Creative Release…

FOR MANY, THIS PERIOD OF ISOLATION HAS BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE UP NEW HOBBIES – OR REVISIT OLD ONES. CREATIVITY HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE ABILITY for SOME, TO SIMPLY GET THROUGH THE DAY.

ART THERAPY IS A VERY REAL AND MEANINGFUL WAY TO DEAL WITH LIFE IN LOCKDOWN. OUR FRIEND NELLA, IS READY TO SHARE WHERE HER ARTISTIC ENDEAVOURS HAVE LED HER…

I am grateful for the great healing qualities of art practice. The mindfulness of focusing completely on the object or in the activity, is a discipline that offers benefit whether it captures you for a few minutes, OR holds you in ‘the zone’ for hours. 

This is a growing collection of my bird paintings. 

Birds for me hold a special place in healing the world. Painting them has helped me raise funds for cancer research in the past, and when my cousin John was fighting the fight, it gave me a tactile way to pray for him.

John was a man full of life and encouragement. 

A number of paintings came to life last bush fire season. I saw the need to raise funds for wildlife recovery.

Plans have become a bit disrupted in recent times, but the need for fundraising for both cancer research and wildlife remains vital, so I suspect there will be a set of cards, available in the near future for that very purpose. 

For me, art has been a healer most of all because it allows me the permission to stop everything and focus on one moment at a time, without judgement and offer something back to this ever changing world. 

Petronella Boonen