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Live Bold List 45: A few of my favourite things November 2016

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Tangerine MegDecember 1, 2016

I’m bursting to share these links with you!

This song is making me happy: Philly covering a peace, love and unity song by Bob Marley. << Click text link if video doesn’t work.

Want another reminder that we’re all human and want to connect? Read this article: Little girl makes friend with widower

This podcast interview from Angela Treat Lyon about individuality and conforming is challenging and gooooood.

The WEstock photo project is a brilliant idea from Téa Silvestre to make human variety more plentifully available in photographic stock images.

I’ve linked to Thunderpants before, they’re an organic cotton underwear company in New Zealand. It’s a relatively unpromoted Quality of Life thing when you have a bunch of comfy undies with cool patterns on them in your drawer! Shout out to fabulous underwire-free bra company bodywise, too! x o

Nicely made video … the Australian First Nation people need a hand getting their message across to the Government who are slow to embrace common sense and indeed, life. Urg, sound familiar, US friends? If you can’t donate, perhaps you could pass that link on.

I finally read Wild by Cheryl Strayed. #latebloomer Here’s a little quote:

“I think it’s neat you do what you want. Not enough chicks do that, if you ask me–just tell society and their expectations to go fuck themselves. If more women did that, we’d be better off.”
~ Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Here’s a reference to Wild in the new Gilmore Girls. I’m amidst watching my first one, Winter, right now and haven’t seen the reference yet. Are you watching the new episodes?

So rewarding and heartwarming to be helping TPRF with their humanitarian work by contributing a percentage of sales. Here’s a success story that brought tears to my eyes.

We’re having some fun and doing some good with the Tangerine Meg + WrappaBees wax wrap collaboration, too! The less cling wrap and other plastic we disperse through the land and oceans, the better, right? Plus: loving getting patterns and colour inside fridges!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a book I borrowed from the library. #iheartlibraries JJ Virgin writes about the 7 most common inflammatory foods and how to stop them harming your health. She’s a classically trained nutritionist, and makes so much sense I decided to try out her dietary suggestions. It’s already helping ease my sore knee and my brain fog! Check JJ’s site and books out if you have random health issues, and weight that’s hard to lose. It’s not just you.

So these are the things that are on my mind, dear heart. Maybe some of it is useful to you? Let’s know in the comments section.
Talk soon,
Love Meg x o

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Bold Living 53: Who Looks Outside, Dreams; Who Looks Inside, Awakes – Jung

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Tangerine MegNovember 25, 2016

Blues and reds swirl and merge on a photographic background; overlaid in chunky type is a Jung quote: "“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
~ C.G. Jung

I’ve a couple of blog posts in progress. While they are awaiting various elements, I thought I’d make this colour/wisdom combo into a picture post. Loving the light and abstraction of this photo mix-up! Hope you do too.

Mwah!
Meg x o

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Work in Progress: A Veritable Garden

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Tangerine MegNovember 3, 2016

Warning: Discussion of both art and intestines follows. Read on at your own choosing.

I’ve been intrigued by our gastrointestinal systems since as a young mother I became aware of how sugar, other junk food and antibiotics were affecting my family’s digestive tracts. Recently my need to follow a low FODMAP diet has continued to make clear the importance of caring for our gut health.

I wanted to make a lino print honouring the importance of healthy digestion and had in mind some kind of abdomen / cross-section image. For a while though, I was stuck on how to show a tiny varied eco system with the broad lines of a lino print.

Then I read of a healthy intestine referred to as a “veritable (true) garden”. This idea resonated with me, and became a way I could portray this without trying to be too anatomically accurate about it. The idea blossomed and was mixed with a cup and a half of artistic license … our internal flora and fauna are of course microscopic, numbered in their thousands, and more-varied-and-not-even-the-same as flourishing Spring garden!

Here’s the late Orange Cat keeping watch during lino block carving process:

Here’s an article about our microbiomes, including a well made 4 minute animated video.

