Louis Parsons - Release Your Power To Create

Feel Truly Alive In A Minute

You wake up. You slap your alarm clock (or in my case that would be a 2ft high handsome curly haired little boy who'd like to play with his cars)

You feel around in the dark for your dressing gown... Time for another day.

Another day... The thought of that to a dehydrated brain is not enlivening or awe-inspiring. It's drudgery and and hard work! That's why the very first thing you should do when you wake up is drink a big glass of water.

Even if you don't read anymore and you just do that... You'll have a WAY better day. 

But, as you may suspect, I have something more for you.

Now, I don't know if you are the most disciplined prayerful dude, or meditating dudette. Maybe you have your hour of silence tied down. You access the depths of inspiration, the vast reservoirs of latent possibility that reside within you on a daily basis that provide you with a foundation light, focus and engagement for an insanely productive day.

You might. Or you might not.

It always makes me smile when I read about the importance of a morning ritual to make the most of your day and your life. If only my 2 year old son had read the book aswell, then maybe my 6am start would be a little more contemplative than watching Cars 2 for the eighth time. (although we did both do a yoga move in front of waybulloo the other day .... "tree, daddy, tree!")

I don't have an hour... Maybe you don't.

But do you have a minute?

I bet you have a minute? Even you must have a minute a day that you can commit to developing your highest, best and deepest qualities as a human being.

I'll take that as a grudging yes.

Ok. I'll let you into a secret. It's a the foundation of a book that I am currently writing, and I call it "Soul Inspiration".

This is a very simple practice that condenses the best of visualisation, prayer, meditation, and... Breathing. You don't need to be spiritual to do it. You just need to be able to breathe :)

Firstly, let me sell you one few benefits. Many people advocate an hour of silence, prayer or meditation. Neuroscientists are now seeing the benefits of some kind of regular practise, to the physiology of the brain, including a vast reduction in age related illnesses, and brain shrinkage that can occur in later years. It's fascinating stuff.

But, you know what, you just feel better if you do it. Better about yourself, and better about life. You may even to get to free the world of some of your grumpier moods!

Most practises suggest using an object of some kind to focus on, wether its a scripture, a word, an image or your breath.

Now, being an artist, I thought I'd offer you an image that you can offer. It's a preliminary sketch of a new set of work that I will be working on in 2012 called "the soul chords". There will be 9 of them, and each one relates to a soul capacity that I have identified in my ten or so years of SoulScaping..

Take a look:





Soul Chord 1 - "Stillness"

Here we see a tiny figure near the top of "Stillness" representing your localised sense of awareness, the "I" that you believe lies on one side of your skin, behind your eyes somewhere. This is your starting point for the descent into what certain traditions call "the ground of all being". We start at the pinnacle of your true potential. See the gentle root-like tendrils that stretch down into the still, watery depths, navigating the strata of layers of incomplete life experience, until you find an inner chamber of openness and light.

This is the entry point into absolute stillness, and the vast spaciousness that is in the very depths of your soul, and beyond.

Here, very delicately stretched out, is a light body.. representing your infinity, God himself, waiting calmly in the stillness. Underneath all things lie the ever-lasting arms, waiting to give you the most gentle, warming embrace in absolute stillness.

Blues and whites represent stillness and calm, and pure divine energy emanating from the  infinite heart of God.


So here is the practise:

First, find a timer and set it to one minute.

Take the soul chord that you would like to develop, stillness for example. Place the image in front of you, or gaze at it on your wall. Place your self in the picture, swap places with the figure in the image. Take a a deep breath and feel deeply into this experience. What do you feel in your body, what textures can you sense? What sounds can you hear? What fragrance can you smell?

With each breath, with a soft gaze focus...  on the image and replay the experience until 30 seconds passes. Now close your eyes, and with each breath replay the experience, use your imagination to bring light, movement and light to it. Smell the smells, feel the textures, and let go deeply into this experience.

