Personally Speaking
HELLO & WELCOME
~connecting with animals through art and story
Hi, I’m Blaze. I love to paint and write, and I’m shaped by the lessons life keeps offering me. Animals have a way of bringing those lessons to life — reflecting back to me so I remain open and listening.This space isn’t polished or perfect—it’s simply where I share my experiences, just as they are.
Discover profound connections and inspiration
through art and animals for personal growth.
Animals serve as a bridge, guiding you towards deeper connection and creative awakening.
To start here’s a little about myself.
I paint stories. Stories that evolve from my own experiences.
I’ve always been deeply moved by animals—not only for their beauty,
but for the way true connection with them can change us.
They seem to open a still space inside me—a place that feels full and peaceful, like simply being myself.
Animals have helped me find my centre, so as a Trust Technique Practitioner, [check out the link] I endeavour to help them find theirs, even in the midst of disruption.
Sometimes I have found comfort in the face of sadness, insight beyond what I know, and
a sense of connection, healing if you like, in ways I could never have planned.
Humans have separated themselves from nature is so many ways. However we share so much.
Do we bond because we have that need to connect with other species.?
Animals feel emotions as real and deep as our own—
and they carry their own stories, shaped by experience and memory, just as we do.
As Jill Robinson of Animals Asia once wrote:
“Animals have emotions every bit as profound as ours –
and our duty to them all is to recognise this, help them, and work for the day
when we can look into their eyes without shame.”
Those words guide me, both in life and in art.
With animals, the real challenge is not in “making” something happen, but in allowing their story to become visible—
like deep listening and deep seeing. My painting process feels much the same.
It flows when I step out of my own way, when I stop trying to control and instead let something deeper come through.
It’s intuitive, challenging, and often surprising.
It asks for trust, and the willingness to see where it leads.
I used to think galleries were the answer. I spent years reaching out, trying to find my place.
For a while, I thought I had to offer healing, or be a voice for consciousness and change in a very direct way.
But over time, all of it began to feel noisy. Performative. Like it belonged to a world I didn’t quite fit into.
A mentor and friend, Susan Seddon Boulet, once told me:
“Take care of your art, and it will take care of you.”
That stayed with me.
So now, I’m doing things differently. I’m sharing what feels true—my lived experience, through painting and writing.
That’s all. Maybe that’s enough.
What matters most to me is being present. With animals. With the creative process.
It’s in those moments that something changes, heals, inspires—
and maybe, if I share that, it might resonate with someone else walking a similar path.
At best, I paint what I love. I write from the heart.
And I share my world—not as an expert, but as someone who’s learning to listen more deeply.
I believe animals open human hearts in ways we might never have imagined.
That’s why I share my experiences—through painting, through stories, and whatever else comes to mind.
A thought: What if open hearts have the power to bring peace into the world?
Love these words – “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” — Chief Seattle
Thank you for being here, it’s a gift to share my journey with you!!!.
Keep creating in whatever way is yours…blaze
Art,Kindness,Connection
Join me to discover deep animal connections,
inspiring stories,
and your path to personal growth.
Painting isn’t about control or perfection—
it’s about trust and surrender.
It’s when I stop trying to ‘get it right’
that something true begins to appear;
carried through by the stories animals
have shared with me.
Here, I share that unfolding journey—
messy, honest, without judgment or expectation,
and always surprising.
Hi and Welcome back.
In my last post, I spoke about beginning this blog. I thought I’d follow that by sharing a little more about how I arrived here—and why animals and art continue to guide me.
Personally Speaking ~ Art. Kindness. Connection.
This journal began with an idea seeded from my own experiences, something I thought might be worth sharing—that animals can open something in us. Something real. Something deeply human.
Over time, I’ve come to see that what starts as a simple moment of connection with an animal often leads to a deeper shift in me. A surrender. Letting go of what I think I know. Seeing more clearly. Being in the world differently.
My paintings and my words are a response to those moments. They’re not about capturing a likeness—they’re about feeling into the essence of things. Honestly, it happens by accident. It’s not something I can make happen. One day I just noticed: there was something that happened between me and the canvas.
And yet—so often I get in my own way. I’m a great one for trying to get it right, to make it perfect. I’m sure you know that one!
It’s taken years to recognise this, to actually pause, and to let go. For a long time, even though I knew better, I would still ‘battle on’. Ridiculous, really—the battle with the canvas! Now I trust more. I begin in stillness. I listen.
When I spend time with animals in sanctuary settings, something happens in that quiet space—something I don’t always have words for. But I feel it. And somehow, it finds its way onto the canvas.
This isn’t about creating art to impress or decorate. It’s about surrendering my ego. Allowing my skill to simply turn up. Letting there be mess, and journey, and trust—until something real emerges. Each canvas teaches me as I allow it to flesh itself out.
In my private mind, I believe the animals I paint come through the canvas to communicate with me. I haven’t quite sorted that yet—it’s a little off-centre to share. But truly, each story carries a personal experience that has stayed with me.
Bottom line—you don’t need to ‘understand’ the art in any particular way. Just spend time with it. Notice what it brings up in you. There’s no right interpretation—only an invitation.
If my paintings stir an emotional response in you, that amazes me.
There’s so much more in this. So much we don’t know about energy. Being open is a good start I guess.
So for now, this is my way of sharing what matters to me:
Kindness. Connection. The vagaries of our human existence.
