Uncategorized | Rebecca Maloney Art

Write it out

June 11, 2017 by admin

I feel confident with paint when expressing myself.

With words I get stuck. In this blog post, my goal is to not delete one sentence I write out, I will not try to fix anything, just free flow.

I have been painting these mini mixed media paintings recently. Its been a great experience because I feel so free when making them. Free to make mistakes. Or what I think are mistakes.

But free, feeling free.

When you feel free you can accomplish anything, in fact you don’t even realize you are accomplishing something because it happens as a natural by-product of feeling free.

So what makes you feel free?

Have you ever been in a relationship that offered freedom? Boundaries are in place and respected yet the freedom between you two is such that you feel alive in your connection. Feeling alive – freedom.

Those who allow you to be freely yourself are the ones you want to be around the most, right? It makes sense.

What about when you are alone? The only one to come up against yourself is the self. Can you allow yourself to just be, and love your being-ness? To me that is freedom, to love yourself as you are.

What about in the world? What freedoms do you have that others do not? Can you do something about it? Will you?

It all starts with you. The more you allow yourself to be free of the limitations caused by x,y,z… the more you can get out in the world to free others.

We are here to help one another and make our lives grand.

So I will start by making more of these paintings. Because feeling free within my being-ness will ripple effect out into the world. Even when I am alone in my studio painting.

I wrote this out and I will admit I deleted one or two sentences to restart. As with anything it’s a practice. But I learned something through this one. Maybe I don’t get as stuck as I think, when I write.

xo,

Rebecca

Music in the video by Foreign Exchange

Welcome to my Studio(s)

December 12, 2016 by admin

The art studio, a place just for you to be creative.

Sometimes you have a whole room.

Sometimes you have a corner.

Sometimes it means you don’t have a place for guests to sit.

But you always know it’s there when you’re ready to work.

I’m Back! Art & Hiking in the Wild West – Part 1

September 6, 2016 by admin

Hello! I recently returned from a trip out west! I visited Montana, took a quick stop in California, & ended in Nevada. My trip was centered around great friends, nature, & art-making. I had a wonderful time. I want to share pictures from my travels but in two parts, cause I have so many pics! Here is Part 1 🙂

For the first few days of my trip I stayed in Polebridge at the North Fork Hostel click here to visit the website. It was a great place and I had a comfortable stay with a lot of great company. I met new friends and ventured out to Bowman Lake several times. (pictures below from the website)

Sitting on the porch chatting with new friends, and we were visited by a deer and her baby.

Bowman Lake was where I took my watercolors to paint. It is located in the North Fork area of Glacier and not commonly visited by most visitors to the park.

Below is a picture I took off the web of The Mercantile “The Merc” click here to visit The Merc website. I could walk from the hostel to the Merc and pick up coffee and a bear claw – this place is known for the pastries. It was also a gathering place where everyone stopped before heading out on their adventures.

One of my new friends named Rick had asked me how I had found the hostel. I said I had found it on the web and it looked very inviting. He said, “Well you found a gem, I have been coming here for 32 years with my sons, and now my grandson.”

A group of us went to visit Rick’s friend, Joseph C. Moore, an artist that lives right outside of Polebridge in his artist’s studio cabin. When we arrived we saw that he left a note on his door that he was out running an errand (he doesn’t have cell service, so he leaves notes lol). We walked around his property and I got to look into the windows of his studio to see some of his work. On the outside of his home he displays these faces that he makes with cement:

I later got to meet Joseph that same evening but didn’t have my camera on me to take a picture with him. He had a gray beard and rosy cheeks. His personality was bubbly and friendly, he leaned in when he spoke to me, and asked me several questions about my art and travels. He doesn’t have a website and his studio can be visited only through word of mouth. So unless you talk to the people in Polebridge and ask about him, you’d never know he was there. He invited me to revisit that next week so he could give me a tour but I had to say no cause I was leaving the following day.

The North Fork Hostel does exhibit a few of his paintings in the common area.