As you reflect on this piece, breath deeply, follow your breath into the depths of silence. Notice the space between your thoughts.... Feel deeper still and you find the chamber of infinity inside. Now... Rest.
When your timer goes off, gently open your eyes, observing what is different internally, and what you notice that is different in your surroundings

How did you find it?.

Please leave a comment below.

You see this isnt about the length of time you do something, it's about the quality with which you do some something.

And if you have a young family, or crazy morning like I often do, you can practise this in your room for one minute, in the shower... Or even on the loo! :) (Needs must sometimes!)

It can really set you up for the day, and make you realise that a truly inspired day is actually just a thousand moments that you have brought yourself too.

Give it a go and I look forward to hearing from you.

To your inspired 2012,

Louis 

Harnessing The Power Of Collective Vision

In essence, a vision is a picture. Its a possibility of how something can be.

I always find it funny that all too often this vision is then put into words. This is great for goal setting and planning, and thats essential. But in the translation of a written  “Vision Statement”... don't you find that some of the “juice” of that initial impulse gets a little lost? Have you got one? Its probably in a drawer somewhere... you probably did it as at workshop or a retreat a year or so ago.

How often do you look at it? Does it still give you the same energy as when you received it?

Ill be sharing a way, later on to revitalise some of the energy in reconnecting with the idea that arose from this initial creative impulse.

In the past Leaders have been they have been the ones with “The Vision” that others will follow, no matter what. We've all heard the old maxims “A leader is as big as his vision”. True enough, but this is a tiring reality. You have to continue to “share the vision” “encourage” “keep fighting on until the vision becomes a reality”. You have to lead people from the inner world of the idea, to the external world of systemic change right through to getting the paperwork right. 

You can imagine the headaches Moses went through! Its exciting enough to receive the vision in a blazing thunder-struck moment of brainstorming, but then the top down implementation of this vision is very “old school” to say the least. It may have worked at the base of Mt Sinai four thousand years ago, but does it work for you now?

Receiving the vision is a huge responsibility. But its implementation is considerably stressful. Do you ever feel a deep sense of relief when you let go of the vision you have been holding onto? Have you ever wondered why? 

Do you see anywhere else in nature where this “top down” approach to Leadership is effective? Ever see an ant, a bee, a dolphin, leading from the front? Holding the map? I realise that we are a little more complex than bees and dolphins, but lets face it, we are the only species that can actually despise who and what they are. You never find a dolphin with its head in its fins saying “I wish I were a porpoise?” With the self awareness (that we can only assume dolphins and bees dont have), we can chose a number of different things. We can choose to set a goal for ourselves. We can choose to like or despise other people... and we can choose to love or despise ourselves.

Right now we have some big choices to make, because so many of the current leadership models that we use are based on the newtonian and cartesian worldview that everything is tangible and measurable, and a system and a process. Processes and systems are important carriers of knowledge, information and exchange... but, if the light goes out in our hearts... then what are we exchanging with one another?

Valueless, meaningless nonsense, in exchange for valueless, meaningless nonsenses. 

How soul destroying.

Its no wonder the world seems on the verge of systemic collapse.

Now you could say that geese and dolphins have it easy. They have a simple existence. We are a complex species, and we need complex solutions. This is true. But when we connect with some of the simper truths at the core of our beings... then we can navigate this complexity with a whole new level of awareness. Maybe its a “simplexity”.

You may have come across the “Wisdom Of Flying Geese”:

By flying in "V " formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. 

 

Basic Truth #1- People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. 

 

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. 

 

Basic Truth #2- If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are heading in the same direction as we are. 

When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. 

The intrinsic nature of a held formation is effortless, particularly when everyone is heading in the same direction. Each person plays their part in holding the form of the whole. Its not so say that this is perfect, and that there are no problems. Every goose in this formation has a vested interested in holding the form of the whole. If one drops out, the whole fails to get to its destination. Each goose is a leader in this sense. There is an unsaid agreement... almost a covenant “we are getting from a to b.. our survival depends on it”. And out of this comes a genuine collaboration, communication and clarity around a clear aim.