Thank you for being here—it’s a gift to connect with you.
Stay warm. [ it’s winter here] and keep creative …….blaze
My First White Wall
Hello Again –
This is the story of how
I first stepped into the world of painting—
starting with a big, white wall and
a whole lot of fear and excitement.
“Some of the wall murals from my past. I learned to paint on the job!”
How I Entered the World of Painting – My first white wall
Now I am taking a risk. This is a piece I wrote for my creativity mentor in California. It is from the heart and a bit like prose, I guess, so please indulge me here.
Sitting in the middle of the floor, laying out my brushes in an orderly line on my dust-rug, paints in lines of color, all looking very professional and easy to see. A sense of order descended into the room, as I breathed a sigh of relief, so nice to be back. Now I felt in control only to look up at the seemingly huge white gleaming wall in front of me – the fear and anticipation gurgling in my stomach, the excitement of entering the unknown. The only way to ‘Be’ within this fear was to slowly approach it, gesture by gesture, masking the wall, mixing the colors hoping ‘wall’ did not notice my quaking flesh. Then finally I looked my fear in the eye and jumped in – a mark, a color, and a place to begin. Without thinking I slowly made lines, boundaries around the wall, ‘cutting in’ to contain the impact of the energy building up inside me-and then’ splash’! There it is, the vomit of my fear breaking into reality – a paint spot on the wall greedy for my attention. As I worked rhythmically to the beat of the music from my walk-man, allowing my hand to flow beyond the control of my mind, a surge of joy rocketed through my bones, a sense of power, unbounded energy, a feverish movement unable to stop engulfed by the curiosity of creating….
“Above is an octagonal dining room painting with the life story of a wonderful author and bohemian spirit.”
So profound were these experiences that I grew to love the frightening expanse of ‘white unknown’ that became the palette for me to express what was there for me, absolutely in that moment. I never knew what would emerge and found that the result did not sit sleepily on the wall but rather engaged the audience with their own energy and individuality. Within this happening there existed a space of intensity and peace that I could not describe.
I never expected it, but that first wall became a doorway. A place I returned to again and again—not to escape life, but to meet it fully.
PS. I didn’t have a camera in those days so not a lot of images!!!!
My next blog will share what happened when I left the wall behind… and picked up a canvas.
For now thank you for being here. Look forward to next time.
Stay creative ….blaze
Self-Discovery
If you’re feeling lost and seeking your own way through,
my art and experiences with animals can guide you to authentic self-expression
Let’s connect about your journey.
Reach Out
Painting on canvas wasn’t what I expected—
sometimes messy, often surprising,
and always a little bit like a dance with myself.
Thanks for joining me as I share
what I’ve learned along the way.
My beautiful book~ Smudge – personally speaking -check it out
Painting — A Journey of Self-Discovery
As I hold my little Smudge booklets in my hand, I am drawn back into my past—the origins of my creative journey.
When I started painting on canvas, I had no idea why I was compelled to paint the way I did.
I first learned to paint on walls, creating textures with complex brushwork, following the patterns as they evolved in the paint.
I endeavoured to develop faux techniqued): s like the old masters—creating texture, playing with colour.
It wasn’t until I spent time with Susan Boulet, a visionary artist in San Francisco, that a doorway opened.
A flicker of realisation shed light on the process I was drawn to.
I realised there was more to painting than intellect and technique.
When I started painting on canvas for myself, wall finishing techniques were all I knew.
While painting fantasy marble finishes, I would lay down transparent oil paint in my medium, then ‘break the surface’ of the colour with brushes, cloth, or other tools.
I allowed the patterns and imprints in the paint to guide me.
Applying this intuitive process to canvas was emotionally challenging.
What was happening in my life seemed to be played out on the canvas.
I found that instinctual reactions unwittingly presented me with ‘tools’ to work through my emotional turmoil.
Gradually, I realised that painting was not just an art—but a metaphor for life.
A process of self-discovery and transformation.
Could it be the voice of my soul breaking through, exposing my inner world, offering insights beyond what I knew?
The confronting emotions and suffering I experienced while painting often exhausted me.
I thought the pain would never end.
Then a miracle happened.
While painting, I answered the phone. As I focused on the conversation, my brush took over.
The painting came alive on its own—effortlessly creating imagery that was a balm to my soul.
I was dumbfounded.
For that brief moment, I was in the flow of bliss.
That half-minute became a minute, then two—and the sense of inner beauty and peace expanded.
It felt like the experience of present moment in the Trust Technique®—what I call Becoming Kindred Spirits.
Painting has become a powerful force in my life—my growth, my teacher, my sanctuary.
More times than I like to admit, I forget this and pick up the brush as if washing dishes.
That lack of reverence can lead to suffering and pain.
It takes time to come back—to remember all it takes is re-entering stillness, awareness.
Some of you may know this feeling.
Writing my little Smudge book felt like revisiting and consolidating my process and connection.
My art is not a thought-out concept—rather something that happens as I paint, in spite of myself.
All I have to do is stay open and trust the process.
A metaphor for life.
A metaphor for communion with art and animals.
I deeply believe artists influence the River of Life.
What I put into my art, you—the viewer—take away.
Kindness is my motivation.
Animals open human hearts.
Open hearts are kind.
So I paint animals. They show me all that is good in my world.
Through them, I learn to be kind to myself and others. Surely only good can come from kindness.
Thank you for reading. Keep creative in your world … blaze