Hopefully, I’ve made a pleasant-you-can-have-it-in-your-house-or-office picture that has an accessible yet not sugar-coated (<< hah, see what I did there?) overview of our digestive innards.

Here’s one of the prints partially painted. #workinprogress

Did you know? When making the A Veritable Garden prints ready for my recent Happy To Be Here Exhibition, I made a set of PPs, which are ‘Printers Proofs’. As you can see they’re painted slightly differently but the prints are all alike. Here are prints 2-5. Number 1 and number 2 are sold. Coincidence? I think not. Bold souls are smart and hilarious!

Here’s the first Printers Proof, completely painted.

If you’ve digestive issues, I don’t expect you to pipe up in the comments, although you’re welcome to. Otherwise, let me know if this kind of cross-section image gives you more of a holistic sense of your own interior – ‘cos I might do a few more body organs in the same kind of way.

Namaste, dearheart!
Meg x o

PS If this is your kind of thing, check out my food/no sugar/low fodmaps pinterest board.

PS2 A Veritable Garden is a set of printers proofs, each labelled with PP. The merely 5 prints in this whole series are unique Watercolors. If you love owning and/or gifting bold art pieces that only 4 other people on this entire planet will ever have, this is for you! There are just 3 originals remaining. If your gut is telling you it wants one (!) – click this to find out more about hand painted A Veritable Garden lino prints.

PS3 Wondering what the h*ck FODMAPs is? Click this to check out an introductory article, and here’s a new piece on how to keep your mental health while following it!

PS4 If you’re getting interested in diet and gut health, you might like this Jonathan Fields / Good Life Project interview with JJ Virgin.

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Work in Progress: Spring Feet

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Tangerine MegOctober 24, 2016

lino print artwork of 2 pale feet in a garden. Chunky type declares "Work in progress: Spring Feet"

My Spring Feet lino print featured as one of the elements in my recent Happy To Be Here Exhibition graphics:

Header image for "Happy to be Here exhibition" contains 3 images. On the left is Tangerine Meg apparently balancing on the old Police Station steps, the middle image is "Spring Feet", a hand watercoloured lino print, the image on the right is an open exhibition catalogue held open by a hand, and featuring the "Happy to be here" exhibition entry

“Happy to Be Here” is showing itself to be a phrase containing much appreciation, and a sense of place. Funny how our feet in images are evidence of being here … This idea seems to continue to come up even now my exhibition is closed!

So, how did Spring Feet – the lino print – start?

Feel the warm air on your skin, and take off your shoes. It’s early Spring so find a thick blanket to sit on as the ground’s too cool otherwise. Paint your newly de-socked toe nails in every colour of polish you have – or simply purple – and admire your fading henna…

bare feet beside a garden bed with nasturtiums growing in it

I toyed with not showing you this picture, ‘cos the henna is fading and it all doesn’t quite look the same. But then I got brave and decided to keep it ‘in’ to illustrate how the lino print first came into being! #vulnerable #workinprogress

Making the Lino Print

For this one, I drew straight onto the lino block with my marker. Here’s the block with the carving started. The carved areas have a nice texture, don’t they?

Section of work in progress carved lino block

Art meets self care?

This lino print is a simple reminder for both self care and art practice. (I may write a book about that one day – stay tuned!) The art + self care layers: henna flower on my foot, a lino print self portrait (tell your story!) and the rainbow toe nail polish.

Here’s the initial lino block, fully carved … for the time being. Hadn’t yet decided whether to keep the background fully printed, or to carve it out.

Lino tool alongside carved lino block picture of feet

In the first print, I kept the background blocked in with ink. See the flip? The image gets reversed when printed.

black ink printed on white paper of Spring Feet

Finally I carved out the background areas that are now the pale grey ground and the deep green nasturtium shadows. Do you like the rainbow nail polish?