I wanted to share the picture I took of his view from the backside of his studio… ahhh-mazing:

My last evening at the hostel I shared pizza and beers at the Northern Lights Saloon about a mile walk from the hostel. There Rick’s son played the blues while his grandson break-danced:

The National Bison Range in Dixon, Montana, is about a 1.5 hour drive from Kalispell. The NBR is one of the oldest National Wildlife Refuges in the United States. I saw bears, antelope, an eagle, deer, mountain goats, and of course the bison herd…all on a 19 mile loop. Seriously this place was freakin’ cool. So much to see!

I was longing to hike in Glacier National Park. I didn’t have a hiking partner so I asked around for what trails were most populated and was told The Highline Trail. When in bear country I especially do not want to hike alone.

I got up early one morning and headed for the trail head but first stopped at the Apgar visitor’s center. I talked to a park ranger who suggested the Highline Trail was best for hiking alone and she made sure I had bear spray…yes I sure did lol!

I left and while heading for my car a young woman named Lisa approached me and asked if I would like a hiking buddy? She said, “I overheard you say you were hiking Highline, I am too, and I would rather not hike it by myself” HOW COOL IS THAT?! I was so grateful that Lisa joined me… here are pictures of our hike. In the one with my hands in the air, I am standing in front of the Grinnell Glacier!

BTW this same trail was closed a week after our hike due to bear activity! yikes!

Lake McDonald is a great hang out spot for relaxing or several water activities. And Amy and I visited the local farmer’s market in Colombia Falls – Beers, food, art, and bluegrass music!

More to come! Thank you for taking a look at Part 1… Part 2 coming soon!

Rebecca

Lean Into The Mystery

July 16, 2016 by admin

Hello Friends,

I want to have time (I don’t have right now) to write this post. I think I need more time to make it engaging. Right now time is a race between me and my eyelids…it’s late.

Instead of engaging I will just be real… I’m tired.

I’m tired of all that has been going on in the world. I feel sad.

I am also in the middle of moving my studio.

I had to cancel my retreat “Art & Inspiration at the Inn” not enough sign-ups due to summer schedules…I was really excited about it. The flip side, I had a lot of interest – which was excellent!

Count on it happening again, in fact most likely this fall. 🙂

With still lots to be grateful for, today just felt heavy…

“Lean into the Mystery” was said by someone on a podcast I was listening to recently (can’t remember which podcast), I wrote these words down and put them on my wall.

I have been leaning as suggested…and I trust that the mystery loves me as much as I love it.

It’s hard to love mystery sometimes cause it’s uncertain, but that is also where the adventure lies.

Lean into the mystery with love at the forefront.

I’ll be doing some traveling this August (more info soon), which means I won’t have any Paint Night Classes or Creative Workshops until September.

With the exception of my ~Create Your Art Nouveau Goddess~ Workshop happening on August 7th – And I would love it if you joined me.

It’s important to me that my events are memorable, creative, fun, and educational. I look forward to this one. Click here to learn more.

Art can be healing.

Art can inspire.

It does all that for me, especially when things feel heavy.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Thanks for all your support.

Here is a new share of a watercolor I did recently. I am enjoying watercolors more and more…

Again thanks,

Have a great night, sleep well, keep leaning, keep loving,

Rebecca

Nature, Art, & Meditation…is so Us!

June 26, 2016 by admin

Guys, what do you do when you need a boost of confidence? What do you do to reconnect to yourself and find that inner peace? When that damn self-doubt creeps in?

A blank canvas sometimes can stir up these feelings… all that white space just starring back at you. What will you create? What will happen? How will you do?

I mean seriously, I almost created a workshop called, “Let’s make mistakes!”

I am laughing just thinking about it. Hell I will probably still hold this workshop, cause I need it too! It would be a class specifically for the practice of creating & letting go the attachment to get it right.

Ever notice in a painting class how everyone makes something different? It’s so very special.

When we are connected to our own uniqueness self-doubts become a whisper instead of a loud voice, they won’t hook us (like Pema Chodrun would say). The route back to our own inner peace becomes easier to navigate.

A blank canvas can turn into an epic adventure of exploring ones soul.

Nature, art, and meditation can free up some of those blocks we come up against. Or I’ll just say it does for me.

