Love how can we count the ways?

Love of each other
When people have challenges it's great to have empathy.
A simple hug and a kiss can make the world seem a brighter place.

Love of doing things together
 He picks. I take the shots, it's a harmonious arrangement.
 I make the apples strudels which he really loves, but not too many as we don't want to encourage love handles.

Love of children
 The greatest Love of all, sung by Whitney Houston.
I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

 Love of the divine
Just letting go, having faith and trusting that it will all work out exaclty as it's supposed to for the greater good is the path to  my serenity.

Serenity prayer
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Love where you live
No matter where you live there will always be pros and cons.
It's a matter of focusing on the great things that  home has to offer.
Fresh air, open spaces, walking opportunities, brilliant, sunny  and misty days
There's lots to be grateful for in this hidden gem, Rotorua.

 Love of Change
People often do geographicals to other places.
I seem to make friends mostly with people who move away.
This is good because it keeps things fresh and interesting.
I keep in contact with them and I  ask
Are you any happier living there?
The answer is always the same.
They are usually as happy as they were when they lived here because they take themselves, their relationships and  their baggage or balloons with them.
 You can do a geographcal and that's fine and often necessary but it can be just as important to work on your baggage as well. 

Love of flying free.
You can  feel trapped in a relationship.
Or you can feel free in one.
One persons prison is another persons paradise.
It's a matter of finding your own wings and  having the courage to let go and find your special place in the world.
Find out what it  is that God put you in this earth for and work your way towards it, one step at a time.
I am never happier than when I am creating.

 Love of Friendships

A good friend is supportive of you and your goals.
A good friend is a friend you can trust.
A good friend is fun, unique and interesting.

Lots of people come and go in and out of my life.
I always like to think people as reason, season or lifetime friends.
My  key to having harmonious relationships  is to work out which category each person belongs to and to treasure them for that special place.

 

Self Love

At the moment I'm enjoying being my own best friend. 

 It's fun to go out by myself  to movies, art openings and cultural events as I always meet people I know, have taught and like. 

People often ask me to join them, that's what's great about living in a small community.
Cultivating an air of independence is healthy, so that I don't become too reliant on others.
I'd like to have the courage to travel to Italy by myself , but I'm thinking at the moment I wouldn't be brave enough.
This is something I probably need to work on.

Love of your pets
This is one of my chief loves.
This guy is one of the best friends I have ever had.
He totally adores me and it's mutual .
I love him even when he does naughty things like bringing in rats.

 Love of your job
So many people hate what they do for a living but I love teaching from my studio, making paintings and mosaics, doing photography, writing articles for my blog and magazines and writing haiku poetry
Every day I wake up and face what I  have to do for the day and I count myself  lucky.
No days are the same, I never get bored. 
I only teach positive people who want to learn and that's not a case of being unrealistic, it's a case of focusing on what  I want and making it happen. 

I try to  surround myself with winners in terms of their attitude, this helps a lot.
I only make art that I  want to and people seem to like it so they commission me.
I have a supportive husband who believes in my goals.
I am grateful and I look forward with anticipation to the universe for continued abundance.
I have fantastic clients whose commissions and attendance of my classes I really appreciate.

All sorts of other love
There are probably all types of other love out in the world that I haven't covered here, I could go on all day and night.
But it's important to know when to stop so that I can indulge my other chief loves that of rest,  relaxation and time alone. 

Balance is really important. it's a matter of finding it.

Creative Quotes of the day
Such is the inconsistency of real love, that it is always awake to suspicion, however unreasonable; always requiring new assurances from the object of its interest.Ann Radcliffe

Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be.

Anton Chekhov

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.Carl Jung

 There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.

Friedrich Nietzsche

 

Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love.

Charles M. Schulz

 

 

Rotorua schools, it's time to think about making mosaic murals to brighten up your buildings.

I love making mosaic murals with schools.
I am available to travel to schools in the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato.
I have travelled as far as  Te Kuiti and as close as just down to the end of my street.
 Have a look at these shots from Kaitoa Middle School.

