issues arose. I guess it takes being authentic and honest to get to the root of things and bring about true healing. I sure wish I could just fake my way through things, but I've tried that....over and over.... and it doesn't work!

I stumbled across the following message somewhere, can't remember where. I really need to work on paying attention! Anyway, I thought it was a good message:

Daily Channeled Message® by Dyan Garris

Sometimes all we can see is what is directly in front of us. In our inability to see the bigger picture, to see the potential that is around the bend, we sabotage ourselves. And sometimes our expectation and attachment to the way things are "supposed" to look when we get around that bend is what sets us up for disappointment. When you can move along the path knowing that whatever shows up along the way and whatever things look like when you get to the clearing, they are all in perfect order, no matter what you believed was "supposed" to happen, then you have just freed yourself. Today's energy asks that we try to see both the forest AND the trees and KNOW that the rest will come.

The Clearing Card

The Clearing
"The clearing you have come to here
May be a place of rest
Patience then is needed now
Before you can resume the quest."

Well, the sun is actually out today, it's a miracle! We actually had three more inches of rain in the last two days on top of the 18" we'd had over the past week! Everything's so green and bright....wheee!!!

I'm about done with all this seriousness...I think the next post should be frivolous and fun!

I'm off! Have a great one!

Laurie

Reiki Attuned Energy Art Necklace

2011-04-29T10:28:00.000-05:00

"The Beginning" Energy Art Necklace by Primal Painter

I just started listing energy art necklaces on Etsy and Artfire in the past few days. I know I need to work on the focus (my eyes are getting blurry, darn it!) but I was wondering if I could get some opinions on the presentation.

For the first one I added in the blue gradation for the background. I think I might need to make it lighter, though.

The second one shows the size and how it looks as a necklace. It's 1 1/2" in diameter but I'm wondering if that's too large for the average person.

The last photo just has a white background without the cord on it, but maybe that gives the impression that it's just the pendant without the cord.

Right now, I have them listed at $25, but I thought that may be too high. Maybe $20 would be better. I don't want to go much lower than that because of the time involved in creating the print, and the work that goes into making the pendant, not to mention the cost of the cord, listing, the print, the selling fee, the paypal fee.... I also offered a free 30 minute distance reiki session to go along with them. Not a bad deal I thought, but don't know how other people would see it.

The questions I have are this:

1) For a first impression, which photo would look best? I have a tendency to go with the first one because I'm into color, but sometimes my taste is way off from other people's taste.

2) Is it too big? I can make them smaller. I blurred out the skin texture (sun damage lol), does that look weird? I also added in the black "shirt". Does it look fake and weird? I see there's a blurry part on the shirt, I could fix that.

3) Does having the pendant without the cord on it give the impression that it's not a necklace? It clearly says it comes with an adjustable length leather or cotton cord in the description, but how many people read the description?

4) Does the description make sense? Is it too long? Too much information? You can see the description HERE.

I've been fragging over these questions for days, and finally it got through my thick skull that I have some bloggy friends whose opinions I greatly value and could give me some insights! Takes me awhile sometimes..........

It's beautiful, warm, and sunny here today, yay! I'm torn between laying out in the sun and soaking up some rays and feel good light, cleaning up the yard, and working in the studio on my heart chakra painting. Gee, could it be possible to do all of the above?

I dunno, the basking in the sun sounds pretty good after the 18" of rain we've gotten over the past week! And I can do that for HOURS (hence the sun damage). I've always been a sun worshipper and never been into the whole sun block thing. I guess there's a price to pay for such reckless self-indulgence! Maybe I'll amaze myself and try to do it ALL! Or not, we'll see.

Have an awesome day!

Laurie

Crazy Assed Weather

2011-04-26T13:00:00.003-05:00

"Dream Angel" by Primal Painter

I love this angel, the colors, the movement, the feeling, everything about it makes me gaze at it and feel better about things. I've really needed to feel better the last few days, so yay for Dream Angel!

We've had so much rain in the past five days (or maybe longer, it feels like forever) that many of the roads around here have been washed out and flooded. Several people have been washed away in their cars, the rivers are at dangerous flood levels, people have been evacuated....it's been something else. Twelve inches so far and more coming this afternoon.

We've had hail three days in a row. The first day, the hail was the size of tennis balls and didn't just fall out of the sky, it SHOT down on us with unbelievable force at an angle. It felt like we were under attack! The ice balls would hit the rocks, the trash cans and the CAR and the WINDOWS and just explode like mini bombs.

