Bloom True with Flora Bowley -- a heartfelt giveaway

UPDATE: The giveaway has ended. Congratulations Natalie Joelle Schwarting! The next session of Flora Bowley's beautiful, soul-stirring, painting e-course Bloom True begins one week from today on October 20, 2015. As promised with the auction of my first painting, Raining Hope, it is time to host my giveaway for a spot in this course. Nominate a friend to get them a free ($297 value) Bloom True painting e-course with Flora Bowley! Leave a comment here on this post, on my Instagram post or on my Facebook post and I'll pick a winner on Saturday, 10/17 at noon Pacific.

Bloom True painting e-course giveaway with Sweet Eventide

This giveaway is happening because I won a space in this course in January 2015 and vowed to sponsor another creative soul in this class someday. I auctioned my painting and here we are! Flora has given away many spaces in her course in the past and I'm inspired by one particular method she uses to give spots away: Nominate a Friend.

She says, "This particular Giveaway has become a Bloom True tradition, and we absolutely LOVE it because we get to hear you gush about your favorite people and why they deserve a spot in the course.  We think this is a pretty great way to share your gratitude…AND offer something awesome to your loved ones."

be true be you photograph of flora bowley

So leave a comment on this post and nominate a friend and tell me why they'd be perfect for Bloom True and why you love them so much! I will draw a name out of a jar on Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 12 p.m. Pacific time and announce the winner. This way the winner has a few days to gather supplies. Here is where you can read about what materials are recommended for the course.

Bloom True was a huge gift to me during a very dark time in my life when I was trying to heal from lymphoma for the fifth freaking time. I do believe the joy and magic I feel while painting had a direct effect on my healing process. I have fallen head over heels in love with painting. I have shared a lot of my painting journey on Instagram under the hashtag #jessbloomstrue. I wish the same for you!

jess blooms true collage

So go ahead and nominate someone! Let me know why they would be a perfect candidate for the course and why you love them so much. If you want to be entered, don't be shy and ask someone to nominate you! You can even ask me to nominate you. :)

I can't wait to hear the stories. Good luck.

Raining Hope -- Sold!

For those of you who have been following my painting journey since 2013, you will be pleased to know I have completed my first painting, Raining Hope.

I learned how to finish a painting by participating in Bloom True, the painting e-course by Flora Bowley. In fact,  I am auctioning off my painting in order to pay it forward and host a giveaway for a spot in the next session of Bloom True. Click here to read the beautiful story behind this painting that explains its name.

UPDATE: The painting sold within two hours of the auction going live! The most amazing part is it sold to the beautiful couple from the first wedding I ever photographed! And the bride was the Noodle's beloved babysitter when he was two!

I am humbled and honored that I can sponsor someone in Bloom True. I will post about the giveaway once I have it set up.

Brave Intuitive Painting: A Beautiful Mess

My mother-in-law Marcia is now hooked on Brave Intuitive Painting just like me. So last weekend, I brought my paints and two brand-new wood panels over to her house and we painted together. I took some behind-the-scenes photographs to share with you.

"What art offers is space -- a certain breathing room for the spirit." John Updike

Have a beautiful weekend friends.

Brave Intuitive Painting: Inner Sea

I shared a new section from my painting on Instagram recently, in which I said, "The trouble is I love bits & pieces of my painting, but they are quite far from working together as a whole." The positive response to it was unexpected and uplifting. Someone amazing even mentioned wanting to buy a print! So I played with it, I only have lustre photo paper on hand though and I really want to see it on a matte paper with more texture.

I'm not sure what is more engaging to me, the analog experience of saturated colors right before my eyes, on my hands, in my sink or the wholly unknowing of what is going to happen on the next layer. All I know is I love painting and it makes me feel joyful inside. Today happens to be my birthday and I got two trips to the art store as gifts! Lucky girl!

Brave Intuitive Painting: My Peacock

I have still been painting but in smaller dibs and dabs instead of working on larger areas. I thought I would show you the progression of my peacock. I shared the story of how he appeared in this post. I have shared some glimpses of the painting on Instagram but I'm going to dedicate Fridays on the blog to painting updates as well.

I have a brand new 24x24 canvas waiting for me. It feels as good to me as a shiny, new notebook always did on the first day of school.

Do you paint? Do you use oils or acrylics?

Brave Intuitive Painting

Two weeks ago (or so), I stumbled on Flora Bowley's book Brave Intuitive Painting on a library trip for the Noodle. Having just been to the open house for Soul Shine Studio, it definitely caught my eye. It was the final sign in a growing list of things calling me to try painting during 2013.

I've painted approximately nine layers now. For the past four layers, (two of which went horribly wrong and taught me the term "overworking"), I've been wanting and hoping and waiting for something, anything to "emerge" from my layers. I was stuck on my imagery. I sure as heck didn't want to paint some random flower or branch or worse, a bird, on my painting. I want my painting to be organic, seriously organic.

Then it happened today. I woke up and was working on the dark blue sections and would you look at that! A bird showed up. I am so over birds on things. I live in Portland, come ON! But I'm going with it. I stared at the bird and instantly thought it looked more like a peacock. So I started reading up on peacocks and their symbolism: "Seeing a peacock in your dreams is a symbol of spring, birth and new growth. A peacock is a symbol of a good omen, signaling prestige and success and contentment with your career."

Suffice it to say, I am in love with painting. It's so different from photography. It has nothing to do with my business. It's offline, analog, trust, faith; it's swirly colors and finger prints and pretty drips; it's maddening some of the time and exhilarating the rest of the time. I wake up and think about my painting.

"Unused creativity manifests as grief in our bodies."

Brené Brown

This is good stuff that I'm doing. It's all working together this summer: I'm taking in less information, I'm taking a break from my personal Facebook, I'm taking a break from business. I know it's leading me somewhere better because this is me listening to my needs. I have no idea what's next: in my business, in my life, in my painting. It's okay. For once, the not knowing is okay.

If you want to know more about Brave Intuitive Painting, this video of Flora painting is absolutely delicious. I've watched it about seven times so far.