Nature stirs up a lot of awe in me. This article by Christopher Bergland describes awe as “that sense of wonder we feel in the presence of something vast that transcends our understanding of the world.” Click here to read more.

The article asks; “When was the last time you had an awe-inspiring moment that made you say…

“WOW!”?”

I’ll show you one of mine and I’ll never forget it. The moment I laid my eyes on the Grand Tetons back in 2008:

(image from web, I wish I could say I took this picture!)

All of a sudden I was very small in comparison to these giant mountains. I felt an expansion, peace, and a connection.

I felt connected to something bigger.

The same article mentions William James an American philosopher and psychologist, who would hiking adventures in the Adirondaks:

“After his epiphanies on the hiking trails, he had a new appreciation for spiritual “openings” as a universal key-hole to higher consciousness accessible to anyone.”

Epiphanies guys… Epiphanies.

Last week I went hiking in the Adirondaks, here I am on Algonquin Mountain (can we say ‘perfect weather’):

Sometimes I like to raise my hands to the sky. I imagine that I am receiving all there is to receive from the abundance of mother-nature. I also imagine that the universe is opening my heart more while I am opened up like this. It feels good.

This is how I reconnect in nature. It’s inspiration, its glory, its magnitude, its reminder to go with the flow, and to give my gifts to the world. Because that is all she does for us, is give and give and give. And if I end up with any epiphanies then awesome.

It’s quite beautiful…

A tiny flower can bring a sense of awe. (my pic of a Lady Slipper in the forest.)

The point I am getting at is nature is a good coach. Get in nature to feel the flow and inspiration. Its all around us and there for us whenever we need it.

While creating I find that I go to a place inside that is quiet.

Quiet but also very active, active with inspiration. Where time collapses and all my surface thoughts fade. I connect with the consciousness that is me which is why its feels so good to create. It’s why a lot of my friends who regularly make art can’t not make art. That freedom allows a r-econnection to ‘Self’.

I recently finished the book, “The Untethered Soul” by Michael A. Singer. I recommend this book to get an idea of what I mean here when I say ‘Self’. He is refers to the ‘Self’ without a name, character, or personality… its deep.

The end product of my painting doesn’t matter. Maybe I will create something I will love, maybe I won’t. But the act of letting go during the process is what matters. It’s a place of letting the creativity inside me come through. No blocks, no judgements, it’s free. I feel a high state of re-connection to myself after I paint.

Here are two new paintings that I worked on side by side. I didn’t stop working on them until I felt they were finished. It was exhilarating to paint these, I really let myself go!

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” – Meister Eckhart

I have been practicing meditation for 3 years. This year I made meditation part of my daily intentions and usually do it in the morning. I don’t fuss about how long, how I sit, when I do it, or even if I miss a day or two. I have grown a love for it. It has many benefits as most people by now know, one of which is re-connection to oneself. If there is a block, meditation helps me in not holding resistance to it.

Here is what sometimes happens during my meditation, my sweet girl Mossie (Mah-see) likes to plop herself right here on my leg – She looks out the window that I sit nearby. As my friend said “our pets know when we are on a good vibe”.

Here are beginner instructions for meditation from the book “Waking Up” By Sam Harris. “The goal is to awaken from our trance of discursive thinking—and from the habit of ceaselessly grasping at the pleasant and recoiling from the unpleasant—so that we can enjoy a mind that is undisturbed by worry, merely open like the sky, and effortlessly aware of the flow of experience in the present.

Sit comfortably, with your spine erect, either in chair or cross-legged on a cushion.
Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and feel the points of contact between your body and the chair or floor. Notice the sensations associated with sitting—feelings of pressure, warmth, tingling, vibration, etc.
Gradually become aware of the process of breathing. Pay attention to wherever you feel the breath most clearly—either at the nostrils, or in the rising and falling your abdomen.
Allow your attention to rest in the mere sensation of breathing. (There is no need to control your breath. Just let it come and go naturally.)
Every time your mind wanders in thought, gently return it to the sensation of breathing.
As you focus on the breath, you will notice that other perceptions and sensations continue to appear: sounds, feelings in the body, emotions, etc. Simply notice these phenomena as they emerge in the field of awareness, and then return to the sensation of breathing.
The moment you observe that you have been lost in thought, notice the present thought itself as an object of consciousness. Then return your attention to the breath—or to whatever sounds or sensations arise in the next moment.
Continue in this way until you can merely witness all objects of consciousness—sights, sounds, sensations, emotions, and even thoughts themselves—as they arise and pass away.