The distinction between dolphins, geese and people is of course, self awareness (in my book, any species that surfs, plays and stays in the sea is very self aware, but enough of that for the moment.) With self awareness comes choice. And with choice comes the option to change. And with change comes the option to try and change yourself (because you hate what you do) and the others around you (because you hate what they do). And therein lies the greatest opportunity for our potential as a species. Despite where we have come from, and the hand we feel we may have been dealt, we can choose to orient ourselves to where we want to be, whilst being aware of where we have come from.

The control of external behaviours, in the name of culture change is partially effective, and in some societies, an absolute imperative, mainly when the society is on the verge of destruction. Coercion is needed to stop people from destroying themselves. A step up is rewarding good behaviour to motivate others. Many have found to their organisational loss just how quickly intrinsic motivation is sputtered out by external reward schemes.

But when you truly engage the heart centre of those around you, with a deep connection of the truths that we already all now to be true... and you align a common vision around that... Then a “Vision shared is a vision multiplied.” 

In fact, in the new economy that is emerging, Leadership is all about harnessing the power of collective vision. If your people are causing drag, and breaking formation... then they just don't have a vested interest in where you want to go as a whole. Either they don't understand the “vision”, they don't believe in the vision, or most likely, they just don't feel the vision. It doesn't connect... and therefore it doesn't engage.

What if we were to shift completely away from these idea of an external image, received by one and then transmitted to others... to connecting with the creative impulse inside all of us.... connecting with the inner image ... the inner vision of you will that already exists inside you and your team.

So, if you want to multiply your collective productivity and harness the power of collective creative impulse, here is a simple inquiry for you and your team:

 

1. Does your “vision” make you feel alive? Does it fully engage you heart body and soul? Are you willing to commit to it wholeheartedly for the next five years of your life? Is your life worth it? If not... why not? (Tip: Be honest!)
2. Does your vision make your team feel alive? If not?... why not (Tip: allow them to be honest!)
3. What are the life principles that you and your team agree on? Compassion? Integrity? High Performance? Happiness? Trust? Success?
4. Explore what each of these life principles looks like, feels like, sounds like for each one your team. Find individual times when you have experienced these principles in action. Ask them to think about it, write it down, then share it collectively.
5. Pool this together, and re-craft your collective vision. 

 

I trust that this provides fuel for collective inspiration for you and your team!

 

Create your future

After running an Art Of Authentic Leadership workshop, one of the first things that happens I see is a renewed energy to get creative. I see eyes alight and a new level of energy. I see the tip of a creative iceberg that comes alight... Neurons fire in a new way, synaptic connections are ablaze, and there is a commitment to do “that thing” that we know we should be doing.

 

“Im going to push forward that new initiative”

“Im going to use those paints sitting in the attic.”

“Im going to get writing.”

 

Quite often what happens is that, after this initial blast of energy.. the excitement subsides, life carries on, a few years go by... then there is a another wake up call of some kind, and we realize AGAIN what it is we know we should be doing.

 

Is this sounding familiar?

 

Its all very well having a little creative blast to blow the cobwebs away... but what about day to day? Where is that little spark... that subtle energy that puts us in that special state of aliveness into our work and our lives? Are you aware of it now? Can you sense it below the layers of a busy mind? Maybe its clear and bright right now, and its putting the spring in your step. If so, then that is fabulous. Take a look around you and notice the effect it has on those you interact with today.

 

Pretty soon we are caught up in the grooves we have carved for ourselves. Our daily routines, expressed in our thoughts feelings and behaviors. Before you know it, that spark becomes a little dull ache.. awaiting expression, once again

 

Lets consider a slightly broader perspective for a moment. The world is growing and developing. Its constantly in a state of flux and change. Its a vast and hugely complex place, at once incredible in its profound diversity and beauty, and frightening in the number of multilayered challenges it faces.

