Reaching OUT - insomnia

Awake

insomnia

my brain won't stop

Everything is alive and I will myself to keep going, to push through the exhaustion, the fears and ideas of others. Blocking out the voices so I can listen to myself think. My inner voice has been weak, so weak I stopped listening to it for a while and that is when I became lost. I fell off my path and struggled to find it again, being lost is hard, being lost and aware you should be in control is terrifying. My heart is racing and I can't feel the air I am breathing. Stop, listen and breath deep.

Lying flat on my back, I drift into a dream like state aware of my surrounding. A sense of PEACE filling every part of my body and mind as I drift freely in my own existence. A beacon of light and power glowing on the distant horizon. Allowing my mind to slowly fade away into sleep.

I dream about everything and nothing. I have memories and blank canvas'. Thoughts racing... I focus on the sound of the birds and calm my thinking. Soaring through the dawn sky free in open space, feeling the wind cleansing a troubled spirit clearing a cluttered mind, waking to a better reality. Empowered by connections with nature, stepping in and out of urban chaos. Finding balance and a place to live without ties, freedom to live.

Jealousy and outrage, torment and conflict, emotional bursts all driven and made more powerful by exhaustion, pressure, low blood sugar levels. Overcoming one's own self is one of the most challenging and rewarding life paths to take. Rushing forward, taking steps back keeping your head above water 

Mind stops racing and begins to wander, contemplate, visualising.

The path ahead blossoms with colour, life, the trees more defined, the sea as a body of mystery and the mediative chime of birds as a reminder to remain centred. Free but in control, living in the moment with a clear way forward. Moulding the shape of my world. My design, my future, my happiness. The stronger we build ourselves by fine tuning our engines, the greater a contribution we can make to society and the world around us. 

A better world starts from within your very own core.

Focus, dream, live.

REACHING OUT
3rd solo art exhibition by Arana Kennedy
September 5 and 6
12-5pm
on the little beach at the end of the market
dress code - day at the beach



Thank you to Hong Kong Noise for a very insightful feature. Follow this link to read more about #AranaART
Hong Kong Noise

Reaching OUT - a state of mind (5--11)

A state of mind

over the years friends and family have tried to encourage me to painting on the side, after hours... but who has the time or energy after returning home almost 12 hours after you left for work that morning, struggling with a gluten allergy after that 12 hours I needed to prepare all my food. I felt on some level this was interperated to mean laziness. If I really wanted it, I would find a way and just do it.

Standing Strong
20x20cm canvas artwork by Arana Kennedy

I decided, for me, the only way to really do this was to throw myself into art and creativity on a daily basis. Hind sight has taught me one thing, i was right in thinking that. When painting, I discovered that being in a zen like meditative state is the most effective way to channel creativity and maintain a calm and peaceful centre of balance. I go on 'painting binges' I find its a bit like sport, I guess in that you need to stretch and warm up. Same with anything you do in life. It's just a very different choice I have made. I wish to connect to the world in my own creative way. Sharing light and love and having time for all the small and simple things that make life so much more rich.

Hong Kong vibrant city
40x40cm canvas by Arana Kennedy

Connecting with this rich new way of living stirred up life and imagination bringing vibrant colours into my artwork. Exploring acrylic blends of sharp striking colours on canvas' of all sizes. Not everyone has space of decretionary income for large artworks, so I hope to continue working on my 'mini canvas' collections too. 

I am woken daily by sunlight and birds churping... from 6am to 10am Stanley is particularly quiet, with no traffic sounds at all. It's a time of day I feel I can manage a lot of work, total tranquility helps the mind focus. The solitude feeling of mornings is the most powerful of the day. 

The more I connect with all things natural the more alive I feel inside. When I feel so alive, its like my senses are heightened I can feel things around me. Which is why at times I need solitude, I'm to easily effected by other peoples emotions so being alone means I can work at my own pace, my natural inner drum.

Currently as I type, I have this inner drum quietly starting up in the back ground, as I look over at my progress of my exhibition work. It speaks to me... The images dancing before my eyes, willing me to continue painting. Daring me to let go and just follow my instinct. This is a new developement in my evolving style. I'm feeling the direction pulling me to where I need to be. and right now, it's painting on the canvas :)

Next blog update

Monday 18th August!!!

YIKES! better get my paint on!

Reaching OUT - work in progress (4-11)

Reaching OUT

Solo ART exhibition

by Arana Kennedy

Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th

September 2015

Design & Photo by Arana Kennedy

THE PLAN SO FAR...

Details were missing,

Blown away in the last typhoon,

Waiting for the storm to settle,

New ideas are born.