It’s all a practice just like with meditation. But as my curiosity about all this increases life keeps getting more and more interesting. The blocks tend to be more flexible.

Try a creative project, go for a walk outside, and please try meditation -make the time – its worth it.

If you are interested in practicing with me check out my upcoming event Art & Inspiration at the Inn ~ A Day for the Artist in You I would love to have you!

Thanks for reading and being a part of this community of creators. I don’t take any of you for granted.

Please share your thoughts, what’s new in your world?

To opening and being,

xox Rebecca

P.S. Check out the work by Christy! Created at my most recent workshop where we used script along with mixed media.

Art Stroll in Manchester, Connecticut – May 5, 2016

May 6, 2016 by admin

Hello… and whats new?!

Here are pictures from last night’s Art Stroll in Manchester. Thank you to everyone who came out to visit. I counted about 50 people who walked through! I have to say it felt really good to get some of my older work out and on display too. I want to thank my supportive family and also Tana Parseliti and those who ran the event so well! – Thank you for supporting Fine Arts in Manchester. We also got a kick out of the giant monkeys, they were very cool – seen below with my mom, and nephews.

Photo credit (pic of me): Zack Carroll

Photo credit (Monkees): Sarah Cruz Photography

“Starry Night” Collage Workshop in Manchester, Connecticut – April 10th, 2016

April 11, 2016 by admin

This was a truly blissful day, 8 wonderful ladies came together to share creativity. We recreated our own collage versions of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”

We started with a heart-centered meditation to open up the creative “flow” then we began by first drawing out the shapes in which we would place our collage pieces. I spoke about colors and textures to help in the decision-making process. Everyone worked on canvas and used glue, papers, and paint to create their work. We laughed, danced, drank champagne, and shared a beautiful meal. I enjoyed how much everyone was enjoying themselves!… I watched as they dove into the process and found their rhythm. It was beautiful.

Here are the pictures my sister Sarah took of us, visit her Facebook Page – Sarah Cruz Photography. I want to thank my friend Allyson for hosting and being so supportive.

My next workshop is April 17th in Manchester, Connecticut. >> Must sign up by April 15th << For more info please visit this page: http://www.rebeccamaloneyart.com/workshops/

If you would like to get together with your friends for a day of creativity email me at Rebeccamaloneyart@gmail.com for info.

Hello from New England!

January 5, 2016 by admin

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!

Rebecca Maloney Art has moved and I currently live in New Haven, Connecticut. The last few months have been a whirlwind with the holidays and all that comes with relocation.It’s been a change but it’s also been a reminder of all that I am grateful for.

I have the most supportive and loving family, partner, and friends.

AND….I have a beautiful new studio to create in! I love it because it gets a lot of natural light. Here is a picture of my buffalo skull that I was reunited with upon my return.

It hangs proudly in my studio of course. It represents abundance and the courage to be me…isn’t she beautiful?

Massima loves the new studio too, she settled in right away. She has needed extra attention ever since we lost her best buddy Miles a few weeks ago.

His passing was a reminder to cherish the now.

When I got here I thought I needed a plan right away. I felt pressure to get things going fast. I might have been trying to get busy to avoid the feelings of the change.

Change is hard but it also can be refreshing and renewing. There is a lot to learn when going through change and to me, that is a good thing… learning more about myself can lead to personal growth. Now that I am more settled I feel very inspired for the year to come.

Since I have been here I have also gotten to explore a bit. Here are some pictures from my most recent hikes in Connecticut which I plan to do more of.

I also look forward to mountain biking and cross-country skiing!

