LIFE IS THE COLOUR YOU PAINT IT - Inspirational Art and Motivational Words by Sophia Elise

Gather, Prepare, Put down and Enter

2011-08-15T15:19:00.000+12:00

Thank you to Quijing Wong for sharing this fantastic piece of inspiration last night - it is exactly what I needed to hear - if you feel that you are struggling at the moment - please take a minute to read this - then hold onto the sentiments - and walk through that door!

"It was a snowy night, and Robert was recalling the time two springs ago when he was determined to paint the family room. Up early, he was out the door, to the hardware story gathering gallons of red, the wooden mixing sticks, the drop cloths, and the one-time brushes that always harden, no matter what you soak them in.

He mixed the paint outside and waddled to the door with a gallon in each hand, the drop cloth under his arm, and a wide brush in his mouth. He began to chuckle in telling what happened "I teetered there for minutes, trying to open the door, not wanting to put anything down. I was so stubborn. I had the door almost open when I lost my grip, stumbled back-ward, and wound up on the ground, red gallons all over me".

At this point, he laughed at himself, as he had done many times, and we watched the snow fall in silence. I thought of his little story the whole way home. Amazingly, we all do this, whether with groceries or paint or with the stories we feel determined to share. we do this with our love, with our sense of truth, even with our pain. It's such a simple thing, but in a moment of ego we refuse to put down what we carry in order to open the door. Time and time again, we are offered the chance to truly learn this: We cannot hold on to things and enter. We must put down what we carry, open the door, and then take up only what we need to bring inside.

It is a basic human sequence: gather, prepare, put down, enter. But failing as we do, we always have that second chance: to learn how to fall, get up, and laugh.

- Meditate on some threshold you are having trouble crossing your life. It might be at work, at home, in a relationship, or the doorway to greater peace.
- Breathe steadily and look at yourself to see if you are carrying too much to open the door.
- Breathe slowly and with each out-breath put things you are carrying down.
- Breathe freely now and open the door."

(From book by Mark Nepo - the book of awakening).

You're invited to join me on opening night ...

2011-07-19T18:36:00.000+12:00

Image artworks:

Top row: Angela Laby, Marimba Powley, Jo Mallinger, Tanya Dann

Bottom row: Tash Shackleton, Sue Shore, Sophia Elise, Bruce Fergusson

"Our Future"

Opening night: Tuesday 26th July 2011 at 5.00pm – Free entry – All welcome

Venue: Mairangi Arts Centre, 20 Hastings Rd, Mairangi Bay, Auckland

Exhibition Open: 26th July to 7th August 2011. Mon to Sat 9.30am - 4.00pm

Featuring the NZ Art Guild 2011 Collaborative Art Project

"Light of my life"

Be there on opening night to witness the unveiling of the NZ Art Guild 2011 Collaborative Project "Light of my life". This is a fantastic, single artwork created by individual paintings by 56 New Zealand artists. The overall image of this artwork is kept secret, even from those participating it, until the opening night. To read more about the previous collaborative artwork projects go to www.nzartguild.co.nz/Collaborative-Projects

To coincide with this event 40 artists from around NZ (including me of course!) will be having a month long exhibition of original, diverse artworks depicting "Our Future" - Artworks include paintings, jewellery, sculpture, photography, print making and much more!

"Light of my life" will be auctioned off via Trade Me with the proceeds being donated to KidsCan. KidsCan is an amazing nationwide charity that is dedicated to eliminating poverty by helping meet the physical and nutritional needs of disadvantaged NZ children, so they can reach their full potential in life. They have several different programmes including Food for Kids, Shoes for Kids, Raincoats for Kids, Warm Kids (providing beanies and thermal tops) and Cool Kids (providing sun hats). For more information and to see how you can help go to http://www.kidscan.org.nz/

Exhibiting Artists:
Ambury Hall, Angela Laby, Angela Dunn, Bruce Ferguson, Cath Sheard, Chris Cruickshank, Claire Fairweather, Cynthia McKenzie, Dennis Clark, Freeman Hau, Gerda Smit, Jane Bold, Jo Mallinger, John Boylan, John Towers, Leo Cappel, Linda Paul, Lorraine Beattie, Marimba Powley, Melissa Muirhead, Michael Cashmore, Michele Courage, Michelle Thorby, Nanette Randall, Pam Tapp, Paul Haysom, Peter Augustin, Rochelle May van der Werff, Roeleen Steenkamp-Struning, Sarah Marks, Sharlene Schmidt, Sherrill Bentley, Sofia Spirtova, Sophia Elise, Sue Shore, Tanya Dann, Tanya McCabe, Tash Shackleton, Victoria Anderson, Yana Meech.

"Light of my life" participants:
Alex Riley, Angela Laby, Anglea Dunn, Anni Morris, Briar Williamson, Caroline Viesnik, Cath Sheard, Chavah Kinloch, Cheryl Irwin, Chris Cruickshank, Christine Dempster, Christine Whetton, Claire Fairweather, Dennis Clark, Donna Massey, Ellen Eskildsen, Fiona Woods, Francesca Gallo, Gerda Smit, Graham Williamson, Jac Connelly, Jane Bold, Jane Santos, Jane Tan, Jean Grant, John Boylan, Julia Clements, Lei Wen, Linda Paul, Lisz Bodsworth, Livia Dias, Marimba Powley, Mary Prema, Melissa Muirhead, Melodie Joseph, Michelle Wallis, Nancy Frazer, Pam Buffery, Paula Richa, Paulette Shepherd, Peter Augustin, Racheal Inch, RifRaf, Rochelle May van der Werff, Ron Esplin, Sharlene Schmidt, Shaun Hedley, Shelly van Soest, Siu Chhour, Sofia Spirtova, Sophia Elise, Tanya Dann, Teresa Rodger, Veronica Young, Victoria Anderson, Yuqing Qiu

Gratitude is the Key to Happiness - Be thankful

2011-06-29T08:17:00.000+12:00

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary
Because it means you've made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

Life is the colour you paint it

2011-06-28T09:32:00.000+12:00

You can choose what type of day you have

You can complain because it's raining or be thankful that the plants are getting watered for free.

You can feel sad that money is scarse or be glad that your finances encourage you to plan and guide you away from waste.

You can grumble about your health or you can rejoice that you are alive.

You can lament over all that your parents didn't give you while you were growing up or you can feel grateful that they gave you life.

You can cry because roses have thorns or you can celebrate that thorns have roses.

You can mourn your lack of friends or you can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

You can whine because you have to go to work or you can shout for joy because you have a job to do.

You can complain because you have to go to school or eagerly open your mind and fill it with rich new knowledge.

You can murmur dejectedly because you have to do housework or you can feel honored because you have shelter for your mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of you, waiting to be shaped. You are the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

Remember - Life is the colour you paint it

Aesthetica Magazine ....

2011-06-08T10:23:00.001+12:00

Aesthetica Magazine is a great arts magazine that originates in the UK but is sold all over the world. You can see my listing in the latest issue

- the online artists directory
http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/directory.htm

- and in the actual magazine
http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/downloads/directory.pdf

New Zealand artist, Karley Feaver, was featured in the last issue and got picked up by two UK galleries - would love if I was as fortunate as Karley! :-)

Aesthetica have loads of fabulous articles to read - well worth subscribing to

Please take 10 seconds to vote for me to help me win an AMP Scholarship

2011-06-06T21:37:00.000+12:00

Please take 10 seconds to vote for me to help me win an AMP Scholarship ....

AMP are offering scholarships to New Zealanders from all walks of life to help them "do their thing". Everyone who has applied for an AMP scholarship is in the running to win the AMP People's Choice Award ($10,000) Please vote for me to help me me win so that I can "do my thing".

It's really easy to vote - click on this link (or cut and paste into your browser) and then click the vote button
http://www.doyourthing.co.nz/2011-00434/sophia-elise

So what's my thing?
Helping NZ visual artists achieve success. I have devoted the last 7 years of my life to creating a nationwide organisation that provides promotion, support, resources and opportunities to NZ visual artists of all career stages and mediums. The NZ Art Guild is an award winning organisation which has been formed into a charitable trust this year.

What would I do with the $10,000?
I want to create a professional development programme for visual artists that includes workshops, elearning, mentoring, coaching and much more. It will offer quality, accessible, affordable, innovative and practical education that will transform starving artists into thriving ones by teaching them sustainable business practices.

Why do I want to win? Winning the $10,000 would enable me to create an education and mentoring programme therefore helping hundreds of NZ visual artists achieve success by becoming confident, independent practitioners.
By voting for me and helping me win, you will be
- helping and supporting many visual artists achieve success and fulfill their goals
- improving New Zealands creative economy
- engaging the public in our rich arts culture
- taking NZ art into the international market

How can you help me achieve this goal?
Besides voting for me - I would LOVE and appreciate if you would share this link (http://www.doyourthing.co.nz/2011-00434/sophia-elise) with all your friends, family, colleagues etc You can even click the share button on my AMP page to send it direct to your facebook and twitter pages.

Want to learn more about me professionally? http://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiaelise

Thank you for taking the time to support me and NZ visual artists.

tatau pounamu - enduring peace

2011-05-14T12:30:00.002+12:00

The fourth and final artwork for "Reflections of Italy" Exhibition that opens at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington on Monday.

Title: tatau pounamu (enduring peace)

Artist: Sophia Elise

Media: Acrylic on torso. This is freestanding sculpture. Dots are handpainted - greens and white.

Torso is textured.

For Sale: $1500 contact sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz

This torso was actually started over a year ago for the "Legato" exhibition in Cassino, Italy. After spending days preparing the torso, texturing it, painting the background, repainting it etc the idea I had started with didn't work for this torso. He was left behind - sitting in the corner of my studio - waiting for inspiration to come.

Once we started planning "Reflections of Italy"- which is being held exactly a year after "Legato" - some very different ideas came to me. The ideas were inspired by our time spent in Italy. However, once again after many practice runs with designs, those ideas didn't make it to the torso.

Then two weeks ago - it came to me in a sudden flash of inspiration and I just "Knew"what it was going to be. I spent a day designing the outlines of what I wanted on the front and back getting it ready for the next stage. Then came some more thinking time - planning the colours and design of the dots inside - more test runs - and finally paint to torso.

This torso was always designed to look like greenstone - it is symbolic of the tears on greenstone at the Army Museum which is the wall of remembrance for our fallen soldiers and returned servicemen. I think that the symbolism combined with the title really says it all - we want and need enduring peace ......

The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world. – Marianne Williamson

The Art of Peace is based on Four Great Virtues: Bravery, Wisdom, Love, and Friendship -Morihei Ueshiba

"To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions, but not contented with yourself until you have made the best of them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbor's except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies and often of your friends... these are little guideposts on the footpath to peace." - Henry Van Dyke

waikanetanga - peace/tranquility

2011-05-10T20:41:00.000+12:00

Title: waikanaetanga (peace/tranqulity)

Artist: Sophia Elise

Media: Acrylic on torso - has flat back so can be hung on the wall. Dots are hand painted - dark blue, turquoise and metallic silver.

FOR SALE: $950 contact sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz

PLEASE NOTE: This artwork background is pthalo green and blue which doesn't show true in photos - it actually has more of a green/teal look to it in real life.

This artwork will be exhibited at "Reflections of Italy"in Wellington opening May 16th. This is a continuation of a series I started for the "Legato" exhibition in Italy last year.

This represents the ripple effect of peace - that peace starts within each and everyone of us and radiates outwards with all those that we come in contact with. We are all responsible for creating a culture of peace and if everyone of us has that as a focus for our lives and truly embraces it then we will create a community that is peaceful - a country that is peaceful and so on ....

You and I posses within ourselves, at every moment of our lives, under all circumstances, the power to transform the quality of our lives. - Werner Erhad

We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them. - Buddha quotes

connissione - connections

2011-05-09T16:34:00.001+12:00

Title: connissione (connections)

Artist: Sophia Elise

Media: Acrylic on torso - has flat back so can be hung on the wall. Dots are hand painted - dark blue, turquoise and metallic silver.

FOR SALE: $950 contact sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz

PLEASE NOTE: This artwork background is pthalo green and blue which doesn't show true in photos - it actually has more of a green/teal look to it in real life.

This is the third in a series that I'm doing for the "Reflections of Italy" Exhibition which opens in Wellington May 16th.

This one is all about connections - the connections we make throughout our lives that leave lasting impressions on us - whether they are people, places, emotions, events, countries .... There are many threads that bind us together across oceans, across time and across generations.

Every time you make a connection with someone remember this ...

"In life you can never be too kind or too fair; everyone you meet is carrying a heavy load. When you go through your day expressing kindness and courtesy to all you meet, you leave behind a feeling of warmth and good cheer, and you help alleviate the burdens everyone is struggling with" - Brian Tracy

"You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime." Dale Carnegie

And lastly remember this ....

"We don't accomplish anything in this world alone ... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something."-Sandra Day O'Connor

Forevermore

2011-05-05T15:46:00.000+12:00

Title: Forevermore

Artist: Sophia Elise

Media: Acrylic on Torso - flat back so can be hung on a wall

Dots are all hand painted in black, white and grey

FOR SALE: $950 contact sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz

This torso will be exhibited at "Reflections of Italy" at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington - opening night Monday 16th May 5:30pm.

I'm really looking forward to meeting up with fellow NZ Art Guild members and the friends I made in Italy last year when we all exhibited together at the "Legato" Exhibition.

The title if this artwork actually came to me while I was painting it - although I wasn't convinced that that was the right title for it at the time it is the one that keeps coming back to me again and again. The theme and emotions are a continuation of the series that I exhibited in Italy.

This is about eternal love - love lost - but love that still lives on forever ..... It's a really positive piece - this women has incredible strength - and amazing gratitude for having experienced such a wonderful love in her life despite having it taken from her. She enjoys the memories that are with her forevermore as her life goes on and she grows ....

Initially the grief is overwhelming .... How does she live without him? Please take a minute to listen to this song and lyrics http://www.ladyjayes.com/howdoilive.html

Then the realisation that the love will live on .... please stop for a minute to listen to this song and lyrics http://www.ladyjayes.com/heartgoon.html

I feel a huge sense of peace with this artwork - It is hanging on my wall giving out such wonderful energy - I hope that you enjoy it too and the story behind it.

Please join me ....

2011-04-28T11:56:00.000+12:00

In May 2010, 10 New Zealand artists travelled to Cassino, Italy for the largest exhibition of New Zealand artworks. I was part of this group and it also included several NZ Art Guild members. The "Legato" exhibition was in commemoration of the Battle of Cassino and the focus of the artworks was spreading the message of world peace. We all spent time in the region and then went separate ways to explore Italy - from the far north to the deep south. We had many different adventures and experiences.

One year on, eight artists from this group have come together again to share with you our experiences and thoughts from Italy. Through photography, painting and sculpture we will take you on a journey that you won't want to miss.

All of the artists exhibiting will be at the opening night and would love the opportunity to talk to you personally about their artworks and experiences.

Please join us on Monday 16th May, 5:30 - 7:30pm, New Zealand Academy of Arts, 1 Queen's Warf, Wellington.

While we were in Italy at the Legato exhibition we were all interviewed about our artworks and our involvement. To see a glimpse behind the scenes click on these links

Sophia Elise
Theresa Cashmore
Cath Sheard
Jon Stevenson
Lorraine Beattie
Sharlene Schmidt
Frances Rookes
Margherita Giampietri

Take these thoughts with you ....

2011-04-27T17:37:00.000+12:00

On Your Journey To Your Dreams

Always remember that you are unique. Be your best self and not an imitation of someone else.

Find your strength and use them in a positive way. Don't listen to those who ridicule the choices you make.

Travel the road that you have chosen and don't look back with regret. You have to take chances to make your dreams happen.

Remember that there is plenty of time to travel another road - and still another - in your journey through life.

Take the time to find the route that is right for you. You will learn something valuable from every trip you take, so don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Tell yourself that you're okay just the way you are. Make friends who respect your true self.
Take the time to be alone, too, so you can know just how terrific your own company can be.

Remember that being alone doesn't always mean being lonely; it can be a beautiful experience of finding your creativity, your heartfelt feelings, and the calm and quiet peace deep inside you.

Don't ever forget that you are special and you have within you the ability to make your dreams come true.

~ Jacqueline Schiff ~

I Believe ...

2011-04-08T09:30:00.001+12:00

Title: Wahine Toa (woman of strength)

Artist: Sophia Elise

Media: Acrylic on plastic

SOLD

Many of you will have read these before - but it's nice to read them again ....

I Believe ...
Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become
No matter how good a friend is they are going to hurt us every once in a while and we must forgive them for that
Just because someone doesn't love you the way that you want them to love you doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have
You should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you ever see them
That you control your attitude or it controls you
That sometimes when I'm angry, I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel
It isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself

Today I'm grateful for giving

2011-03-31T17:10:00.003+13:00

Title: Angela's Story

Artist: Sophia Elise

Medium: Acrylic paint on plastic

SOLD

Today I'm grateful for giving - not only being able to give - but for those who have given to m - because as George Burton Adams so nicely stated

"there is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success"

The most important things about giving is to give with out remembering and to take without forgetting.

When you think that you have nothing to give - remember what Barbara Bush said ....

Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life's blood. But everyone has something to give.

For those that are scared to give remember you don't loose anything by giving ....

Live to give instead of to get. As you concentrate on the giving, you discover that just as you cannot receive without giving, so neither can you give without receiving - even the most wonderful things like health and happiness and inner peace. - Peace Pilgrim

And the final word about giving goes to Isabel Allende who really sums it up perfectly .....

