Dearest friends around the blogsphere, i hope you're having warm and vibrant holidays, filled to the brim with all the things, that make your heart smile!  See you back soon and keep sparkling!

The color of my mood is ...


The garden of my mind ....

spills over into my studio, and  brightens winter days with the sunshine i'm missing!

 I do love these vibrant yellows, golds and oranges, although of course i also love the pre-chrostmas season. It's currently quite warm here in germany, but we rarely see the sun and the blue sky is veiled by thick layers of white,foggy clouds. The world seems crazy right now,  and so in need of light, love and peace please!

We've recently been to Berlin to celebrate the first official song release by one of my favorite artists ever,  not just because he's our youngest son ;) His artist name is "Schlindwein" and the song is called "Higher" - and it just takes you higher ...and higher .... have a look here and dance with me:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Higher/dp/B018NN08SE


Cold Weather- Warm Colors






It's true, paintings do generate light if colors are used in the right way, and the vibrations of color can literally warm us, cool us, make us feel safe and happy. The new paintings above carry the rich and tropical shades i crave for right now. 
Christmas time has officially started and i wish you a lovely week, filled with the smell of cinnamon, apples, oranges and wintergreen twigs!


Autumn carries more colors in its pockets than all the other seasons.

 Dear friends, it's been a long while since my last post. As time flies and my days are very full at the moment, i decided to unable comments for now. Know that i think of you and miss you - and appreciate your kind visit very much.
I've been inspired by Octobers vibrant palette and have worked on a series of new paintings with abstract botanical impressions. The picture above gives a glimpse of Indian Summer in my studio, which is still in full swing and will be celebrated in style here soon.
I hope November is warm and cozy on your end, and you enjoy the golden leaves flying in the air as much as i do!

Hänsel










Some impressions from the premiere of "Hänsel", the first film by my sons remarkable girlfriend Juli Gaston. Robin was art-director to the film and they both worked for months and months, with a team of over 30 people to get it done.
It came out so professional in every detail that we could hardly believe it. For they had only a small budget, mainly sponsored by "Finger weg" an organisation that works to prevent violence against kids.
The film is a modern fairy tale, based on "Hänsel and Gretel" by the Grimm brothers, but mainly telling the story of 11 years old Marvin, who is mistreated by his mother and escapes in a dream-world, where he fights and wins against the wicked witch, thus getting his strength back and keeping his integrity.
They put so much love, care and work into every detail, that i think it's going to be a hit at various short film festivals in the coming year. 
Enjoy the photos here - they give you a glimpse of how opulent and beautiful the setting and costumes were. Have a bright and happy start to your week dear friends - i look forward to visit you back!

Einige Impressionen von der Premiere von "Hänsel", im Main-Taunus Zentrum bei Frankfurt am letzten Wochenende, Der erste Kurzfilm von Juli Gaston ist eine moderne Interpretation, des Märchens Hänsel und Gretel der Gebrüder Grimm. Die Geschichte handelt von dem 11-jährigen Jungen, Marvin, der von seiner Mutter misshandelt wird. Marvin träumt sich in eine Märchenwelt, in der er als starker Hänsel die böse Hexe besiegt und auf diese Weise die traumatischen Erlebnisse verarbeitet.

Der Film, der von einem engagierten Team aus Profis und Studenten in monatelanger Arbeit und mit sehr geringen Mitteln verwirklicht wurde, beeindruckt durch eine starke, poetische Bildsprache, die einen als Betrachter sofort gefangen nimmt. Obwohl der Film mit Metaphern arbeitet und das Geschehen der Kindesmisshandlung nur andeutet, hält man als Betrachter den Atem an. Die Intensität der Darsteller und  hollywoodreife Filmmusik tun ein übriges, um den Film zu etwas ganz Besonderem zu machen.

Grosszügig gesponsert wurde das Werk von dem Verein "Finger weg von unseren Kindern", der sich um Aufklärung und Vorbeugung zu dem brisanten Thema bemüht. Weitere Aufführungen sind geplant in Schulen und Erziehungseinrichtungen, sowie auf verschiedenen Kurzfilm-Festivals im kommenden Jahr.

