Do ever stare at your canvas and never know what to paint? Starting from scratch can be a daunting task. But it doesn't have to be this way - here are a few helpful tips to get you started.

I'll use my current project - a painting for my brand new, first ever niece, Freya. She was born in October this year. Freya lives in London with my sister, Sophie and her husband Dean. So far she has not been to her home-home as she was born 6 weeks premature and is in the Neo-natal unit. I am going over in November to see her and want to take a yummy painting over to christen her room. I also want the painting to be a source of comfort and spiritual strength while she is so young and vulnerable.

1. First of all I think about who the painting is for

2. Then I let my intuition guide me. Int his instance I received clear instructions to paint a fairy.

3.Then I start to do some research. I goggled images of fairies and saved them to a folder called Freya's painting.

Part of this research also means going back to who the painting is for. I looked up my nieces name, Freya. Here is what I found on Google:

In Norse mythology, Freya is a goddess of love and fertility, and the most beautiful and propitious of the goddesses. She is the patron goddess of crops and birth, the symbol of sensuality and was called upon in matters of love. She loves music, spring and flowers, and is particularly fond of the elves (fairies). Freya is one of the foremost goddesses of the Vanir.

She is the daughter of the god Njord, and the sister of Freyr. Later she married the mysterious god Od (probably another form of Odin), who disappeared. When she mourned for her lost husband, her tears changed into gold.

Her attributes are the precious necklace of the Brisings, which she obtained by sleeping with four dwarfs, a cloak (or skin) of bird feathers, which allows its wearer to change into a falcon, and a chariot pulled by two cats. She owns Hildesvini ("battle boar") which is actually her human lover Ottar in disguise. Her chambermaid is Fulla. Freya lives in the beautiful palace Folkvang ("field of folk"), a place where love songs are always played, and her hall is Sessrumnir. She divides the slain warriors with Odin: one half goes to her palace, while the other half goes to Valhalla. Women also go to her hall.

The bits I have taken out of this to help inspire and guide my painting are:

She loves music, spring and flowers, and is particularly fond of the elves (fairies).
(see how my intuition already told me fairies were going to be important!)

Freya is a goddess of love and fertility, and the most beautiful and propitious of the goddesses

Her attributes are the precious necklace of the Brisings

Freya lives in the beautiful palace Folkvang ("field of folk"), a place where love songs are always played

SO from this I am also sensing that a beautiful love poem may need to be included on the paper - perhaps just a few words. (I'm going to ask my daughter to come up with some words for her cousin - Hannah is a very gifted songwriter and singer.

4. Next I think about colours

NOTE: Nothing has been painted yet. Learning how to plan has helped my painting alot. I used to go around and around painting and re-painting because I had no idea what I wanted to paint. This was frustrating and also expensive as I went through lots and lots of paint.

When Planning colours I think about how I want Freya to feel when she looks at the painting. I want her to feel soothed, looked after, cared for, loved, strong, resilient, blessed, comforted, peaceful - all these things add up to happiness, but happiness as a colour is too loud, to bright - at least the way I see it.

I also want to capture and evoke the qualities and themes I have found in my research - growth, love, music, spring, flowers. So I am thinking about the colours of a delicate spring bouquet. So far I am seeing whites, pinks, blues and yellows.

As part of my colour research I am looking in florists shops and to nature. I am also looking a interior designers like Designers Guild and Nina Campbell who do great kids ranges. Children's books are another source of inspiration.

I also need to think about the room where she will be sleeping and where the painting will be hung. Given they are in London and I have not seen pictures of the room this is challenging. But I imagine it will be reasonably soft and neutral - how many people do you know that paint a new born babies room in loud, crazy colours.

5.To further cement my choice of colours and theme, I researched Freya's astrological sign - Libra. The following site revealed some interesting things http://www.novareinna.com/constellation/libraluck.html:

The lucky number for Libra is six (also known as the Hexad). It is the mystic number of Venus

Six represents family and symbolizes the home, parents, healers and counselors. It is representative of domestic bliss, responsibility, compassion, marriage and devotion. Six is also associated with fraternity and brotherhood...or sorority and sisterhood. It is the common bond of closeness between people, representing love, nurturing, harmony and justice. Six is the perfect divider of the circle

A mystic number represented in nature by the formation of crystals, honeycomb, snowflakes and flowers, six is a happy number with the power to ward off evil.

It is the number of luck and chance...life and strength...honesty and beauty..

he colors associated with the number six are all those within the blue family. Its peak tends to be during the daylight hours, with its natural element being earth and its associated gems being emeralds and turquoise.

Lucky Colours

The lucky colors for Libra are those in the pastel family, particularly sky blue and rose pink, which symbolize the heights attainable by spiritual and romantic love.

BLUE
Blue is the traditional color for sweethearts, possessing influences of love, peace and expressions of happiness

Blue is both serene and mentally calming. It is the color of clear communication. Blue is said to inspire the sense of infinite perspective. It enlarges the space and manifests the subconscious, giving the impression of clarity, affection and friendship. Blue separates from the reality, being attuned to dreams, and the endeavor of the supernatural Blue has the form of a circle, widening and dissolving into space. According to research, blue is the world's favorite color

Traditionally, blue is symbolic of the Virgin Mary and thus, is associated with girls who display similar pure qualities. In addition, it is the color of water and the sea, indicative of femininity and life. It symbolizes peace, stability, security and loyalty

Traditionally, blue is symbolic of the Virgin Mary and thus, is associated with girls who display similar pure qualities. In addition, it is the color of water and the sea, indicative of femininity and life. It symbolizes peace, stability, security and loyalty.