Give, give, give - what is the point of having experience, knowledge or talent if I don't give it away? Of having stories if I don't tell them to others? Of having wealth if I don't share it? I don't intend to be cremated with any of it! It is in giving that I connect with others, with the world and with the divine.

Today I am grateful for forgiveness

2011-03-30T17:15:00.000+13:00

Title: Ripple Effect

Artist: Sophia Elise

Media: Mixed media and acrylic

SOLD

I know many of us talk about forgiveness being a gift we give ourselves. But sometimes I wonder if we really practice genuine forgiveness. I know myself how hard it can be - and even sometimes when you really believe that you have let go and forgiven someone you can find those negative emotions creeping back in towards that person or situation. It usually is at times of stress or emotional upset. None of us are perfect - and I think it's important to our total well being to keep forgiveness at the forefront along with gratitude.

The only true way to free ourselves from a person or situation that has caused us pain and to truly begin to heal is through forgiveness. By carrying a grudge and holding onto the the belief that the person who wronged us doesn't deserve our forgiveness means we are operating from our ego. To really function from the divine that is within all of us we need to give sincere, heartfelt forgiveness. Remember to err is human - to forgive devine.

I learnt many years ago that forgiveness doesn't mean that you accept or approve of that persons behaviour - it just means that we choose to let go of our stance that prevents us from living at peace with ourselves and others. Forgiveness isn't about whether that person "deserves" to be forgiven - it's about you deserving to have freedom and peace that can only come from letting go. It's about releasing the negativity that holds us to our past pain - that's not the same as forgetting. Resentment is toxic and it causes us to suffer even further. By genuinely forgiving we learn to detach from the person who caused the pain which then releases us from the prison of emotions that we have created for ourselves.

There doesn't seem to be a magic formula to forgiving and healing the relationships in our lives. However, being truly open to forgiving can do more than just heal a relationship - it can heal our hearts. The other wonderful things about forgiveness is that we can do it on our own. The person may have died or may simply not be present in our lives - that's ok - forgiveness is still possible. We don't have to have the other persons knowledge, understanding, or cooperation - what we need is the sincere desire to forgive past hurts and to heal our pain.

When something awful happened to me several years ago a friend told me that the only way I could have peace and move forward in my life was to genuinely forgive this person. At the time I thought that forgiveness meant that you had no hard feeling towards them - and if that was the case then you should still continue to be friends with them -after all if you don't have a grudge then why should you have an issue with them being in your life. I couldn't understand why this didn't give me any peace until I realised that forgiveness does not mean we have to invite an abusive person back into our lives. Forgiveness means clearing the residual effects of the pain that we still carry buried deeply within us. As said we must forgive others not because they necessarily deserve to be forgiven but for our own sake - to set ourselves free.

Sometimes the hardest person of all to forgive is ourselves. We can be far harder on ourselves than we are on other people. The feelings of guilt and shame that we can carry with us when we feel that we have disappointed a loved one can be overwhelming.

Hate is a far stronger karmic tie than love and maintaining hate and lack of forgiveness is the fastest way to ensure that we receive the same pattern of energy over and over again. Even thought the person we hated may have left our lives if we haven't learnt the lessons and the art of forgiveness we will continue to attract the same type of person over and over again.

There is a lightness of spirit that comes from forgiveness - it is a gift that you give yourself. As said the other week we always have choices - we have the option and power to forgive - to release ourselves from a prison of negative emotions - to let go of the anger and resentment - to live in peace - the choice is ours.

“Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Don't worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time.” - Sara Paddison

The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world. – Marianne Williamson

Gold Pan Art - celebrating 150 years

2011-03-25T15:57:00.000+13:00

It was impossible for me to resist this opportunity when it landed in my inbox several months ago. Be part of a fabulous exhibition and celebration at the Tuapeka Goldfields Museum in Lawrence, New Zealand. The reason for celebration - 150 years since the discovery of gold in Gabriel's Gully. What made it even more special - all artworks had to be created on a gold pan!

A total of 38 artists participated in this wonderful event - you can check out all the amazing gold pans by clicking << here >> and see the fabulous exhibition << here >>

There are still some of these gold pans available for purchase - but you better get in quickly as they are selling fast. They take sales over the Internet and phone so you don't even have to be there in person!

Here is my gold pan that I created

Title: Family Ties

Artist: Sophia Elise

Media: Acrylic on Gold pan

For Sale

Today I am grateful for Choices

2011-03-20T13:25:00.000+13:00

Why today in particular am I grateful for this? After re-reading the post below I realised that the essence of what I was saying was that we determine the direction of our lives by the choices we make.

Having choices available gives us possibilities and with that comes hope. Sometimes when we make a choice it can be clouded by fear or the desperate need for external approval. It's really important in life that we learn to make authentic choices which resonate with our core - ones that will move us in the direction of our goals and dreams. We need to love ourselves enough to take the time to examine options, to be still, to be honest with ourselves so that we make the right choices for us. When we make choices that are in alignment with ourselves we feel a sense of ease and and increased energy. When we go against our true self it has the opposite affect; it increases our anxiety and drains our energy. The most important thing when making a choice is to be true to yourself. Afterall you have to live with yourself 24/7.

And even in times when we feel that we have no choices available to us - there will always remain our power to choose our actions, attitudes and responses.

As Viktor E Frankl said "We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." For those who haven't heard of Viktor Frankl - he is an inspirational Austrian psychiatrist, neurologist and survivor of the holocaust.

"If you can't change a situation - change the way you look at it"

"Once, an elderly general practitioner consulted me because of his severe depression. He could not overcome the loss of his wife who had died two years before and whom he had loved above all else. Now how could I help him? What should I tell him? I refrained from telling him anything, but instead confronted him with a question, "What would have happened, Doctor, if you had died first, and your wife would have had to survive you?:" "Oh," he said, "for her this would have been terrible; how she would have suffered!" Whereupon I replied, "You see, Doctor, such a suffering has been spared her, and it is you who have spared her this suffering; but now, you have to pay for it by surviving and mourning her." He said no word but shook my hand and calmly left the office."- Viktor Frankl

Dealing with Knockbacks

2011-03-18T09:24:00.002+13:00

Last month I was asked by The Big Idea to answer some questions on how I deal with knockbacks and lack of confidence as a creative entrepreneur. Here's the link to the article on The Big Idea website http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/grow/tips-tools/2011/mar/82949-facing-knockbacks-sophia-elise

Or you can read the interview below - I would love to hear how you have dealt with knockbacks and lack of self confidence :-)

As Managing Director of the NZ Art Guild and a creative business mentor, Sophia Elise is used to supporting others and knows a thing or two about how to stay focused when faced with a knockback.

“A knockback doesn’t have to be a knock out. We choose whether we stand back up and if you don’t get back up you won’t achieve anything.”

Sophia shares her personal experience and advice in this Generator QnA.

Have you ever had knockbacks, lost confidence or started to doubt your talent?
Over the last seven years there have been several times that a knockback has made me question my ability to create a successful business or event. The knockbacks come in various shapes and sizes; they can be internal or external and can be completely out of your control.

What did you do to get back on track?
I believe that the times when you feel your confidence is low and you experience self doubt it’s essential to take time out to reflect on all the things you have achieved. At times I have even written lists of my achievements so that I can get things in perspective. You suddenly realise that you have achieved more than you have given yourself credit for and it puts the one knockback that you have just experienced into perspective. Remember to take time to celebrate your successes.

Another thing I do is talk to my peers and mentors and ask them their thoughts. I believe it’s important to be open to constructive criticism so that you can grow as a person and a business. Most of the time people are more than willing to share insight, advice and information – you just need to ask. The support and encouragement they can offer you can be essential to getting back on track. Surround yourself with good people.

When I’ve had a knockback in regards to a project or event I’ve stepped back and re-clarified my intention. I then looked at alternative ways to move forward with it. How can I get around it? Who else can I talk to? What do I need to change? What do I need to learn? If there is a way to achieve it and the project will deliver what you need and want then persevere by instituting plan B.

If I get continual knockbacks for a project, I’ve had to stop and analyse why. I’ve needed to be honest and impartial in my assessment (which is hard when you are passionate about or emotionally involved with the project) It’s important to acknowledge that there are valid reasons for the knockbacks, maybe it’s just timing (eg. trying to get sponsorship for art awards during a recession) and if so you may need to let it go and put your energy into a project that has more potential for success and results.

A project can be parked while you establish more contacts, gain more knowledge, increase finances, wait for external influences to pass and then that project can be picked up again later. It doesn’t mean it’s over forever; it’s just not the right time for that project.

Another way of overcoming the self doubt is to set yourself an achievable goal. If you have had to park a project or let it go, focus your energy and attention into another project or business area. Choose something that comes easily to you, which you know you will succeed with. This can help remind you what your strengths are and boost your confidence again.

It’s important to remember that whenever you make a mistake or have a knockback that affects your confidence that you don’t spend too long looking back at it. No one wins them all. Everyone makes mistakes and experiences set backs – they are just part of our growth. They help us to know our limits. Shake off the self doubt and lack of confidence – don’t quit, because your turn will come.

How do you deal with a 'no' - particularly one that is important to your project?
I think that most people when they get a ‘no’ start to question themselves and the project. That’s not a bad thing, it’s natural and it’s important, as it makes us improve, change direction, innovate, persevere etc.

I like to make sure I understand why they’ve said no. This is so I can work out if it’s something inherent that needs to be changed or maybe it just wasn’t the right door I knocked on. Remember not to take it personally – it’s not you as an individual they are saying no to – but your idea, concept, proposal.

It’s important to try and remain objective so that you don’t get stuck on one way being the right and only way. Sometimes you have to look at alternative ways to address the issue and reassess your expectations and priorities.

It’s important to keep the knockbacks in perspective. For example, when I didn’t win a business award, I looked at the level of competition I was up against and celebrated how far I had come to even be in the same category as them. It’s not that I wasn’t worthy – it was just that someone else was more worthy.

When you are lacking confidence, do you wait till this passes or do you get on with it anyway?
If you have other people relying on you to keep the business ticking over you don’t have the luxury to wait till it passes.

I also believe that if you focus inwardly on the negative it can contribute to a lack of confidence and a downward spiral where if you focus on giving out it can help you stay on track.

Has self doubt and a lack of confidence helped you achieve or bring a project to successful fruition?
I don’t believe that self doubt or a lack of confidence brings a project to successful fruition. What will make it a success is the way you respond to that self doubt.

A knockback doesn’t have to be a knock out. We choose whether we stand back up and if you don’t get back up you won’t achieve anything. We make a decision about whether we persevere or give up – Thomas Edison said when inventing the light bulb “I’ve not failed I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”

It comes down to the way you look at set backs, no’s, mistakes etc. If you treat the obstacles as an opportunity for learning you won’t suffer from the downward spiral of self doubt and lack of confidence.

What’s the best advice you have ever been given about dealing with knockbacks?
I don’t think there is one single piece of advice I have been given – it’s more a combination of advice which include
- If you can’t change the situation change the way you look at it
- Be prepared to listen, analyse and change
- Never ever give up
- And remember that necessity is the mother of all inventions

Sophia Elise Profile
Sophia Elise is the Managing Director of the NZ Art Guild, which provides support, promotion, opportunities and resources to NZ visual artists.

In 2009 she won the David Awards for Most Community Minded Business. In 2010 she was a finalist in the David Awards for Most Inspired Use of Marketing and Most Community Minded Business and was also a finalist in the Her Businesswoman of the Year Awards for Outstanding Business Citizenship.

She was one of 13 Auckland creative entrepreneurs to be awarded a place on the ART Venture Programme 2010. Sophia provides business mentoring for start up businesses under her company Creative Business Consultants. She is also a visual artist who has exhibited extensively throughout NZ and overseas. Sophia is active within the art community as a Member of the Board of Trustees for Mairangi Art Centre and a member of the ART Generator Network.

Fair Go ....

2011-02-10T15:37:00.002+13:00

Well I certainly got a Fair Go last night on TVNZ Fair Go Housing special. About three minutes into a clip, which featured fabulous designer Andrew Loader from Monochrome Inc, you got to see my torso art. There it was, a stunning, red, hand painted, torso art hanging on a white wall.

Of course - as Murphy's law would have it - I wasn't home to see it - but luckily lots of friends around NZ alerted me to it via texts, emails and facebook. It really has made my year and I feel so honoured to have one of my artworks used in one of Monochrome Incs designs!

If you want to see the segment follow this link http://tvnz.co.nz/fair-go/housing-special-4019371/video?vid=4019431 - it's about 3 minutes in on the clip about decorating.

And as my friends at pub quiz last night said - "Sophia Elise - as seen on award winning, prime time, TV show" lol ;-)

Time, time. time ....

2011-01-13T17:46:00.003+13:00

Title: Finding Tranquility
Artist: Sophia Elise
Media: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 25cm x 25cm
SOLD

I received this via email - and wuld love you all to take a minute to read through ...

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest:
Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use.

However,this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules.

The first set of rules would be:
Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you.
You may not simply transfer money into some other account. You may only spend it.
Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.

The second set of rules:
The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, Its over,the game is over! It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?

You would buy anything and everything you wanted right? Not only for yourself, but for all people you love, right? Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?

ACTUALLY This GAME is REALITY!
Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. We just can't seem to see it.

The MAGICAL BANK is TIME!
Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.

What we haven't lived up that day is forever lost. Yesterday is forever gone.

Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time....WITHOUT WARNING.

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?
Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.

Think about that, and always think of this:
Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.

So take care of yourself, be Happy, Love Deeply and enjoy life! Here's wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day. Start spending.

Inspiration and motivation for sharing ...

2011-01-10T15:15:00.003+13:00

I have this wonderful friend that I don't see very often, however she appears in my inbox several times a week with messages of friendship and inspiration. Lesley seems to find the most amazing things and I really wanted to share this one with you - such a beautiful way to start the new year. Take a couple of minutes to listen to the music, watch the pictures and read the words ..... Thanks Lesley! xx

http://www.inspiration365movie.com/?cm_mmc=CheetahMail-_-FR-_-12.31.10-_-INSPMovie

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Looking back ....

2011-01-01T10:45:00.004+13:00

Alyson Standfield reminds us artists that we need to take time at the end of the year to reflect back on our achievements. As fellow artist and friend Cath Sheard says "It’s easy for achievements to sort of slide on by barely noticed. Knowing what we have done, and where we’ve been, helps map the road forward"

I know that I am guilty of focusing the majority of time on where I'm going and not taking time to really celebrate where I've been. Where we come from and our past experiences shape who we are today and need to be acknowledged and embraced as an important part of our journey and personal growth.

So today I'm celebrating 2010 - looking back on the highlights - I am truly grateful for so many wonderful experiences that I've had this year - not just the positive ones - but the negative ones too - for in adversity we grow the most. There are just too many wonderful moments that I have shared with my children, partner, family and friends to mention them here. Those are the moments of laughter, tears, happiness, sadness, excitement, anticipation, frustration, love - the whole range of emotions that make up the daily tapestry of our lives.

The focus of these highlights are art related ...

1) January - being selected as one of 7 feature Artists by Bajidoo Bangles - a fabulous American based jewellery company. Having a feature article in the local paper with one of the other artists who were selected - Lauryne Hart. Having hip surgery and employing a contractor to look after the NZ Art Guild so I could recuperate.

2) February - HER Business Magazine writing a Feature Article about me and my art - huge honour.

3) March - Getting engaged to my wonderful man, John Boylan!! Completed my first artwork on a torso incorporating my journey of life series - this has developed into a completely new series which has been really exciting for me. Completed my first book review for an American Publisher - the book was called Alpahtudes and was a life changing book to read.

4) April - My involvement with the Legato exhibition made the news with two articles, a radio interview and a segment on TV3 news. A small group of artists who were involved with the exhibition did a preshowing of artworks at Howick RSA where one of the artists gifted a very personal artwork to Battle of Cassino Vet Watty McEwen. It was a very humbling experience. I also had a feature piece written in Urban Living Magazine by Virin Gomber (an amazing writer) which included one of my artworks. One of my artworks sold to a well known art collector in Auckland.

5) May - Met two wonderful facebook friends (Mike and Andrew) at our exhibition opening - they now own 3 of my artworks which is really humbling given that Mike is an Artist and Andrew and Interior Designer. And then we were off to Italy with a group of amazing NZ Artists to exhibit at the Legato Exhibition. Spending 3 weeks exploring Italy with my wonderful man and friends was definitely a highlight this year. Donated an artwork to a fundraiser for Galmorgan Primary school and Coordinated several other donations. Our wonderful Auctioneer, Tony Loughrin, who does all our charity auctions for us was organising this event for his son and it was great to finally be able to give back to him!

6) June - I was a finalist in the Her Businesswoman of the Year Awards for Outstanding Business Citizenship - Huge honour!

7) July - The 5th NZ Art Guild Collaborative Artwork was unveiled!! I was awarded a place on the ART Venture Programme. An intensive year long accelerator programme for Auckland Creative Entrepreneurs. Only 13 people were selected from an application pool of 55. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and is very exciting! Visited The Learning Connection and NZ Academy of Fine Arts both of which are in Wellington. Was fantastic to meet with the staff and see around both facilities. I also met up with my cousin, Shirley, who I have only seen once in 30 years. She is such an inspiring person and I can't wait to see her again!

8) August - I created a new website so that I could sell prints and greeting cards of my artworks - www.sophia-elise.artistwebsites.com Having fun with the kids and my man - dying everyones hair in a way that expressed their creativity - my son had blond highlights, my man ended up with an assortment of colours including ginger, my daughter had pink, purple and blue hair!