Sour and sweet






Sour and sweet is the taste of life

Some street art from Italy - just impressions i caught, while walking the little streets of the ancient town called Albenga, situated at the Ligurian coast.  The combination of zesty yellow, sweet pink and mellow grey is something i want to use in one of the next paintings. Yellow and pink is my happy combination, and the grey and creamy white ads a touch of softness to the mix.
It's grey outside here and soft rain is falling. Am preparing for a weekend visit by two close friends of mine, and look forward to an exciting film-premiere on sunday, featuring the work of some people very dear to me -more about it in the next post!

Looking at those lemons, i'm thinking about making lemon spaghetti for lunch today, so easy and delicious! Find the recipe here!



September Highlights


1. The clear and sunny light is beautiful in September -  and i often sat outside painting what i saw, but putting it together in a new way - like these two little pieces..  They are framed in a double frame by Articulate Gallery,
2. Walking in sandals, shopping fresh fruit., veggies and flowers is one of my summer delights and  every day seems special to me know - as we're approaching the beginning of fall.
3. A midday espresso, from my new coffee machine reading news from dear friends - time to breathe and make the moment count.
4. My son Marin alias Schlindwein had his first solo live gig in a funky Nhow Hotel in Berlin - so cool!
5. A mini-spa break for body and soul sometimes is just what the doctor asked for. Since a while ago i badly hurt my foot and we had many things to deal with, hubby and i treated ourselves to some much needed downtime at the gorgeous Bollants , not very far from us in Bad Sobernheim.

What else will September have in store? First of all, i hope a fabulous weekend for you my lovelies.
Visiting YOU is a highlight all through the year!

Late summer colors



"Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh so mellow ..."


Orange berries are ripening on the bushes and our evenings are lit by fire and warmed by a blanket on the terasse. It really feels like late summer now - and this little painting i did recently catches the mood.


It is framed in a new kind of frame i was offered to test for our magazine and website KidsLife, and i like it very much. It allows to frame artwork on paper without putting a glass over the picture, something i have often wished for. A glass can look nice, but i often feel that it takes some warmth and vibrancy away from the painting, the feel and taste of something handmade.

These framed were developed to showcase kids-art. They have a slit on the top, and you can stack and store several pieces in them if you like. For me they are great because they allow me, to quickly show a client, how a painting on paper appears when framed, Plus the rounded corners look so cool.
The frames are called Articulate Gallery - get more informations here.

Botanical







A little series of paintings on paper that started out as sketches in the garden. sort of improvising with brush and paints sitting outside, mostly in the  subtle light of the evening hours. Looking at  plants, seed, berries, leaves, tiny branches, needles, nuts and all the other things out there always invigorates my imagination. 
 I didn't really draw their likeness, but rather let my hands play with the images they triggered - and somehow these paintings turned out a little like botanical drawings you see in books sometimes. 

Enjoy the best of August as long as it's still here. It's the last real month of summer and we're entering the last week of it ...Can you believe it?


Stardust memories



All colours will agree in the dark.

Two little blue paintings of a series of four that i'm working on - since quite a while. They have been changing -until now they resemble treflections of the night sky in a pond, lit from the inside. They are quite dreamy, but yet the blue is strong and vibrant and the small dots of color shine like exotic fishes in the ocean. 

Hope your week gets of to a sparkling start lovelies! Enjoy the summer sky and the heavenly blue hour just before darkness if you can - the hour, when the work is done and people in Italy assemble in bars for their "Aperitivi"  - a ritual i like very much and think about importing here.
Drinks, some small bites and relaxed chit chat, before everybody goes home - or - elsewhere - to have dinne., A casual celebartion to let go of the tension of the day, to shake your feathers and dive into the moment.

 Join me tonight?


Painting summer




I have been quite busy in my studio lately. trying to make the best out of summers expansive energy. The big canvas paintings i'm just about to finish capture the warm, yellow golden glow of sunshine in the garden, the play of light and shadow, the sense of things blooming and ripening, while we feel relaxed like the black cat, sunshine on her fur..
I hope you're all having a bright and wonderful start to the your week and enjoy the best of August!