 

This is our story as a species. We face profound problems, and we overcome them in new, creative ways. We evolve... and here we are! 

 

Look back at where we have come from, at the extraordinary landscape of possibility, new knowledges and development... at all we have learned (sometimes through our repeated mistakes!) and its pretty amazing what we have achieved already. 

 

We are living in incredible, exciting times. We have an extraordinary vista of possibility in front of us. A vast blank canvas of options, outcomes and results, all of which are yet to be created. Think what would happen if we took the sum total of what we know, and what we have learned... took real stock of it, then walked into today knowing we can create what we want to create.

 

What if you approached everyday as though it were a blank canvas?

The thing is, most of us have already complete out canvas before we even start painting.

 

What does that mean?

 

We have already established our thought patterns, what we are going to do, and where we are going to end up before we set foot into our day. We will probably repeat about 80-90% of what we did today, tomorrow.

 

As a result, a lot of us are “sleep painting” through the partially completed canvas of our lives. (Sleep painting is like sleep walking, but with a paint brush in your hand).

 

A quick reality check: If you carry on sleep painting for the next 5 years, you will have painted a mess, and not event be aware that you are painting a mess. In fact, you will be so unaware of it, that you will blame others, and society, anything other than you.. for the mess that you have created. 

 

Look back over the past five years of your life. Have you ended up anywhere near where you thought you were going to be five years ago? Are you happy where you are now?

 

Tough questions to face, but face them we must.

 

Lets assume for a moment that you aren't entirely content with the sum total of your current reality. What can you do about it? What are the next steps? How can you make the next five years the most compelling, engaging, involved five years you have ever had?

 

Put simply, build your creative muscle. With consistent practise, and effort over time, you can have a more consistent, inspired, creative, daily experience.

 

Lets get practical. Here is a simple 3 step technique to integrate into your day that will help develop your creative muscles. Try it for 10 minutes a day for 5 days and see what benefits you experience. Many people report results such as:

 

• More effective decision making
• Greater focus and clarity even in busy, distracting environments
• A noticeably higher level of energy in approaching the tasks of the day
• Greater presence and awareness
• A deeper respect for colleagues, and an appreciation for the diversity of communication we face in the day

 

Sound like you could use some of that?

 

Well here it is:

 

1. Be still
2. Focus on what you want to create
3. Create your day

 

 

1. Be still

 

Its harder to be still than you might think. It take practise. Lots of practise, but as you develop this profundly powerful life skill you will experience greater centredness and integrity in your thoughts, your feelings and your behaviours

 

Take look at this picture:

 

Imagine you are figure on the bank of this river. Imagine that the river is the flow of your thoughts. You have several layers of thinking: Surface thoughts, day to day distracted ness, deeper, more creative thoughts... and at the deepest level, no thought... but a a profound sense of creative stillness.

 

The object of this exercise is simply, like the figure, observe your thoughts. Get a timer and set it for 5 minutes. Sit comfortably. Choose a word that represents to you opening to a higher or deeper place of being. An example could be “open” “love” or “peace” As your thoughts come down the mind stream just gently return to this single simple word, like an anchor in the depths of your being. Let the thoughts come and go through your mind. Do this as an act of focus, and when the time is just, just gently open your eyes.

 

 

1. Focus on what you want to create

 

You have probably written a mission, vision or value statement. (If you haven't got one, write one!) If you are anything like most people, you probably haven't looked at it for a while.

 

Take one aspect of this statement, and imagine what it would be truly like to be that way. Imagine that this thing is already achieved to perfection. What do you experience as it is achieved, what are you thinking, saying and doing?

 

Spend 2 minutes replaying this experience.

 

 

1. Create your day.

 

Holding onto the experience you have created... run through what you want to achieve today, your major opportunities, and tasks. Visualize the effect of bringing yourself in this new way to these tasks. Imagine them being completed with vigour and inspiration.