9) September - I donated another artwork for The Women's Art Exhibition and Charity Auction to raise funds for the North Shore Women's Centre. This was one of my event highlights this year. The North Shore Women's Centre have the most amazing staff and provide much needed quality, low cost services to women in the community. It really was my privilege to work with them and two of the team I have kept in regular contact with. I helped out at my daughters school art day and it gave me a renewed appreciation of teachers!

10) October - One of my artworks was in the House and Garden Magazine as part of a feature story about my favourite Interior designer - Monochrome Inc. The NZ Art Guild was a finalist in two categories for The David Awards for Small Businesses - Most Community Minded Business and Most Inspired Use of Marketing! yay! And a business I've been mentoring this year - Home Brew West which is owned by an incredible young man, Allister Van Mil was a finalist in Outstanding Lifestyle Business!!

11) November - I was invited to have a two week art residency in India in February which unfortunately coincided with my sisters wedding so I turned it down - however it was a huge honour to be asked! Applied to do my post graduate diploma in Counselling and made the short list straight away. Yay! Restructured the NZ Art Guild and have a permanent part time contractor, Tanya Dann, who is amazing! Kumeu Art in the Garden saw a 50% increase in art sales this year which was brilliant!

12) December - Got funding through the ART Venture Programme to create the NZ Art Guild into a Charitable Trust which will enable us to become a sustainable organisation. Finalised the 2011 exhibition calender for the NZ Art Guild which includes exhibitions at the NZ Academy of Fine Arts!

This year I personally exhibited in 16 exhibitions - which was fantastic - I sold artworks in many of these events and in fact had my best sales year in the last few years. I donated several artworks to a variety of charity fundraisers including - school, churches, sporting teams, national charities, local charities etc - I swapped artworks with fabulous artists, gifted artworks to others, received gifts of art myself.

Through my work with the NZ Art Guild we helped raise over $20,000 for charities this year. My wonderful supporters in the NZ Art Guild - the members - my friends - and the volunteers - Rachael Inch, Sharlene Schmidt, Christine Dempster and Tanya Dann - have made it possible and have enabled us to reach out and help so many people in a variety of ways. I'm very lucky that the management team are also my nearest and dearest friends despite living in different cities and islands even.

I owe are huge dept of gratitude to The ART Venture programme with the most incredible participants, facilitators and advisers who have given me such knowledge, insight, skills and been huge supporters of the work I do. I am so privileged to be in this programme.

The wonderful mentors I have met along the way who have helped me in many ways - but esp to Pam Martin who is such an inspiration!!

And a huge thank you has to go to my long suffering man - who is always at my side for every event - helping with hanging, take down, opening nights, co-ordinating events, packing artworks, buying supplies - surprising me by tidying my office and doing the filing when it has got completely away on me - being on call 24/7 for babysitting duty, picking up the slack with household chores and always always supporting me unconditionally in whatever I do.

And my Children who are so incredibly wonderful in every way. They teach me so much - I admire them hugely - they have such incredible qualities that some adults don't even have yet - they pitch in and help if they know something needs doing - are always so supportive of my own art (always nice to have fans even of the ones you want to throw in the bin!! lol)

This year has been incredible in so many ways - and I want to thank everyone who has been involved in making it fantastic! Whether it was through text, email, phone, facebook, in person - you are all amazing!! Thank you!!

An absolute must for everyone .....

2010-12-31T17:16:00.002+13:00

It's something that seems so simple - some people take them for granted - others long for them - others never make time to have them - what are they? Holidays!!

Now I'm not talking about the type of holidays which involve masses of running around, sightseeing, rushing from place to place - I'm talking about the chill out at home - away from work - doing the things that you love in a relaxed way.

This year is the first time, in several years, that I have had a "real" holiday. I am self employed - which anyone who is self employed will be able to identify with - taking a holiday is often logistically impossible (who will take over), it can be financially difficult (not bringing in any income) and for me personally - I feel guilt ridden.

What?? you may ask - why would you feel guilty? I have this problem. I constantly think about work 24/7 - I wake up thinking about work, I go to bed thinking about work, I dream about work - I strategise, plan, write, organise all the time. I feel that if I'm not working then I'm letting people down in some way ..... But in actual fact by living like this I am letting myself down.

The NZ Art Guild has only ever closed over the Christmas/New Year period for the statutory holidays. This year we (my good friend and colleague Tanya Dann) made the decision to close. As two workaholics, we actually agreed that the world would not stop spinning if we both had a true break from work for 11 days!! And wow!! Guess what - the world kept on spinning - nothing drastic happened and I feel great!!!

It's been really hard to ignore the guilt, to ignore the work emails, ignore the work thoughts and consciously push them aside every time they creep in. But it has been soooooo worth it. I've taken time to sit and chat with friends and family, to have a drink on the deck with my man, enjoy the holidays with my kids, go to bed early, sleep in (have 10 hours of sleep a night rather than 6!) watch dvd's, read and write my first blog post for 3 months!! Sheer bliss!!

For the first time in several months I feel the creative spark coming back into my life - I have cooked gourmet food, spent 3 days gardening (after 4 years of none at all!) and have started 3 artworks - with so many wonderful ideas flooding in. I have missed this wonderful feeling - it almost feels like a lifetime ago that I felt this good - and now I'm wondering why on earth I never allowed myself this time in order to receive this gift of feeling this wonderful.

In fact I'm enjoying my break so much that I have extended it for another week - and I will not feel guilty! I will enjoy it, embrace it and know that I will be able to give so much more when I do go back to work.

Now I need to make sure that I actually allow myself down time through out the year so that I can keep that creative spark alive - give myself time to write, paint, cook, garden - share my time with family and friends and actually have a more balanced life! ...... oh and catch up on my blog posts!! ;-)

Monochrome Inc in NZ House and Garden

2010-09-20T20:42:00.005+12:00

My favourite interior designer (and lovely friend) Andrew Loader has been featured in this months NZ House and Garden. Monochrome Inc is a fabulous interior design business based in Auckland.

I was lucky enough to have one of my artworks in the photos (above - caption reads - Called Wahine Toa, this red torso by artist Sophia Elise features a Maori koru pattern rendered in dots). Andrew and Mike bought my torso as a feature artwork for their bedroom a few months ago and I was stoked that it was photgraphed and included inthis feature - what a huge honour!

The rest of the beautiful artwork you see in this article is done by Mike Galvin (another wonderful friend!)

To read the full article go and grab a copy today! :-)

School Art Day

2010-09-09T17:09:00.007+12:00

A few weeks ago my daughter (year 4) asked me if I could come to school and teach art for the day. Apparently she had told her class I'm a "famous" artist because I'm on google - and of course I run this "huge" art organisation across NZ. Wow - after that kind of lead up how could I say no. lol

I have to say the thought of teaching groups of children art for a whole day terrified me - trying to think of an activity they could complete in an hour - and of course having never taught children art in my life! arghhh! What was I going to do - aside form freak out and have anxiety attacks?

Anyway - once the panic subsided I thought about the things my kids liked doing - and one was when we did a mini collaborative project artwork like the NZ Art Guild does each year. Perfect - that's what I was going to do. Only thing was I didn't want to use paints (my medium) because of the mess and time constraints. So I decided a dry medium would be better.

I nearly died when they sent home the form telling the kids I was teaching drawing skills - what the ...? Anyone who know me and my art knows that I do abstract - drawing is well and truly out of my sphere of things I do. And as my kids put it - "mum does abstract cos she can't draw real stuff" Thanks guys! lol

The day was a great success - the kids were an absolute delight - and I have a renewed admiration for teachers - man what an exhausting day - I really don't know how they do it - thank you to all the wonderful teachers out there!!

All the children had the same image and colours to work with and were given the same set of instruction s and theme to create to. I really wanted to see how they all interpreted it and I wasn't disappointed with the results - they let their creativity and imaginations go.

Many of you have asked what the finished artworks were like so I have added them here. The best thing about it was hearing them go "wow, awesome, amazing etc" once they saw it all put together. They really were gobsmacked at what they had all managed to achieve together.

Pink and Blue hair

2010-09-09T16:51:00.002+12:00

no ... not me before you all panic. Several weeks ago my daughter asked if we could dye her hair - she really wanted to have blue and pink streaks in it. I agreed that we could - but suggested that we only dye the bottom few inches just in case she hated it - that way we could easily cut it off and it would be back to normal.

I asked my friend Helen how she had done her daughters hair (which looked AMAZING! Totally rainbow colours - very funky!) And bought some dye from her.

So off we set on this adventure - my very scared as I'm no hairdresser. Anyway - we had to bleach it to start with- and while the bleach was out my son and fiance both decided that they wanted to join in with the hair dying - so they had blond streaks through the top of their hair.

Hey - who am I to judge - I've been dying my hair since I was 16! And after all - it's only hair - and it's their hair - their choice - it will grow back - and I really think we have more important things to worry about with our kids like, drugs, teen pregnancy, suicide, binge drinking etc than what colour our children want their hair. Anyway - I'm sure most of us would have loved to have had pink and blue hair when we were 9 too - after all by the time we were old enough to do that it wasn't the done thing.

So we finished the dying and the next day my daughter decided she wanted more done - yes she loved it that much. So out with the hair dye again (no bleach this time) and we dyed it again - she didn't want to go all the way to the roots - so we had about 6 inches of natural hair and 10 inches of multicolour streaks.

It's been amazing how positive everyone has been about it - including the school Principal who loved it - in fact we have only heard of three people who haven't liked it - and hey that's their choice to make. So for all the people that asked for photos - I have the stage one's here. Unfortunately I didn't take any of stage two dye and as we didn't bleach it first it has washed out really quickly (mainly because her fathers girlfriend, unfortunately, really hates it and has made her wash her hair heaps when she is with them in order to get the dye out as quickly as possible) Never mind we still have heaps of dye left to do it again and I will be sure to take photos after :-)

I think the best thing about this was seeing how happy my kids were - my son saying he felt and looked like a rock star - my daughter feeling so beautiful and being able to express her creative side through her hair - and seeing the increased confidence in them both. Amazing how a simple thing like allowing them the freedom to decide what they do with their hair can have such a positive impact on their self esteem.

RAK Day! ( Random Act of Kindness )

2010-09-02T09:12:00.002+12:00

Today is officially RAK ( Random Act of Kindness Day ) - So I would love to hear all your stories about the RAK that you receive and that you give. Of course RAK don't have to be limited to today - they can be any day of the year - and every day if you feel like it. They don't have to be big - they can be as simple as giving someone a hug who needs it ....

Today 15 artists are doing a RAK - they have donated artworks to be auctioned to raise funds for the North Shore Women's Centre. (See event details below for "Inner Strength" What a perfect day to have this event too! And of course as with many events it's reliant on volunteers so they are all performing RAK's today too ...

Already heard one lovely story today from a friend who's 11 year old did an RAK for her ... yay!!!

To read more about RAK day - www.rak.co.nz

Your invitation to Inner Strength - Charity Art Auction and Exhibition

2010-09-02T09:07:00.002+12:00

The NZ Art Guild and North Shore Womens Centre (NSWC) are proud to join together to raise funds and awareness for the NSWC with the Inner Strength Charity Art Auction and Exhibition.

The NSWC are the only holistic service for women, by women on the North Shore. The funds raised from the charity auction will assist in the administration of their core services: low-cost counseling, family support service, free legal clinic, clothing exchange, low-cost courses and support groups and the Go Girl Youth programme. Donations enable NSWC to continue to offer their services at little or no cost to women.

Please join us on September 2nd 6:30pm at the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna Auckland where the month long exhibition "Inner Strength" will open with a fantastic charity art auction. Our guest speaker is Catherine Livingstone who has inspired many women over the years and was recently the last woman standing in the NZ Apprentice

Top NZ artists - Jess Foote, Lisz Bodsworth, Angela Laby, Sophia Elise, Rachel Olsen, Sharlene Scmidt, Nancy Frazer, Michele Courage, Merle Bishop, Lorraine Beattie, Liz de King, Lauryne Hart, Jane Santos, Beate Minderjahn, and Amy Walker have also generously donated artworks to be auctioned on the night. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to NSWC.

The theme of this exhibition is "Celebrating and Strengthening Women" and it brings together 33 very, talented NZ female artists from around NZ.

We would like to thank the following sponsors:
Tony Laugharn - Barfoot and Thompson
Tineswari Maruthamuthu - Graphic Designer
Kip Brook - Word of Mouth Media

For more information about the NSWC of NZ go to www.nswomenscentre.co.nz

To view the Online Auction Catalogue -
http://nzartguild.blogspot.com/2010/07/auction-catalogue-inner-strength.html

Elffolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis by Tina McFadden

2010-08-25T09:45:00.002+12:00

Tina McFadden is launching her new children’s book today. I am always looking for interesting books for my kids - and especially ones with a message that inspires them. although I haven't read a copy of it yet - it certainly sounds like the perfect present for them. Read the press release below for more info ....

Get the fantasy-adventure novel that is delighting readers and reviewers everywhere with its tale of magic and mystery in legendary Atlantis - Elffolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis.

Elffolk takes young readers into a world of intrigue and wonder with its page-turning story and positive message. An empowering novel for children ages 7 to 10, it reveals the power of our thoughts, expectations and beliefs. A fast-paced, easy read, it tells the story of Enna and Nissa in the mysterious crystal caves of mystical Atlantis.

“Thousands of years ago, on the island of Atlantis, there were signs of a coming disaster. The very first omens were the earthquakes.... When an earthquake strikes the village of Elffolk, an elderly elf becomes trapped in the crystal caves. Two young elves, Enna and Nissa, must save her. But their rescue mission won't be easy. A dark magic lurks within the caves, stirring up danger at every turn and leaving nothing as it seems.”

Order your copy today: http://www.elffolk.com

Order today and you’ll receive FREE gifts from parenting coaches, children’s authors and more.

Prints and cards now available for sale online

2010-08-20T12:09:00.003+12:00

You can now buy prints and greeting cards of Sophia Elise original artworks online at my new website www.sophia-elise.artistwebsites.com

Prints
The prints come in a variety of sizes and start from as low as $19 They are available in stretched canvas, framed or standard (unframed) If you want them framed you get to select the mat colour, style and frame. Lots of fun playing around on the site with this to get just the right look.

Cards - Greeting cards
The cards can be bought as single cards or in multiple packs. They are priced from $4.95 - the more you buy the cheaper they get. The cards are great because you can even choose to have a personalised message inside not to mention you can also select how large you want the image to be on the front of the card.

Original Art For Purchase
All the artwork on this site is organised into galleries - certain series of artworks and a special gallery of art currently available for purchase - more to be added as soon as I get some time to paint!

If there is an artwork of mine that you really love but isn't listed on my print and greeting card pages please let me know and I will add it just for you sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz

If your a member of facebook - friend me - and you will also be able to purchase art, cards and prints via my Facebook shop

Boy for Sale...bonus girl may be included!

2010-08-12T14:32:00.002+12:00

This morning I received this email from my wonderful cousin Gretchen Andersen - great mum - all round lovely person and very talented writer - just had to share - I'm sure there are plenty of mums (and dads) out there who can identify with this and will enjoy the chuckle ... Thanks Cuz for brightening up my day and letting me share this with others ... don't worry I won't tell CYFS ;-)

Boy for sale, any reasonable offer considered!

He's got LOTS of energy, and would make a great guard boy...could easily scare off any child-unfriendly visitors you may have, along with birds, mice or other small animals. Eats almost anything you put in front of him, especially if it's previously been refused and is deemed destined for the rubbish bin. Doesn't need much sleep. Good at making train tracks, mud pies, noise and messes. Doesn't need minor accessories like tissues, as has developed an effective "self- cleaning" method (a.k.a. "sharing the slime"). Great at waking babies, cats, neighbours or the dead.

Only minor functional defects, in that the "off" button is missing and the volume control seems stuck on "loud". But I'm sure these could be easily remedied with lots of open space, or alternatively, rubber walls and/or soundproofing. Patience and caregiver-energy might also work, but I haven't got any of that to try at present and the local hardware store seems to have run out.

PLUS, if you get in fast I'll also throw in a bonus Girl for no extra cost! She's great for self-esteem, as she is always in the mood for cuddles and being carried - doubles as a great workout partner, and will tone and strengthen arms, back and stomach if used correctly. Presently also has a self-lubricating face for those extra sloppy kisses. Has an infectious laugh, but the snot isn't similarly contagious. Runs almost entirely on mother's milk still, but is happy to supplement her diet with paper, books, shoes and cat fur so weaning probably wouldn't be a problem if the right foods are chosen. Good at waking those late night partying neighbours early the next morning. Also doesn't need much sleep.

If full-time child(ren) purchase isn't possible for you, I am willing to negotiate part-time or job-share opportunities.

Free shipping available!

Please contact the manager if you'd like to arrange a viewing or trial period.

Continuing saga of worthwhile art ...

2010-08-11T10:53:00.007+12:00

Artist: Sophia Elise
Media: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 25cm x 25cm
For Sale: contact sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz

Following on from my post yesterday about "what is worthwhile art?" - I started this same conversation on my facebook wall (by the way if you haven't connected with me on facebook already please do! :-))

I really wanted to share some of the thoughts that came through - some from artists - some from art admirers - some very interesting thoughts and some wise words ...

Pamela - "I don't think anyone has the right to sit on a pedestal and judge other peoples artwork. Because we may not like or value or have some kind of prejudice over a particular style or person does not mean the piece of work itself is not worthwhile. I think there are too many people out there who value their own opinions. I think we seek way to much validation for our art externally instead of believing in our own talent and skill and its easy to lose sight of ones path, and get caught up in what you think you should be doing rather than what you want to do."

