Ready to get going
On a rainy Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of giving a workshop in cooperation with the hem Stiftung (“hem” stands for Henri & Emil Müller and “Stiftung” is the German word for “foundation”), the foundation created by the lovely Christine & Hartmut Müller, inspiring parents of Henri & Emil, both sons being affected by the Duchenne muscle dystrophy. Christine & Hartmut set up the hem Stiftung to turn their personal drama into something positive, offering support to families going through the same fate as theirs and financing research on the Duchenne genetic disorder which only affects boys.
Christine had already tried herself at intuitive painting in my atelier a couple of years ago and she was so inspired that she came back last year for one more painting session in my atelier and we ended up discussing the idea of doing an intuitive painting workshop for the hem Stiftung.
So, on that rainy Saturday 14 April 2018, I was honoured to guide the five brave women and three men who had never painted before through an afternoon of discovery of intuitive painting. We started all together on one large canvas with playing with warm colours, then one in cold tones, we also talked about complementary colours, mark-making, how a few touches of black and white can add exciting contrast… and we tried out different mark-making tools, from broad brushes to palette knives to their own hands!
Discovering warm colors
Painting together with cold colors
Here are a few more impressions of the afternoon spent at the Esche Jugendkunsthaus, The “Esche” is a beautiful place for such a workshop! The energy of Andreas Fleischmann, the director, is also inspiring! The Esche foundation offers art courses for free to teenagers, from breakdance to songwriting, piano and violin, rapping and graffiti. There are even courses in the art of cooking! I’m in awe of what’s happening at the Esche and am now “spreading the love” to those around me looking for inspiration for their teenage children too!
Painting with hands
Inspiration in green and magenta
A bit of music to “get out of the head and more in the body” helped letting go and time flew by! Four hours after we started, all of the participants went home, having painted two large canvases together. They also took home two smaller paintings each and a big smile on their faces! Their enthusiasm and dedication were infectious. What a beautiful experience it was for me to witness all these paintings coming to life and the sparkle in the eyes of their creators! I felt so inspired that I want to continue spreading the joy of intuitive painting, gently giving guidance when asked… I loved doing it there! So, if you too, Mathilde, are tempted to join me for an intuitive painting workshop in Hamburg, do let me know!
Discovering new tools
Happy participant, beautiful painting!
I’m so touched to be able to share in ever wider circles the inspiration that I’m feeling. This fulfils me as an artist. I do believe that art – in all its forms and expressions – heals the soul! I certainly know it’s doing wonders for me, helping to connect me to a beautiful Source… and to feel the Light… even when I find it hard to find hope elsewhere.
If you feel drawn to help the hem Stiftung or the Esche after having read this, please know that every little donation helps! Thank you in advance!