Where Does Your Heart Dwell?

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Hi Everyone,

As regular blog followers know, last week was the 2nd Anniversary of the Zenspirations® Create, Color, Pattern, Play FB Group, and to celebrate we are having a ‘Draw Your Favorite Dwelling’ contest. I’ve been impressed and inspired by the early contest entries. They range from coloring, like Jill Abernathy’s sparkly interpretation of a page from my ‘Color Peace’ book:

to this cool line-art teepee drawing by Gail Beck:

Toni Popkin shared this awesome mixed-media doghouse design:

while Mary Anne Fellows painted an adorable ‘gnome home’:

Alison Clement drew this charming tree house with my favorite drawing tool, a Micron® pen, and then colored it with Prismacolor Premiere colored pencils:

Tannie Curtis Harvey shared a page from her interleaved Bible, on which she drew and colored this fabulous Dangle house and sun:

And Terri Brown shared the imaginative birdhouse she drew and colored. My favorite part is the cute message: “Home is where you hang your house”.

There have been hybrid entries, featuring a combination of physical and digital design, and some designs, like this wonderful house by Patty Bruneau, which was created digitally on an iPad Pro using an app called Procreate.

But I must confess to having a favorite entry thus far– it’s by a young woman who continues to inspire me– Kristen Zeitler’s daughter, Aliyah, who just turned 14. Last year, on our first anniversary, Kristen posted a page from my Expressions of Nature book, which Aliyah colored, along with the note below.

“I just wanted to share a little inspiration through Zenspirations! As some of you know, my daughter Aliyah has cerebral palsy and autism. She has both physical and occupational therapy each week for her struggles with fine and gross motor skills. A year ago she could not color in the lines – at all! This Zenspirations group and Joanne Fink have been such an inspiration to her that she started coloring. The more she practiced, the better she got. Today she wanted to color a picture for the anniversary. This is what she did. It took her almost three hours and had to focus so much to do those leaves. I was so proud of what she accomplished that I wanted to share it with you. Look what all of your inspiration has brought about in her!!! It’s so awesome! (Looks like I need to get her new markers!)”

It’s astonishing to me that when our group began two years ago Aliyah wasn’t able to color in the lines, because today she is not only coloring, she is drawing and painting!

I love the vibrant colors Aliyah used in her Dangle house. She exemplifies my belief that practice makes progress… if you make a commitment to spend time doing your favorite creative practice– coloring, patterning, lettering, painting, collaging, drawing, designing, etc.– on a regular basis, your skills will improve. And if you share what you are working on in the group, we will celebrate your progress with you… and, you might even win a prize!

I know it will be VERY difficult to pick the contest winners… there are already so many wonderfully creative options! The contest doesn’t end until midnight Eastern time on Saturday, July 29th– and I would love to see many more of our community’s creative efforts– especially from members who haven’t posted anything before.

I’d also love to know where everyone lives– so far we have members participating from 35 of our 50 states, and 12 foreign countries:

Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ecuador, England, France, Ireland, Slovenia, South Africa. Tasmania, United Kingdom and Uruguay. I hope everyone will share where they live– and if you know a group member or blog follower who lives outside one of the countries mentioned, please ask them to add their name and country to our list. 

I’ve spent some time this week organizing the contents of my flat files, and have put aside a bunch of treasures– some handmade paper, some marbled paper, some artwork– for this week’s prize. I’ll pick a name at random from those who leave a comment on this week’s blog. And I’ll also be picking a name from those who post in the FB group… so please join the fun and share where you live, and share a Dwelling you love.

Before closing tonight, I wanted to share August’s calendar page, which features a type of house that nobody has posted yet: a lighthouse.

Hope that this one inspires you to try one of your own.  Click the link below for your FREE DOWNLOADABLE August Calendar Page:

Zenspirations®_by_Joanne_Fink_08_August_Calendar_Page

Stay Zenspired,

Joanne

29 thoughts on “Where Does Your Heart Dwell?”