I was screaming and shrieking about windows getting smashed out, so my boyfriend Jamie ran out to the car to cover up the windshield (he was too late) and got pelted with hail so big that it drew blood and made big welts on his arms. I've never seen anything like it and I'm OLD!

My yard is littered with copious amounts of leaves and branches, my flowers are shredded.....Man! Crazy sh*t! For some reason, and I don't know if it's the weather or what, but I've been super emotional. I have to wonder if it's because of the work I've started doing on my heart chakra painting. My heart chakra is so deeply wounded that opening it up is releasing floodgates of emotions, kind of like the flood gates that have opened up in the sky. I anticipated this happening but it's still intense!

It also doesn't help that I've been having horrible migraines, too. I had some serious brain and head injuries that make me susceptible to post traumatic migraines. I hate drugs, and the pills I take to get through them are brutal on my system. No headache today (thank you God!) but I look and feel like complete and utter hell.

Well, on that depressing note, maybe some sunny happy pictures are in order! Here's a few pictures of some of my flowers before the shredding..

My eyes are starting to get blurry on me (another side effect of the migraines, no it's not age darnit!), especially the eye I look through the camera with, so it's getting trickier and trickier to get things in focus. I already have to wear reading glasses to read, but they don't work with the camera viewfinder. Not quite sure what I'm going to about that little glitch.

Well I need to get some things done before the next storm and the next migraine, so have a good one! (I made one of the tags for this post "whining", gah! Sorry.....)

Later,

Laurie

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T14:11:00.001-05:00

"New Growth" by Primal Painter

Happy Earth Day! Every day should be a day to celebrate this beautiful planet that we call home, but it's awesome  to have an official day of recognition.  What a great way to raise awareness of how important it is to respect, nurture and regenerate the Earth rather than abuse, exploit, and treat it as if its disposable.

In honor of Earth Day and Good Friday, I wanted to share an awesome Artfire Collection that I was proud to be a part of. It was curated by  Pretty Gonzo . She makes pretty earrings at an incredible price and has some cool vintage items.

This Collection is called "Symbols of Renewal to Celebrate Easter."   It's full of all kinds of different symbols from different cultures.   Such a great concept! I really love symbols and things that have meaning. Go check it out if you have time, Pretty Gonzo writes a nice introductory to it that doesn't show up here.

Symbols of Renewal to Celebrate Easter

Curated By: PrettyGonzo

ArtFire.com

Unique Gifts

Have a fantastic Earth Day and Good Friday!

Laurie

Synchronicity and Life Purpose

2011-04-18T12:08:00.001-05:00

"Going With The Flow" by Primal Painter

I've been a big fan of James Redfield for years who wrote the Celestine Prophecy series of books. If you haven't read the Celestine Prophecy books, they're centered around synchronicities, spiritual insights and awakenings. I don't have his latest book, "The Twelfth Insight" yet, but I'm going to order it today.

I'm also going to start reading the series from the beginning because it's been a few years since I've read it. A movie came out a few years ago called the Celestine Prophecy, but unbelievably I haven't seen it yet. I'm going to see if our video store has it, and will be getting it as well.

Why all the excitement about James Redfield? Well, I got a notice in my email, that a James Redfield had followed me on twitter. What?! Surely not THE James Redfield! But it was!! I went to the link from his latest tweet, and below is what I read.

Global Prayer Project sponsored by James and Salle Redfield

Beginning on April 14, a predicted second phase of Unity Consciousness is due to enter the world according to the Mayan Calendar and other prophecies. Again, this deeper spiritual consciousness is something that we can feel personally and see operating synchronistically in the outer world. Remember, this Unity Consciousness, called a 9th wave of divine creation by the Mayans, is predicted to come into our perception in a series of in phases. The first phase, called a Seeding phase, began on March 9 and was characterized by the expansion of the democracy movements in the Middle East and a new emotional empathy with those suffering from the shocking earthquake in Japan and the economic turmoil, especially in the US. The second phase, due to arrive on April 14, is called the Germination phase.

Obviously, this new consciousness is what I have been calling the Twelfth Insight, and I have pointed to the necessity for all of us to "Tune in" or open up to the emerging energies of this spiritual consciousness as though we are -- as the Mayans suggested with the names of these phases -- cultivating a consciousness within ourselves like a farmer would cultivate a plant. This week, let's offer our prayer and visualization toward enhancing and uplifting this process. Join us as we seek to bring the arrival of this new consciousness more readily into public awareness in a way that transcends the fear, pain and anger so many are holding onto.

