blog : Page 14 of 16 : alena hennessy

A Year of Painting Giveaway!

December 15, 2014December 26, 2014

So the time is drawing near to begin a fresh 365 days of my most popular e-course to date, A Year of Painting. What an enriching and whole-hearted experience the first year was. It warms my creative heart to read the feedback given, with phrases coming out from participants like now I believe “anything is …

Soul Painting Retreats 2015

December 8, 2014December 9, 2014

With much reflection and consideration, I have decided to host two retreats next year near my beloved and beautiful town of Asheville, NC in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Please take a moment to read about both offerings below. Space is limited in each, with special attention given to what I would just love and need …

What brings you joy?

October 28, 2014November 24, 2014

“Dare to love yourself as if you were a rainbow with gold at both ends.” — Aberjhani “Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves …

Current Colorway Inspirations *

October 15, 2014October 21, 2014

Been painting up a storm for my Year of Painting classes and these are my current favorite color combinations. I love how color can cause us to think outside of our creative box! I have been really trying to push my typical color range into new hue fields and relationships.

Current Turn-Ons

October 5, 2014October 5, 2014

The gorgeous work created in my Year of Painting class, starting with Jennifer Sheffield Currie (top), Cathrin Gressieker and Tara Francesca (just above). These two created by the wondrous Julia Godden in our Co-Lab offering. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for the absolutely amazing women I get to interact with daily through my online …

The Overflowing Heart + LifeBook Giveaway

September 23, 2014October 6, 2014

UPDATE: the winner is Genevieve Camp!! Thank you everyone for entering. Be sure to sign up for Life Book right here! “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The …

True Gifts of Collaboration

September 16, 2014September 21, 2014

This mixed media photo painting was one of the most fulfilling projects I have taken on in a very long time. Learn how to create dynamic work such as this in Co-Lab. There has been a very special project I have been involved with all year that I have kept pretty mum about… until today. …

True Love Will Find You in the End

September 5, 2014September 19, 2014

“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” – Edgar Allen Poe “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” – Paulo Coelho “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt Lately I’ve been …

Sneak Peak into My New Book!

September 1, 2014September 21, 2014

It’s here! It’s here! I am over the moon thrilled. The pre-order price is unbelievable (only $11.35 at the last time I checked) and it begins shipping early next month. Several of you have been asking for a sneak peak inside, and it just so happens that I have the only copy available. So here’s …

Current Turn Ons

August 29, 2014August 31, 2014

Nothing quite like a freshly organized new studio… New licensing deals happening at Uncommon Goods (they are such a great company to work with!) Taking time to heal and become more whole again after some serious setbacks. Planning gatherings for next year to create and circle round with brilliant and amazing women… Capturing light. More …

Art Transforms Life

July 21, 2014

Lately I’ve been pondering just how much art making, painting, and active creative pursuits have impacted my life. I began to realize that it’s influenced so much…perhaps everything. For this, I am endlessly thankful, in fact I often tag my Insta photos with #thankfulartistgirl. It just fits. So I thought I’d write a simple post …

Current Turn Ons

July 7, 2014September 19, 2014

“I live my life in widening circles that reach out across the world.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke, Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God “We need, in love, to practice only this: letting each other go. For holding on comes easily; we do not need to learn it.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke, Translations from …

The Tonic of Wildness

June 11, 2014June 11, 2014

“We need the tonic of wildness…At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”–Henry David Thoreau The following photos are …

Cara Italia, My Love is True

May 26, 2014September 21, 2014

I happen to believe we have kindred spirits all over this Earth, which for me, is most delightful especially when they are of the creative kind. These kindred beloveds can also be countries, or certain parts of the world. Fifteen years ago when I was the ripe age of 22, I discovered my first true …

Transformation can be gorgeous thing.

April 30, 2014May 1, 2014

(as well as graceful and utterly blissful — especially when paint is involved)! Registration is now open! Read all the details here.

Let the Season of the Wheel Move You

April 27, 2014April 29, 2014

Let it come to move you. The sounds, colors, lines, rhythmic patterns, shapes of new growth… Let this Season of Spring, the soft buzzing, delicious blossoms dripping with nectar, hues so fresh and alive, make your way into your creation. Any creation. Take a walk: get down and become small. Notice the tiny details, the …

Together in Sweet Creation

April 14, 2014April 15, 2014

I just returned from teaching a series of workshops out on the West Coast. The first week of teaching proved rather challenging, with me catching one of the worst bugs I have ever had. The second week I came back to life and rocked 3 workshops in a row. I keep learning more of what …

Q + A with Students from My Grace Class

March 25, 2014March 25, 2014

Last night I facilitated a live web chat with an opening meditation followed by Q + A session from some of my students. Many great questions were asked, related to business, staying inspired, and making it happen for yourself. Enjoy! Here is a 30 minute clip during the heart of the Q + A: To …

Inviting Grace

February 2, 2014February 13, 2014

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the …

Co-Creating in San Miguel de Allende

January 27, 2014January 28, 2014

This was such an awesome experience for so many reasons. Bright fluid movements with paint, ink, and other materials used as a medium to come together in the spirit of passionate collaboration. The themes of ease, flow, letting go, trusting yourself and learning/unlearning all took place. Flora Bowley hosted this delicious occurrence. What a treat …