Looking ahead to 2016 I don’t have a resolution, booked trips, or specific goals. I do have several ideas that I hope come to fruition, but if they don’t… that is ok too.

Right now I hope to do more creating with love. With love as my guide I am open to the possibilities.

One thing I can predict is that I will keep sharing my love of art with the world.

I hope that this post finds you well and ready for the adventures that await you this year!

With Joy,

Rebecca

This Supportive Community

October 11, 2015 by admin

I feel very supported and I appreciate all the love that surrounds me here in Las Vegas.

Thank you for all who came out to see me at my artist’s reception called “Arts & Crafts”. We made art, shared laughs, and enjoyed delicious pizza and beer from Grinders Pizza Lounge. On top of all that I was able to make a donation to The Shade Tree Las Vegas who’s mission is to provide safe shelter to homeless and abused women and children in crisis and to offer life-changing services promoting stability, dignity, and self-reliance. It’s a freaking amazing place, check them out here: http://www.theshadetree.org/

Thank you to Grinders Pizza Lounge owners, John and Rick for all your help and sharing your space.

Thank you to my friend and very talented artist Niki Sands for letting me know about the space to hang my work, and being an inspiration to me. Please check out her website and beautiful artwork here: http://www.nikijsands.com/

Thank you to Drina Cellabos a friend and great photographer for offering to take pictures during my event! Please check out her photography here: http://drinaceballos.com/

My sister and excellent photographer, Sarah Cruz was there during the installation and took some desert pics of me, thanks sis! Here is her website: http://www.sarahcruzphotography.com/

And thank you to my fiancé Anthony for helping me hang all my pieces and be there to cheer me on as always.

Supporting the community and each other is what its all about! (For those that are not in the picture, I love you!)

Hugs,

Rebecca

Thank you Montana…

July 12, 2015 by admin

Hello Friends!! I haven’t posted in a while, its been a crazy June and July so far. I got a chance to revisit my friends Amy and Daryl in Kalispell, MT and go back to Glacier National Park (my new favorite place), this time my boyfriend Anthony came with me. We had a great time, here are some pictures!

Upon arriving at the Glacier Park airport I took a picture in front of this sweet carved sign art!

Anthony and I stayed with Daryl and Amy, lots of deer in the front yard.

On our first day we did a float down the North Fork River. We ate our lunch in the sun.

We had fun with their friends Scott, Sharon, Wayne, and Sue. Wayne and Sue made an awesome rib dinner, then we sat by the fire pit with Kahlua milkshakes and shared laughs.

The next morning Daryl made pancakes and we went to Glacier National Park!

I freaking love this place….

Can’t you tell?!

Incredible views!!

At the GNP visitor center there were paintings of wildflowers that were nutz… (that means great.) 🙂

We got home and rested, it was a perfect day!

Before we flew out on Sunday we went to the Whitefish Arts Festival…

Visited a beautiful gallery in Whitefish too, I loved all the buffalo…

Then we stopped for ice cream at Sweet Peaks, I got Huckleberry and Vanilla Cake flavors.

Here we are together before I left, thank you to Amy and Daryl for showing us an amazing time!

The art studio, a place just for you to be creative.

Sometimes you have a whole room.

Sometimes you have a corner.

Sometimes it means you don’t have a place for guests to sit.

But you always know it’s there when you’re ready to work.

Guys, what do you do when you need a boost of confidence? What do you do to reconnect to yourself and find that inner peace? When that damn self-doubt creeps in?

A blank canvas sometimes can stir up these feelings… all that white space just starring back at you. What will you create? What will happen? How will you do?

I mean seriously, I almost created a workshop called, “Let’s make mistakes!”

I am laughing just thinking about it. Hell I will probably still hold this workshop, cause I need it too! It would be a class specifically for the practice of creating & letting go the attachment to get it right.

Ever notice in a painting class how everyone makes something different? It’s so very special.

When we are connected to our own uniqueness self-doubts become a whisper instead of a loud voice, they won’t hook us (like Pema Chodrun would say). The route back to our own inner peace becomes easier to navigate.

A blank canvas can turn into an epic adventure of exploring ones soul.

