Joos's journal

03-04-2020

Peaceful and joyous

Sometimes the painting process requires a real transformation.
This "Earth angel" appeared during a "Mother Earth" course with Michal Shimoni.
Initially she was very stressed, with dark lines in her face.
When I made her more ethereal, her expression disappeared, and I still wasn't happy with her.
Michal advised me via the Internet to bring more contrast.
Eventually, intuitively, I felt that the holy erotic wanted to participate and I used orange to cheer her up.
It worked.
She is now peaceful and joyous at the same time.

 

20-03-2020

The power of peace

I made this painting during a course with Michal Shimoni.
Tree Spirits was the theme and during the painting process I felt the tranquility I also feel in trees.
I asked: ‘What is your message?’
Have faith.
Keep the outside world out.
We are your friends.
‘How can I find my rhythm of life now that everything is stagnating and meetings are canceled?’
Let your own life reverberate.
‘Will you help me to do that?’
Sure, as long as you listen to your inner urgings.
‘Thank you.'

 

13-03-2020

The Art of Allowing

Now that many activities are canceled it feels good to be at home, needing quiet time, reconsidering what I find important.
Deep listening, painting, feeling...
It is truly the Art of Allowing through discovering what wants to happen and what brings me joy.
The task at hand seems to be to find out how we can be aligned with ourselves in a deeper way.

 

02-02-2020

Longing

There is a Power that leads us by letting us know what warms us, feeds us, brings us joy.
This Power is always here, even though we often don't listen to it.
It feels like a deep wish, a deep desire, a longing that is not always fulfilled immediately.
It is a signpost on our way to a fuller life.
In my book Wholeness complete I write, May my search for Light be life-enhancing.
This still rings true. It's an inner compass.
I want to listen to this depth, over and over.
It is the voice of my soul, my authenticity.

 

31-01-2020

Poetry

Since the death of my dear husband, I move through a period of transition.
I feel that a deeper layer of myself wants to present herself.
My thinking mind cannot make sense of this, and that’s why I have planned to write a poem every day, so that irrational thoughts get a chance to guide me in setting the course that’s indicated by my deeper self.
I'm glad I can write again.

 

13-01-2020

We are held

Sometimes the masculine appears in my paintings, even though I intend to paint the feminine.
Two years ago I started this painting, and when I saw the image I didn't like it at first, but I could not do much about it.
In the meantime, my life has changed. My dear husband died.
The painting offers me comfort, because I see that he is in safe hands.
I also realize the importance of the masculine power that is part of me: The capacity of manifesting in the world, of bringing forward my deeper longings.
To not only listen to my desires, but also take initiative to bring them into form.
A new road has opened. I'm curious.

 

03-11-2019

Moon priestess

The wish to paint ever more freely from the inside is still here and leads to experimenting with new ways.
I made this painting during a Moon Magic course with Michal Shamoni.
The substrate was made rough with pumice stone gel and glass bead gel.
The woman is the connection between light and dark and between the right hand and the left.
It is a warm painting.

 

19-10-2019

School

At times life is a school where we learn to remain peaceful and calm, even though circumstances are difficult.
I see this in my own life with a spouse who has dementia and overcoming stress was also one of the themes of a forum for mothers of SOS Children's Villages in Uganda.
I was there to teach painting.
As a mother, we tend to occupy ourselves with the others and during the forum the mothers were the ones who received the attention.
It was a rich, instructive, inspiring experience.
We concluded that we have grown more empowered as we have overcome difficult circumstances.

 

23-07-2019

The Art of Allowing

 

Both in our daily lives and in painting we can practise The Art of Allowing.
We do not have much to say about what happens to us and tomorrow everything may be different.
Opening myself for this is the challenge and through painting I practise to follow my heart and learn to allow what wants to happen.
I made this painting when I taught the method to someone else and the image reminds us to receive what's good.
She looks contemplative to me and expresses how I feel.

 

09-05-2019

Beyond words

I made this painting in one day, as a preparation for a one day painting lesson I am going to give.
I used loose brushstrokes and it feels to me that the image is beyond words.
The bird above her head appeared by itself.