 Girls from Expressives listening to me talk about  community mosaics

                                      Lovely teacher  who designed the mosaic with the help of her girls.
                                        She organised the funding as well.
                                       A very pleasant, enthusiastic  person to deal with.
                                  Right from the beginning she was onto it, efficient and reliable.
She would be an asset to any school as she really is dedicated, creative and  loves to go the extra mile for her pupils.

 Very helpful group of workers.

 We had a lot of fun doing the mosaic and one of the girls wrote me a beautiful poem out of  the blue, it was really special.It still makes me smile to think of that.

 I love teaching people of all ages to be creative but especially young people and children
The moments we have together are really precious
The kids you teach never seem to forget you when you run into  them in the street  because you are associatated with a great, hands on activity.

 These symbols are all the things that are reflective of being expressive about your community

 The caretaker did a great job of framing and erecting the mosaics.  .

 The mosaic murals at kaitoa Middle school  will be there for a long time and pupils can always remember what part they helped to make.

Here are shots of the grouting process and the display of it prior to going up on the school wall. .

   Finished mosaic being held up by willing workers at Kaitoa Middle School. The pupils I taught were  really incredibly friendly. They took me into their classroom and treated me like one of their whanau
It was very humbling. They were also appreciative of the effort I put in to help them achieve the mosaics.

Making mosaics takes quite a lot of effort and relies on them focusing . The expressives were very hands on and very efficient.

 Mosaics always come into their own after being grouted.

 I would like to return to the school and make some more some day.
Who knows, it may happen. It petty much depends on the funding or fundrtaisoing by the schools. 

  Funding for the project was obtained through the Civic Arts Trust.


Phone or email me if you are interested in doing a project. 07 3463435  or jkeen@clear.net.nz
You may qualify for help for it through arts funding. 


Creative Qurtes of the day

As the world community develops in peace, it will open up great untapped reservoirs in human nature.
-- Emily Greene Balch 

 "There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.Those who are fired with an enthusiastic idea and who allow it to take hold and dominate their thoughts find that new worlds open for them. As long as enthusiasm holds out, so will new opportunities."
Norman Vincent Peale

New Mosaic Class Starting Tuesday September 18th

                            What?     Beginners Class Mosaic Classes
                                         Make a Fish/Bird Mirror and a Pot
                                    Glass tiles, Ceramic tiles, Vintage  Crockery 
When?     9.30am to 11.30am for four weeks

                             STARTING TUESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER.                

                                         All materials included.
                                          Just bring yourself.
                                          Wear Old Clothes.

Investment?  $200 FOR THE FOUR WEEK CLASS  plus material cost of $50.00
That's  only $250.00 altogether.


                       Pay $50.00 per time and the material fee on the first day. 

                       Or pay the lot up front.

Or if that's not your cup of tea, how about making a cool mosaic paver for your garden?
It's  Spring now,  can't you feel that itch to do something exciting and different coursing through your veins?
Time to spruce up your vege patch.
Surround it with some cool pavers.



                                 When: Monday Mornings 9.30am to 11.3am
                                                      For four weeks. 
                                       Starting  Monday 24th September.
                                               Make a paver of a native bird
                   Kiwi, Kaka, Pengiun, Fantail, Wood Pigeon, Saddleback , Pukeko.
                     You name, you  can make it,
                      Just order your bird and I will have it ready.

                                                    $250.00 including $50.00 material fee.
                           

                                           Children's after school mosaic classes.
                                   Monday and Tuesdays  from 3.15pm
Plus school holiday mosaic classes Monday and Tuesday Mornings.

This place is buzzing with the hive of activity from busy little fingers.
Your child could be one of them forget about being bored, drag your kids away from their computers and playstations and get them into some creative play.
 Come to my studio to have some creative fun.

                                Beginner mosaic mirror ungrouted
                           We start off very basic so you get used to the cutting process.

 You'll be flying with these glass mosaic birds in no time.
I'll show you how to use my special cutters.
Make presents for Christmas.
Everyone loves  hand- made gifts.