 

Are there any new approaches that can be taken? What can be done even better?

 

 

As a personal challenge, try this for 5 days. 

 

What happens to your week? Your productivity? The quality of your day to day living?

 

What obstacles do you face?

 

Would love to hear your comments and thoughts!

 

The Transformation of Humanity

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Watching paint dry...

Sometimes there's a lot to be said about watching paint dry. It's like watching a flower grow or the sun go down below the horizon. It is deeply relaxing. It's a reminder of our true natures as you sink into the tranquility within. Slowly, imperceptibly, inevitably, shapes take form as the paint dries. There is the occassionally intervention by myself as I shape this process of allowance. The flow of colours begin to manifest something wonderful that previously didn't exist. What an honour it is to be a creator!

Tillys SoulScape helped raise £380,000 for charity

Its not often you get to hear Peter Andre doing a sound test, and it took me about 20 minutes before I realised who it was as I was setting up my easels in the foyer of The Battersea Evolution.

I have to admit, he was pretty good….

Tillys Piece looked stunning under the impressive lighting

The evening began to unfold with a number of acrobatic artists, gently lowering themselves from the suspended butterfly shaped frames set in the ceiling of the marquee.

The evening was in full sway, and I shook Leona Lewis’ hand as I talked to one person after the next about SoulScaping, I got a number of raised eyebrows, and a few “wows”! (which was nice).

My most memorable meeting of the evening was with Bruce Forsyth, but unfortunately I got to speak to him when Elton John was in full swing doing an incredible set. Bruce just looked at me with a frustrated look on his face and pointed repeatedly to his ears shaking his head. He did seem to understand the  two lovely ladies next to me (who wanted their picture taken with him) perfectly!

About an hour into the evening I interrupted a conversation between John Caudwell and Liz Hurley (as you do) to say thankyou to John for his very Kind words about Tillys SoulScape. It was then that he said;

 “Would you like to say a few words about it on stage?”

I couldn’t quite believe my ears. I said “Yes”. Not having a clue what I would say.

As I sat backstage (a few more kind words form Sarah Ferguson about my artwork as she walked past) my heart was pounding in my chest. I was deliberately trying to keep my mind blank, because I knew if I tried to come up with something clever to say, it would sound… well not clever. Tilly and her parents were right next to me, and they seemed perfectly calm.

I was carrying the painting with one of the guys from Caudwell Children (all 120 cm x 150 cm of it!) when Tillys mum, holding Tillys work of art, with seconds to go before we were to be invited in stage, suddenly said to me, “Can you hold this for me, I need the loo.”

I honestly didn’t know what to do.  My world froze for a moment as I considered the options. Say yes and put the Put the painting down. Say “No way!”. Then she smiled a very cheeky smile, and said “Only joking!”

We walked onto the stage, and John Caudwell gave a very moving talk about the work of Caudwell Children, and a very powerful video was shown about the work done by this incredible charity. You can see that here:

I was given a microphone. My heart was now in my mouth.

I have no idea what I said, but here is a video that I put together about the major aspects of Tillys SoulScape:

Apparently It was received very well. I think I even got a round of applause.. its all a bit of a blur! Tilly spoke beautifully about her piece that was full of diamonds and sparkles, and that Sir Elton John had signed for her!

 Then the bidding began, and I just fixed a big smile on my face… The final outcome for the combined lot was £380,000! That’s enough to buy 19 of Tillys specialised wheelchairs that help her move and dance, and give her a fresh lease of life.

I just want to say thankyou to all of you for your support and kind comments.

It was an incredible evening, and its been a true honour to be part of such an incredible charity.

The Depths Of The Ocean, the Power of The Soul - Part 2

The ocean is filled with power and beauty. 

To explore it, we have to have adapted ourselves to its rules. When we do, what was previously terrifying becomes something that creates wonder and awe within us.