Bernice - "Opinion is the worst yardstick one can react to in a creative endeavour. Along those lines ..... Does not having a fine arts degree make one less of an artist or an artist of note? This has been a... continuous struggle I have faced in my art career. Could I get an art degree... Yes. Do I want to... No. Am I an artist.... Yes. Do I create worthwhile art.... Yes. For many years now I have refused to placate certain factions of the 'art community' who have repeatedly recommended I do the degree in order to prove my artistic worth. It makes it harder to be taken seriously, for sure (in my experience), but i will keep on doing what I do, regardless of whether other's view my work as worthwhile or not. I have a voice. You have a voice. Every single creative person has a voice. It won't be silenced by anything as linear as an opinion."

Denita - "passion, talent, and love makes worthwhile art and art worthwhile"

Ross - "I'm always asked this by my school students. We live in an age of Post Modernist who's-to-say mentality. They are always trying to pin it down to $ signs. Like "what's the most you've sold a work for sir?". That's because they have been taught that this is a way to value stuff (we are now doing that more and more in dear old NZ. I reckon there are a whole host of questions like - Is there an honest voice there? Is there some good mark making going on? (I mean that in a 3d and 2d sense) Is the person demonstrating some sort of control of their media? In contrast to these and there are heaps more, that we could go on about, we have unmade beds, beer crates, piles of rubbish, all winning prizes. So the ideas (and some of them are quite clever, whilst others are plain grandstanding like Damien Hurst's over hyped, over priced nonsense. I reckon the best guy to read on the subject is Robert Hughes. "Shock of the New" is a goody but it's a bit old. I would love to know what sort of spirit Bazaleel and Aholiab had in the Old Testament"

John - "Many things in this world are subjective. Movies, books, music, art, likes, dislikes etc. It is a combination of ignorance and arrogance for one person (often from their own perception of academic superiority) to suggest one thing is worthwhile and suggest that your particular taste is not. All these subjective likes and dislikes come from the heart, they can't be and shouldn't be found in books, internet or otherwise."

Brian - "Good art in my opinion elicits an emotional response in the viewer"

Colin - "If the artist likes it, its worthwhile to them, if the viewer likes it, then its worthwhile to that person and if your lucky both artist and viewer like it therefore making it worthwhile to both. In some cases the artist will not be happy with the finished article and few viewers like it making it worthwhile to few. A piece of arts worth both monetary and visually is a very individual thing....Some people see arts worth in relation to monetary value (So IS a factor to them), others see art purely for the aesthetic value i.e. like the look of it, or sound of it, feel of it (Myself) and others for some perceived meaning behind it all. No one motivation or trigger for an individuals impression of a given piece or form of art is any more valid than another. With art there are no more rules to the appreciation of art than there are to the creation of it or form it should take."

Stan - "who is this person to cast a judgement on the marks of a fellow artist? Certainly no one with any academic background in the profession. From the first crude paleolithic markings on the walls of caves until the present, art is a reflection of human labour and a catharsis of the imagination. To attempt to discredit one artists work as not worthwhile is to deny individualistic creative processes."

Ross - "Again though, we're coming back to the very thing that prompts this debate. There is an opinion that if something provokes emotion then if it good. I don't think it's that simple. Like a Swastika for many people would provoke and emotion, but it is not art it is an offensive icon. So there has to be some sort of conceptual underpinning. Oh for the days when we were told what was good and what was rubbish! (that's tongue in cheek). It's not just technical ability either is it? Think about the beautifully produced kitch sold all over the world."

Leo - "it took me the standard 4 years plus a post graduate year, but that did NOT make my work art, nor did it make me an artist. That came later. What it did - and that made it worthwhile after all - was break down all my pre-conceived ideas, thanks to excellent tutors, and give me a lot of useful technical knowledge. But that was all it did. There are countless great artists who never had any formal training. And Sophia, thanks for starting this discussion!"

I think my favourite quote from all the posts though is Colins - "With art there are no more rules to the appreciation of art, than there are to the creation of it or to the form it should take."

Thanks to everyone for joining in this discussion - sharing your thoughts and feeling - opinions and insights - to follow this more go to my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/sophiaelise.artist

What is worthwhile art?

2010-08-10T16:40:00.003+12:00

Artist: Sophia Elise
Media: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 25cm x 25cm
SOLD

Today I'm pondering the question - "What is worthwhile art?" This question was provoked by an email I received today. Not an email directed at my art - but a general comment about worthwhile art having a specific voice and means to be heard.

I had never thought of art being classified as "worthwhile" before - well more precisely that some art wouldn't be considered worthwhile in some peoples eyes. Ok, admittedly, some art is not be to my taste - or maybe it doesn't have the technical finesse of other artworks - but I never thought about it not being worthwhile. At the very core of it - at the very least - it is a worthwhile artwork for the person who has created it surely. It is something they have enjoyed, felt compelled to do, have expressed an emotion or shared a scene - to them it was worthwhile.

To me - It is worthwhile if that artwork has helped someone in some way - be it the creator or the viewer. If it has put a smile on someones face - made them feel something within - evoked a conversation - created a connection - then that is worthwhile to me. A child's artwork is worthwhile to the parent who receives it and the child who has created it with love. The artwork that we see as a "mistake" is worthwhile to that child that loves it and retrieves it from the junk pile to hang in their room. Or the artwork that is donated to charity to raise funds for a cause. Or simply the one that is beautiful - which of course is in the eye of the beholder.

Perhaps my art may not be termed worthwhile by academic circles but to the hundreds of people that have purchased my art and who enjoy hanging it on their walls it's worthwhile. It was worthwhile to me to be able to create it and share part of my spirit on canvas. It was worthwhile to my children who hang it on their walls and proudly tell their classmates that their mum is an artist on google (how cute is that! lol) It was worthwhile to the artists I have swapped artworks with. It is worthwhile to the charities that have benefited from the artwork donations I've made.

So - Who is the judge of what is worthwhile? What is the criteria? Is there criteria? Is it arrogance to state some art is worthwhile and other art isn't? Is it an intellectulisation born out of academia? Or is it a real life issue? What are your thoughts?

Glass Balls

2010-07-13T09:10:00.002+12:00

30 Second Speech by Bryan Dyson Former CEO of Coca Cola

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, Friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the Air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four Balls - Family, Health, Friends and Spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these; they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for it.

Work efficiently during office hours and leave on time. Give the required time to your family and friends and have a proper rest

Value has a value only if its value is valued"

We all need to be reminded of this from time to time - I am probably one of the worst people at this - I am a self confessed workaholic - if I'm not working I feel guilty - I feel lazy - like I haven't accomplished anything - I feel that all my time needs to be production - but how do we define productive?

I need to remember that rest, and time spent with family and friends is productive time too. The weekend just been we caught up with friends for a birthday - we went to bed before 11 for the first time in several months - we slept in - went to an art exhibition opening - visited the in laws - visited my family - went to dinner - to a show - bought some books - did some painting - finished a commission - had friends around for drinks. What soul food that was!! It was the best thing I could have done - I now feel more energised and ready to take on the busy week again - I need to remind myself of how important down time is - and the flow on benefits it has.

Are there any other self confessed workaholics out there who suffer from guilt when they are not working? Where does it come from? How do you deal with it?

What makes people get involved?

2010-07-12T10:22:00.002+12:00

We had a couple of friends around last night and the conversation turned to what makes people get involved in other peoples fights - ie. standing up for someone that you think is being treated unfairly.

There was a lot of discussion around this as I'm one of those people that can't stand to see any kind of injustice - I want life to be fair - ok we all get told early on that it isn't - but it doesn't stop me being idealistic or trying to help if I can. But at what point is that considered interfering - or even damaging to the person you are standing up for? My friend raised that point that by standing up for someone - fighting their battle that you can actually be dis-empowering and not allowing them personal growth. A very good point - and I hadn't looked at it that way.

But then what if that person doesn't have the knowledge or ability and you can help them learn - we all need guidance and support at various times of our lives -and how can someone who has never stood up for themselves int he past learn how to do it if no one will help them?

What about the people that take not getting involved to the extreme - their reasoning isn't like my friends - they just believe that it's none of their business and it doesn't affect their life in any way. They stay out of potential conflict at all costs - they are the ones that would walk past a women getting hit by her husband - or a child left unattended in a car crying - or stand by while someones character gets unfairly maligned.

Personally I find this level of apathy frustrating - and I actually don't think it is coming form a place of good - but a place of selfishness. Maybe I'm wrong - but it's the way I feel. I believe that if I can help then I should - and to ignore anything like that wouldn't sit right with me - I couldn't sleep at night.

My friend asked where this need of mine came from - I had never analysed it - it has always been innate within me and I accepted it as part of who I am. But this morning I had a light bulb moment and I know where it comes from. It is a core value that was instilled in me from a very young age was "protect and help those who are weaker than yourself"

I suppose at no time have I stopped to consider that I am using my subjective judgement to determine whether a person fits in this category - and what I see as someone needing help - will not bee seen that way by another - they can be seen as interfering. More food for thought.

So why is it that some people feel passionately about helping others - and others feel just as passionately that it's wrong to get involved because it's nothing to do with them - and others feel that you are robbing that person of the personal growth and life experiences?

What category do you fall into? What is your reasoning? And is there a right or wrong in this case?

What makes someone inspirational?

2010-07-11T16:45:00.002+12:00

Just lately I've been thinking about this a lot - what is it that makes someone inspirational?

I admire people for many different reason - the lady who adopted 4 girls with Downs Syndrome - She's inspirational to me because I don't think I could ever have done that - that takes a huge amount of dedication, love and sacrifice.

The man who was on Gladiator today with a prosthetic leg who not only competed but also completed the whole course - I couldn't even do that as an able body person so to me he is inspirational.

The man on Good Sorts segment last week who fought to save lives with a new system for organ donations - and then to be the first one to actually have his body used for organ donation under the new system.

So many people giving selflessly of their time with various charities - looking after others - making peoples lives better each day.

Listening to Ray Avery talk on Thursday - that man is amazing - from simple ideas he has managed to change millions of peoples lives all over the world. Incredible to think it came out of his garage in Mt Eden - from a desire to help people.

So many different people that I find inspiring and just as many reasons - my list could go on forever. It does includes personal attributes - usually some quality that I don't see in myself and a quality that I would like to have. Seeing what these people achieve makes you want to be a better person - to give more - do more and be more grateful.

I have been told an a few occasions that I'm an inspiration to someone - and I always feels a bit gobsmacked - flattered naturally - but I do ask why? I honestly don't see myself any differently from the people that have said this to me. In fact they have sometimes even been an inspiration to me! Therefore to find out that I have in some way inspired them is very humbling.

I feel grateful that we are not only surrounded by many wonderful role models - but people who inspire us in every day lives - and they aren't necessarily the richest or most famous - they are our mums, dads, friends, children, friends, colleagues etc

I would love to hear who inspires you? Or just even what characteristics you find inspirational?

2010-07-06T14:41:00.002+12:00

I'm excited to be involved with this fabulous exhibition - and very lucky to have such an amazing person organising it in Dunedin - Tanya Dann. Without her vision, dedication and hardwork this just wouldn't be possible.

If you are in the area it would be great to see you at the opening of "Pocket Rockets" exhibition at ROCDA Gallery in Dunedin.

Over 40 NZ artists bring you an amazing array of artworks including, paintings, jewellery, sculpture, glass art, textile and much more!

The exhibition is for one week only - so make sure you mark it in your diary today so you don't miss out!

Where: ROCDA Gallery, 73 Princes Street, Dunedin
Opening: Monday 2nd August, 5:30pm - 8pm
Exhibition Open: Mon - Fri 11am - 6pm and Sat 11am - 3pm

PARTICIPATING NZ ART GUILD ARTISTS
Tanya Dann
Sophia Elise
Tash Shackleton
Mike Greenwood
Amy Walker
Lei Wen
LisaSarah
Lorraine Beattie
Melodie Joseph
Chris Cruickshank
Amanda Cass
Peter Augustin
Sofia Spirtova
Sue McPhee
Suzanne Carter
Marimba Powley
Stan Blanch
Ron Esplin
Pam Tapp
Jac Connelly
Tama Florentina
Amahlia Wolf
Pam Tapp
Cath Sheard
Michele Courage

PARTICIPATING NON NZ ART GUILD ARTISTS
Collette Fergus
Irene Joseph
Sandra Adams
Soo Lee
Ryan van Heerden
Peter Viesnik
Bobby Shen
Jill Shackleton
Diane Schnarr
Virginia O'Dear
Barbara Bullock
Jane Sussmilch
Lisa-Jane Harvey
Holly Budge
Sudhir Duppati Kumar
Isla Osborne

Bloom revealed ...

2010-07-06T14:38:00.002+12:00

MEDIA: Mixed media - wood frame.
SIZE: The finished artwork is 1.3m x 1.3m
(List of participating artists below)

On Friday 2nd July the NZ Art Guild unveiled their 2010 Collaborative Artwork "Bloom"

"Bloom" is a unique artwork which comprises of 64 individual artworks by 62 artists from all over NZ. The theme of this artwork is New Beginnings and Growth.

To view this stunning artwork in person visit the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna, Auckland. Open Mon - Fri 9 - 5 or Sat 10 - 4. It will be exhibited there until July 30th.

This artwork will be auctioned on Trademe (www.trademe.co.nz) from July 17th with 100% of the proceeds donated to the Mental Health Foundation of NZ. (When you login to Trademe search for NZ Art Guild).

LIMITED EDITION PRINTS AVAILABLE
- Print run limited to 100 prints - all prints are numbered
- Printed on archival art paper by specialist fine art printers
- Comes un-mounted so you can select your framing
(We recommend Lesley's Picture Framing - email: lpfg@xtra.co.nz)
- Size: 410 mm x 410mm. (unframed)
- Delivery will be approx 2 weeks from the date of order.
- $5 from every print sale is donated to the Mental Health Foundation of NZ

Prices:
Bloom Limited Edition Print $79.00
Postage - North Island $8.00 Postage - South Island $12.00 Postage - Rural $15.00

How to order your print:
via the NZ Art Guild website http://www.nzartguild.co.nz/edit.asp?PageNo=240
or by email admin@nzartguild.co.nz

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS (from left to right)
Row 1:
1) Ana ter Huurne
2) Melissa Muirhead
3) Amanda Hook
4) Chelsea Davies
5) Michelle Whitehouse
6) Jacqueline Runham
7) Caroline Viesnik
8) Sophia Elise

Row 2:
9) Marilyn Andrews
10) Bill Rutledge
11) Wendy Matthews
12) Cath Sheard
13) Silver Dunlop
14) Angela Laby
15) Sheryl Eustace
16) Neala Glass

Row 3:
17) Nancy Frazer
18) Natasha Wheeler
19) Gail Boyle
20) Melissa Muirhead
21) Anni Morris
22) Tracy MacDonald
23) Chris Cruickshank
24) Melodie Joseph

Row 4:
25) Tessa Birks
26) Julie Sills
27) Sally Blyth
28) Beate Minderjahn
29) Sandra Toornstra
30) Michelle Whitehouse
31) Rochelle van der Werff
32) Amy Mackiewicz

Row 5:
33) Chavah Kinloch
34) Sharlene Schmidt
35) Jane Bold
36) Helen Sherrock
37) Ronda Turk
38) Theresa Rodger
39) Christine Dempster
40) Paulette Shepherd

Row 6:
41) Lei Wen
42) Victoria Anderson
43) Jo Mallinger
44) Cheryl Irwin
45) Lyn Hurring
46) Linda Paul
47) Stan Blanch
48) Shaun Hedley

Row 7:
49) Dennis Clark
50) Michele Courage
51) Shelly van Soest
52) Marimba Powley
53) Tineswari Maruthamuthu
54) Fiona Woods
55) Michelle Thorby
56) Helen McNamara

Row 8:
57) Pam Tapp
58) Ron Esplin
59) Natalie Makeef
60) Rachael Inch
61) Tanya Dann
62) Pam Buffery
63) Sofia Spirtova
64) Tama Florentina

HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Allan McIntosh - Buildology - the Art of Design and Build
Mike Thornton - Giclee Print Limited
Michael Woods - Photographer
Brendon and Lesley - Lesley's Picture Framing

Emerge Exhibition, Charity Art Auction, Bloom Unveiling

2010-06-26T16:23:00.003+12:00

You're all invited!!

What: NZ Art Guild Members Exhibition and Charity Art Auction

When: July 2nd 6:30pm

Where: Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna, Auckland

For the third year in a row artists from the New Zealand Art Guild are joining forces to raise money and awareness for the Mental Health Foundation through a unique charity art project and auction.

On July 2, the NZ Art Guild will unveil their 2010 collaborative project titled ‘Bloom’ during the opening night of their exhibition “Emerge”. This one of a kind project is compiled from 64 individual artworks created by 62 NZ artists who each interpreted the theme “New Beginnings and Growth” into their piece.

When combined these individual panels will create a stunning artwork measuring 1.3m x 1.3m that will then be auctioned on TradeMe with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to the Mental Health Foundation.

The opening night of ‘Emerge’ will also see 12 fantastic artworks by some of New Zealand’s top artists auctioned off to benefit the Foundation. More information on these can be found on the NZ Art Guild website (http://www.nzartguild.co.nz/Emerge-Exhibition.html). To view the auction catalogue go to www.nzartguild.blogspot.com

"We are once again thrilled to be working with the New Zealand Art Guild on such an exciting project," says Judi Clements, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation. “We are truly appreciative of the commitment we have received from the Guild’s members over the last three years”.