Legs in leggings with pale bare henna-ed feet, on a blanket beside a nasturtium garden

After I finish a lino print or painting, I scan it into my computer. My scanner is a bit smaller than most of my art, so I then need to match up the four areas of the scans into a complete picture! Here’s that process in progress:

Photo of computer screen showing scanned sections of Spring Feet Lino Print being aligned

This is a Limited Edition Lino Print, but the 5 prints in this edition are handpainted and unique. If you love owning and/or gifting bold art pieces that only 4 other people on the entire planet will have, these are for you.

Feet. Feet. Feet.

I foresee many more feet pictures… I was already playing with them here in my Birthday Bold Art Project. If we’re lucky enough to have feet, they are always right there where we are!

There’s an instagram devoted to feet on floors called, “I have this thing with floors”.

Here’s a link to the fabulous Vivienne McMaster and her “why foot selfies” article – self care, photography and art all enrichen each other so much.

Have a wonderful week, I’ll keep this Work In Progress series coming! By the way, I’ve had further suggestions from Leela, so that discussion will develop too!

Talk soon,
Love Meg x o

PS Spring Feet is a short run lino print, and I have just 3 left… Want one for your happy home? Click this to order unframed in my gallery shop.

PS 2 To see some other artists’ lino prints that inspire me, click this to check out my pinterest lino print board.

PS 3 South Aussies: I’ve three markets left before Christmas! Hope to see you there :) Contact me if you want me to bring anything in for you.

PS 4 Have you watched our group video? Check out the Happy To Be Here Project below … More feet :D

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When “Something Funky in the Fridge” Helps the Planet

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Tangerine MegJanuary 10, 2017

“Something funky in the fridge” sounds like mouldy food, doesn’t it? In this case, it’s quite the opposite … this is a groovy way to do food preserving!

If we’ve met in person lately, you’ll have noticed I’m talking ~~incessantly~~ a lot about Wrappa Bees Reusable Wax Food Wraps. I’ve been growing more and more unhappy about using environmentally-devastating-but-so-damn-handy cling film, and I’m excited to know about a viable, pretty alternative for food storage. Reusable wax food wraps are a fab way to use less plastic while keeping our fridges festive.

Cheryl and I and our cat-loving colluder Juanita Tortilla (who I interviewed here) made friends a couple of months ago and thought it would be cool to collaborate on an exclusive South Australian Artist range of waxed wraps.

Click this to check out my bold interview with Cheryl.

Click this to read Cheryl’s artist interview questions.

Our Fab(ulous) Collab(oration)!

My pattern design is printed onto a cotton fabric and hand crafted into wraps by Cheryl.

There’s a hearts / gingham-inspired one (with cheese, bottom right) and sunshine-y honey yellow one with cute flowers and little stars, and the big flower pattern with all the colours on a navy background.

I played with the colour range across the three designs, which are all in the pack. The yellow is a hat tip to bees and honey. Blue is a great contrast for food – as indeed it is when painting a still life – because there aren’t many blue foods (except quondong jelly and blueberries) so your fresh produce will always look gorgeous.

Oh. So will cookies. :)

Combining my obsession for patterns and contributing to funky food wraps for our fridges is such a delight. Thanks to Jessica Swift and your brilliant course: Pattern Camp! Woot! Love your work! I couldn’t have done this without you <3

Click the picture or this writing to get your pack now! Cheryl does mail order – like me! – so you can order these funky wraps from anywhere in the world…

Let us know how you go!

Talk soon,
Love Meg x o

PS There’s a cat picture that you’ve helped me name on instagram and facebook, and more “Work in Progress” art posts in the queue… so stay tuned. If you want to get blog posts and other sweet things direct to your InBox a couple of times a month, sign up for my eLetters here.

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Work in Progress: Speak With Love

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Tangerine MegOctober 12, 2016

Remember in my previous Work in Progress post, I mentioned a Facebook conversation that changed my entire approach to colour schemes? Thanks to Leela Sinha, this series of 6 pieces are way more colouful and interesting than they might have been.

