An artist shares her experiences on creatively developing, tending to and nurturing her garden as spiritual sanctuary for herself, her friends and family. Gail Allen contributes her thoughts on creating a sacred space as an oasis for soothing your soul in today's busy world, enticing your senses and and fostering your own personal growth

Friday, February 13, 2009




New Beginnings and Changes for the New Year-

Currently, I am still working on three different series of work. I guess I am fickle, I change every few days from one series to the next. I find this is how I work best, staying fresh, although at times it can get extremely confusing - so I journal all thoughts and colors used as I work.
I also have undertaken revamping and changing the studio around after 12 years...a huge cleansing of many "saved" items. A bit daunting, to say the least but I am almost finished.
The photo above shows current works in progress. I am working on a new style, incorporating more creativity, exploration and, as a result, more fun. I don't believe in staying in a "safe" place with my work, I like to constantly challenge the extremes of where it can go. Sometimes it is rewarding, at others it can be frustrating because I can turn a painting that is going well into a disaster with one "new" decision to experiment a bit more. In the end, I believe that 's what creativity is all about. Hopefully the end result will be well received! All the best....