“The Mental Health Foundation relies heavily on donations to help provide resources and support to New Zealanders affected by mental health issues and it is the support of such events that not only helps us to do this but also brings us closer to our aim of making mental health everybody’s business”

“Emerge” opens on 2 July at 6:30pm at the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna, Auckland.
Come along and support people with experience of a mental illness, and their friends and families, by bidding on the artwork.

Huge honour .... Her Businesswoman of the Year Awards

2010-06-26T16:16:00.002+12:00

Last week was the 2010 Her Businesswoman of the Year Awards - and I was one of three finalist in the Outstanding Business Citizenship Award - what a fabulous category to be a finalist in - and the competition was very high! Unfortunately I didn't win it - BUT Biddy who did is amazing - CEO of Hospice - great work! As friends and family keep saying - there is always next year :-) I'm just happy to have achieved the position as finalist this year!

The two day Bloom Conference was very inspirational - amazing speakers - fantastic women to spend two days with - and the energy was phenomenal. Was great to be part of it all.

Recession is ...... over!!

2010-06-26T16:00:00.002+12:00

Yes well that is def the feeling I'm getting here - art sales and commissions are on the rise again and that is usually a good sign that people are feeling more comfortable about their money and financial situations.

I've been very fortunate since the beginning of April to have sold 10 artworks and gained a couple of commissions too. Many artists will tell you that if they have artworks sitting around for months on end and they aren't making any sales then it can start to sap your creativity - you just can feel very down and question what the point is ... makes you doubt your talent ... your ability and style. So this is why the increased sales are doubly exciting.

The torso that I did for Legato has proved really popular and have had many enquiries including a couple of commissions - unfortunately the commissions for these are on the back burner while I try and clear some of my work - thank goodness for patient buyers!!! You know who you are. ;-)

It certainly has been full on with exhibitions for me this year I currently have work being exhibited in Napier and this weekend in Auckland at the Original Art Sale and then next week is the opening of our annual members exhibition in Takapuna - not to mention that I have an exhibition in Dunedin next month, Auckland again in September, October, November and December!

I will try to load the details BEFORE the events so that people can come along if they wish. :-)

Italy ... Legato Exhibition .... art

2010-06-26T15:37:00.012+12:00

Venice at night

Venice at day

Well it seems a distant memory now but it has been less than a month since we got back from Italy. What a fabulous trip!! It started in Roccasecca and Cassino Italy with the Legato exhibition - then we started the amazing race .. well that's what it felt like! We went from Cassino to Naples - then to Pompeii - Sorrento - Amalfi Coast - Rome - Florence - Venice - Vatican City - we didn't spend more than two night anywhere and hit the ground running every day. (ok not literally!!) such an amazing experience and one that we shared with other fabulous Kiwis at different legs of the trip. We made many very special life long friends and had a ball along the way. I took 680 photos - my wonderful man was more restrained and only took 500. I couldn't get enough of the churches, buildings, architecture and the art works in them. Really were breathtaking and despite the photos you just couldn't capture the sheer magnificence of them.

Commonwealth War Cemetry at Cassino

Inside Casserta Palace

Grounds of Casserta Palace

The downside to the holiday ... I missed my babies .... we managed a few texts, emails and two phone calls - the phone calls were absolute gold - I never slept well the night before - set as many alarms as possible so scared I would miss the small window of time to phone them. How wonderful just to hear their voices.

I feel so grateful to have been given the opportunity to exhibit in Italy along with 39 other artists and to travel there with a dozen of the artists. This was only possible because I had a fantastic team of family, friends and volunteers back in NZ that looked after every aspect of the NZ Art Guild for me and kept everything running smoothly. for the first time in 6 years I actually was away from work - I had PC access only on a couple of days - and managed to really get my head out of work. Huge thanks to all those amazing people in my life.

Pompeii

Florence by Night

Amalfi Coast beach

I've jsut shared a few photos from the trip ... still have hundreds to sort through!

Just do it ....

2010-06-26T11:08:00.002+12:00

I've been agonising over the fact that I haven't updated my blog for nearly two months - I know I've needed to update it - fill in the blanks - where I've been - what I've been doing - what's coming up - sharing thoughts - ideas - sayings I heard and loved - artworks and more. Everytime I stop and think - right better start I get paralysed by where to start - it just seems like such an enormous task that I close the screen down and do something else. Well today - I decided - so what if I don't update what I've done - the past is past - but what I can do is start from today and share where I'm going.

So today is brief .... I want to share two quotes ....

"Scars remind us of where we've been but don't dictate where we are going"

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen." -- Elizabeth Kubler Ross

Glamorgan School Fundraiser ....

2010-05-08T12:14:00.015+12:00

If I wasn't already busy enough with an exhibition which launched this week, finalising travel and plans for Italy next week and completing artworks - I was approached by our fabulous charity auctioneer about a fundraiser at his son's school. I couldn't say no to this one - I love the concept!!

All the children are going to create an artwork which will then be exhibited. On the opening evening parents will be able to "buy" their child's artwork and children will be awarded prizes. There will also be a charity auction of about 8 artworks to help raise funds for the school.

Tony asked me if I would judge it - and as much as I would have loved to have (I tried to convince him to change the date eve lol) I will be in Italy. So my good friend, artist and fellow BOT member at MAC - Natalie Bliss will take on this challenge. In actual fact she couldn't be more perfect as she is also a children's art teacher!

I then had to put out a call to our members for donations - and within a couple of hours I had enough. Amazing to see such generous spirit of giving from artists - I know they are constantly asked to donate - probably more than any other group of people. And I am always humbled by their generosity. The artworks are great - very diverse with something to appeal to everyone.

Thanks to all the wonderful artists who offered donations - I'm so sorry we couldn't take all the artworks - but there are two other fundraisers coming up a bit later this year where we will need more artworks. Fundraiser for the Mental Health Foundation of NZ and for North Shore Women's Centre.

Above is the artwork I have donated for this fundraiser - Passion - Mixed media and resin.

Nearly time to go ....

2010-05-08T12:14:00.013+12:00

Count down is on ... Only 3 more sleeps and we jet set off to Italy for the Legato Exhibition, It is still very surreal like its not really happening don't think it will hit us properly until we are on the plane. Opening day for the Legato is Sat 15th May so if your in Italy Join us in Cassino!!! (Sorry Shar - stole your words!! lol)

I can't believe that it was only 4 months ago that Kay approached me about the possibility of organising an exhibition of NZ art in Cassino. It's amazing what you can achieve in 4 very short months if you are passionate enough about a cause. And this is one that was so easy to be passionate about - Peace - and Remembrance.

40 incredibly talented NZ artist have come together to create a NZ first in art exhibitions. Not only is it great to be part of history but for history to be part of this event. Now it's our job to make an awesome future together from it.

Arts on Sunday - Radio NZ

2010-05-08T12:14:00.007+12:00

Tune in this Sunday at 1:40pm (tomorrow) to Radio NZ - Arts on Sunday. Lynn Freeman interviewed Legato Exhibition Organiser Kay De Latour this week, Syd Mainsbridge (Cassino Vet and father of one of the artists involved) and myself earlier this week. See the link below for program details.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/artsonsunday

Hmmm hope I don't sound too much like a dork!! ;-)

Anything Goes ......

2010-05-08T12:12:00.013+12:00

Open now until May 29th at the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna, Auckland. Anything goes is a fabulous exhibition involving 31 North Island Artists from the NZ Art Guild. A really diverse range of artworks from truly talented NZ artists.

I was very excited to sell 5 out of 11 of my artworks on opening night - 2 to a lovely couple that I met on Facebook - one who is an artist themselves and the other a fabulous interior designer!! The other three sold as a set to a lovely lady from Cambridge - who has now been added as a friend on facebook too. As Lynda said - I can now afford to eat gelato in Italy!! lol

On a more disapointing note ... one of our members Claire Fairweather who creates the most amazing Art-Brroches had one of her pieces stolen between hanging day and opening night. Read the article belwo - and if you see this artwork please let her know.

Urban Living - fabulous new magazine

2010-05-08T12:12:00.012+12:00

Urban Living is a fabulous new magazine launched today by the same publishers as Business to Business and Rural Living Magazines. Check out this great article written by Virin Gomber with quotes from me and featuring artworks by NZ Art Guild members - Donna, Massey, Sandra Toornstra and me (Sophia Elise).

Final Artwork for Legato Exhibition completed

2010-05-08T12:07:00.004+12:00

Only this week have I managed to find the time to complete my artwork for the Legato Exhibition in Italy. A dear friend of mine gave me this idea - (thanks Tim!!)

Artist: Sophia Elise

Title: Journey of Life

Media: Mixed Media

Size: 38cm x 76cm

This artwork represents the life journey of a young man who has gone to war. The dotted paths represent the life he travelled - the texture of the canvas the difficulties and obstacles he was faced with and the cross his life's journey tragically cut short.

Howick RSA preshowing of Legato Artworks

2010-05-08T11:52:00.007+12:00

A couple of weeks ago the Howick RSA very kindly hosted us at their wonderful venue for 13 of the Legato Artists to show some of their artworks. This was a fabulous opportunity to talk with the members of the RSA and especially Watty McEwen who is a Cassino Veteran.

Anzac story leads to special work of art
TV3 were at Howick RSA where there was a small group of the Legato artists showed some of their artworks. Cassino Vet Watty McEwen was presented with a very special artwork done by Auckland artist Merv Appleton. Read and watch the story by following the link above.

Presentation of Merv Appletons artwork from Barry to Watty

Some of the artists - left to right - Lorraine Beattie, Gail Boyle, Gilmore Wall, Merv Appleton, Sally Blyth, Sophia Elise and Angela Laby - artwork by Angela Laby.

Watty McEwen being intervied by Sophia Elise and TV3 news

Artworks by Sally Blyth, Gail Boyle, Merv Appleton, Gidon Bing, Sophia Elise, Pam Tapp

Artworks by Lorraine Beattie, Sally Blyth, Sophia Elise

Legato Exhibition in the News

2010-05-08T11:48:00.005+12:00

Bit of a catch up for me - the last month has been crazy busy with wonderful events and happenings all over NZ. My focus as you know has primarily been the Legato Exhibition in Cassino, Italy and I was very fortunate to have two front page newspaper articles in one week about my involvement ....

Albany and East Coast Bays News in Auckland

and the North Shore Times Advertiser with fabulous fellow NZ Art Guild members and artist Gail Boyle.

Tears on Greenstone

2010-04-12T16:04:00.004+12:00

The inspiration for this piece came from the Tears on Greenstone at the Army Musem - see this link http://www.armymuseum.co.nz/kiwis-at-war/remember.html

On this "greenstone wall" that I painted are the names of family members and friends that have inspired many of the artworks in the Legato exhibition - there have been many tears shed by the participapnts of this exhibition and their families. This is in recognition of the tears of remembrance and the tears of loss and a reminder to us all to not let this happen again. We need to come together and work for world peace.

Thank you to all the artists who shared the names, stories and emotions with me on this ver personal and heartfelt journey.

Title: Tears on Greenstone
Artist: Sophia Elise
Media: Acrylic and resin on canvas
Size: 38cm x 76cm

We are all joined together wtih a common goal - world peace. Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. - Vince Lombardi

We need to start wtih ourselves and our children “A babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure, a messenger of peace and love, a resting place for innocence on earth, a link between angels and men” - Martin Fraquhar Tupper

Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of his conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life. - Norman Cousins

Spreading the message of peace

2010-04-12T08:26:00.003+12:00

Title: Ripple Effect
Artist: Sophia Elise
Media: Mixed Media
Size: 60cm x 50cm

One question though - Why doesn't phathlo green and blue photograph well? This is more turquoise with green and blue in the background. The light dots are metallic silver. Getting accurate photos of artworks still proves to be one of the hardest parts of creating art!

The title of this artwork says it all ....
Peace will spread like a ripple - starting small within ourselves and spreading outwards with our actions - Let every action be done with perfect gravity, humanity, freedom and justice, and perform it as though that action were your last. - Anon

It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. - Robert Kennedy

From NZ to Italy ....

2010-04-10T20:46:00.004+12:00

Spreading the message of Peace through artworks from NZ to Italy ... fantastic to be part of something so huge!! If you're a member of Facebook join the fan page for this event and see the artworks of the 41 NZ Artists selected to exhibit in Italy in May. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Legato-Exhibition-Italy/109656259065551?ref=mf

Here is another artwork I've just finished off for this exhibition

Title: One World
Media: Mixed Media and Acrylic
Artist: Sophia Elise
Size: 40cm x 50cm

The title of this artwork says it all - much like the one below. They need no further explanation.

Finishing touches

2010-04-10T20:23:00.006+12:00

It's nearing closer ...the Legato Exhibition in Cassino, Italy - not much longer now to finish my artworks for this fabulous event.

My man snapped this one of me deep in thought adding some finishing touches ... on the way out to my fathers brithday dinner ... hmmmm ....hope I didn't get any paint on my clothes! lol

This artwork was inspired by a small one I did earlier this week (below) and now I've decided to send this larger version - much prefer the imapct of this one - it's called "One More Is One Too Many"

Title: One More is One Too Many
Media: Mixed Media and Acrylic
Artist: Sophia Elise
Size: 30cm x 70cm

Art Sale - save more than 50% retail price

2010-04-08T14:00:00.003+12:00

I'm having an art sale - I have listed several artworks on my facebook page with their details and prices. The money raised through this sale will go towards the costs of my upcoming exhibition in Italy ín May. If you're interested in any of the artworks please send me an email sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz

View Artworks - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=60002&id=1217404809&l=b8c82573de

41 artists to send paintings to Kiwi exhibition

2010-04-08T13:51:00.003+12:00

Title: One More is one too many
Artist: Sophia Elise
Media: Mixed Media on Canvas
Size: 10cm x 30cm

I'm so excited to be part of this event - my artworks are nearly complete - OK may be a light exaggeration - but half way there! Our travel plans are taking shape - and the publicity that this event and the associated artists are receiving is very inspiring - it's great to have so much support by the Cassino Commune, NZ Artists and the public.

Here's the latest press release by Word of Mouth Media

41 artists prepare to send paintings to Kiwi exhibition in Italy to mark Kiwi involvement in the Battle of Cassino

Forty-one selected artists are preparing to send their paintings to a landmark Kiwi exhibition in Italy to commemorate New Zealand’s involvement in the Battle of Monte Cassino.

Organisers Kay de Lautour (in Cassino) and Sophia Elise (Auckland) said today the May 15 exhibition would be the biggest single New Zealand art event ever held in Italy.

Most of the artists had grandparents, uncles and relatives who fought in World War Two, or who fought in Italy and some had parents, grandparents and uncles who were at the Battle of Cassino.

Artists taking part are from Patea, Christchurch, Upper Hutt, Waipu, Whitianga, the USA, Italy, Auckland, Mt Maunganui, Napier, Opotiki, Orewa, South Otago, Whangarei, Levin, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Oban, Pokeno and Wellington. A number of them will be at the exhibition and staying at nearby Roccasecca, a town over 1000 years old where the Kiwi soldiers are well remembered.

The commemorative art event has been labelled the Legato exhibition. De Lautour said legato in Italian meant intertwined, like strands of rope, giving it strength.
``As with Italy and New Zealand, so many friendships were formed between families during WWII and maintained after the war.

``Now, two generations later, the grandchildren of the Kiwi soldiers are returning to Italy to visit these families, and young Italians are moving to New Zealand. Every year hundreds of New Zealanders visit the graves of their countrymen who remained here.

"Artists have a responsibility to reflect what is happening in society, and they do so whether they are conscious of it or not. In New Zealand we see Anzac Day parades growing in strength. World-wide there is a resurgence in interest in the history of the world wars. The time is right for artists to be proactive and take up the challenge of the old soldiers who urge us to ensure that "peace" is not an empty word," de Lautour said.

With Anzac Day just a few weeks away de Lautour said she always visited the Commonwealth Cemetery on the day to visit the graves of NZ soldiers. She said so many Kiwis still pay their respects at the cemetery every Anzac Day with new poppies, little flags, photos of soldiers and messages laminated in plastic propped against the graves.

``I think it would be nice for families to know that the tributes they leave are carefully maintained and even after bad weather are still neatly aligned against the headstones by the gardeners. Wellington College leave a tribute there every year or so and it always amazes me how long it stays there before it is replaced by the next visiting group from the school.’’

The NZ art exhibition will be held in Cassino’s public library complex in the centre of the town with a formal gala opening on May 15. Many of the artists are depicting links between New Zealand and Italy, featuring their fallen relatives and other connections to the battle.

The NZ Ambassador to Rome Laurie Markes will tour the exhibition on May 17. A souvenir programme has been produced which features a Cassino peace painting by Auckland artist Merv Appleton.

Ends

3 more books coming my way soon

2010-03-19T16:07:00.002+13:00

I'm really excited - after writing my review yesterday The Cadence Group http://www.thecadencegrp.com/ invited me to join their group of book reviewers. I now have three more books coming to me from the States - a self help book - WOW, a childrens book - Sund and Moon and a novel - Citizen Dick. Can't wait to get them - they all look fantastic! Will share my thoughts with you all once I've read them.