 Beautiful colours and materials to choose from

 If you have a favourite colour, I can provide it.

 Perhaps you are an owl lover like me.
Design your own special theme or i can design it for you. 
 No two mosaics are the same because I  encourage  you to be creative and to fly with your own ideas and express yourself.
With techincal help and  smiles from me, you'll  get plenty because classes are small.

So what are you waiting for?
Hurry now
Book your place as classes fill fast.



 Phone Janet Keen 07 3463435
or email jkeen@clear.net.nz
Text 027 3513887


Creativity Quotes of the week 
Springtime is the land awakening.   ~Quoted by Lewis Grizzard in Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You


Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"  ~Robin Williams


Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer.  ~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

Where women create a quick studio tour of Janet Keen Mosaic and Painting Studio. .

 Studio wall opposite art tables which changes frequently for inspiration.

 Mirrors next to art tables so that pupils can check out how their artwork is progressing.
With mirrors it is easier to see balance and potential areas for improvement.

 My art area where I create paintings for exhibitions and commissions.

 Sofa, stereo for playing peaceful music while people create, bookcases of art books and reading lights for relaxation, education  and inspiration

 Large window in relaxation area where you can view pongas, ferns , native trees and native birds.

 Storage area for mixed media and mosaic materials.

Tables for making art and conducting mosaic lessons.

Enrolling now for mixed media painting and mosaic beginner and advanced classes for October.
After school art pupils enrolling all the time.
Group school holiday  mosaic programmes available.
The benefits are that the classes are small and selective so that students obtain a lot of attention and help


The main advantage of my after school painting  classes is that my approach is student centred and they love it. I am not standing up infront of them boring them to death with too much art theory.
They are encouraged to get stuck in and play.
Each child makes what they want to make aligned with their interests and I facilitate by helping them with technical  and design advice.

It  is more of a partnership than me telling them what to do sitiuation.
I have lots of examples in books and arround the classroom to stimulate their imagination.

If you or your child want to develop your creativity,   please email me jkeen@clear,.net,nz
Phone 07 3463435.


Creative Quote of the day
Primary reliance on traditional teaching methodologies all too often leads to student boredom and apathy toward learning, accompanied by poor academic performance, greater behavioral problems and an increased drop out rate.
 However, research has demonstrated precisely the opposite regarding student-centered learning.
Kids enjoy school more because they are actively involved in their education, overall test scores improve, and behavioral and dropout problems decline." Richard J. Parker, executive director, Partners in Education USA Today
.

Cherry tree with Tui and more daffodil photos.

 I had a lot of hits on the last daffodil display so here are some more.

I have my favourite places  I go to with my favourite people.

When I come back to my studio to make or teach art, I'm filled with peace. 

Here are some snappy haiku to go with my shots.

                              spring sunlight
                              between us
                             the daffodils

                   his nose  peeks
                  from under a cheery tree
                   daffodils smiling

      his mouth peeks
      from under his moustache
      daffodil tasting

 springs first blooms
 deep in the park
daffodils behind us

 

early spring breeze

he smiles at me

 so do the daffodils

 

    bright day

two tui

                the scent of cherry

                                            spring cleaning
                                             new wall paper
                                             tui with cherry

                                   upside down
                                   cherry drinking
                                   the acrobat

                                      bright pink cherry
                                      the colour 
                                      of my new best dress

                                            
                                                drifts of yellow
                                                sound of trumpets
                                                herald spring

                           lace on her ballet dress
                           the colour of
                           daffodils
                            

warm rain
the daffodils bob
we share an umbrella
  
     

journey home
touched by black and white
Tui amongst cherries

 windy walk
we hurry between
swaying cherries

the sound
of  tui
cherry tree blossoms

In the city fields
Contemplating cherry-trees...
Strangers are like friends”
― Issa, Japanese Haiku: Two Hundred Twenty Examples of Seventeen-Syllable Poems



Creative quotes of the day  
I want to do to you what spring does with the cherry trees.
Pablo Neruda
 
 A relationship isn't going to make me survive. It's the cherry on top.
Jennifer Aniston