As with the Friends: Luka, Pace and Joy image, when I made the initial lino prints, the plan was to make all the peoples’ skin a pale-ish colour. I wasn’t even looking forward to painting them all the same as each other. I knew I wanted to do 6 images, though.

Then came the conversation with Leela. I’m so glad she was honest with me in our exchange – I can be obtuse/overcautious sometimes! Leela’s message? “Yes. Please, represent us!”. With ‘permission’ offered, I launched into a happy frenzy of a more colourful world, embracing the inherent beauty of diverse skin colors. I don’t need to be told twice to add more colour!

This isn’t a “Limited Edition Lino Print“. It’s 6 different colour schemes on the same lino outline, and is classified a printers proof – each hand labelled by me with “PP” at bottom left corner.

Random Fact: Did you know you can buy blue lipstick on etsy?

I ended up having so.much.fun playing with the colourful adornments and, like last time, finding great joy in a happy spectrum of hues!

This series of PPs makes me so happy! Do they make you happy too? A little extra demonstration that being inclusive makes things richer. Better.

Can’t wait to show you the colourful ‘pirate girls’ print, probably next week. It was influenced (again) by the pivotal conversation with wonderful Leela, and a podcast! Stay tuned…

Have a gorgeous week!
Love Meg x o

PS Check out my new little Happiness and Mental Health board on Pinterest, started in commemoration of World Mental Health Day on October 11.

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Work in Progress: Friends Lino Print

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Tangerine MegOctober 10, 2016

lino print artwork of 3 friends with dark, light, medium skin colours, with a backdrop of green hills and blue sky

I’ve been thinking about friendship, diversity and community, and one morning jotted this visual idea in my notebook. (Do you do morning pages, too?) It’s three friends – based loosely and composite-ly on people I know – which later got a background of the pretty Willunga hills.

biro sketch in a note book for Friends lino print

You can see by the pencil writing at left, I was toying with the ideas and words of Luka & light, Pax & peace, Joy (joy), freedom & happiness. I percolated on these ideas and ideals, while I made the lino artwork. First I drew upon and carved the lino – you can see the plan for the friends’ hair has been reversed – then made the print of the lines I wanted:

printed Friends lino print, not yet painted, features 3 friends in a garden with hills in the background

Then it was time to paint. Usually I look at the skin on my own hand, and think “I want to be global and inclusive but I can only tell my own story, right?” (There’s recently been a concept of cultural misappropriation flying around too. I don’t even know how that fits in.)

A Facebook friend made a perfectly timed request of her artist followers to ‘… represent folk of different coloured skins’! The newly requested option for a full spectrum of skin colours felt liberating, and the range of human browns has happily opened a whole new world of vibrant colours that are fantastic alongside them!

This also lets me express, even if simply, my global village view that we can all live cooperatively and peacefully on our dear little earth ship, that we’re all equal and valuable and part of the story. (And all needed to together cease hate and destruction.)

Partially painted lino print artwork

Although this final lino print is of course more developed than the initial basic sketch, it has none-the-less got the original spirit. That makes me happy.

Finished lino print: Friends, Luka Pace and Joy (Light, Peace, Joy)

I’m enjoying stepping onto a more inclusive, diverse path, in this picture and others in my recent Happy To Be Here Exhibition. In due course, I’ll put up posts for “Speak With Love” and “Cuss Like Sailors, Hug Like Angels” and you’ll see how they all weave together. Todays post is the first in the series.

When have you made a quick note to yourself and it’s helped to remember an idea or insight? And when has a note or squiggle turned out to be indecipherable later, and you’ve no idea what you’d intended? I’ll bet that’s happened to us all, too!

Talk soon,
Love Meg x o

PS Click this if you’d like to check out my Bold Souls Pinterest board to see some of the people who inspire me.

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Exhibition debrief: Happy To Be Ourselves

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Tangerine MegOctober 8, 2016

Header image for "Happy to Be Here project debrief - Happy to Be OUrselves" featuring double exposure photographic self portrait with textures.

