i trust what rises up from my heart ((revised))

i revised a previous painting + i think this girl is happier now.

i most love how a heart ~showed up~ + i was sure to not paint over it!

i'll be posting this original in my lil' shop w/love http://rachelawes.etsy.com/

joy

made as a lil' gift. also available as prints in my shop w/love (http://rachelawes.etsy.com/)

men connecting with heart

i had fun painting another block + this time of dear men connecting with heart.

peace n love xox

group hug

oxo
*
also ~ a lil' happy dance ~ all i did was listen's blog banner is featured in the current (may-july) artful blogging magazine! woo hoo!

again in april

here ends the again in april art pieces (all still available w/love through my shop http://rachelawes.etsy.com/). hope you have had a beautiful april. xox
(+ congratulations to the dear winner of three cards from last week's posting:
kim mailhot of http://queen-of-arts.blogspot.com/!)

again in april + new tees + a GIVEAWAY

here is another early art piece through april (all still available w/love through my shop http://rachelawes.etsy.com/). a reaching out from my heart to yours. always.

also

"hit your high note + shine" + "girl riding on a tulip" are both available now as t-shirts in my shop (http://rachelawes.etsy.com). it's been so fun to see these come to "life"

also

i'd like to offer a set of 3 cards giveaway + will randomly draw + announce the winner april 30. if you'd like to be entered, leave a comment here of your fav 3 images for cards (http://rachelawes.etsy.com/) + a way to reach you. you will get additional entries if you become a new follower on my blog or facebook or pinterest or twitter pages (see all links on right side of my blog) or announce my giveaway on your blog or facebook page. thank you, dear ones!

library love notes

i interupt the regular scheduled programming of "again in april" to share a window from my weekend...a few sweet friends + i met at our local library to create + leave lil' love notes in books. it was soul-fun to select words that would travel to dear hearts + choose which books to place them into. so many genres to choose from + we did: childrens, cooking, health, poetry, etc. my favorite book i left one is was "are you there god? it's me, margaret." by judy blume (anyone remember that one?!)

the words we offer each other are powerful + matter so very deeply.

i forever thank you for each of yours. xo

**also!**

please visit me, along with lovely others, in the kindness issue ((just out!)) of the online mag "sprout"! http://tinyurl.com/sproutmagazine

again in april

here a couple more of my ealier art pieces i'm sharing through april (all still available through my shop http://rachelawes.etsy.com/). so here they are again. a reaching out from my heart to yours. always. + love to you this easter/passover. xo

(+ congratulations to the winner of the art doll workshop giveaway http://christywilson.ca/)

again in april

i thought i'd share a few of my art pieces through april that i created earlier on. they might be new to some of you + if not, i hope they still offer up fresh love + encouragement (all still available w/love through my shop http://rachelawes.etsy.com/). so here they are again. a reaching out from my heart to yours. always.

**

also, susana is offering an art doll workshop giveaway...

http://ateliersusanatavares.blogspot.pt/2012/03/art-doll-on-line-workshop-workshop.html

to have a chance to win, be or become a follower of my blog, or of my pinterest, twitter or facebook page (all links listed on the right hand side of this blog) + let me know in a comment + i'll randomly choose a name at the end of this week + announce the winner april 9.

xox

pilut

i made this one two times. my favorite is the orange, but the pink helped me to get there + i thank her. etsy added w/love xox http://rachelawes.etsy.com/

happy spring

i have a lil' spring variety pack to share with you. first, i was playing with alice. it was fun to open up alice in wonderland + draw on some of her pages.

somehow my hip + cheek also got pulled into spring :)

+ cheers to you this season with cocoa + peeps +

+ last is a drawing inspired by our oldest son from when he walked in the door from school + said this a couple years ago. i like to take it back out + savor the goodness. happy spring to each of you! (all's etsy added w/love...including alice originals) http://rachelawes.etsy.com/ xox

a page from my book in progress

i wanted to share with each of you a peek at a page from my book in progress that i've been working on for a few years now! whew! it is filled with anonymous quotes from my therapy clients + accompanied by my narrative reflection + illustration. these pages are strung together in a way that tells a healing story. i long for the day to share the whole thing with the whole of you!! there is still a whole process ahead + timetimetime to wait...but i wanted to share what i've been up to with you! the type of my writing is small above + so i include it here as well:

*
"something deep to learn: my favorite p.o. box exists in my heart. i love to hear what piles in. i try to give special attention to messages i hear more than once. here's a few of my own lately. i want to write secret love notes + leave them in library books. make up lullabies + sing them into a little recorder. i want to keep telling strangers they are beautiful. + there exists this deep thing. i get into trouble as soon as i stop paying attention. such messages come in on peacock colored wings + are meant to be lived. we all feel it. how scary it is to stretch. to bare teeth + bones into our world. to be here fully."

*

+ one last lil' sharing with you today...

i love this song for all of us (xo):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtGY4G7II6s

taking in my full garden

i have been working on a book called "all i did was listen" in stages for a few years now. as i completed the narrative portion of my latest draft, i went to my drawing table + made this new print. there is an increased fullness coming forward. maybe i'll share a page (in progress) here soon. sending love to all the fullness increasing in each of you as well.

*
(the print, mug, tee + one other new tee all etsy added w/love http://rachelawes.etsy.com/)

my heart told me to grow bigger, still.

inspired by connie from http://dirtyfootprints-studio.com/ 's let loose course through
http://wishstudio.com/2011/10/01/wishbig-ecamp-winter-2012/, + by this tug inside, i painted. sending love out to all that is beckoning within you. xox

may love always surround your beautiful baby

i made this for a lovely expecting member of our family. i also wanted to share it w/you...hoping for such swirls to surround us all. (etsy added w/love http://rachelawes.etsy.com/)

dear crossing

i came across my favorite sign ever, upon visiting a family member, recovering from surgery. don't we all need such encouragement along our path? such love?

happy valentines day xox

(+ congratulations to jane from http://journeytotheedgeofjane.blogspot.com/ whose name was drawn from last week's posting to receive a print of choice!)

our words + a GIVEAWAY

i treasure the writing + speaking + whispering springing out of your hearts. thank you for sharing such abc's with me here. (etsy added w/love. http://rachelawes.etsy.com/)

+

for the followers of this all i did was listen blog, i would like to offer a giveaway out of such gratitude. please check out my etsy shop + let me know what print you'd like + a random name will be chosen by next monday. xox

valentinest

she too dances in my shop as prints/cards if you'd like http://rachelawes.etsy.com/

sending out lovelovelove xo

(also! i'll be teaching an online course in february called "art affirmations for your whole self" through wish studios...creating artful affirmations for yourself from infancy forward...just click on the blue wish studio button to the right of this post to learn more!)

her hallways were daisies + breath, rainbows

it is always the best thing to surrender to our true nature, don't you think? what does yours look like? how can you embrace it in your hallways? lovelove to all these places.

etsy added w/love http://rachelawes.etsy.com

such an arch

upon contemplation of the st. louis arch

(a commission piece)

... how i adore all that points us to possibility. xox