Glowing Roots Blog - Visionary Art and Art Alchemy by Rika Dehombreux

Hi everybody, After being away from the blogosphere for almost four months I'm finally getting back to you. My routine was interrupted by some challenging events. Last June my mom's house was flooded and, apart from emotional distress and consequential physical effects, we also have been dealing with materialistic damage and loss. To help me process what happened and start the healing process I took out my watercolors and created an intuitive painting, a rather large piece (48cm x 36cm) called Transformation and Purification . Since I believe that my intuitive artwork is guided by a divine source, I closed my eyes, emptied my mind and prayed before starting. Additionally I asked the universe to send me an encouraging message. I hoped to be reassured that things would be all right. "Transformation and Purification", Watercolors on Paper, 48 cm x 36 cm, Intuitive Painting

Hi everybody, If you enjoy the blooms, sounds and colors of late Spring and early Summer then I have a real treat for you. I'm happy to present you my newest intuitive painting Portal and Light Being . It is done with watercolors on 300g/m2 watercolor paper. The image came to me in a purely intuitive manner and is filled with visual symbolic language. I'm excited to share with you how I read it.  "Portal and Lightbeing", Watercolors on Paper (32cmx24cm), Intuitive Painting

Dear Readers, You probably have heard about my project to connect with fellow artists and share views about intuition in art. If you are interested you can find out more about it by clicking the page Getting Featured . Fellow artist Jacqueline Wild was the first to introduce herself and tell us about intuition in art. You can check it out at Chatting about Intuitive Art with Jacqueline Wild, Artist .  She responded by interviewing me about my intuitive painting on her blog. I really enjoyed answering her questions which inspired me to dive deeper into what I am all about. I invite you to read Interview with Rika Dehombreux . Thank you so much Jacqueline! "The Fairy and the Little Dragon", Watercolors on Paper, Intuitive Painting

Hi everybody, Have you ever wondered about your relationship with mixed media art? Mine is rather complex and goes a long way back. I have always been intrigued by the combination of different media and the rendering of texture but I had to overcome a few creative blocks before I could freely start exploring this type of art making. I made a mini series of small works (24 cm x 17 cm) combining intuitive painting and collage. Let's dive into the world of mixed media art and let me share a little of my journey with you. "Dream", Mixed Media on Paper, Intuitive Painting and Collage

Hi everybody, Did you ever wonder if you could get away with using fluorescent paints and handmade patterned papers in your intuitive painting and collage? You suspect these materials are not lightfast but still you cannot resist the luscious colors and pretty prints. I have been struggling with this for a very long time and now I finally feel comfortable using them in my professional artwork. Let me tell you what I figured out. "Magic" (detail), Mixed Media on Paper, Intuitive Painting and Collage

Dear Fellow Artists and Art Lovers, For a few years now my passion for sharing my intuitive art and connecting with other artists has been pushing me on an amazing adventure in order to get out there and show my artwork. The road has been challenging but I have gathered many enriching experiences along the way. I have researched, studied and read about online presence like websites, blogs and guest posts. When I first started out I never imagined I would get this far. Now I realize that developing my skills to present my artwork is an ongoing learning curve with determination as the main ingredient to keep me on track. "Elephant and Lotus, Reflections of Ganesha, Lord of Obstacles", Watercolors on Paper, Intuitive Painting

Hi everybody, Buddhism is a lovely theme to explore in intuitive art. It offers so many possibilities to work with joy, peace and compassion. At the end of 2014 I completed the intuitive painting Reflections of a Buddha Meditating by Night . I worked with watercolors on 300g/m2 watercolor paper. The idea was inspired by a graceful motif that previously appeared in my work. The color palette is cool and the figure is sitting on a lotus leaf while the surrounding flowers are closed for the night. I intended to convey peace of mind.  "Reflection of a Buddha Meditating by Night", Watercolors on Paper, Intuitive Painting

Hi everybody, Have you ever heard about sylphs? I did some research on the matter and I found out that they could be considered a particular type of fairy. Their element is air and their being is therefore usually ethereal in appearance. The sylphs I created are light-beings and are like the reflections of the rainbow. They are enlightened, clairvoyant and have insight in the workings of the universe. The rays on their forehead represent a fully developed third eye. I believe sylphs are messengers of love, hope and peace.  "Sylph of Love", Colored Pencils on Paper, Intuitive Drawing

Hello everybody, A few years ago, in March of 2013, Sam invited me to the Spring Avalon Faery Ball and Fayre in Glastonbury, Somerset, UK. We were still living in Germany at the time. We didn't know what to expect really and we ordered some books about the place to do some research in advance. We decided to stay in a local B&B and off we went. Glastonbury Abbey, Intuitive Photography by Samuel Woodbury

Hi everybody, Let me tell you the story behind my intuitive paintings Portals . It concerns a series of seven works done in 2013 using gouache on watercolor paper. The sheets are rather small in size, all measuring 24 cm by 17 cm or 9.4" by 6.7". I used a watercolor pad from the brand Hahnemühle with different weights and surfaces. The particulars are indicated on the back of each sheet.  "Portal, Where Light-Beings Reside", Gouache on Paper, Intuitive Painting

Hi everybody, With this I am concluding the intuitive painting series Healing Watercolors . In previous blog posts I have discussed the making and interpretation of the first piece Positive Change and Indigo Child and the next four paintings in Healing Watercolors I . "Rose Nature and Fairy Prince", Watercolors on Paper, Intuitive Painting