Alphatudes: The Alphabet of Gratitude by Michele Wahlder

2010-03-18T12:51:00.006+13:00

Below ia a book review by Sophia Elise

Alphatudes: The Alphabet of Gratitude
written by Michele Wahlder

Beautiful images, inspirational quotes, short narratives, affirmative statements, and an easy to read style make this small book with powerful messages a must have for everyone. Alphatudes – The Alpahbet of Gratitude by Michele Wahlder states on the cover that it contains 26 solutions for life’s challenges. I think more aptly it should read how to turn your life around with 26 letters.

Before I go any further I want to take a brief moment to explain what alphatudes are. An alphatude is where you go through each letter of the alphabet naming things starting with that letter that you are grateful for and why. Sounds like a simple exercise that anyone could do and why would anyone bother to write a book about it. Well, Michele takes it a step further and opts for things which are more holistic and philosophical like being grateful for Acceptance.

Before you start rolling your eyes and thinking here we go again – another airy fairy, self help book – I want to assure you it’s not. Michele doesn’t make promises like reading this book will result in financial freedom or deliver you with everything you ever wanted. What she offers the reader is the opportunity to take control of their lives and happiness. You can increase your optimism, find hidden blessings, overcome challenges and free yourself from negativity.

Ok – now I’ve made it sound like a very labour intensive process requiring a lot of soul searching and personal growth. Don’t panic – all the homework has been done for you and the only pre-requisite to putting this into action and incorporating it into your life is that you know your alphabet. I can hear you saying now – that can’t be right – I can assure you it is.

For each letter in this book Michele has selected a stunning image and a quote. The following page starts with “I am grateful for ….” followed by a short narrative and an affirmation. The opposite page contains what Michele calls a “prayer”. These aren’t traditional prayers - they are more what I would term spiritual affirmations – they are non denominational and so long as your not a staunch atheist then this is something that can appeal to everyone. For example, When Miclele talks about being Grateful for Giving she follows it with “let generosity of heart and hand begin with me. Help me to create a better world through the giving of my unique gifts, talents and passions ….”

So now we have covered what’s in the book - You may be asking – why would I want to do this and How will it make me feel? I would like to share with you how adopting a spirit of gratitude will help improve your life and make you feel happier.

Every day things happen that are out of our control, however what we always maintain control over is how we perceive and react to them. By replacing our negative thoughts with positive affirming ones we increase our feeling of optimism and we also start to take responsibility for our own happiness.

Many of us are not only guilty of the negative self talk but of also delaying our own happiness. We put our energies into finding things that we think will make us happy. We say to ourselves I’ll be happy when I get a new house, when I loose a few kilos etc. Unfortunately often when achieve that “thing” we thought would make us happy we often find we aren’t. We immediately embark on another search, looking for the next thing that we hope will make us happy. We keep postponing our happiness and when we do this we are robbing ourselves of our opportunity to feel happy every day of our lives and in turn pass that positivity onto others.

Michele talks about gratitude being a choice available to us all. We can make a conscious decision to see the blessings instead of hardships. If you are not used to doing this you may find it morally and intellectually demanding when you start but the more we express gratitude, the more positively we perceive the world and our experiences..

I remember a few years ago I used to say that the only thing I wanted was to be happy. I knew happiness had to come from within but the question was how do you get it inside when everything around you seemed so awful. I learnt that if you focus on the positive and are grateful for even the seemingly small things in life then you start to develop this deep internal happiness that no one can take from you. Even when the negative things happen you are so practised in looking for the positive in things that you don’t dwell on the negative but immediately turn it around so that you can feel good about it. I know this may sound like Pollyanna talking but I can assure you I was very much the negative thinker, dark side of life, and have suffered from debilitating depression. I have been at the bottom I know just how low you can get but I also know the other side and what has helped turn me and my life around – and that is the simple thing of gratitude.

In fact Michele’s book turned our whole families’ attitude around in less than 2 hours. Here’s how we did it – and how you can too. Firstly – this book is a fantastically easy read. I read it in less than 90 minutes in a school hall with 30 children doing karate in the background. . My children love books and wanted to know what I was reading – in less that 5 mins I had told them and they had looked through the book Then in the car ride home we put it into practice by going through the alphabet and each taking turns to express our gratitude (another 20 mins) It not only increased the positivity but it also opened up dialogues for us as well – dialogue we may not have had otherwise. How many books have the power and potential to change so many lives in such a short space of time with so little effort?

Ok – admittedly it may not be that easy to keep the alphabet of gratitude alive and breathing all the time – we all have our moments when we can struggle to see the light. But if you can just stop for a minute during one of those difficult moments and start your aphatudes you are guaranteed to start feeling a whole lot happier. It will make you feel so good that you will actually want to make this a part of your daily life.

I knew my children 8 and 10 had bought into the alpahtudes 100% when a couple of days after they had read the book they presented me and my partner with a poster. It was a poster with all our names and a complete alphatude. My son even wrote in a school report recently Count your blessings - people in India don’t have a lot, they don’t have food, houses, school, money etc – but they are happy – we could learn a lot from them. Alphatudes is now something they use when they are having trouble getting to sleep or if they are worried about something – we don’t count sheep anymore we count our blessings. This is a much more effective way to relax and increase happiness.

And lastly – one of the things that I am grateful for is the price of this beautiful book – only $9.32USD

Robert A Emmons – “gratitude is a deep and abiding recognition and acknowledgment that goodness exists under even the worst that life offers.”

Over the coming weeks I will share some of my favourite parts from Micheles book.

Check out her website to read more about it and have a peak inside
www.alphatudes.com

Am I a book reviewer?

2010-03-16T12:43:00.002+13:00

In January I received an email from an American publisher to write a book review for one of their books due to be release this year. I was intrigued on many levels.

Firstly - that they had contacted me personally - not just in a mass produced email
Secondly - that they had chosen me because of the focus of my blog - inspiration and gratitude being two key focus points
Thirdly - with the increase in hoax and spam emails I did wonder if this is too good to be true - they will send me a copy of the book from America for FREE in exchange for me writing a review and putting it on my blog.
Fourthly - why would they want someone who isn't even a book reviewer to do this?

Anyway - I thought - I have nothing to loose by saying yes and everything to gain - and I LOVE books - Love writing - if it was a great book then I would enjoy the opportunity to help promote it and of course the title of the book sealed the deal for me ......

Alphatudes - the Alphabet of Gratitude by Michele Wahdler.

Two weeks later I have to admit to being a little surprised when this beautiful book actually arrived in my mail box. I opened it with great excitement and then proceeded to read it from cover to cover that afternoon. Yes it was that enjoyable and that easy to read! Not only that but my children who also love books leaped on it with great excitement and looked through it thoroughly sharing their favourite parts.

So now - finally - I am completing my end of the deal - writing my formal book review of this wonderful book (I have to admit that having my friend Kay de Latour Scott receive her book after me and finish her review before me was the little shove that I needed to bite the bullet and get this done)

Pick Your Battles

2010-03-13T11:13:00.002+13:00

We all know that life contains conflict and unfortunately we aren't able to escape it. But one thing that it's important to learn in life is how to reduce conflict. A great way is to pick your battles.

I read this on www.johnmaxwellonleadership.com and really wanted to share it with you - it is written so simply and if we all took the time to adopt these principles than I think it would go a long way to promoting peace and harmony.

To gain a better perspective on when to fight back and when to “let it go,” practice the following disciplines:

1. Spend time with people who are different from you. This helps you appreciate and understand how others think and work. You will be less inclined to judge or battle them.

2. In matters of personal preference or taste, give in. Keep the main thing the main thing. If you don’t save your energy for what really matters, you’ll wear yourself out and wear out your welcome with others.

3. Don’t take things too personally. In general, hurting people hurt people. And they’re also easily hurt by others. Keep that in mind when you’re on the receiving end of someone’s anger.

4. Practice the 101% Principle. Whenever possible in a difficult situation, find the 1% that you do agree on and give it 100% of your effort.

Adapted from Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork

All the principles above are things we should be teaching our children from day one if we want any hope of creating a peaceful world for them to grown old in and raise their children in.

Number 1 on this list is something we were taught as children in my family and it is something I have worked hard to instill in my children. I believe that one of our jobs as parents is to present to children a smorgasbord of life and experiences - allow them the opportunities to experience, think, react, learn and develop their own opinions and thoughts. If we only ever let them eat green jelly beans their whole life because that's all we like, then we are making them miss out on the many other wonderful colours and flavours of the other jelly beans. Of course they may experience red, orange, yellow etc and still decide that green is the one that suits them best. Or they may decide that black is their favourite. Just because our children choose a different path from ours doesn't make them wrong - we still love them. And this needs to be transferred over to other people - just because they are different for whatever reason - doesn't make them wrong. Of course it's not as simple as just learning about other people, or understanding them - its about respecting that they are different. Once we take the time to understand others, respect them for their differences then we are one big step closer to world peace.

Number 2 is a great one - I decided long ago that most things don't matter. Whether we have pizza or Indian, watch sport or the movie, wear red or black etc. These are the little things in life which really aren't going to make a huge difference to our life. Let them go - put your energy into the battles that really need it - like animal cruelty, global warming etc. On the plus side you might discover that by "giving in" on the small things, that you make some one else happy and that is a reward in itself :-)

Number 3 is soooo true!! It is very important to try not to respond from the "got at" place - where you take things so personally. Yesterday I received an email from someone on our mailing list who was very upset and almost abusive at me for a typo - I spelt Coatesville without an e. She told me that it was offensive and disrespectful for the whole community. Of course it was a simple error, completely unintentional and not one that a spell checker piskc up. I apologised and reassured her that we would rectify the error. If I had chosen to take the attack personally (which was how it was written) then it would have left me in a blubbering mess - or angry and retaliating - however I realised that there must be something bigger going on here for her and responded with kindness, understanding and appreciation for pointing the error out. Admittedly her next email was just as rude - but as my partner says - the view is always better from the high road. If we all endeavoured to take the high road in conflict, think about how the other person feels, about how we would like to be treated if situations were reversed then we would be yet another step closer to peace.

Number 4 - this one is a new one to me - and I LOVE it!! I am going to give that a go next time conflict rears it's head - find that 1% of agreement and be thankful for that and then give that part the 100% :-)

My first artwork for Cassino, Italy

2010-03-09T15:03:00.006+13:00

I have completed my first artwork for Legato - Cassino, Italy. This is from my Journey of Life Series - there is a story behind it - but the story will have to wait until the second artwork is complete :-)

Title: Journey of Life

Artist: Sophia Elise

Media: Acrylic paints on mannequin torso. The torso is solid with a flat back and hangs flat on a wall. It is textured (but hard to tell from the photo) The dots are handpainted by brush in black, white and grey.

Size: (aprox) 90cm long x 32cm wide x 15cm deep (all measurements taken at largest point)

Price: For Sale - POA Commissions accepted

To practice properly the Art of Peace, you must:
Calm the spirit and return to the source.
Cleanse the body and spirit by removing all malice, selfishness, and desire.
Be ever-grateful for the gifts received from the universe, your family, Mother Nature, and your fellow human beings. - Morihei Ueshiba

"Legato" Exhibition, Cassino, Italy

2010-03-09T14:53:00.002+13:00

"Legato" Exhibition, Cassino, Italy

The title of the exhibition I'm involved with in Italy in May is "Legato" There are 37 NZ artists who have been selected to take part in this fabulous event. 12 of them are travelling over (me included) The theme is Peace and Remembrance.

So do you want to find out why "legato was chosen for the exhibition title? Then read on ....

This explanation is copied from the "Legato" website - written by Kay de Latour Scott.

Why Legato? It is an interesting word. In music, legato is playing smoothly, but not necessarily slurring the notes together. In Italian it means "tied together". In one of my favourite songs, Non Ti Scordar Di Me, (Don't Forget Me) it is used as an adverb, and becomes "legata" as it refers to "la vita" life, which is feminine. "Tied" can have negative implications, but linked, intertwined, joined does have appeal. The strands of a rope are intertwined, giving it strength. When I first asked an Italian friend to translate the song for me he explained the word "legato" in those terms, the parts of a rope intertwined, joined together. In the context of the song that image is quite beautiful. Your life, and mine, entwined. And so it is with Italy and New Zealand.

The musical definition resonates with me. Notes are played close together, but with careful fingering are not lost in one another. Maybe that is how our cultures should be. Each has a space, there is no supremacy, but together they make beautiful music.

Italy and New Zealand are truly tied together, with so many friendships formed between families during WWII and maintained after the war. Now, two generations later, the grandchildren of the Kiwi soldiers are returning to Italy to visit these families, and young Italians are moving to New Zealand. Every year hundreds of New Zealanders visit the graves of their countrymen who remained here.

The horror of war has passed into memory, but the friendships are alive and vibrant. Nationally this connection may feel stronger in New Zealand where almost every family has a direct link to Italy, whereas in Italy there are many areas where other nations played a similar role and have these same ties. The New Zealand Division was heavily engaged in the fighting on the Gustav Line and so has a lasting place in the history of Cassino.

Legato, tied. The legacy of war is part of our common heritage. Now it is our task to make a lasting peace the focus of that heritage.

Please take the time to check out the website and see some of the fabulous artworks that will be exhibited in May and read the stories behind it.

NZ's Got Talent

2010-03-02T15:20:00.003+13:00

"New Zealand's Got Talent" is the latest exhibition that I'm involved in. There are 4 small artworks of mine - 2 dotty ones - 2 mixed media ones. This is an exhibition which features both award-winning and emerging artists organised by fellow NZ Art Guild member - Chavah Kinloch.

It showcases a broad range of styles and is an expose of the upcoming visual art talent that New Zealand has to offer. From abstract to landscapes, mixed media to mosaics the lineup of 29 amazing artists is sure to delight viewers from all walks of life. The month long exhibit will be held at City Gallery, Don Street, Invercargill and opening night at 7pm, March 5th 2010. The exhibition itself is open to the public and will run from March 5th-31st.

Participating NZ Art Guild Artists: Janet Marshall, Sophia Elisa, Kirsty Black, Tanya Dann, Jane Santos, Natasha Shackleton, Chavah Kinloch, Sally Blyth, Robyn Robertson, Amy Mackiewicz, Sharlene Schmidt, Michelle Wallis, Suzanne Carter, Marimba Powley, Cath Sheard, Ambury Hall, Lyn Hurring, Pam Tapp, Ana Te Huurne, Sofia Spirtova, Theresa Cashmore and Rachael Inch.

Non- NZ Art Guild Artists: Philina Den Dulk, Tracey Strenhouse, Denita Tizard, Kay Ward, Alfred Memelink, Melissa McCreanor, and Erika Husselmann.

THE LESSON FROM A DONKEY

2010-02-06T15:21:00.002+13:00

I think this is a great followup to my previous post ....

THE LESSON FROM A DONKEY

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up!
Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember these simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

Gratitude is the Key to Happiness

2010-02-06T15:00:00.004+13:00

If you are a regular blog reader of mine you will know that I'm not one to dwell on the negative side of life and that I see obstacles as opportunities. For me most of the obstacles have been opportunities for personal growth and also what has developed my strong belief that gratitude is the key to happiness. Even in the negative events that we have in our lives there is always something positive to come out of it - you just need to change the way you look at these things. It is so empowering and freeing when we don't allow set backs, hardships etc to get us down. We don't have to be a victim of our life.

Last year HER Business magazine put a call out for Kiwi Business Women who had overcome hardships to be successful. (Success is quite subjective in my opinion) I decided that even though I don't dwell on the darker side of life I would like to take the opportunity to tell my story in the hopes that it might help other women out there who are going through what I have been through. That they will see you can get through these things and have a great life on the other side. To show what can be achieved through passion, vision and determination and hopefully by sharing my story inspire others to never give up on their dreams.

My story was simple really - in the past year I had gone from redundant Registered Nurse and solo mother to award winning business owner that had helped raise $85,000 for various charities in the past 14months. Ok maybe not that impressive in the scheme of things but add in various dramas over the last 5 years including (in no particular order) - depression, divorce, infidelity, betrayal, physical assault, 2 redundancies, major surgery x 2, broken ankle, sexual assault, corruption, sour business partnership, stalkers, hacking, malicious attacks, broken engagement, court cases, custody battles, .....

in fact my life was like a really bad soap opera ... Move over Shortland Street ... Actually at times my friends, family and I could only laugh as some of the things that happened were just so surreal.

It was a really hard decision to make to share some of the things that had happened in my life as they are deeply personal. There were things that I asked not be put in the article for that reason and also to protect identities and reputations of the other people involved. I wanted to maintain my integrity and my reason for speaking out wasn't to slur them but to give hope to other women who may have gone through the same.

So here is the article which is out now in the February 2010 issue on HER Business Magazine. (Thanks to my gorgeous boy Ryan for taking the photo of his mum)

Bajidoo Bangles feature artists Sophia Elise and Lauryne Hart

2010-02-06T14:52:00.003+13:00

I did have good intentions to restart my regular blogging this year - unfortunately with injuring my ankle and then having hip surgery it's been off to a slower start than I would have liked. Just doing a bit of catching up now that I can sit at the computer for a short time.

Here is an article that the North Shore Times ran a couple of weeks ago. Lauryne is a fabulous artist and fellow NZ Art Guild member - she has an exhibition now showing at the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna Auckland until the end of Feb. Take the time to go and see it.

Why Cassino Italy?

2010-01-19T16:11:00.005+13:00

Commonwealth Cemmetry at Cassino

NZ Monument at Cassino Railway Station

Many of you may be wondering why I'm doing this exhibition and peace project in Cassino Italy.

Kay De Lautour Scott has explained it so eloquently - I could never have put it more perfectly than what she has said ..... I love Kay's vision - admire her determination and passion - cannot think of a better person to be working with on this fabulous project.

Take a few minutes to read through this ....