Wow, how very synchronistic!! I got a crazy wave of goosebumps when I read this and also when I read other articles on their website CelestineVision. In my last post, I compared the awareness of my life's purpose to a cutting from a plant with no roots, but finally feel as if I' ve sprouted some roots. According to the Mayans, March 9 (my daughter Andi's birthday, how synchronistic!) was the beginning of the Seeding Phase, and April 14 begins the Germination Phase. Maybe a seed is what I was, not a cutting, but I was close!

Another strange synchronistic date for me is December 21, which is also a Mayan prophecy date, the big one, which some have misinterpreted as being the end of the world but in my opinion is more along the lines of the beginning of a new level of spiritual consciousness.

On December 21, 1984, I was the victim of a very brutal attempted murder and rape that took place in my own house while I was in college. I repressed the memory of the rape for 17 years (it happened while I was unconscious from multiple head and brain injuries), and when it finally bubbled to the surface nineteen years later, I thought I was going insane.

This incident is what triggered me to seek out help. I was led, very synchronistically I might add, to getting my Reiki degrees and learning about energy work. Maybe I'll write about that story some day, it might be good for me, although will undoubtedly be disturbing for readers.

Also, I ran across one of my old notebooks from years ago where I had "Lightworker Studio" written all over the page. Wow, trippy. Maybe I'll change my biz name to Lightworker Studio and start to live my life like somone who believes, like someone who's sprouted roots, rather than someone who just says the words.

So anyway, I'm a little blown away. I wonder what will happen today? Expecting synchronicities is how to keep them coming, according to the Celestine Prophecy.

"Live every moment of every day with awareness and intention." I think this will be my new tag line that I'm going to repeat to myself over and over so I don't doze off again.

Have a good one!

Laurie

A Revelation.....

2011-04-17T09:48:00.000-05:00

"The Activation" by Primal Painter

"To discover the truth of our own vision, we must take action by remembering our tools and putting them to work".

I was cleaning up the debris littering my computer area and ran across this quote that I'd written at the bottom of a piece of paper. Unfortunately, I didn't write down whose quote it is. I wish I could claim ownership of it, but surely I didn't come up with something so profound!! Finding this particular quote at this particular time is one of those synchronistic "the universe will show you the way if you stop being so freakin' dense" moments.

The thing that struck me about this quote was the use of the word "tool". Several years ago, I had gotten my Reiki II Degree which means I can practice distance reiki in addition to hands on healing. (I don't claim to be a healer, but I can channel healing energy from the Source to the recipient or attune an object or place so that it emits healing energy.) One of the phrases that was used frequently in my classes was toolbox... "put this in your healing toolbox".

I became fascinated with energy work, no, maybe obsessed is a more accurate word. I learned all kinds of alternative healing practices like EFT, chakra work, Therapeutic Touch, cutting cords, biofeedback, tons of stuff. I have a very impressive library of alternative healing books. After about two years of fun, learning, and healing, I got distracted with some really hard-core bumps in the road that led to a "black night of the soul" that lasted for four years. Dark times, dark times.

I started to emerge into the light again about five months ago.

When I look at my Etsy shop and see the category of the things that have sold there, the writing's on the wall. I mean, come ON! How much of a sign do I need? I've only sold seven things there, but get this....five, FIVE of those seven things have been chakra and healing wall sculptures and paintings. Below is the latest one that sold.

"Clearing the Chaos"

I'm ready to buckle down and really solidify my focus and intention on the creation of art that can be used as a tool for healing and transformation. I've been doing that to an extent, but it's been in and out, wax and wane, mexican jumping bean brain, just a cutting, no roots.

I believe I just sprouted roots. Live every moment with intention and awareness, no more mexican jumping bean brain.

Wake up, Laurie, be who you really are. And who would that be? A Lightworker.

Wow. Where did that come from? I had to look up the definition of lightworker to verify what it means. The following comes from a really awesome article by Doreen Virtue. To read the whole thing (it probably applies to many many people) click here:

"Lightworkers are those who volunteered, before birth, to help the planet and its population heal from the effects of fear. Each lightworker is here for a sacred purpose. Very often, however, life on earth with its material focus creates a form of amnesia in lightworkers. They then forget their divine and perfect identities, and also their abilities to miraculously help the earth and all living creatures. When lightworkers forget their true identity and purpose, they feel lost and afraid."