Creating something from nothing

is a challenge I intend to do

With passion and thoughts abundance

It grew into a creative NEW...

I am lucky to live in a super relaxed beach town just 30 mins away from the center of Hong Kong's CBD. I have 5 beaches to choose from that are all no more than 5 mins walk away. and all you can hear from 6am to 10am are birds...

On the weekend of September 5th & 6th pop down to Stanley between 12-5pm to see my new art project I have been working on. My art exhibitions are a growing work of art in themselves and I certainly hope this one will provide more than previous ones. With a background in Hospitality I enjoy organising events, so I'd like this exhibition REACHING OUT to have an event like feel to it. I'm building momentum and will gratefully welcome all visitors to my exhibition. 

ART WALK

Photo by Arana Kennedy

I will do an 'art walk' at 12,1,2,3,4pm on both Saturday which will be a bit of a description and insight to the work I am presenting. This will involve removing shoes and breathing in the (hopefully) fresh clean sea air :) and finish with a refreshing paddle in the sea.

On Saturday & Sunday from 12.30 to 3.30pm there will be sand castle building, shell and sea glass collecting. Make sure you wear your sun screen/lotion, hat & sunglasses a MUST! Throw in swimsuit and sarong/towel, you can take a cooling dip in the sea.

SUNSET SURPRISE

5-7pm winding down the day with sunset drinks on the beach. more details to follow as this plan evolves. Face painting will hopefully be available too!

Location is the little beach at the end of Stanley Market.

Take a bus to Stanley Market/Village bus stop.

Walk to the end of Stanley Market (away from  Stanley Plaza)

Where there will be signs put up dirrecting you to the beach, just around that corner :)

Photo by Faisal Bukhari

This is how my last exhibition looked, I'm expecting a much more summer feel to this one. 

The art work is in progress and if you look on my instagram @AranaART I put regular updates of things I'm working on. Also my FaceBook page Arana ART also has updates of links to my blog, ETSY, online purchase of my artwork and daily updates of my outdoor office.

Next blog up date Friday 14th August

REACHING OUT - A state of mind

Reaching OUT - Stepping OUT (3-11)

After my NEW PERSPECTIVE exhibition I thought to myself... I did it! I pulled off an art exhibition. Loads of hard work with each and every moment being a gifted reward. I felt my inner strength growing, the sense of accomplishment in doing something I created by myself and to my design, was incredible. I decided that the only way for me to move forward was to keep the momentum going. Picked a date 6 months later and labled it STEPPING OUT

7th March 2015

#AranaART Exhibition Stepping OUT

In January I realised I hadn't started planning far enough in advance, hadn't really found the dirrection I needed in my artwork... It is like wanting to get up and dance to a specific song, but I wasn't quite sure what song I wanted to play. Feeling overwhelmingly terrified of putting any of my artwork on display i decided that in its self was part of my challenge here. Could I logistically pull of a beach exhibition on my own? With zero budget, I had no choice, if I was going to continue to move forward... I had to find a way.

Along the path of my artistic journey through these past months I have also focused my attentions towards my physical and mental health. Having a clear and healthy mind opens up the connections and magic of the universe. I remember clearly going to bed one night, fully content with the world and myself. As I drifted off to sleep I entered a truly amazing dream of vivid colour no story, just a collective flash of imagies and feelings. Waking up with the sun rising and the birds awakening in song... I started to draw and capture this feeling I experienced.

Inspired by a dream I called this drawing

The Dream

by Arana Kennedy

original ink drawing A4 size

Stepping OUT - ink artwork

 With March 7th fast approaching I decided to create a canvas. In my mind this painting didn't quite cut it ;) There was something missing but I couldn't quite put my finger on what... Reflecting now, i can see it's obvious, the detail... 

Stepping OUT - painting

Stepping OUT was a huge success in my mind, as more friends joined and I realised I was starting to spark some genuine interest. I felt I had reached my 'beginning stage' the part where I could see this journey a little more clearly. I was learning and evolving my style.

Following my art exhibition on the beach, I took some selected pieces to a gallery on Hollywood Road. This was like being in a totally new world! In this world of 'art lovers' 'art patrons' I realised my value... Learning that I was not alone in my passion. Having spent most of my life in 'rain stream' living, I hadn't yet connected with my true self. This fabulous oppertunity opened my eye's to a whole new life of adventure and creativity.

And for the first time I started to breath deep

Next blog update
Monday 10th August

'RAIN STREAM' - a totally made up thing meaning following the flow.... ;)

Reaching OUT - 365 days (1-11)

Happy one year no job anniversary to me!