Magic and Pasta






Most Italians sure know how to enjoy life, and since good food is, what seems to weave it all together  - the treasures of the earth, the ocean and the human heart - good food is absolutely vital to celebrate and make each day special. It's not just about nurturing the body, but all the more about having part in the dance of life.
 Me and my family adore Italian food and can't get enough of pasta in all variations. Along the Ligurian coast you get heavenly seafood pasta dishes, easy, fresh and scrumptious.  If you'd like to make some at home,  try this yummy recipe by "the little kitchen! an amazing food blog i have just discovered. 
Have a fabulous start into august and see you soon!

Photo Pasta:: the little kitchen

Colors of Italy






The vibrant colors of Italy also contain a softer palette of muted pinks, oranges, grey, beiges and blues, that are wonderfully soothing to the eyes and to the mind. To me, almost every piece of wall i see, or carefully tiled and plastered ground i walk over, contains a painting, and i've photographed a lot of pretty details during our walks in ancient market towns and villages. Above pix were taken in a medieval city called Toirrano, where we also ate wonderful pasta ... more about this in the next post ;)
Hope you all  have a splendid weekend ahead




I'm summer, come, run along my beaches, loose your thoughts in my rays of sunshine, dive into my oceans ...

Dear friends, it's been a loooooong while since i last posted here - do you guess where i've been? It wasn't easy going beach life all the time, but somehow, summer took me on it's wings and carried me away. Making the long days seem short, giving me so much to do while at the same time making me .... not exactly lazy, but stretching my inner life out in various directions. These pix were taken during a trip to the Italian riviera, and i'm going to show you more of the colors of Italy here soon.
Hope you're having a splendid summer so far and send you a fresh ocean breeze!

Happy Circles



Dieses Bild ist im vergangenen Frühling entstanden, und es wurde verkauft an eine Innenarchitektin die sagt; "Ich hätte mir nie im Leben vorstellen können, dass mir ein pinkfarbenes Bild an meiner Wand gefallen könnte. Aber jetzt blicke ich jeden Tag darauf und es macht mich einfach glücklich!"

This canvas got finished last spring and it sold to an interior-architekt who said: "never in a million years could i imagine, i would buy a pink painting and be totally happy with it, but now i did - and i am!! " Have a FUNtastic week of spring and colors lovelies!

Painting: Martina Voigt-Schmid, Second photo, cushions & rug: courtesy of Gudrun Sjoeden

Fearless Art






Some bold art to wake you up after the easter break! ThereÄs something that inspires me in these black walls, adorned with big, powerful art ... Be fearless,  be bold, PLAY and let your light shine, no matter what! 
Maybe because i'm at a point with my new paintings, that scares me a little. They are not far from where i want them to be, but not quite there ... something is still missing. And adding a little thing, sometimes changes the whole painting! Let's see, if some progress can be achieved this week!
I wish you a powerful midweek and send you a brushstroke of happiness!

Pictures: Pinterest

Happy Easter!


Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life.
S.D. Gordon

Fröhliche Ostern Ihr Lieben! Ein kleiner Gruß aus meinem Atelier, wo ich zur Zeit in goldenen Gelbtönen schwelge. Gestern, als ich die Fotos aufgenommen habe ist mir aufgefallen, dass ich für unseren Osterstrauss genau die gleichen Farben ausgesucht hatte, die sich auf meiner Palette finden - gelb, schwarz, pink und ein bisschen blau und orange. Sogar das pink meiner Bluse passt zu diesem Mix! 

Für das Bild von mir habe ich die "YouCamPerfect"t-App auf dem i-pad ausprobiert - und finde sie super! Sie wirft ein schmeichelhaftes Licht auf den Teint, das Fältchen und Hautunreinheiten einfach überstrahlt. Frau sieht aus wie frisch aus dem Ei gepellt und wie nach der Frühjahrskur, die sie in diesem Jahr (in meinem Fall) noch gar nicht begonnen hat ;)

Wir verbringen Ostern in diesem Jahr ganz entspannt - lange Familien-Frühstücke und Brunches, ein Flohmarkt-Bummel, ein Spaziergang am Rhein entlang - mal schauen, was das launische Aprilwetter alles zulässt!

Was sind Eure Pläne?

Happy easter from my studio flowers! Am painting away in shades of golden yellow and dashes of pink and yesterday, when i took these pix, i realized, that instinctively, i chose the same color scheme for our easter bouquet and even for my top!