I got some serious goosebumps when I read this article after writing this post. That usually means truth.

Fascinating place, this universe we live in.

Have a fantastic Sunday!

Laurie

Artfire Daily Collection

2011-04-15T12:12:00.000-05:00

"Spiraling Up" by Primal Painter

I've felt strangely verbally stifled for the past few days. I think it has to do with the creative process kicking in and that seems to negate the desire to do computer related left brain kind of things. Creativity is very nonverbal for me, it's abstract and in my head, my eyes, and my hands and doesn't have much of anything to do with words and certainly not links and other crapola. Actually, when I'm embroiled in a creative frenzy, the computer seems like a chore and me no likey chores.

Also, it's spring for cryin' out loud! I have a garden to get ready to plant, phlox to transplant, red tipped photinias and Heavenly Bamboo to plant, yard to mow, flower beds to clean up.....Bizzeee bizzeee bizzeee.

I love my tall purple phlox. They get green early, stay green late, have beautiful aromatic flowers that last a long time, and spread like crazy. I transplant some every year to different parts of the yard. I may have to name my place Phloxville....Welcome to Phloxville, Where Purple Rules.... (Wow, strange mental meanderings, maybe I should have stuck with the verbal stiflement! lol) Did I mention the smell of the lilac bushes that's permeating everything right now? How could I possibly focus on computer stuff with that wonderful aroma in the air?

Have you heard about Artfire's Daily Collection email they're sending out....daily? It's pretty cool, actually. You have to sign up to receive it (there's a button at the top right of this post where you can do that) and you'll be assigned a number. With each Daily Collection, they're awarding the person with the matching number a $100 gift certificate to spend in any Pro shop of their choice. It's pretty good odds, I'm thinking

If you're a collection maker, now would be the time to get one made. Think of the exposure if yours got chosen for the daily email. Wow! With Artfire, there's nothing saying you can't include your own items as opposed to Etsy where it's frowned on. I haven't been there long enough to know if people actually include their own things very often, but I think it's a great idea.

Here's a cool Artfire Collection put together by Richard from Prankearts. It's called 'Blue Dreams"

Blue Dreams

Curated By: Prankearts

ArtFire.com

Indie Design

Pretty isn't it! I love blue! Thanks to Richard from Prankearts. Be sure to check out his Artfire Studio, he does some really beautiful impressionistic style paintings.

Later,

Laurie

Artfire's 45 Day Success Guide - Days 11 and 12

2011-04-11T10:33:00.000-05:00

"Metamorphosis" by Primal Painter

I'm still working on Artfire's 45 Day Success Guide. I've gotten several energy art prints listed in my Artfire Studio, and also in my Etsy Shop, but I'm still short of having the recommended number of 40 things listed according to day nine of the guide .......40!!! Holy cow, that's alot. I'm starting to think that a big key for success is having a high number of things listed.

I've managed to get 21 things listed, so that'll have to be good enough for now. It takes quite a bit of time to list things I've noticed, even on Artfire. Having duplicate listings on Etsy requires that the titles and descriptions be 30% different from each other or google will ignore one or the other of the listings. So for those of us who have shops in both places, give one of those duplicate listings a different title, and write a new first paragraph. 30% is quite a bit more than I was expecting to have to change. Gah!

Also, something else I discovered, on Artfire if applicable, list multiples for your items. Apparently, when you re-list an item, all of those links and SEO that have built up over time disappear and you have to start over from scratch. So listing multiples will keep your links alive for a long time, and that's a good thing. I'm wondering if frequent re-listing on Etsy loses your links and that's why google search percentages can be lower on Etsy. Re-listing helps with on-site category searches, though, but I'm starting to be suspicious that the Etsy re-listing strategy isn't google friendly.

I'm on day 12 now, although I groan loudly at the requirements for social media and may not do it. For me, twitter is easier than facebook, just a quick little blurb and you're out. Artfire and Etsy both make it easy to do. Facebook seems like a popularity contest that I'm losing......and I don't like to lose!