My Happy To Be Here Exhibition is already over! I can barely believe it. I’m glad we have the Happy To Be Here Project video to watch:

In a flurry of a few short weeks, the year-long planning, artwork making, promotion, preparation, lugging of (carefully cushioned) paintings around in my sweet blue car, painting of finger nails, spotty dress choosing and strategic timing of leg shaving, is all over.

Here’s a re-cap in the form of blog posts:

Out and About in Goolwa. Exhibition Launch post. Happy To Be Here video on YouTube. And, the Happy To Be Here Project: The Explanation Page. The first Happy To Be Here Project report post, Happy To Be Here Project report 2, & the third Happy To Be Here Project progress report.

Thank you for your support!

Thank you! Whether you sent in a photo for the Happy To Be Here Project, encouraged me, bought art, cards or calendars at the exhibition or elsewhere, read a blog post, or enjoyed / commented on / shared a blog post, newsletter or social media post … Thank you so much. It means a lot to me, dear bold soul, everything really. I’m honoured if a piece of my writing or bold art has resonated with you, and you choose to have it / me as company in your life.

What’s next?

Shall we keep walking the talk and talking the walk? Knowing that we’re still Happy To Be Here, where ever we may be. Happy to be ourselves. And, like in permaculture (and other civillised societal models): care for others.

With 20+ years since my previous solo exhibition, I’d better plan the next after a smaller interval! I’ve a sense of urgency to continue along this path, ‘specially now I’ve solidly passed 50 years of age! I’m not even sure exactly what I’m urgent about, but I need to find out and feel there’s no time to waste!

Happy To Be Tangerine Meg

Here’s one of the photographic self portrait or 7 I took when collecting the remaining artworks, ‘cos we had to take down the sign ready for the next show:

photographic self portrait by Tangerine Meg beside sign saying "Happy To Be Tangerine Meg" and overlaid with scratchy blue and green paint texture

By the way, did you do anything for UN Peace Day on September 21st? Click this to watch a super short peace day video if you like.

Have a wonderful week!
Talk soon,
Meg x o

PS If you’re getting organised for Christmas – I know you’re good at planning ahead like that – and you’d consider some (or all) of your friends to be art loving bold souls, you can shop online for cards here and calendars here. (Join my list to get 10% off calendars). Share along, lovelies, there are buttons ‘specially for that below! Thank you <3 <3

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Happy To Be Here: Exhibition Launch

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Tangerine MegSeptember 8, 2016

Woot! My Happy To Be Here art exhibition launched officially last Friday!

photographic self portrait, overlaid with header text in chunky font

Here is a visual story of the exhibition launch afternoon.

Let’s begin with: me with a double ‘exposure’ (from Diana Photo App) outside the venue, the Old Goolwa Police Station gallery. It was a most gorgeous afternoon – the blue and white sky part of the pic was taken the same day. Note my Christine Pyman aerialist earrings. #kindredspirit

Smiling woman, Tangerine Meg, wearing a black jacket with embroidered collar and matching silver earring, looks into the camera, as she stands in front of a brick-framed arched doorway with blue wood and glass panels

Here’s how the building entrance was set up… *High 5* to Leah, for her perfect picture/type/cat welcome display design.

Looking into a red brick building through a blue door frame, is seen a white wall with a painting displayed. Underneath the picture are the words "Happy To Be Here" and "Tangerine Meg" with an arrow pointing left, and a sticker of an orange cat perched just above the skirting board.

In the entryway picture ^^^ at left you can see the old cell doorway (from when the building was a police station).

Below is the Now Always Open door, which has project-announcing bunting drawing you in to watch the Happy To Be Here Project video! Hoorah!

Thank you, if you played by sending in photos for my Happy To Be Here Project! I appreciate that so much. If you can’t make it to Goolwa (South Australia) this month, for now check out the trailer here, to get a sense of the pace, the music, the feel, etc. In early October, I’ll upload the full 6-minute video to You Tube for all to see.

white room with circle bunting leading from a white barred door to a TV on a red bench. Both the bunting and the screen shot spell out: Happy To Be Here Project.