According to certain tradition, blue mirrors the color of the vast ocean surrounding the Japanese islands and is very commonly seen in Japanese art and clothing. In Christian symbolism, blue signifies the blue skies and/or the life-giving air. It is generally associated with hope or good health. Blue is an alternative color for the Season of Advent. It is symbolic of heaven and indicative of truth. In heraldry, blue is symbolic of truth and loyalty.

PINK
Psychologically, pink is a powerful color...a combination of the purity of white and the passion of red, which results in a color symbolic of gentle love and desire. It represents the feminine principle and survival of the species, symbolic of harmony and friendship as well as romantic love and affection. Pink is considered to encourage feelings of comfort and healing.

Considered to be a color associated with good health and life, people are often referred to as being "in the pink." In a sexual sense, pink is often thought to be symbolic of purity and pure love. This color is also associated with honor and morality. By tradition, pink is the color of baby girls as well as being the color of many newborn animals. Thus, it is representative of gentleness and new birth.


Other Favorable Colors: Orange - White - Lemon - Lilac - Lavender - Royal Blue - Navy Blue

Libra individuals generally prefer clothing in cheerful yet rather muted colors that create a mild, harmonious or soothing effect. They also tend to gravitate toward all types of understated and beautiful patterns ranging from damask to floral.

FLOWERS
Lucky Flower

The lucky flower for Libra is the rose. One of the earliest flowers known to man, it symbolizes love, hope and passion, as well as representing beauty and perfection.

The meanings of the colors of the rose are many. Below are a few examples:

Burgandy - Unconscious Beauty
Coral - Desire
Damask - Freshness
Dark Crimson - Mourning
Dark Pink - Thankfulness
Deep Red - Shame and Bashfulness
Lavender - Enchantment
Pale Pink - Grace and Joy
Peach - Immortality and Modesty
Pink - Perfect Happiness, Secret Love, Grace and Sweetness (and sometimes, Indecision)
Orange - Fascination
Red - Love, Respect and Beauty ("I Love You")
Red Rosebud - Pure and Lovely
White - Innocence, Purity, Humility, Secrecy and Silence ("I Am Worthy Of You")
White Combined With Red - Unity
White Rosebud - Girlhood
Yellow - Joy and Friendship

Gems

The lucky gem for Libra individuals born in September is the sapphire. They share this fortunate jewel with those Virgo individuals who were also born during the same month. The sapphire is also known as the Celestial Stone, Stone of Prosperity, Philosopher's Stone and Gem of the Heavens. This jewel is a member of the corundum family, a mineral composed of aluminium oxide and chrome...as well as extremely small proportions of other trace elements...which is the second hardest known substance after the diamond. According to some sources, the name sapphire derives from the Latin sapphirus, which means "dear to the planet Saturn." Other sources credit its origin from the Greek sappherios, which simply means "blue." It may be found in virtually any color, excepting red...a red sapphire is a ruby (also a member of the corundum family). The varying colors of the sapphire are said to possess the following particular properties:

Green - bringer of luck and prosperity.
Pink - encourages generosity, love and loyalty.
Dark Blue - inspires creative expression, intuition and meditation.
White - associated with self-appreciation and spiritual development.
Yellow - enhances intellect, study, knowledge, memory and, when worn next to the skin, attracts wealth.
Orange - also known as padparadscha and the most rare color for the sapphire, augments wisdom, optimism, renewal and atracts prosperity.

The lucky gem for Libra individuals born in October is the opal. Its name is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word upala or "treasure stone." It was later referred to in Latin as opalusopallios, meaning "to change color." In ancient times, the opal was accepted as a symbol of faithfulness and confidence. It is considered a stone of love,Asian cultures view this stone as a symbol of hope and loyalty.

Opals are considered to be very powerful in ritual magic. Since a quality opal contains every color of every other birthstone, it can be used or charged with all the energies and powers of the other gems combined, and can be used in place of any birthstone to cast spells, rituals or other mystical needs. It is often used to recall past lives...each color said to represent a previous incarnation. Fire opals (normally worn as a pendant on a gold chain) in particular are frequently utilized in money rituals to draw funds to those who are in need. Black opals are customarily the tools of choice for witches and magicians, who use them primarily to enhance their magical receptive or projection powers. Black opals worn near the heart on necklaces fashioned from gold are said to ward off evil, afford protection from the evil eye and provide safety for travelers who journey to faraway lands. The white opal, when used in rituals on the nights of the Full Moon, is thought to bring the powers of the Moon Goddess to full fruition in the practitioner.

Other Luck

FLOWERS/HERBS: Violet, White Rose, Love-In-A-Mist, Broom, Eyebright, Lily-Of-The-Valley, Mint, Geranium,
Kidneywort, Primrose and Strawberry
OILS: Camomile, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Peppermint, Pine, Spearmint, Rose, Birch, Cypress and Cedarwood
GEMSTONES: Lapis Lazuli, Emerald, Beryl, Jade, Turquoise and Sapphire
ANIMALS: Hart and Hare
TREES: Almond, Walnut, Plum, Myrtle, Apple and Cherry
BIRDS: Dove, Swan and Sparrow
METAL: Copper


You can view some of my completed paintings here


In November award winning artist Jane Kellahan is exhibiting some the work by former students. Click here for details and be sure to come along!