Did i imagine one year ago when I walked out of a full time job that I would be here today over joyed with what a fantastic year I have had? Yes! But I wasn't so certain I would make it to this point... there have been many tantrums and tears along the way but I knew it wasn't going to be easy. That just made me more determined.

Emotions are like roller coasters, the more complicated one's life is the greater the dips and turns. With this in mind, I decided I really needed to focus on simplifying everything in my life. Suffering from depression (worrying about the past) and anxiety (worrying about the future, I had to start living in the present.

I have spent the past year working on my art. Finding focus was incredibly challenging... for the past 20 years all my jobs had been active, hands on work... so sitting quietly to draw and paint was something I needed to train myself to do... Looking back now at some of the more simplistic artworks I have done, I can clearly see my state of mind reflected on the canvas, the ideas are there... but the attention to detail is poor...

Visualising my dream and working through each progressive step, I have gained so much knowledge along the way. I am also very grateful for those who have supported me in buying my artwork, if feels like such an honour when someone treasures my art as much as I do.

Here in Hong Kong now, everyone is away overseas and its lovely and quiet... A brilliant time to be out and about in Stanley and preparing for my 3rd solo art exhibition, ReachingOUT

Here is my official poster design for the exhibition. I'm currently working on a canvas 120x100cm of this picture as one of my 6 featured new artworks. This design will be available at my exhibition for sale as a large canvas, smaller mini canvas features, and greeting cards. All at very special exhibition prices only ;)

The image of the lady in the middle is inspired by the Hawaiian goodness Pele, protector of the volcano and feminine divine of awakening. In times of stress I look to my goddess oracle cards for guidance. Free readings will be available on Saturday from 5-7pm during sunset surprise.

Sun, moon, sun represents the exhibition days and times Saturday, night and Sunday.

My daily meditation sounds everywhere I go in Stanley is birds, there are some many birds here such a peaceful energising sound.

My fairly recent move to Stanley has connected me to the ocean, water. Endless amounts of natural healing in various different ways, my favourite is swimming at dawn, at 5.45 before the oldies rock up at 6am.

The spider is Charlotte, she lived by my front door as I also attempted to confront my fear of these 8 legged beasts. 

And the fish, symbolising the generosity I have received in these last few months, the most surprising being receiving fresh fish from the fisherman here. Happy to share their daily catch and have a beer at the end of the day :)

With September fast approaching I am busy working on and organising the details for my Exhibition. 

As mentioned earlier, I will have 6 new canvas' so as a build up to my Exhibition I shall have regular updates here on my blog. 

On a personal level, I feel very bless and pleased that I am gaining momentum and this is going to be AWESOME!

Next blog update Monday 3rd August

Reaching out - Finding courage (2-11)

REACHING OUT

Solo art exhibition by Arana Kennedy

Sat 5th & Sun 6th September 2015 Stanley

AranaARTnDESIGN website

Painting - Hong Kong, you decide

Before I put paint to canvas, I always consider the main colors I would Like to use. The protests during 'Occupy Central' 1 October 2014, was shown up by the students of HK rocking up days before and bringing the city of HK to a stand still. It was the most incredible thing to experience, the unity and peacefulness. 

I feel the most important freedom of all is freedom of personal choice and interestingly enough, I sensed a ddeffinate divide of ideas and collectively they ALL made perfect sense... We live together peacefully in Hong Kong, no government can take that away from the people. 

Painting - New Perspective

"When at first you don't succeed, try again!"

or continue working on the project because, maybe its just not finished yet...

For my first solo art exhibition a needed a new piece, something that was personal to me, something that portayed the symbolic new dramatic angle and life I was about to embark on. With NEW PERSPECTIVE on my mind, I needed to re think everything I'd previously known and decided if I was about to take this giant leap of faith and follow my natural instincts... I needed to think differently and change everything. I needed a door way, a secret doorway that would help me catorgirise what I am doing, in my mind. I decided to leave the dragons for this part of my project. And I needed to introduce a colour other than red, black and gold, hold onto your seats folks... I added a bit of yellow! WOW! hahaha!

Featured here at my first exhibition on Pan Hoi Street, Quarry Bay.

I wasn't pleased and it just didn't feel finished, was it the painting or was it myself reflecting in the colors a sense of incopletion within my soul?

Having a new and different perspective, adjusted the way I looked at things, I no longer am choosing fear, I am choosing to be. Nothing need be final or unchanged, we choose our own paths and destiny everything else is a fleeting moment, a random act... So I got back and started to complete my first transitional process, really embracing the NEW PERSECTIVE.. 

My New Perspective was ready by the time I decided it was time to Step out... 