Hi everybody, Let me tell you the story behind my intuitive painting series Healing Watercolors . It was created spontaneously in 2012 in a purely intuitive manner. During my introductory meditation I actively asked a question concerning healing in the holistic sense of the word to the cosmic source I believe is guiding my intuitive work. Positive Change and Indigo Child  described in a former blog post, is the first piece of the series and is the only one made on a 22 cm by 26,5 cm watercolor paper. The others except for one are created on 24 cm by 17 cm watercolor paper with different weights and textures of the brand Hahnemühle with its specifics printed on the back. The series includes nine works in total, all made in watercolors and all depicting a light-being. Following are the second to the fifth paintings. "Destiny", Watercolors on Paper, Intuitive Painting

Hi everybody, Echoes of Atlantis is the third piece in my not yet named intuitive drawing series. The symbolic language of the drawing and the sensation that came to me while I was working on it reminded me of the lost world of Atlantis. "Echoes of Atlantis", Colored Pencils on Paper, Intuitive Drawing

Hi everybody, Light, Love and Peace is the second drawing in my yet to be named intuitive drawing series. It is made with colored pencils on beautiful A4 drawing paper that I particularly like because it is rather heavy (180g/m2), acid-free and has some texture. I worked in a purely intuitive manner. This means that I started out without concepts, sketches, studies or designs. I did not make any conscious decisions along the way but just let it happen. Every time I started to judge about what I was doing I took a short break. I thought it would be fun to record the proces in order to show you how it works. Light, Love and Peace, Colored Pencils on Paper, Intuitive Drawing

Hi everybody, It occurs now and again that I feel overwhelmed with the good thing, so much that I get creatively blocked. Then, I even find myself unable to make intuitive art. Last spring for example caused everything to bloom and the light to change. The imagery was absolutely inspiring. I could see potential in the smallest bud and the widest landscape. As always I was also working on an art course because I find it important to keep challenging myself. In the same respect I like to look up other artists whom I admire in order to analyze what they do and how they create. I am also continuously educating myself in creative entrepreneurship. It happened that all of this input inspired me so much that I felt pulled in a billion directions. There were all these techniques that I wanted to try out, all the subject matter that I wanted to explore, all the color combinations that fascinated me, all the surface treatment that looked intriguing, ... all these possibilities. Then it dawned...

English↓ Nederlands↓↓ Fran ç ais↓↓↓ Visionary Mixed Media Collage and Art Alchemy Hi everybody, I love experimenting with mixed media and collage, combining different materials and techniques while allowing my imagination to guide me. For me, this is Art Alchemy: transforming ordinary materials into something new and meaningful. "Samsara", Mixed Media Collage on Paper, Visionary Art

English↓ Nederlands↓↓   Français ↓↓↓ Mermaid Symbolism and Transformation in Visionary Art Hi everybody, Little Mermaid and Sunny Day  was the first painting I completed at the beginning of 2015. She reminds us of summer and beautiful weather. I painted her with watercolors on 300g/m² watercolor paper. Mermaids have always spoken to my imagination. Occasionally, they come to visit me in my work. In my art, they stand for love, compassion, hope and mysticism. When I consider the idea that the images appearing in my visionary art may be guided by a cosmic source, I like to think of these mermaids as light beings. "Little Mermaid and Sunny Day", Watercolors on Paper, Visionary Painting

English↓ Nederlands↓↓ Français↓↓↓ Positive Change and Indigo Child: A Visionary Painting Hi Friends, Let me tell you a little more about my visionary painting  Positive Change and Indigo Child . One beautiful summer day, I succumbed to doom thinking. I am normally an optimistic person, but every now and then I have moments when everything seems useless and as though all my efforts are going to waste. That particular day, I especially doubted my art. 'Positive Change and Indigo Child', Watercolors on Paper, Visionary Painting

English↓ Nederlands↓↓   Français ↓↓↓ Visionary Art Journaling and Mixed Media Collage Hello everybody, As an artist I have been working mainly with more traditional media such as drawing and painting materials, as well as some polymer clay. There are many other forms of art, however, that I find fascinating. I have also been experimenting with collage and art journaling, combining different materials and techniques. Mixed media makes me happy, and here is what I came up with. ‘Fantasy Elephants’, Mixed Media on Paper, Visionary Art

English↓ Nederlands ↓   ↓    Français ↓   ↓   ↓   Traveling through Life: A Visionary Colored Pencil Drawing Hi everybody, Last year I created  Traveling through Life , a visionary colored pencil drawing that emerged without a predetermined composition. I first took some time to quiet my mind and then simply let the image unfold. I chose colored pencils as my medium and beautiful drawing paper as my surface and got started. "Traveling through Life", Colored Pencil on Paper, Visionary Drawing

English↓ Nederlands ↓ ↓   Français↓ ↓ ↓  Finding Fairy Worlds in the Pollard Willows Hi everybody, Holistic views often mention how beneficial it is to learn how to be in the moment. One fall day I felt particularly overwhelmed and nervous. Furthermore I was suffering from lack of inspiration. I went to the meadow behind our backyard for a stroll with Lupa our dog. I was disappointed since I thought being in nature would help but it didn't. Then I remembered the phrase: 'learning how to be in the moment'. 'Little Tree Man in the Pollard Willow' , Photography by Samuel Woodbury

English↓ Nederlands ↓   ↓     Français ↓   ↓   ↓   The Romance of Ruins in Visionary Painting Hi everybody, I have always had a soft spot for ruins. There is something magical about an ancient wall still standing while the world around it has changed again and again. When I place my hand on old stone, I cannot help wondering about all it has witnessed—the people who built it, those who lived there or passed through its doors, and the countless moments that have disappeared into time. Perhaps that is why, when I closed my eyes during a watercolor exercise and waited for an image to appear, I saw a ruin beside the sea. 'Seascape Ruin', Watercolors on Paper, Visionary Painting, Rika Dehombreux, 2015