"Here, in tourist destination Italy, I live in a country that was destroyed. The battle front stayed in this area for 5 months. It is unthinkable how the people suffered, and still do live with this history in their daily lives. I see museums showing the military side of things, the strategies, the equipment, but it is the photos and stories of emotional pain and suffering that touches me most.

I work as a volunteer with visiting veterans groups, with memorial museums and as a battlefield tour guide. Many veterans share their stories, and all say sorrowfully that we must never let such events happen again. To share time with these old soldiers, and then see what is happening still all over the world, leaves me feeling that I must try to do something, however insignificant it might seem.

I see curating an exhibition with peace and commemoration as a theme as a way of passing on the message from the veterans that I meet, that war must end. I also see it as a great opportunity for NZ artists to exhibit in Italy. I appreciate that side of it as I had a similar chance in 2005, but more important to me is keeping the peace message alive.

We see Anzac Day parades growing in strength. I believe the time is right for artists to reinforce the peace messages coming from the soldiers who fought in this battle. I think that artists have a responsibility to reflect what is happening in society, and in fact they do that whether they are conscious of it or not. The immeasurable, unrecorded history is that of the returned soldiers, the waiting families, the changed lives in far away New Zealand.

How far did the events in Europe ripple through our culture, contributing to the society we have now? What effect did the trauma of battle have on the young men returning home to families who could not begin to understand what they had been through? What was the effect of the waiting, the pain of loss, on the families that remained behind? If giving artists this opportunity gets them talking to their family and friends then I think that the movement towards peace has already become stronger, and this movement will be recorded in their future works.

If we all do a tiny part in a move towards international peace we must eventually reach a tipping point where we can change nations and governments. One British veteran talks about "pax in spinus" (peace from thorns) and I see that as being appropriate here. If we let this continue, never learning, then there is no sense in sending soldiers out believing that they are contributing to peace. While I believe that no war ever brought real peace, we can't ignore what has happened either. Peace comes from a different place, but war history and commemoration is a place where we can start to talk about peace.

Cassino was completely destroyed and is recognised as a martyr city. It has a lasting place in New Zealand history, so where better place is there to call NZ artists together to work for peace? It is my hope that these artists will continue to learn more about what happened here, and in other places, and continue to produce works that further the work of peace movements throughout the world."

Kay de Lautour Scott, Italy, 2010.
www.kayscott-artist.com

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves - William Arthur Ward

House where Kiwi soldiers rested at Cassino overlooking Liri Valley

I'm so excited!!! Italy here we come ....

2010-01-17T22:26:00.003+13:00

It's amazing how friendships can form in this modern age - and one of these friendships I count as very special one is with a very talented artist and incredibly inspirational lady who lives half the world away in Italy. This lady Kay de Lautour Scott had a vision many years ago and never lost sight of it. This year the start of that vision is coming true.

We have been talking this week, arranging a very exciting opportunity for NZ Artists and also the larger project of spreading the message of World Peace. Yes it seems like a bit task - where to start - well start small and the small ripples will flow out and get bigger and bigger.

So what is it? Where are we starting?

With an exhibition in Cassino, Italy. The vision of this exhibition is to spread the message of world peace. The theme is "Peace" and "Remembrance" in memory of the fallen soldiers and civilians in Italy, particularly those involved at the Battle of Cassino where many New Zealanders fought and lost their lives during World War II.
The exhibition, hosted by the Cassino Comune, will be held in the Biblioteca Comunale Pietro Malatesta, Via Del Carmine, Cassino (FR), from 15th - 29th May 2010.

I will be exhibiting and attending the exhibition. The NZ Art Guild will be co-ordinating the artists from NZ.

For any NZ Artists reading this who would like to be involved here are some more details
Artists Requirements
1) Artists need to have an association with the Battle of Cassino (ideally) or World War II.
2) Artists work needs to be of a professional high quality and artists will be selected based on their portfolios/artwork images presented.
3) Artists are invited to attend in person (self funded)
4) There is no charge to be involved with this exhibition but artists will need to be self funding for transport and insurance of artworks to Italy. (We are currently seeking sponsorship for shipping costs).
5) Artists and their families will be encouraged to visit the battlefields, war cemeteries and other places of interest in the area. Tours to the battlefields and museums will be arranged to suit individuals.

The venue, promotion and invitations will be funded by the Cassino Comune. Assistance can be available to find appropriate accommodation in or near Cassino, and with organizing travel arrangements within the region (English is not widely spoken in the Cassino area).

Please contact me by 29th Jan 2010 - exhibit@nzartguild.co.nz (Cassino as the subject) if you are interested in being involved with this fabulous project and if you require more information.

Such an exciting project and opportunity - I look forward to updating you regularly about this. :-)

Today I am grateful for my home .....

2010-01-17T17:16:00.004+13:00

Title: Flow of Life
Artist: Sophia Elise
Size: 20 x 20cm
Media: Acrylic
For Sale: $85 - contact sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz

This is something that many of us just take for granted - never could imagine being homeless through natural disaster or extraordinary life circumstances.

The other night I was watching a documentary on TV where they took 5 very wealthy and famous English people and took everything from them - gave them second hand clothes and a sleeping bag (that was all) and left them on the streets for 10 days. This gave a really interesting insight into the individual human natures of the people involved but also points to reflect upon in our own life.

How many of us walk past beggars, homeless people etc without a first let alone second glance. These 5 experienced it first hand - no one knew that they weren't really homeless or that they were incredibly wealthy - all of a sudden they had become invisible to everyone. It also showed the enormous strength that some of the genuinely homeless people have and the big hearts as well.

Following on from this I saw an interesting post by artist friend Cath Sheard on Facebook. In America there has been a man buying signs off homeless people since the late 90's. He has been collecting these and finally last year had an "exhibition" of them . It involved numerous people all standing on the side of a busy road holding up one of these signs.

Now it looked pretty obvious to me that these weren't homeless people. Putting the way they were dressed aside, how often do you find that many homeless people in a row on the same street! Yet people passing by still averted their eyes and didn't want to know.

Take a look here at this mans "art" project http://www.weareallhomeless.blogspot.com/

How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these. - George Washington Carver

Regard every contact as an opportunity to help - n sri ram

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. -Leo Buscaglia

Haiti Appeal

2010-01-16T11:54:00.005+13:00

Title: Untitled
Media: Acrylic
Size: 20 x 20cm
Artist: Sophia Elise
For Sale: $85 contact sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz

You would have to be living in the dark ages to not have heard about the absolute devastation and suffering that has hit Haiti this week. When we see events of this nature we all feel helpless and our hearts go out to the victims. We wonder what we can do to help and it's great to see people rally around and want to help in anyway they can.

On Facebook an Art Organisation in America are asking artists from all around the world to donate artworks to sell to raise money, other people are updating their status with prayers and asking for 5 mins of silence at a set time. On twitter there are many tweets on how you can help donate goods and money.

The question is - where do we start? How can we make a difference when we are so far away and might not be have much ourselves. What is the best way to help? Sometimes we can almost be paralysed with indecision with all the options presented to us.

For me I thought cold hard cash would be the best way to contribute - sending goods or artworks from NZ is logistically a nightmare, saying prayers and silence for 5mins is great on a spiritual level but I wanted to be able to do something that was tangible.

Sooooo - Red Cross in NZ has set up an automatic phone line with an automatic $20 donation to the appeal - ph 0900 733 26 - alternatively you can go to their website and make a donation via credit card, internet banking, chq etc of any amount you would like - even $5 would make a difference.

I was proud today when I heard that Kiwis had already helped raise $1,400,000 - we are a small country, who is just coming out of a recession but obviously still with a generosity of heart. Together we can make a difference.

Today I am grateful for having family, clothing, housing, food, water and money in the bank ..... I am grateful that I can make a difference in some small way and gateful that I live in a country with big hearted people.

How can I help you must be the constat query in relation to one and all - n sri ram

In the truest service the conciousness of self is forgotten - you help because you cannot do other than help - n sri ram

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin up to his nest again,
I shall not live in vain. - Emily Dickinson

Wonderful people

2010-01-15T11:43:00.006+13:00

Title: Untitled
Size: 25cm x 25cm
Media: Acrylic on canvas

Artist: Sophia Elise
FOR SALE: Contact sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz $85

Today I'm grateful for the wonderful, kind, generous souls we meet in everyday life.

On Wednesday my son tore his karate gi - and not at a seam that I could repair but through the fabric (don't ask me how! lol) So that night I went straight onto Trademe (don't you love the beauty of second hand internet shopping) and found a gi for him.

I sent the lovely lady (Jill) a message asking if she could please put a "buy now"option on it as I needed it for next Wednesday. She not only replied straight away, put a cheap price on it, offered me free belts but was unsure of postage costs and simply said to me ..... don't worry about payment now - I will put it in the post tomorrow and let you know how much it cost - she said noone should have to repair a gi!

Such a lovely lady - living in rural Dunedin that I had never met who through a common bond of motherhood and her genoristy of spirit has taken it upon herself to help me out by getting it to Auckland asap.

These are the people who warm your spirit and reinforce your gratitude for the simple things in life. Thank you Jill for making me smile :-)

Sophia Elise and Bajidoo Bangles present Journey of Life

2010-01-11T13:51:00.006+13:00

This Bajidoo bangle is created by Bajidoo desingers using Sophia Elise original artwork. The artists were also given the taskes of choosing names for these designs. A percentage of each sale of these bangles goes to the artists.

This bangle is called Journey of Life - This Design includes flatback Pearl Rhinestone accents.

To Buy: Click Here
Price: $60 USD ($82 NZD approx at current exchange rate)
Postage: Postage to NZ is $14 USD not $80 as is currently showing. Please email Bajidoo Owner Brenda directly and she will amend this.

Sophia Elise and Bajidoo Bangles present Enlightenment

2010-01-11T13:42:00.005+13:00

This Bajidoo bangle is created by Bajidoo desingers using Sophia Elise original artwork. The artists were also given the taskes of choosing names for these designs. A percentage of each sale of these bangles goes to the artists.

This bangle is called Enlightenment - This Design includes 1 34ss Siam Arora Borialiss Swarovski Crystal and 6 9ss Siam Swarovskis

To Buy: Click Here
Price: $65 USD ($89 NZD approx at current exchange rate)
Postage: Postage to NZ is $14 USD not $80 as is currently showing. Please email Bajidoo Owner brenda directly and she will amend this.

Sophia Elise and Bajidoo present Matauranga

2010-01-11T13:34:00.005+13:00

The first one of mine is called Matauranga - (Maori word for Wisdom. Sophia is the Greek word for Wisdom)

You can order from http://www.bajidoo.com/shop/index.php?cPath=85_87 (click on the images to see the bangles)

Please remember prices are in USD (current exchange rate = $80-90 NZD approx depending on bangle chosen)

Don't Panic - shipping costs at present have a glitch in them and it should be $14 not $80 for shipping to NZ. Please email the owner Brenda and she will amend manually for you.

Bajidoo Bangles are finished!

2010-01-11T13:31:00.002+13:00

You can now view, review and purchase the finished bangles online at the Bajidoo store. www.bajidoo.com

There are special pages set up for the Featured Artists they have selected. The first 4 artists selected are all fellow NZ Art Guild members and fantastic New Zealand artists.

If you like the designs please take the time to click on the button at the bottom of the profile and also select a star to place a vote for the design.

Designs on progress by Bajidoo based on artwork by Sophia Elise

2010-01-11T13:29:00.005+13:00

Here are the designs in progress done by Bajidoo Designers - they used my original artworks to create Bajidoo bangle designs.

Original Artworks selected by Bajidoo Bangles

2010-01-11T13:23:00.004+13:00

The two artworks that Bajidoo selected to use to create their fantastic unique designs are below. They are both form my Journey of Life sweries - all the dots are handpainted by brush.

Title: Families
Media: Mixed media - acrylic paint on flax mat
Artist: Sophia Elise
Year: 2007
SOLD

Title: Contained
Media: acrylic
Artist: Sophia Elise
Year: 2008
SOLD

Original Art made into Bangles

2010-01-07T16:17:00.002+13:00

After what I thought was a bit of a painful start to the year (breaking my ankle on Boxing Day) has ended up being a fantastic start to the year!

Bajidoo (which is a USA based jewellery company specialising in bangles) emailed me today to say they wanted to make me one of their feature artists and have selected two of my artworks to be made into bangles!

Their bangles are stunning - absolute masterpieces and a visual delight. I feel really honoured that they selected me. And an added bonus is that I actually get to own one as well as earn commission from any sales!

Take a look at this link - they will add more images as they go to show how they create the artwork into a bangle.

You are able to purchase them from their website - www.bajidoo.com - but if you can't wait til they are listed then you can email them directly and place an order :-)

I'm also really excited that fellow artist and NZ Art Guild member Chavah Kinloch has also had two of her artworks selected to be featured. Take a look here

Thought of the day

2009-11-17T13:05:00.002+13:00

Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity. -Buddha

Thought of the week

2009-11-10T14:58:00.001+13:00

There are some truths about life that can be expressed only as stories, or songs, or images. Art delights, instructs, consoles. It educates our emotions. - Dana Gioia

NZ Art Guild Win Top Spot

2009-10-07T13:39:00.000+13:00

NZ Art Guild
Most Community-Minded Business
The David Awards 2009

We are very excited to announce that the NZ Art Guild has won the Most Community Minded Business Award in The David Awards 2009. This category is for a business which gives back to its community, e.g. local, regional or industry sector, in ways, shapes or forms which benefit the community significantly.

The David Awards recognise the unsung heroes in small businesses throughout New Zealand, whose tenacity, courage and ingenuity place them firmly at the forefront of entrepreneurship in this country. Just as David, an ordinary, unassuming young man, used shrewdness and a simple slingshot to conquer the giant Goliath, so these entrepreneurial Davids often punch well above their weight. The David Awards seek to honour these heroes in small business.

To view the video announcement, hear what the judges say and see some photos of the NZ Art Guild at work go to http://www.thedavidawards.co.nz/event2009.html and select from the menu on the right of the screen to view the video clip Community Award.

The Battle is on

2009-09-24T17:15:00.002+12:00

The Battle is on for NZ Small Businesses

NZ Art Guild Battles It Out For Top Spot

The finalists in The David Awards 2009: heroes in small business have been named.

The NZ Art Guild is proud to be one of 3 finalists named in the Most Community Minded Business Category. This is a business which gives back to its community, e.g. local, regional or industry sector, in ways, shapes or forms which benefit the community significantly.

The David Awards recognise the unsung heroes in home and small businesses throughout New Zealand, whose tenacity, courage and ingenuity place them firmly at the forefront of entrepreneurship in this country.

Just as David, an ordinary, unassuming young man, used shrewdness and a simple slingshot to conquer the giant Goliath, so these entrepreneurial David’s often punch well above their weight.

The NZ Art Guild provides promotion, support, opportunities and resources to NZ visual artists and is also actively involved in the wider community by raising money and awareness for charities. In the past year they have helped raise nearly $85,000 for charity including $22,000 for the Leukaemia and Blood Foundation of NZ and $9,000 for the Mental Health Foundation of NZ.

Guild Manager, Sophia Elise says “We are very excited and humbled to be selected as a finalist in the David Awards. We couldn’t think of a better category for us to be – we love to give not only to the creative community but also to the wider New Zealand community and charities.”

The David Awards seek to honour these heroes in small business. The organizer of the Awards, Heather Douglas, says, “The judges felt there was a strong and varied field of entrants this year. These finalists are inspiring, courageous business people with a passion for what they do and the determination to make it work. Some have overcome considerable adversity in order to reach the success they now enjoy.”

Category winners and a Supreme Award will be announced during a live webcast on The David Awards web site from 10.30 a.m. on the 7th of October. A podcast of the event will be available for download for an extended period after the actual ceremony.

For more information go to www.nzartguild.co.nz or www.thedavidawards.co.nz

Chuck Close

2009-09-24T17:13:00.000+12:00

If you're overwhelmed by the whole, break it down into pieces - Chuck Close

Inspiration of the Day:
If you're an artist in the 21st century, chances are you've heard of master-colorist and brush-wielder extraordinaire, Chuck Close. Considered one of the most influential artists of our time, he is quite frankly, unstoppable. Recognizing his thirst to paint at a very young age, he has not allowed anything to stand in his way, maneuvering every challenge into an opportunity. At age 48, after an award ceremony, Close rushed to the hospital because of persistent chest pains. Within a few hours, Close was paralyzed from the neck down as a result of a blood clot in his spinal column. But in a few months, he was back, brush strapped to a hand split, painting on a giant grid, in a new style better adapted to his more restricted brush movement. His style of photorealism built by thousands of little squares in a grid has moved art enthusiasts and critics everywhere

http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3866a

People are treasures

2009-08-30T12:25:00.002+12:00

In one of my many communications this week was a lovely gem from a fabulous lady called Sharon who owns the Longueville Gallery and is organising a child cancer fundraiser. http://www.longuevillegallery.co.nz/

"One of the nicest things in this life are the unexpected treasures you meet in people that cross your path"

What a fabulous saying and so true - it is one of lifes unexpected treasures - and one that people don't seem to value enough.

In Ya Face

2009-08-21T15:57:00.003+12:00

My very good friend and extremely talented artist - Tony Brown - is having a solo exhibition at the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna in September. This is a must see of his fabulous portrait work - in his own unique style - like no other. Opening night is Wed 2nd Sep 6-9pm - would be great to see you there.

