ZenZone #1 “Coming Home?” Intuitive Collage in 8.5x11” journal

ZenZone is what I teach people how to create for themselves…most any creative adventure can provide it…if you are familiar with the indiosyncracies (techniques, supplies) of that craft. Painting has been found to be the best way to create this feeling.

It happens when you have practiced it enough to have developed muscle memory that can automatically perform the task needed in a particular instance. Your mind can take a break, the negative voice quiets, and you are free to daydream. When you return, you feel as if you have had a restful nap. Akin to meditation, it allows your soul to rest, and heal.

All of us have “issues”…things we obsess about, things we just can’t avoid. I believe these things come in all shapes and sizes, all levels of soul-breaking intensity.

Those who have followed me know what my issue was…a top of the list intensity event. I felt like I was being “unbothered” if I took a minute to thing about something else. When my daughter died in our house fire on xmas morning, my world as I knew it died with her. I do not tell you this for pity, but to share how learning to paint literally saved my life.

I had to spend hours, weeks, months learning the basic stuff. Then, one afternoon, My niece and nephew were over and we were playing around painting. They had their stuff and I had mine. Something happened! I “woke” after an hour or so, during which I ceased to hear their chatter, and I had just completed the little study I had down.

As my skills grew, my ZenZone time did as well. I learned how to create an environment to trigger it and eventually extended it to 3-4 hours…about the entire time I was painting.

I share these tips with you as I teach you the fundamentals necessary to get you up to speed quickly.

The ZenZone program is free! Every Sunday I will release an overview of the week’s project, along with a link to a supply list and any downloads like the source photo and other materials.There is a Master Supply List and Project Schedule that covers the basic supplies I recommend for each medium I plan to explore with you. This will help you order what you need before the projects are announced.

On Mondays the weekly project video will be released. These are around an hour, so some projects will extend several seeks. This will make it easier to stay current, although the videos will remain available indefinitely.

On Tuesdays & Thursdays I will still do my scheduled Live videos (3:30-ish CST) where I work on something unrelated to the weekly project, but will open the opportunity for you to ask me any questions you have…and you can even share your project with the group by emailing an image to me. Should you have a webcam set up, you can go live with me to share!

We’ll explore anything I have an urge to paint from watercolor to collage, portraits to landscapes. I also take requests, so let me hear from you!

xxoo