At first when I was doing the facebook thing, I was spending way too much time on there, commenting, shout outs, link love, and I got a ridiculously high number of shop views and hearts. No sales, though, and I was spending quite a bit of time there for no sales....time that I should have spent in the studio. Plus, you have to keep up the effort or you'll lose people's interest. It can turn into an addiction, I think. I understand how it would be beneficial though, and I'll probably try it again at some point.

Now Etsy is starting to be more like facebook every day! Have you noticed that now there are "like" buttons on your etsy pages? Geeze.....

Here's a little summary of days 11 and 12:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 11

Your Daily Checklist

Five New Products listed in your ArtFire Studio (good grief!)
Three Posts on the ArtFire community Forums   (I'll try....)
Three Tweets sent from your Twitter Account   (I can do that.....)
Two Posts on your Facebook Fanpage Wall    (Oh maaaannn, nobody will even notice)
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Day 12
Social Media Day Two

We encourage every seller to maintain both their ArtFire blog and an offsite blog (with different material). While this may seem overwhelming, but committing to two blog posts a week (one on each blog), will provide you with the benefits of being an active blogger and keep your readers coming back as long as you post regularly.

(Two blog posts a week, one on each, that doesn't sound too bad......)
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Your Daily Checklist

Three Posts on the ArtFire community Forums (We'll see...)
Five Tweets sent from your Twitter Account   (5 tweets now? Gah!)
Two Posts on your Facebook Fanpage Wall   (noooooo)
One Blog post on your offsite Blog (Done!)
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If you go to the Success Guide there are all kinds of helpful links for each day plus more in depth suggestions.

Well I'm off to tweet something, maybe I'll post something in the forums, (I'm not sure about that), and I may drag myself kicking and screaming to facebook.  I think I'm nervous about getting addicted to the popularity aspect and then feeling up or down based on the number of comments, impressions, likes.... I even read somewhere that some people are getting facebook depression because they aren't getting noticed like some of their peers. That saddens me.....

My success at following the success guide doesn't seem to be too successful so far!

Have an awesome day!

Laurie

Saturday Laughs

2011-04-09T11:11:00.000-05:00

I've decided that today is a day for funny videos. (Not one business link or business keyword in sight! Yay!) Uh, can you tell I've acquired a bad attitude towards the whole internet marketing thing? Maaann, so unfulfilling and just a total drag. I'm afraid spring and summer weather will keep me away from the computer quite a bit.

My day started off by walking outside barefoot to take in this glorious sunny warm weather, and promptly stepping in chicken poop. Gah! So I thought, maybe some funny animal videos are what's called for.

Monkeys are so cool. I mean, wouldn't it be fun to live and swing in the trees!? On the flip side, I don't think it would be that fun to throw poop at each other. Although, maybeeee... (staring off into space imagining myself throwing my own poop at someone........EWWWWWW!) Yeah, that would be gross, just had to make sure.

Now dogs, how awesome would it be to have the life of a pampered dog! They've got it going on and I like that they can be mortal enemies with the neighbor dogs one day, then do a little butt sniffing and wa la! truce! Too bad humans couldn't solve their differences that way....(staring into space imagining feuding humans bending over to sniff each other's butts.... ewwwwwww!) LOL, Ok, maybe not, just had to make sure...

Kitties, how I would love to be a kitty, sleepin' all day, oh yeah! Sometimes I see our kitties at the neighbors house, getting fed special treats no doubt. They come around when they want to and go off on big adventures whenever they feel like it. And in the spirit of a poop/butt oriented post, they're neat and clean and bury their poop.

I remember when we first got our pygmy goats, they were about eye level with the chickens at the time. I was out in the shed petting them, and our cat Sugar comes creeping up to check it out. One of the goats took a step towards her and she sprang about two feet straight up in the air, held there for a second, and somehow projected herself sideways about 4 feet! It was like watching the real life version of that cartoon with Snagglepuss. Remember this? "Heavens to Murgatroid! Exit, Stage Left!" lol....I'm probably the only one old enough to remember that cartoon....Maaaann!
Have an awesome Saturday!

Laurie

My New Strategy

2011-04-06T10:13:00.000-05:00

"The Beginning" Digital Abstract Energy Art by Primal Painter

I'm going to start putting the new things that I've listed on Artfire here in my blog complete with links, blah blah blah, all that SEO stuff. I've decided I really need to make a push to generate sales because I'm tired of treading water (oh and I'm broke).