You may wonder why such a title - In Ya Face - Tony and I were mulling over a title for this exhibition a few weeks ago - just throwing phrases around, and having a general chat about nothing in particular and then he said to me - "In Ya Face" ... and I went - "that's it!!" And he went "what?" - I said "the title" ... something catchy - something people will remember - and something that refelcts the exhibition ... not only are the artworks portraits - but they are larger than life.

A bit more about Tony and his art ....

Tony Brown offers us all a vision of perseverance and triumph over turmoil. An enthusiasm to forge a better life is what fuels Tony’s passion to create works that inspire powerful and emotive responses: “I want to reach out to people who are stuck”.

Tony’s paintings, which are deeply inlaid with a locality and familiarity and in some cases, are intimately provocative, grapple with issues such as depression, loneliness, adoption and sobriety. Tony’s dark and raw works show an artist who interprets issues with an innate sense of compassion and individuality.

Through a process of rehabilitation, Tony rediscovered art as a form of expression from childhood and values the emotions he is able to stir within viewers of his work.

Tony does commissions on a frequent basis - please contact him for more information.

Contact
Email: broto66@yahoo.co.nz
Website: http://www.tonybrown-artist.blogspot.com/

Passion

2009-08-19T18:27:00.005+12:00

Title: Passion
Media: Mixed Media Painting
Artist: Sophia Elise
SOLD

I was sent this email today be a very dear friend who simply said - "this reminds me of you" - after reading it I was felt very humbled ....

It has been said that art is a tryst, for in the joy of it maker and beholder meet. --Kojiro Tomita

Inspiration of the Day:
"Through a long series of coincidences, this 'art box' finds you. When I had to give a gift for my sister, I realized her two loves. Her first love was art, the joy of creative expression, the connection with a subtler force. In her high school graduation speech, she used a quote that summed up her perspective: an artist isn't a special kind of a person but every person is a special kind of an artist. Her second love was helping people, especially artists. To my little sis, art was always about giving, but she would sometimes doubt -- if an artist gives everything away, how do they survive? How will their spirits continue to soar? She sure is an innocent spirit. :)" What follows is an account of a touching act of anonymous kindness by a "happiness entrepreneur." [ more ]

Be The Change:
Support someone's creative expression today: listen to a song, share a notebook, encourage.

Forever - mixed media abstract

2009-08-02T11:39:00.003+12:00

Title: "Forever"
Artist: Sophia Elise
Media: Mixed media - black, red, metallic gold
Size: 20cm x 20cm
For Sale: $85 contact sophia@sophiaelise.co.nz

The inspiration for this piece is love - how often do the words love you forever get spoken and how often is that true .... ?

There are many forms of love - friendship, family, romance ....

However it's true of all types of love that even if it does pass you are never the same.....

No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever - Francois Mauriac

Love is like a violin. The music may stop now and then, but the strings remain forever - June Masters Bacher

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some people move our souls to dance.
They awaken us to new understanding
with the passing whisper of their wisdom.
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.
They stay in our lives for awhile,
leave footprints on our hearts,
and we are never ever the same.
- Flavia Weedn

And true , deep genuine love is summed up by this ....

Love is the only force known to man which it is not possible to vanquish by any threat , however dire, in any ordeal, however terrible, to which it may be put. In its purity it inspires to the most wondrous sacrifice. - N Sri Ram

Stranger Things - Mixed Media abstract art

2009-07-31T19:08:00.003+12:00

Title: Stranger Things
Artist: Sophia Elise
Media: Mixed Media and Acrylic
SOLD
Inspired by: Minstrels - performed by Arthur Rubenstein
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNRDnH2Bwso

Another one that is currently being exhibited at the Melodious Art Exhibition in Howick. There is some fantastic diverse art on display - make the time to go and visit and have a bite to eat in there great cafe.

Dennis Clark is a new member to the NZ Art Guild although he has many years experience as an artist and art tutor - in fact I'm attending an art workshop of his tomorrow at his studio in Torbay and I can't wait! He wrote this fantastic poem that I just have to share

An Artist's Dilemma
Dennis L. Clark

When the memory will not work
And inspiration falls down flat,
Frustration round the corners lurk,
And you don't know where you're at.

That's when you have to search the heart
and look inside your very soul
to find the answer from the start
As you through the remembrance stroll.

Just let your senses play their part
As you reflect upon the theme.
Let the enthusiasm of you art,
Your thoughts, produce a happy gleam.

Just when you thought you have the plot
A blankness fills the space around
The very thoughts you thought you got
Now find their place below the ground.

Don't let the worries of your life
Produce a clouding of despair.
Gather up your paints and brushes:
Paint away your every care

Fill the canvas with colours bold,
Let the colours flow as they may
Producing colours, warm, not cold
As you brush your cares away.

Applying paint with much abandon
And weaving patterns to declare
Fright must fly away, forgotten:
Determination got you there.

12.3.2008

Take a look at Dennis' art and his workshops -
http://paintbasket.com/wordpress-mu/torbay/category/torbay-art-studio/

Melodious Art Exhibition opens tonight - all invited

2009-07-30T14:07:00.004+12:00

Title: Life's Crescendo
Artist: Sophia Elise
Media: Mixed Media
Price: $390
Inspired by:
Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0jxiUq9c4k

Tonight's the night and I've been asked to say a few words about my art too at the opening - will feel a bit strange to be talking about myself for a change rather than the Art Guild and it's members.

Am looking forward to seeing all the other creations - several Art Guild members are in it - so if you're in Howick this evening at 6:30 come along to the Uxbridge Gallery - or drop in over the next week or so to see the exhibition.

Melodious Art Exhibition

2009-07-23T18:38:00.005+12:00

Well nothing like an exhibition coming up to prompt you into finding time to paint ... and amazingly enough - I had my first "quiet day" all year ... no urgent business to attend, no phone calls, no texts, minimal emails, and no meetings. Seems like the gods were smiling on me.

Over the next few days I will share each of my creations with you.

I actually ended up combining the NZ Art Guild fortnightly challenge with the melodious art challenge.

The NZ Art Guild challenge was to create artworks with the them "Memory"using a limited palette of colour - black, white and two colours (could be any tonal variations of there)

The Melodious art Challenge gave us 4 pieces of music to create artwork to - I just love the innovation of this idea - thanks to Uxbridge Creative Centre in Howick and Melissa their Curator for inviting me to participate in this.

Artist: Sophia Elise
Title: Dance of Life
Media: Acrylic
Size: 30cm x 40cm
SOLD
Inspired by: I walk the Line – Johnny Cash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7K4jH7NqUw&feature=related
Limited Palette of: Red, Black and White

A SOLDIER'S VIEW OF MICHAEL JACKSON'S DEATH

2009-07-16T18:56:00.001+12:00

This is written by a young man serving his third tour of duty in Iraq. Thought you might find his take on the news of Michael Jackson's death interesting ......

Okay, I need to rant.

I was just watching the news, and I caught part of a report on Michael Jackson. As we all know, Jackson died the other day. He was an entertainer who performed for decades. He made millions, he spent millions, and he did a lot of things that make him a villian to many people. I understand that his death would affect a lot of people, andI respect those people who mourn his death, but that isn't the point of my rant.

Why is it that when ONE man dies, the whole of America loses their minds with grief. When a man dies whose only contribution to the country was to ENTERTAIN people, the Amercian people find the need to flock to a memorial in Hollywood, and even Congress sees the need to hold a "moment of silence" for his passing?

Am I missing something here? ONE man dies, and all of a sudden he's a freaking martyr because he entertained us for a few decades? What about all those SOLDIERS who have died to give us freedom? All those Soldiers who, knowing that they would be asked to fight in a war, still raised their hands and swore to defend the Constitution and the United States of America. Where is their moment of silence? Where are the people flocking to their graves or memorials and mourning over them because they made the ultimate sacrifice? Why is it when a Soldier dies, there are more people saying "good riddence," and "thank God for IEDs?" When did this country become so calloused to the sacrifice of GOOD MEN and WOMEN, that they can arbitrarily blow off their deaths, and instead, throw themselves into mourning for a "Pop Icon?"

I think that if they are going to hold a moment of silence IN CONGRESS for Michael Jackson, they need to hold a moment of silence for every service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. They need to PUBLICLY recognize every life that has been lost so that the American people can live their callous little lives in the luxury and freedom that WE, those that are living and those that have gone on, have provided for them. But, wait, that would take too much time, because there have been so many willing to make that sacrifice. After all, we will never make millions of dollars. We will never star in movies, or write hit songs that the world will listen too. We only shed our blood, sweat and tears so that people can enjoy what they have.

Sorry if I have offended, but I needed to say it.

Remember these five words the next time you think of someone who is serving in the military;
"So that others may live..."

Melodious Art Exhibition

2009-07-16T18:47:00.001+12:00

Melodious Art Exhibition

This exciting exhibition brings together music and art. Local Musicians Katharine and Peter Watts have hand picked four pieces of inspiring music for artist to visually illustrate.

Where: Uxbridge Gallery,
Howick's Creative Centre
35 Uxbridge Road, Howick

When: 31 July - 13 August
Opening night: 30 July at 6.30 pm with live music - All Welcome

This exhibition is by invitation only and 4 of our NZ Art Guild members are featured Kirsty Black, Sally Blyth, Sophia Elise, and Helen McNamara

I'm busy creating two pieces for this exhibition - ( I have to confess receiving the advertising flier today with my name on it really pushed me into gear to actually get onto creating the artworks!) I listened to the pieces a few months ago and knew exactly what I was going to paint and to which pieces. Watch this space for photos of them.

2009-07-07T19:46:00.003+12:00

Just had to share this - it arrived in my inbox a few minutes ago - Simple Truths is an email I subscribe to (just one of many) - it was the phrase that caught my attention more so than the movie - and sums up what I've said many times before in my blog .....

It almost sounds too simple to feel important, but understanding the power of gratitude can change your life forever. Sarah Breathnach said it best...

"When we choose not to focus on what's missing from our lives
but are grateful for the abundance that's present...
we experience heaven on earth."

So sit back, relax and turn up your speakers to enjoy our new 2 minute inspirational movie from Learning to Dance in the Rain. The words, the photographs and the music are beautiful!

Don't forget to pay it forward by sharing this email with friends, family and co-workers.

Just click here to watch

Keep Dancing,
Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths

Simple Truths, LLC., 1952 McDowell Road, Ste. 205, Naperville, IL 60563, USA
Phone: 800-900-3427 / 630-946-1460
Copyright 2008, Simple Truths, LLC. All rights reserved.

Limited Edition Prints of Ngatahi for sale

2009-07-03T13:38:00.000+12:00

Limited edition prints of the NZ Art Guild collaborative artwork Ngatahi are available for purchase. Be in quick as the print run is limited to only 100.

$5 from the sale of every print is donated to the Mental Health Foundation of NZ.

The print run is
- Printed by specialist fine art printers
- Limited to 100 and all prints are numbered.
- Choice of un-mounted so that you can choose your framing orframed by specialist fine art framers.
- Framed prints are suspended in a white, wood boxed frame and covered with glass.
- Printed on archival quality acid free art paper
- Comes with a certificate of authenticity
- Size: 410mm x 410mm unframed or 540mm x 540mm framed
- $85 unframed or $199 framed excl. postage.
- Postage: North Island - $8 South Island Postage - $12 Rural Deliver - $15

Follow this link to view image and to order http://www.nzartguild.co.nz/Ngatahi-Limited-Edition-Print.html or email admin@nzartguild.co.nz

NZ Art Guild reveal Ngatahi

2009-07-03T13:32:00.003+12:00

Last night was the opening night of the NZ Art Guild Annual members exhibition "Out of the Blue" as well as a Charity Art Auction to raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation of NZ.

We had a fantastic turnout - over 200 people. All 15 auction artworks sold - including the show piece - Ngatahi. We raised in total nearly $7000 for Mental Health Foundation.

In addition to this there were 14 other sales of exhibition artworks. So a great result all round and a really fun evening full of life and fun.

Unfortunately Campbell Live pulled out last minute due to a more urgent news story so if you were waiting glued to your TV last night to see it all I'm sorry. However, if you're in the area the exhibition is on for the whole month at the Bruce Mason Centre so go on down - have a look and buy some fantastic original artwork form our very talented artists.

Now - what you have all been waiting to see ..... We are very excited to be able to reveal the NZ Art Guild 2009 Collaborative Project "Ngatahi"

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS (Left to right):

Row 1: Rochelle May van der Werff, Sharlene Schmidt, Marimba Powley, Silver Dunlop, Paulette Shepherd, Rochelle May van der Werff, Jane Bold, Bobby Shen

Row 2: Helen McNamara, Wendy Matthews, Angela Laby, Cheryl Irwin, Sophia Elise, Carol Winterburn, Gail Boyle, Beate Minderjahn

Row 3: Shan Li Chen, Sandra Toornstra, RifRaf, Teresa Rodger, Christine Dempster, Trish Macready, Jen Longshaw, Sarah Marrs

Row 4: Tessa Birks, Juliet Cryns, Sally Blyth, Viv Hansen, Ronda Turk, Cath Sheard, Jennifer Christiansen, Ron Esplin

Row 5: Victoria Anderson, Rachel Inch, Mandy Hague, Tineswari Maruthamuthu, Melissa Muirhead, Catherine Outwin, Mereana Slade, Sharlene Ngatupuna,

Row 6: Michelle Whitehouse, Fiona Woods, Elspeth Alix Batt, Pam Buffery, Kirsty Black, Helen Sherrock, Linda Lloyd, Jane Santos

Row 7: Sophia Elise, Shelly van Soest, Terri Dangen, Anni Morris, Chris Cruickshank, Sofia Spirtova, Jude Blake, Sharon Burger

Row 8: Melissa Muirhead, Chavah Kinloch, Tanya Dann, Rebecca Shrimpton, Natasha Wheeler, Sue McPhee , Linda Paul, Helen Frost

A Little Motivation and Inspiration

2009-07-01T06:39:00.005+12:00

Title: Lifes Battle
Artist: Sophia Elise
Media: Mixed Media
Size: 90cm x 60cm
SOLD

For Auction tomorrow night at the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapune 6:30pm
100% of slae proceeds will be donated to the Mental Health Foundation of NZ
For more details go to http://www.nzartguild.co.nz/

I received this from my dear friend lesley a couple of weeks ago .....

Our journey of life is about progress, not perfection.
It's not about doing one thing 100% better -
it's a matter of doing 100 things, 1% better each day.

Progress is evolutionary not revolutionary,
and most days we measure our progress in inches, not miles.

What matters most is showing up for your life -
whether you feel like it or not.

Ask yourself,
"What two or three little things can I do today that would move me forward?"

You'll be amazed at how much distance you can cover by taking it in increments.

The little things add up; the inches turn to miles;
and we string together our efforts like so many pearls.
Before long, look what you have - a whole strand!

Campbell Live from TV3 to be at Bruce Mason Exhibition on Thursday

2009-07-01T06:36:00.001+12:00

I'm very excited to let you know that Campbell Live from TV3 will be filming at the opening of the annual NZ Art Guild exhibition and charity art auction "Out of the Blue" on Thursday 2nd July 6:30pm

They have been in contact with the Mental Health Foundation of NZ (MHF) and want to film the live auction of the NZ Art Guild 2009 collaborative artwork Ngatahi. 61 members have contributed to this artwork from all around NZ. 100% of the funds raised from the sale will be donated to MHF.

If you are able to make it to the opening night - 6:30 July 2nd Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna it would be fantastic to see you there - the more the merrier - bring family and friends.

If you can't make it be sure to tune in to Campbell Live TV3 on Thursday evening at 7pm.

You're invited to be one of the first to see Ngatahi

2009-07-01T06:33:00.000+12:00

NZ Art Guild and Mental Health Foundation of NZ proudly present
"Out of the Blue"
Charity Art Auction and Exhibition

Opening night: Thursday 2nd July 2009 at 6:30pm – Free entry – All welcome
Venue: Bruce Mason Centre, Cnr Hurstmere Rd and the Promenade,Takapuna, Auckland
Exhibition Open: 2nd - 30th July 2009. Mon to Fri 9 - 5 & Sat 10 - 4

Featuring the NZ Art Guild 2009 Collaborative Art Project
“Ngatahi”a fantastic, single artwork created by 61 artists which will be revealed on opening night and auctioned off at this one of a kind, not to missed charity event

Well known NZ artists - Nancy Frazer, Sophia Elise, Tanya Dann, Beate Minderjahn, Jennifer Christiansen, Julia Dungan, LisaSarah, Natahsa Wheeler, Alison Mulgrew, Jane Bold and Terri Dangen - have also donated fantastic artworks which will auctioned.

100% of the proceeds from the art auction will be donated to the Mental Health Foundation of NZ

To coincide with this event 42 artists from around NZ will be having a month long exhibition of original, diverse artworks depicting "Our Country, Our People, Our Culture"

We would be delighted if you would join us in the opening celebrations of this fantastic charity event - please forward this invitation on to your friends, family, colleagues or anyone else who may be interested.

For full details about this event and to view the auction catalogue go to www.nzartguild.co.nz and click on the MHF Charity Auction button.
Or take a virtual tour www.gallerycentric.com (sponsored by Gallery Centric)

SAFE - For the love of pigs

2009-06-12T12:58:00.001+12:00

'Pigs, kiwis...and a king! Join Mike King and other stars at a special event as SAFE launches an exciting new initiative to help end pig suffering in New Zealand. Includes music from Flip Grater and a charity art auction.

7pm, 23 June 2009, The Events Centre, Auckland Museum, $25.

Visit http://www.lovepigs.org.nz/Join-the-party!/ to find out more and book online.