Once a few myths have been dispelled, and we become more at ease with this new sense of movement, and new rules of being, we begin to actively pursue what we were previously afraid of.

Lets take sharks for example. You can thank the film “Jaws” for every fear you have of sharks. There are more people struck by lightning every year than there are shark attacks on human beings. 

 In over 400 million years of the evolution of sharks, (We have only been on the planet for about 3 million years, and diving for around 100) they have yet to think that we are food. Sharks eat fish and seals, not people. They will actively swim away from you most of the time, unless driven to aggression by stupidity.

They are incredibly beautiful creatures. Many times on the Great Barrier Reef, I would swim gently upto white tip reef sharks. During the day they could be found sleeping on the ocean floor… With very slow movement, and using my breath to gently descend, I could lie next to sharks to within a metre or so, and look them in the eye. White tips are not just “grey”. There skin has a pearlescent sheen of pinks and purples. Breathtaking.

So, what leviathan do you carry around beneath the surface of your being? What powerful fears do you remove yourself from? With patience, and acceptance, you can look them in the eye, turn them to the light, and re-integrate them into the fabric of your being.

 

Here is a small video that I shot underwater in Egypt and Mexico of a few beautiful underwater sights. Spend a couple of minutes admiring the elegance of movement, and the dance of form. I hope it inspires you to practise some stillness, and experience the power and beauty of your soul.

Following the video there is a few works of art one of which I have just created. I haven’t titled it, but it is inspired by the subtle and elegant movement of the eagle ray.  There is a connection between the dance of its movement through the water, and the subtle energies of the soul. I hope you like it.

The music in this video was commissioned and created by Naomi Hayley Barker.  You can hear more of her beautiful, inspired music here. 

Finding inspiration

Just finished this! It's a close up. Hopefully it'll dry in time for the exhibition!

The Depths Of The Ocean, the Power of The Soul...

When you consider the ocean how does it make you feel? Excited? Awestruck? Terrified?

Diving has played a part in the development of my life and my art. Initially I did it to get paid work whilst I was travelling, but I soon became absolutely enthralled with the underwater world.

 

“Is that why you paint so much blue?” you might ask J. Maybe. I just cant seem to get away from the depth of calmness and peace that Pthalo blue, and cerulean hue gives me as I paint. It’s the closest I get to sharing with you the experience of deep calmness that comes from practising stillness.

That to one side, there are many parallels with diving the depths of the ocean, and exploring the power and beauty of the soul. This is the first of three parts to share with you just how much of an effect diving has had on my art, and my life.

The first parallel is that you have to adapt yourself to whole new set of rules. Movement under the waves is very different to movement above it. I think it’s the closest we ever to get to flying. One kick of the fins, and you are propelled forward. Breath in, and you buoy upwards, breathe out, and you gently sink. It’s a beautiful experience.

Using the breath enables you to sink deeper into yourself. Just place your awareness on your breathing outward for a moment and you will see what I mean. There is a reason that the word spirit is often translated “breath” in spiritual writings.

There are also new rules for light, and sound. Sound moves faster through water that it does through the air. The brain pinpoints sound by triangulating the distance between your ears, and the direction that the sound is coming from. The way you can pin point the direction of sound underwater is turning your head very slowly, and paying fierce attention to sounds. It takes practise, but you can soon adapt your mind to pin pointing sound accurately. It took me four years of diving before I realised that fish make sounds. I was diving past a cave mouth full of a shoal of fish, and when you steadied your breath you could hear a beautiful sound like that of a pulsating electricity.

 

Fierce attention, especially to the sound of silence, is also a beautiful gateway to the depths of the Soul.

The deeper you do in the ocean, the stiller the movement of the water. Similarly, the deeper you go into yourself, the more you leave the surface of your busy exterior life, the more you find interior stillness.

(To find out one way to practise stillness, listen to this free podcast.)

Look out for part 2 to this series soon!