Here’s me in my spotty exhibition launch dress in front of one of our happily inherited-from-previous-exhibition orange walls…

South Australian woman artist, Tangerine Meg, wears a purple and green/blue spotty dress, and stands in front of an orange wall with framed pictures hanging on it.

Here’s wonderful Loreen, an artist in her own right, who has exhibited nearby. Smiling woman in blue top and holding red and black graphic design bag, standing near art exhibition works hung on 2 walls, one wall of which is painted orange.

Me (again) with a friend, author Susan Fitzgerald.

Tangerine Meg and author Susan Fitzgerald standing in fromt of orange wall displaying framed brightly coloured lino prints and watercolours

Getting good mileage out of that one orange wall for photos at the exhibition launch, right? It was such a gorgeous colour, it made everything wonderful – ‘specially in the afternoon sunlight!

I took friends, invited guests and the gorgeous gallery-sitting volunteers for a walk and talk (aka. the Artist’s Talk) around the pictures at 4.30pm.

At 5.30pm Rene Strohmeyer did a mindful, beautiful, ‘gets it’ exhibition launch speech. Thank you!

[I was so rivetted/engrossed that I have zero pictures! Were you there? Did you take any pictures? Could you help me tell this story? … I’m glaringly missing photos of venue manager Leah & launch speaker Rene; though your point of view of any part of the launch would be of value. I’d love to add them to this post – of course with credit to you, and a link to your online presence if you have one.]

Susan Fitzgerald, seen above, read out this Sylvia Plath quote – so beautifully she got applauded. The Plath quote inspired this hand painted lino print image, “First Fig”.

Lino print of young adult reaching for high purple figs alongside a Sylvia Plath quote from The Bell Jar about just such a life stage Here are Philippa and I – our feet at least – after the official exhibition launch.

Camera looking down and 2 people facing each other's shoes standing on dark wood floor

Here are some general shots of lovely folk…

delightful bold souls mingling, chatting and smiling at the launch of Happy to Be Here exhibition; the room is high of ceiling, with walls lined with framed pictures; the floor is dark timber.

Panos (panorama photos) are fun and entirely possible on one’s phone. Seems rather advanced functionality for such a little device! Here are two.

a panoramic shot around a large room, with folk almost silhouetted attending an exhibition launch.

Above, the big (courthouse) room, and below the clerk’s room (the one with the orange wall we loved).

gallery patrons discussing art at a gallery launch

These folk are old hands (hah, get it?) at feet photos as they joined in with in the Happy To Be Here Project!

photo of feet at an exhibition launch

Nice old floorboards, right? … Another good photo background provided by the venue!

Join my newsletter list, to get more behind the scenes photos, like of the talismans I wore and the little walk I took my introvert self on around Goolwa prior to the exhibition launch!

I’m going to have a nap now.
Talk soon,
Meg x o

PS If you’ve some photos with which you can fill gaps in this story, please send via Facebook upload, or email to me.

PS2 If you’d like to review my exhibition/launch on your blog, give me a shout out and I’ll link to your review!

PS3 If you can get to Goolwa this month, this very art exhibition runs until September 27.

PS4 Can’t get to Goolwa and want to buy one of my pictures? Ring Leah and she’ll make it happen, on +61 8 8555 7289 international (enter the dial out code for your country first) or 08 8555 7289 from within Australia.

PS5 Thank you for reading all the way to here! You’re awesome :) x o

Pave

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Happy To Be Here Project video – one minute trailer

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Tangerine MegSeptember 7, 2016

How exciting! I got this neat software called Filmora, and made the Happy To Be Here Project video!

The full 6-minute video will screen in person, for the first time, throughout my September Happy To Be Here exhibition. In the meantime, here’s a 1-minute trailer. I look forward to sharing the full 6-minute video early in October :)

Thank you if you sent a photo or encouragement. It was all helpful!

Love Meg x o