From doodling to jacket

I’ve never been the mandala type. I can appreciate their precise beauty, but it doesn’t suit my nature. When I tried to draw mandalas and listen to my inner voice, the result was not symmetrical or classically beautiful. I got crazy colorful doodles instead. So, they lay at the bottom of a drawer for years.  

I gave them a second chance to live when I learned how to create tile patterns. Using a very simple method I succeeded, and the “crazy faces” pattern was born. Among many others, this one most reflects who I am.

Crazy faces pattern

For a long time, I wanted to sew clothing from fabric with my own pattern on it. But I don’t like to wear synthetic fibers that most printers print custom patterns on. That’s why I postponed my dream until recently. My “crazy faces” pattern kicked me forward and I decided to order a softshell for a winter jacket.

printed fabric

I should note that I sew everything by hand, so the winter jacket was a big challenge and took a long time.

me in jacket

Eureka, it’s done! I like to wrap myself in an energy that is all my own. I feel safe and happy.

Love and hugs,

Ivana

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Obsessed with autumn leaves

I have a few posts in my head and since the first snow has fallen today, it’s the last time to write about autumn leaves.

I love the autumn colors every year, but this year I was completely obsessed. When I was not looking at the overall composition, I carefully inspected the shapes and colors of the individual leaves along the path.

I tried to paint the leaves by memory several times, but finally I kept bringing colorful trophies from my walks, according to which I drew and painted mostly with watercolor or ink pencils.

Hope you will like some of them!

With love and warm autumn greetings,

Ivana

Always watched

Recently I felt lonely, so I was looking for relaxation in drawing. Putting confidence into my intuition and the ally of colored pencils, I was curious about the outcome.

And voila! Soon it became clear that I was drawing an eye. Why? I didn’t care at that time. I just kept drawing and stopped feeling lonely. Something new was being born and it gave me company.

As the drawing grew more and more precise, the more relaxed I felt. As if the eye knew all my pain and sadness, as if it contained all understanding and wisdom.

Although the drawing isn’t proportionally perfect, it has become my beloved friend and supporter in difficult times. Although my human friends call it sad, stressed or even chaotic, I still love it.

Hope you’d feel some impact as well. Double hope it’s positive!
Love, Ivana

Rose of my heart

Many call it weed, complain about ugly smell of blossoms, but they run to it for help in case of heart weakness. Yes, I’m talking about hawthorn (Crataegus) from the Rosaceae family.

I love hawthorn since childhood, mom taught me to know its taste and healing value. To be honest, I prefer hawthorn to a thousand beautiful roses. All the fragrant roses fit into well kept gardens around noble houses, but it’s not me.

I have a thorny nature and hard stone inside. More likely you can meet me on a walk in the forest or wild nature than elegant in the city or artistic garden. I can do it as much as hawthorn. There are cultivars that grow in urban parks, but they almost lost their healing effects through breeding.

I spent a long period of my life in a busy city and I wasn’t unhappy. But I was slowly losing my basic essence, which was pointed out by my physical body. When I was finally willing to admit it and change my lifestyle, the body began slowly to recover.

My whole lifestyle has changed from busy to slow but I have time to see the beauty of life in great details and enjoy it better. From time to time I watch things that I already knew as a little girl. And that’s why I devoted my colorful drawing to all the hearts and healing power of weed roses like hawthorn.

Love, Ivana

Quo vadis?

The end of the calendar year is coming quickly. It’s time of balancing and planning. We look back to analyze mistakes, recall successes and compile list of resolutions to make following year even better.

How far does the influence of our will go? I have no doubt that will and determination are essential but not absolute. For example, I experienced how one infected tick bite ruined my plans for many months. I had to slow down my lifestyle, change priorities and focus my will in new directions.

And you know what? As soon as the body began to recover, the most difficult part was to stop fighting with destiny. I lost other months by trying to get myself back instead of going forward and accepting the change of course.

I wish to be more flexible and less proud, so I drew the picture to remind me, that limitations exist and some of them must be accepted.

And maybe in the future I will even understand that the small infected tick was an important tool of destiny, leading to happiness and prosperity. Who knows?

So I would like to wish all of us what somebody wise has already said before. Keep courage to change things that can be changed, keep humility to accept things that cannot be changed, and be wise enough to recognize the difference between.

Happy New Year!
Ivana