Meet Tilly, A Remarkable Soul

I am about to paint the most powerful SoulScape I have ever been commissioned to paint.

How can I know this? Well, meet Tilly, and you’ll know see I mean.

Tilly is a truly remarkable Soul. She was born with a severe life limiting condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). This has not only meant being “confined” to a wheelchair, it means she has a tremendous amount of specialist equipment to do the very basic things that we take for granted. Moving her arms, standing up, eating, sitting up straight, to name but a few.

Saying all this, Tilly has been skiing, been on safari, goes sailing and goes to Ballet every week. She has met the Beckhams, Robbie Williams and Bruce Forsyth (the photos on her bedroom wall are a veritable wall of fame!). all this at 10 years old (the same age as my daughter, Phoebe).

 She is the first girl with SMA to do a number of these things, and is in the process of writing a little book to inspire children, and the parents of children with SMA to live the full life that Tilly has.

To find out more, about Tilly and SMA visit her blog:

 http://www.tillys-house.blogspot.com/

I had the profound honour of meeting Tilly last week to paint her SoulScape.

All of her achievements, are the result of an incredible, unassuming, faith filled, hugely resilient Soul, and the support she receives from her parents, friends and support network.

I asked her what made her feel alive, what she would love to see in a painting, she gave very thoughtful answers, and a little insight into her interior world. But it was Tilly’s presence that spoke louder than words. In Tilly’s presence, you feel awake, alive, and free. She is a true delight to be near.

She lives 100% every single day. She takes nothing for granted.

I was moved to tears when I read what Jackie (her mum) has written on the blog:

“As Louis entered our home he brought with him a wonderful sense of passion and excitement about the project. Tilly took to Louis instantly and they were soon talking together effortlessly, with Tilly telling him all about her favourite things in life. Louis took notes and by the end of the session had made a sketch of what he has in mind for the oil painting he will create. It was beautiful. Louis said to Tilly that he thinks that this will be the coolest painting he will ever do and I believe him - his deep commitment to it is palpable and quite awesome. .

As Tilly's Mummy I find it an incredible honour and quite overwhelming that my little girl's spirit will be captured on canvas by Louis as an eternal inspiration to others. As Louis left last night, as this remarkable project begins, I knew that Tilly's spirit is safe in Louis' hands, for he already has her in his heart.”

http://www.tillys-house.blogspot.com/

 So, where do you begin to paint this. Well, Tilly is not “confined” at all. She is free spirited. She loves to dance, and so she does. She loves mermaids and dolphins, and one year, at The Caudwell Childrens ball, she described that her new wheelchair as making her “Feel free, like a butterfly.” This is what I am attempting to capture in oil on canvas.

It will be a huge canvas, as she has a big Soul!

As a result of Tillys words, the event has been renamed “The Butterfly Ball.” And this year, on 20^th May, Tillys SoulScape will be auctioned to raise money for Caudwell Children.

Two years ago, the artwork that Tilly created raised over £230,000 for the charity. Last year, it raised £860,000! (That’s enough for 43 of Tillys wheelchairs). It’s a fantastic honour to not only paint this piece but be able to support this incredible charity too.

Find out more about Caudwell children here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90LVFmn9dWQ

 

You can see a youtube video of the ball last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LwS1yYqMdU

 (you will see Rod Stewart, Alan Carr and a host of other celebrities!)

 So…. I have some pretty big boots to fill. Im trying to no think about all the external pressures as I approach the sheer power and beauty of the piece, and stay true to effect that Tilly has on those around her.

I will keep you posted with my thoughts as I create the piece, and will post a sketch on mine and Tillys blog soon for you to see.

Please take a look at Tillys blog, site to see how you can support these causes.

http://www.tillys-house.blogspot.com/

Thanks, 

Louis

Upturned celestial body face...

The light at the centre of this cloud is the same quality I attempt to paint in the glow of my Celestial Bodies.