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Sparrow's Hand

Art, Travel, and Inspiration by Rachael Shores

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Art & Travel of Rachael Shores

Mostly Watercolors
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FEATURES

Art

When I paint to I distill the world around me into color, fun, and beauty. I love color, I love little details, I love to play with supplies and techniques. My passion is watercolor and I want to paint everywhere I go. I hope you join me on my journey of creating. I share my techniques, work in progress, and what each new piece means to me. Let's find beauty and connection in the world around us. .

 

Travel

Come along on our wild adventure. We sold or gave away all of our things at the beginning of 2017. Jason quit his job, I sold my massage business and we bought flights to Europe. It is our dream to live and travel Europe. We are hoping to live in Munich, Germany for the art, culture, and engineering job opportunities. We are currently in Munich for 3 months on a hope and a prayer as we job hunt and try to secure work visas. We explore this wonderful continent that we hope to live in and I like to write about the little cultural differences I find.

 

Inspire

My big ultimate life goal is to inspire others to go for their goals. Do what you love! Create beautiful things - or not beautiful, just create something. I hope this place will get you to entertain your wild ideas to run away and follow your biggest dreams. I'm also slowly sharing my inner journey. I would like to create a space where we all could have spiritual conversation about what guides us down our path. What is at your core?

 

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Meet Rachael

 

Rachael and Jason have been married 8 years.  Rachael was born and raised in Minnesota, attended an Arts High School and traveled the world after she graduated.  She hiked the Appalachian Trail, worked as a salmon seiner or a fishing boat in Alaska for 5 seasons, visited 34 countries and made her goal of seeing all seven continents before she “settled down” and got married.  Rachael and Jason lived in Asheville, NC for 4 years while he went to school for his engineering degree.  During that time Rachael discovered the power of massage and became a massage therapist.  After graduation Jason was hired at a company in Roanoke, VA along with half of his classmates. Fun Fact:  Jason and Rachael met while working the winter in Antarctica at McMurdo Station.

The couple happily relocated farther North along the Blue Ridge Mountains which Rachael is madly in love with.  Jason and Rachael settled into a cozy life in a 4 bedroom rental, 2 Subarus in the driveway, and a bunch of geeky friends.  Rachael worked as a massage therapist for a year before the business closed down.  Rachael was visiting her parents on their liveaboard wood sailboat (that her dad built in his barn) with when she experienced a psychotic break and spent a week in the psych ward where she was diagnosed with bi-polar. She was released in time to celebrate the couple’s 7th wedding anniversary.  In 2015 Rachael opened her own massage business at The Cave Spring Wellness Center.  She ran her business for 14 months before Jason and Rachael decided to sell their belongings and move to Munich Germany.

One evening we were talking about our life plans and what direction we wanted to go in and Jason brought it up again how he had always wanted to live overseas.  I guess I had thought it was just talk but that ‘talk’ turned into a serious conversation.  The only thing keeping us in Roanoke was Jason’s wonderful job but that night a realized in all my travels a good job would have NEVER been the deciding factor in whether I traveled or not.  The next day I said, ‘let’s do it,’ and that was it.  Jason told his boss that same week and we began planning.

Rachael successfully sold her massage business (with some tears) and the story is just beginning. . .

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Vision Paintings

This is the style that emerged as I learned about the mind-body connection in massage school. I finally embraced the fact that my art was my voice for all the encouragement and inspiration I wanted to express.  The ways that images connect to create feelings, to illustrate dreams or mantras, I found I could better paint the feelings of love, joy, and harmony better than I could ever use language.

How would you like to see the vision for your life every day?

What color is your business plan?  What path is the story of your life? What images and colors were in that vivid dream that you woke up from feeling like you could rule the world?  What does your muse look like? What is the journey your ideas take? What kind of landscape do they dwell in?  Let’s paint it so you can hang it in your favorite place so others can have a glimpse into your soul but not even realize what they are seeing.  It will be our little secret.   Magic happens when I put on paper what has floated around in someone else’s head.  Having the honor of painting these paintings shows me that we are all connected.  I would love to discuss your vision idea.

Where words are inadequate, lets bring into reality an image of what can’t be photographed.  Here is your opportunity to use my skills in art to create your personal masterpiece.  I have used this style to create a wordless purpose statement and business plan,  captured experiences in Reiki sessions, guided meditations, dreams, songs, poems, and personal mantras. It has celebrated love, desire, walking with the divine, self-acceptance, and life goals.  By whatever tool you come across your vision we can work together to recreate it in a  painting that can help you maintain that message and feeling that you glimpsed.  Paint what your heart feels, what your inner self dreams of, what is that message?

Come to me with your story for a free consultation to see how we might interpret your imagery.  Have you been doing work with a coach or guide or program? Finish it with a vision painting to reinterpret daily.  The wonderful thing is that your painting will speak to others and it’s message will be put into different words by those that see it.  It’s a beautiful thing.  Your message, your practice, your imagery could inspire someone else.

The process and what’s included:

Free: Let’s sit down in person  to discuss what you would like to capture.  My ability is to be able to take what you have seen, imagined, felt, and convert it to a 2D composition.  This is the time you get to see my creative process and how a painting forms.  With your guidance we figure out the imagery, focal point and all the technical composition issues that make an interesting image.

Non refundable $150: Now is your chance to hone, tweak, clarify.  In addition to the first sketch I may draw more detailed studies, I will use value studies, examples of other work, sketches, other color palettes, to communicate with you just how I see your painting looking and you can do the same until we both understand the vision and plan.   I gather ideas and examples via Pinterest so this process if more fun with those that have a pinterest account.  Our board will stay secret if you prefer.

Phase 2 non-refunandle $100: Now comes the color studies and  palette mock-up, the prepping before the actually painting.  You will have crude sketches and mini paintings for souvenirs.  I’ll let you see these BUT understand the process.  This is my note-taking for little details, or basic design elements.  With your permission I will blog and give sneak peaks of the process while keeping you and your story anonymous.

Reveal:  Invite your friends to your painting unveiling if that is appropriate.  The process is an adventurous fluid experience t piece changes as it grows and develops beyond what we had comprehended.   I will share the stages that the painting went through once the painting is presented.  The creative path can look scary to outsiders but a beautiful painting always emerges.  Full and final payment is due upon receipt.

Full Price: $650