So I featured my completed peice for my second Art exhibition

Stepping OUT

The final completion and the amazing feedback was incredible... I made this, I created this... and Mr Tilbroke... we aren't in Art class anymore!

SteppingOUT - The Dream

The DREAM - sketch
28 hours

The dream, inspired by a moment of clarity. I went to sleep one night smiling from my soul, then I dreamed of endless possibilities and woke up so incredibly inspired I sat at my sketch book till I had completed my picture, my thought, my inner conscience. Because this is how I feel deep inside happiness, colour and a genuine connection to something divine... Is it god, is it spirituality or is there really a little green man sat on top of a little green hill running the show.

The DREAM canvas
52 hours

My next task was to translate it to a canvas 20 times the size, this was something I felt I hadn't done in over 20 years and it felt like a very dawning task. Canvas' aren't cheap so staring at a blank canvas I found that I was questioning all my inner fears, because if I didn't have the skills to do this, then I would need to give up and go back to my 'day job' Well, it seems that was all the motivation i needed!

Like everyone, I simply want to be free from the worries of everyday life, those things that really no one else cares about. but somehow manage to plague my mind. I feel like I spent the first 20 years of my life being advised to 'think' and then the next 20 years I was advised not to 'think' too much!? Well I've decided to think, how I dam well please :) And in doing this, I have begun to breath.

The DREAM mini canvas
4 hours

While THE DREAM is something to work towards, I also need some smaller pieces of art. Inspired by a canvas making workshop I attended I decided it was pretty straight forward to make my own. In my current location of Hong Kong, its a very materialistic society where people simply don't do DIY, most of the time if you can't find something here in HK you can pop over the boarder to China and find it, not DIY apparently! A society set up for simply buying stuff, somethings broken? Buy a new one!

With a wardrobe full of clothing I can never seem to recycle or throw away, I decided to start cutting up my old dresses and using them as canvas' RECYCLED fashion into ART work :) I shall have a number of small items avaible for sale at my exhibition, which I will also put up on ETSY and my website so don't worry if you miss my second art exhibition, you can still scontinue to support me online. I included the number of hours spent on each piece, as I feel that sometimes people are unaware of how much time it takes to produce one idea... and while it might only take 4 hours to make a small canvas, that is only after all the design and idea process has been exicuted.

To those who have repeated in saying "you know van gouge didn't make any money!?" I want to say, "Vincent didn't have the internet and social media back then and further more... didn't well all learn something from that!" ;)

Support an artist!

Dosen't have to be my work!

Buy some art today :)

SteppingOUT of darkness

Sinking deep down underground

into places that reach into the core of the earth

Seeing things from a darker light

reaching out un afraid of anymore pain

In life should there appears to be so much cruelness

so much judgement and hurt?

People sharing that which they don't really know

Blessed with a memory of vision

Recalling imagies from ones mind

Reaching out for a new perspective

in doing so find some light

The one that was blocked by clouds, sun and moon

look for light in shadows

and the darkness all around

Darkness is the honesty of light

without it you can not see, you cannot feel, you cannot be real

we are all blessed with qualities

the ones you cannot see

Let it shine from within

for the world to see

because darkness offers more light than day

This Saturday, come down to Stanley and step out for a day!

I shall display my recent paintings for you to see and you can relax and sit on the beach and enjoy a bit of tranquility!

Just for a day, imagine...

SteppingOUT - more than rhyme!

5 to go! TALIHO! A funny saying, a good friend and I shared back when life appeared easier! Let's face it, we do tend to make it more complicated than it needs to be ;)

Here's the location of my second art exhibition. It's off the map! SERIOUSLY! it's not on google maps, so if you come down, you really will be off the grid :)

Take a bus down to Stanley Market, get off at the Stanley Market bus stop... not the Stanley Plaza one ;) Walk all the way to the end of Stanley Market (again opposite end to Stanley Plaza) Walk towards the row of beach huts and on your right you should see this view. Come find me! I should be there somewhere!

This Saturday 7th, between 12-7pm

It's free, so come hand out, enjoy a break from the fast pace of Hong Kong and grab a mat and relax on the beach. I will have a display of my latest paintings along will some old favorites! Small works of art, cards and limited prints will also be  available for sale at more affordable prices. Which will be cheaper than any other way to buy my art.

A local Hong Kong Artist, who lives in Stanley was telling me how in Nature everything is connected and means something. In there two rocks, there is a symbolic image of a turtle and a serpent, in Chinese culture when these to animals come together it represents ZEN - a balance in all life

This Saturday, I not only invite you to come down and see my art. I also invite you to step out and take some time to appreciate a simple natural environment. 

Let's all step out together this Saturday in Stanley! See you at the beach!