For someone who's really laid back, I can be very competitive. I seem to have lost that competitive oomph for the last few years, but there was a time when it was a driving force for me. Of course, after achieving the goal, I would get bored and have to start from the bottom with something else. Hopefully that won't happen this time, but yesterday, I was excited to feel that little defiant surge of "if other people can make x amount of dollars per month, so can I" attitude.

There are two main things I'm going to do. First, I'm developing new products. The funky art pendants which I'm making with mini wallet sized prints of my digital energy art are really cool and affordable. Plus, I'm incorporating my prints into ready to hang wall art. I'm not talking frames and mats, I'm talking airbrushed embellished wood "mats" to enhance the presentation of the print in an affordable way.

I don't know about other people, but I'd be more inclined to buy prints that are ready to hang as opposed to matting and framing them myself. I'm thinking that presenting them differently from the other prints out there might set mine apart.

Second, I've decided I'm going to try Artfire's 45 Day Success Guide. I'm not the most self-disciplined person in the world, so I thought maybe if I announce that I'm going to do it, I'll actually stick to it. Gee, wouldn't that be novel!

The first week is mostly getting your shop set up and a getting a few things listed, so I got to jump to day 8 which is about writing in the provided blog. (Really? Another blog? Oh maaannn.....) Actually, they say that if nothing else, just write an introduction post about yourself and your artwork, plus include a link to your main blog, so I guess I can do that.

Melinda, from Inspiration Earth did a feature on me a few weeks ago, and I was thinking (with her permission, of course) that I would use excerpts from that interview as my introductory post, providing links to her blog and her Artfire shop Inspiration-Earth. Melinda's questions were so insightful and thought provoking for me, she really was the trigger for me pulling together my intentions into written form. Thanks Melinda!

Another important thing that was mentioned in this success guide, is how important it is to get as many products listed as soon as possible. That way, your products will be indexed by google much faster and will show up in a google search. This is different from the Etsy strategy of listing one thing here and one thing there in a futile effort to be seen at the top of the listings (for a whole, what? 5 minutes if that?)

Other important strategies, tweet your listing, post a link to your new listing on facebook, put a link on your blog, add it to stumbleupon, kaboodle, and something new called pinterest. I haven't actually checked out pinterest yet, but I've started doing the other things. Oh and post in the forums three times a day. I tried that yesterday and got Nuthin'...no views, no nuthin'!

So we'll see how it goes. Such a beautiful day today, maybe I should wait to start everything tomorrow.....oh nooooo, get a grip, Laurie, remember the word "BROKE."

Have an awesome day!

Later,

Laurie

Proud To Be A Purple Lover

2011-04-05T09:30:00.001-05:00

Purple Passion

Curated By: Prankearts

ArtFire.com

My wall sculpture "Psychedelic Starburst" was included in this awesome Artfire Collection called "Purple Passion", curated by Prankearts. Be sure to check out Prankearts studio on Artfire, he has some really cool paintings.

Handmade Gifts

"Psychedelic Startburst" A Wall Sculpture by Primal Painter

I really love purple, I just can't help it! I seem to include purple in practically everything I do. Last year, I thought I would paint the trim, the shutters and the porch of the house in some nice grown up colors. I did the railing on the porch with sage and cream which looked pretty and tasteful on this really nice house I saw in town, so I thought it might work for me.

When I was finished, I felt so......ugh. For the first couple of days, I looked at these colors with skepticism every time I went outside, but by the third day I noticed that I was averting my eyes whenever I walked up the porch steps. Well, that's not a good sign! By the fourth day, when I would approach my "tastefully" painted porch railings, I'd start dragging my feet on the ground like they weighed 1,000 pounds and would actually moan and groan and throw my hands in the air. These are not good signs!

So I hightailed it to the paint store, got a gorgeous purple, dark teal, and cerulean blue and proceeded to paint everything as bright as possible. Oh yeah, that's better!! My friends think I need a painting intervention, but even they agree that sage and cream just aren't me. I'm sure my neighbors raised some eyebrows, but I'm used to that by now, as a matter of fact, sometimes I do things just to raise those eyebrows!

I painted my kitchen in some wild oranges and reds, which left some of my visitors speechless, (my kitchen glows when the light shines through the windows) but thought, well I'll paint my dining room in some neutral normal color to balance it out. I don't even know how it happened exactly, but somehow, I ended up with a fuschia, maroon, orange and red pyramid on my wall. Seriously, I don't even know how it happened, I went into a color trance of some kind....