For the picture of me i played a bit with the "YouCamPerfect" App for i-pad and must say i really love it! It makes the skin look beautiful and smooth- small wrinkles and imperfections just don't show and you look like after the spring cleanse even if - like in my case - you haven't even started on it.

The weather is really moody here, strong winds that blow cold rain showers, flower-petals and occasional specs of sunlight in our faces. We'll have a relaxed easter-weekend this year, with long and lazy family breakfasts and brunches, a walk over the flea-market, maybe visiting an art exhibition or a walk alongside the river.

What are your plans for the holidays?   

DIY Citrus Body Scrub





Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin.  
Gwyneth Paltrow

 Gestern habe ich Frühjahrsklamotten anprobiert und dabei gedacht, dass es höchste Zeit wäre, mal wieder etwas für meine Haut zu tun! Vor allem für Arme und Beine, die nach dem langen Winter - um es milde auszudrücken - nicht so richtig gut aussehen. Ein schönes Peeling schleift alte Hautschüppchen ab, fördert die Durchblutung und vitalisiert den ganzen Körper. 

Dieses einfache Rezept habe ich schon mal getestet - es ist super-easy, 100% natürlich und tut richtig gut. Durch das Traubenkernöl in der Mischung ist es auch sehr pflegend. Ich habe die Anwendung von Traubenkernöl mal in dem wunderschönen Wellness-Hotel Bollants im Park kennengelernt - es enthält besonders viel Vitamin E und Polyphenole und ist somit ein super Anti-Ageing Mittel.

Ihr bracht für das Peeling nur:
1 Bio-Zitrone
250g naturreines grobes Meersalz
75ml kaltgepresstes Traubenkernöl


Zubereitung
Meersalz in ein Schälchen geben und mit dem Öl vermischen. die Zitrone auspressne und die Schale abreibem. Beides mit der Öl Salz Mischung gut vermengen - fertig! Jetzt nur noch in ein hübsches Glas abfüllen und den zitronigen Duft genießen!


Remember the body scrub DIY i posted about a while back? Meanwhile i got around making it, and it turned out great! You simply mix a cup of good, extra vergine vegetable oil - i used grapeseed-oil oil, since it's supposed to be very good for your skin - with a cup of pure sea salt and 2 teaspoons of grind lemon rind. That's it! Fill it in a pretty jar and use it on wet skin. You gently rub it in and shower it of.  Try it - and step into the week as the pretty and sparkling superstar you really are!

Photos: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Yellow shoes

Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.

Hallo Ihr Lieben, nachdem ich letzte Woche die Gartensaison eröffnen wollte, hat sich der Frühling wieder versteckt - hinter weißen und grauen Schleiern! Blumen gibt es trotzdem - und ein Schuss Farbe bringt Energie in den Tag. Deshalb trage ich heute meine gelben Ballerinas und spiele mit gelber Farbe. Welche Farbe tut Dir heute gut?


Spring starts wearing a white, wet, foggy gown here and the days since the equinox have been hidden behind it. Am wearing yellow shoes and adding dabs and strokes of yellow and pink to my canvases, to bring back the sunshine. Colors are pure energy - and can be used to spike up your mood and spirit. Which color do you need, to put you in balance right now?

Spring greetings from my studio!  I'm working on some new canvases and like always, when i start on a painting, let myself be guided by intuition and let my hands pick the colors, instead of consciously choosing them. Currently, i feel inspired by crystals, gemstones and ordinary stones. The shapes they have, formed by elements, the different structures, the light they emit and the light they catch and magnify.
Spring has officially started but there's a chill here in the air today - and i'm in a dreamy mood. A day for hot soup and tea and cozy reading time. What are your plans for the weekend?

Good Day, Sunshine!


Just a glimpse of Italy, to get your week started! Soft yellow, pale pink, creamy white and leafy green - coming across the pix i took during a holiday on the italian riviera i couldn't help feeling exited. Also because yesterday, our family has decided to visit the beautiful landscape of the ligurian coast again this coming june. Am painting away this week, feeling more inspired than i have in weeks - so be prepared to see some new work here coming up soon!