Nature, art, and meditation can free up some of those blocks we come up against. Or I’ll just say it does for me.

Nature stirs up a lot of awe in me. This article by Christopher Bergland describes awe as “that sense of wonder we feel in the presence of something vast that transcends our understanding of the world.” Click here to read more.

The article asks; “When was the last time you had an awe-inspiring moment that made you say…

“WOW!”?”

I’ll show you one of mine and I’ll never forget it. The moment I laid my eyes on the Grand Tetons back in 2008:

(image from web, I wish I could say I took this picture!)

All of a sudden I was very small in comparison to these giant mountains. I felt an expansion, peace, and a connection.

I felt connected to something bigger.

The same article mentions William James an American philosopher and psychologist, who would hiking adventures in the Adirondaks:

“After his epiphanies on the hiking trails, he had a new appreciation for spiritual “openings” as a universal key-hole to higher consciousness accessible to anyone.”

Epiphanies guys… Epiphanies.

Last week I went hiking in the Adirondaks, here I am on Algonquin Mountain (can we say ‘perfect weather’):

Sometimes I like to raise my hands to the sky. I imagine that I am receiving all there is to receive from the abundance of mother-nature. I also imagine that the universe is opening my heart more while I am opened up like this. It feels good.

This is how I reconnect in nature. It’s inspiration, its glory, its magnitude, its reminder to go with the flow, and to give my gifts to the world. Because that is all she does for us, is give and give and give. And if I end up with any epiphanies then awesome.

It’s quite beautiful…

A tiny flower can bring a sense of awe. (my pic of a Lady Slipper in the forest.)

The point I am getting at is nature is a good coach. Get in nature to feel the flow and inspiration. Its all around us and there for us whenever we need it.

While creating I find that I go to a place inside that is quiet.

I recently finished the book, “The Untethered Soul” by Michael A. Singer. I recommend this book to get an idea of what I mean here when I say ‘Self’. He is refers to the ‘Self’ without a name, character, or personality… its deep.

Here are two new paintings that I worked on side by side. I didn’t stop working on them until I felt they were finished. It was exhilarating to paint these, I really let myself go!

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” – Meister Eckhart

Here is what sometimes happens during my meditation, my sweet girl Mossie (Mah-see) likes to plop herself right here on my leg – She looks out the window that I sit nearby. As my friend said “our pets know when we are on a good vibe”.

Sit comfortably, with your spine erect, either in chair or cross-legged on a cushion.

Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and feel the points of contact between your body and the chair or floor. Notice the sensations associated with sitting—feelings of pressure, warmth, tingling, vibration, etc.

Gradually become aware of the process of breathing. Pay attention to wherever you feel the breath most clearly—either at the nostrils, or in the rising and falling your abdomen.

Allow your attention to rest in the mere sensation of breathing. (There is no need to control your breath. Just let it come and go naturally.)

Every time your mind wanders in thought, gently return it to the sensation of breathing.

As you focus on the breath, you will notice that other perceptions and sensations continue to appear: sounds, feelings in the body, emotions, etc. Simply notice these phenomena as they emerge in the field of awareness, and then return to the sensation of breathing.

The moment you observe that you have been lost in thought, notice the present thought itself as an object of consciousness. Then return your attention to the breath—or to whatever sounds or sensations arise in the next moment.

Continue in this way until you can merely witness all objects of consciousness—sights, sounds, sensations, emotions, and even thoughts themselves—as they arise and pass away.

It’s all a practice just like with meditation. But as my curiosity about all this increases life keeps getting more and more interesting. The blocks tend to be more flexible.

Try a creative project, go for a walk outside, and please try meditation -make the time – its worth it.

If you are interested in practicing with me check out my upcoming event Art & Inspiration at the Inn ~ A Day for the Artist in You I would love to have you!

Thanks for reading and being a part of this community of creators. I don’t take any of you for granted.

Please share your thoughts, what’s new in your world?

To opening and being,

xox Rebecca

P.S. Check out the work by Christy! Created at my most recent workshop where we used script along with mixed media.

rebeccamaloneyart