I might as well face it, me and neutral tasteful colors just don't go together. I'm starting to become suspicious that I may never grow up. Oh well, colors that make me go "Wheee!" are better than colors that make me go "ughhhhh" so to all those people with their raised eyebrows.......Take That!!!

Maybe I'll put up some pictures after I tackle spring cleaning. Oh noooooo, spring cleeaaanning!!!!!!

I won't think about that right now.

Have a great day!

Laurie

An Artfire Collection called "I Love Abstract Art"

2011-04-03T12:28:00.000-05:00

"The Portal" by Primal Painter

I have alot to do today, but I was excited that one of my new digital energy art prints was featured in a collection curated by AsktheMoon from Artfire, so I wanted to share it.

I Love Abstract Art

Curated By: AskTheMoon

ArtFire.com

I'm off to enjoy a beautiful 80 degree day! I've started working on my art pendants and I got a new set of prints from adoramapix yesterday, so lots of work to do.

Have an awesome Sunday!

Laurie

Fine Art Paintings

Happy April Fools Day!

2011-04-01T15:46:00.002-05:00

Oh.....my......Gawd!!!!!! On Thursday, I'm singing the praises of my talented daughter Andi for making a youtube video of my artwork, and today....well.....let's just say I'm singing a different tune......

So I get a text message that says something along the lines of "OMG, I was driving down the road and both my front tires fell off my car and now I'm stranded on the side of the road"! I read this, squealed in a high pitched tone that possibly only the dogs could hear, and immediately called her back.

"Oh my Gawd, OH MY GAWD, oh my Gawd! Are you ok? Where's your car? What are we going to do? Is there someone there you can call? Can the tires be put back on? Was there alot of damage? Was anyone hurt?" She says, "My car is on the side of the road, my boyfriend came to pick me up and I don't know how I'm going to get my car home. I'm pretty sure the damage is bad and the tires can't be put back on"

So after much flailing of arms, spinning around in circles, squealing, shrieking and scaring the dogs, she finally says "April Foools"! Well you little brat.....Oh my Gawd, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!

All I can say is, payback is a bitch, Andi.....payback is a bitch!! Although this could possibly be my payback for playing April Fools jokes on her in the past. The best one that comes to mind was when I made a stuffy man out of our friend Aaron's clothes, complete with his signature hat, and put it in her bed face down with the feet hanging off the end. She came home from school and I said "So Aaron showed up here drunker than a skunk and is passed out in your bed."

She runs in there to take a look, flies back out in the living room in a rage, screeching and carrying on, just furious and throwing a hardcore temper tantrum. It was one of the only times I've heard her use the "f" word. (heehee) I told her to go wake him up and kick him out of her bed, so she goes in there and yanks the blanket off, pulls off his hat, and smacks him in his (stuffy) head. Heheeee!

I guess she got her April Fools mentality from me, as I've pulled a few stuffy men practical jokes in my time.

So did anyone else get April Fooled today?

Have a good April Fools Day, but don't give your mother a heart attack.

Laurie

"Pandora" Digital Energy Art by Primal Painter

2011-03-31T10:59:00.001-05:00

"Pandora" by Primal Painter

I love the colors in this digital warpization of my wall sculpture "Expansion". It makes me think of the plant life on planet Pandora in the movie "Avatar". I'm mesmerized by the colors in that movie, not to mention the story line. To me, the visuals make that movie, but I love the "good versus evil" aspect as well. "Avatar" has that plus a little romance.

Ironically, the depiction of evil in "Avatar" is Corporate America (a reflection of the current state of America and maybe the world, in my opinion). In this movie, Planet Earth is on the verge of extinction due to our own reckless stupidity, greed, and abuse of the environment. They (notice I said "they" as I identify more with the Na'vi than the Americans) need a precious mineral that can only be found deep in the ground under the native Na'vi's Home Tree.

The Na'vi are peaceful beings that live completely in harmony with nature, and have energetic connections with the plant and animal life. The evil corporation tries to annihilate them to get what they want, but the Na'vi and even the wild creatures rise up against them. This movie is symbolic in many ways and also gives an insight into how cultures might live in peace and harmony through a reverence for nature and acknowledgement of the energetic connections we could have with each other.

Gee, I think I want to watch that movie again today! It always seems to leave me feeling inspired, plus it gives me goosebumps and makes me all teary eyed when I see the Na'vi gathering in concentric circles with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them in order to magnify the energetic connection. I want to be like them.