  2. Hi Joanne!
    What amazing work done by my Zenspiration family and you are so right about how little Aliyah is such an inspiration! She is fierce and I see big things coming from her! Thanks for all you do and share!
    Hugs,
    Terri in Tamassee, SC

  5. What a beautiful post Joanne! I love seeing how unique and different everyone’s drawings are! I especially love what Aliyah created and what incredible progress she has made over the past two years! I am so thankful that she has become part of our Zenspirations family. What a continuing inspiration she is!
    You, Joanne, are the glue that holds us all together. Thank you for providing a place for all of us to learn, grow, and support each other!
    Love you my friend!
    Mary Anne

    P.s. Thank you for sharing my picture!

  7. These are some fun entries for the dwelling contest. I still need to get mine done.

  8. I MAY HAVE SAID WHERE I LIVE BEFORE, BUT RATHER TELL YOU TWICE, THAN NOT AT ALL!!
    OIL CITY, PA
    LOVE all the different ideas of dwellings I have seen so far. And it is remarkable to see how far Aliyah has come after 2 years!!
    Hoping to find time this week to color 1 or more of my drawings!
    Hugs to you, XO .

  9. I live in Central Minnesota in a small town of Saint Joseph. Our community is known for our two great colleges, college of Saint Benedit and St. John’s University. Unfortunately, our town made national news when 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling was abducted and again this past year when the person responsible for Jacob’s abduction was finally arrested after 27 years. Jacobs remains were finally brought home.

  11. Hi Joanne! Sorry I am so ‘out of the loop’ with the contest rules. I have barely been on my computer or in the group for quite some time now. I know for a fact that I missed some birthdays, & I want to apologize, but that I should do in the group. Duh.
    I really hope I have time to draw an entry for the contest, but I am at the least leaving a comment here (thinking I read that is a part entry?)
    I love most of what I have seen already!
    We do have one talented group!
    Thank you for August’s page. I use them for so many different things, being the “List Girl” that I am..
    Love you & ttys
    Jamie

  12. So fun to see how the group has grown around the world.
    I love seeing all the dwellings. Happy Anniversary!

  13. I’m loving all of these awesome creations! I live in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma….and I love it here because this is where our children and grandchildren live, but my heart is by the ocean at Laguna Beach and San Clemente in California.❤️

  14. I love all the pictures! I thought the contest was over last weekebd…i will have to vet busy with my entry. I am from Tustin, California

  15. I also love Aliyah’s entry She is a true inspiration to me! I am so excited to have a chance to win some of your treasures, your work is amazing!!

  16. love seeing Aliyah’s progress and what a beautifully coloured piece of art! thanks for sharing this inspiration.

    I live in Burlington, Ontario, Canada

  18. Joanne aloha from Hawaii – you know, my dear friend and “sister in law” Sindy Levine Your work is so inspiring ~ I always look forward to reading your posts. After all, a home is where your life happens, so what beautiful blog entry.

  19. Hello Joanne,
    I just wanted to say thank you for continuing with your blog even though you are a very busy lady! I know you have a lot of new things coming your way and I am so very excited for you! I am just in Awe of you – you are one Terrific Lady! I love all of your creativity you are a very special person! Love and hugs! ❤️

    I am from – Livonia, Michigan

  20. Burnaby, B.C. Great to see the exciting work people are doing. Creating has an ax citing yet calming effect.

  21. New comment. Burnaby, B.C. Great to see the exciting work people are doing. Creating has an ax citing yet calming effect.

  23. I love all your calendar pages and thank you so much for sharing them. I enjoy visiting your website and I only found it a few months ago. It has quickly become a favorite.

  25. I live in Atlanta, Georgia. Just posted my submission to the FaceBook page. It has been great to see everyone’s submissions.

  29. Hello Joanne,
    I am a fan of your work since two years now. I thought I could never draw even a tree or so, but since i know your work, I am completely zenspirated….I am using a lots of your books.
    Drawing Tangles and focussing on my own power helped me through very hard times.
    Thanks for your wonderful work and sharing it with us!
    Alexandra from Germany

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