In other news, my daughter Andi had a little surprise for me today. She sent me a link to a youtube video and told me to check it out. This is what I saw...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM3p95Ck2AY

I couldn't believe it! How in the world did she know how to do that! She never ceases to amaze me with her support and faith in me. If only I had that much faith in myself I'd be a star, but I'm working on it. Thank you Andi! I love you!

Well I hope everyone has an awesome day!

Later,

Laurie

Digital Energy Art "The Angel" by primalpainter

2011-03-29T10:12:00.001-05:00

"The Angel" by primalpainter

I was in an Angel mood yesterday and created this beautiful energy art from a photo of one of my older wall sculptures called "Forest Angels". I have the same image in several different color combos, but this one is my fave.

The wall sculpture I used for inspiration is actually quite different from the ones I have listed on Etsy and Artfire right now. I painted the glass in a transparent way and put a bulb behind it so it's actually a light. There are hidden images of angels all over it. I did several styles of these wall sculpture lights, not quite sure why I stopped doing them because they're really pretty cool and unique. My daughter has this hanging in her apartment.

See any angels?

So I was thinking, (oh no, not that) there seems to be a big connection between my moods, energy level and the weather. I seem to have a strong desire to hibernate if the temperature gets below 55 degrees. Is that ridiculous or what?! 55 degrees!!

I think it must be one of those excuses that I pull out of my bottomless pit called "Stupid Excuses and Ridiculous Reasons for Procrastination". It's always been a little tricky to be self-employed, there's just so many things to get distracted by..... like naps....soap operas...flowers....books....daydreaming. If it's gloomy outside, Good Gawd, can't work in the studio today, I might get some gloom on me or sumthin'. What the...?! That's so ridiculous!

I really have to change my ways, like maybe get on a schedule of some kind. (A schedule? Really? Me? LOLOL) Seriously, though, I need to work on my self-discipline which is something I've been telling myself for the past oh, 30 years or so but to no avail. Maybe it's time to grow up.........

On that note, let's watch a little video:

That could be me telling myself "You're 50 years old, grow up, get some self discipline, and get on a schedule, darn you!" I respond with "Talk to the hand, bee-otch, I can kick your butt with my kung fu feet!". But in the end, it's all just "DA da da...da DA da.... da da DA".

Haha, I could do a whole post on the imaginary conversation between these two

Well it's gloomy, cold and rainy so I'd better curl up with a good book......Good Gawd, I'm hopeless!!!

Later,

Laurie

Digital Energy Art "Genesis" & Two Artfire Collections

2011-03-28T09:38:00.000-05:00

"Genesis" by primalpainter

I created this digital energy art from a photo of my wall sculpture entitled "Spiraling Up", although how I got from that to this, I have no clue. I must have done an "invert colors" at some point, because Spiraling Up is all blues. Oh well, I guess I don't need to know. I go into kind of a trance when I'm working on these digital creations, so I'm never really clear on the steps I take.

I put two of my new prints up for sale on Etsy yesterday. I'm going to put two more up today, then import them all over to Artfire. You know, I'm thinking I like Artfire. I got featured in my first Artfire Collection the other day, and it made it to the front page, so that was super cool. I picked up lots of views from it, but no sales. Based on my Google Analytics, about 25% of my Artfire traffic is coming from search engines, as compared to Etsy where it's about 17%. Etsy gets more views, but not by that much which surprises me.

The thing about Artfire and anything new, really, is the effort it takes to learn the ropes. For example, right now I'm going to go figure out how to show an Artfire Collection on here. Ugghhhhhhhhh. Here we go.....

Driven to Abstrac...

Curated By: DeborahYoungl...

ArtFire.com

Jewelry Supplies

Wow, that was suprisingly easy! Maybe it's too wide, though. Oh well. The one above is from yesterday and includes my wall sculpture "Psychedelic Flower".

The one below is the one that made it to the front page and includes my wall sculpture entitled "Blue Unity"..

U spin me right r...

Curated By: SomebodyStopM...

ArtFire.com

Handmade Jewelry

By the way, the reason I'm putting some words in bold is because I read somewhere that when search engines crawl your site, they head straight for the bold or italicized words, so it's good for SEO to do that on at least some of your main keywords.

But now my font seems to be stuck on bold and tiny.....GREAT!

It's going to be one of those days......

See ya!

Laurie