C L E A N S I N G  Y O U R  M I N D  B O D Y  A N D  S O U L
​Let me ask you this...have you ever felt so tired and unmotivated that it just takes over your whole body and mind?
Sometimes days can pass and you still find it hard to shake this feeling that you have inside... Then suddenly you get your energy back and your back to being the bubbly, positive person you deserve to be!
This feeling can be so exhausting and the reality is every minute of our lives is precious, because there is not one second, minute or day we can take back and make it ours.
Sometimes I get in a little rut, and when this happens cleansing comes to mind, so this is one thing I really love to do.
Cleanse , Cleanse, Cleanse your body mind and soul, because if these three things are not  in balance we can fall apart.
There are simple things you can do, if you want you can call  them rituals, they are simple things that I do to improve my body, mind and soul. 

1. Use white sage to clear and release energy from your space. Smudging is such an important ritual of mine. I have a smudge stick that is made up of white sage and I light it up to create a glorious aroma of smoke that is used to cleanse myself and my house/office/studio space.
By walking around with this smudge stick in circular motions especially in the corners of each room. I bless my house and use positive thoughts while doing this cleansing. Each room in our house/office/business/studio has a purpose and who ever you live or work with they have an important purpose in your life to.
So wishing yourself and everyone around you positive thoughts will purify you and everyone else.

2. Cleansing your body is not that hard and one thing I absolutely love to do is cook with lots of colour. Having a great selection of colorful veggies and delicious foods this is such a great way of honoring our bodies. Not only is it an energy of color it will be giving your body nutrients and in the process you will be purifying yourself.

​3. I believe that mirrors play an important part in cleansing and bringing an abundance of positivity into your life.
I love cleaning all the mirrors in my house. Especially the ones in the bathroom, office and studio area. While I clean them I wish for abundance. An abundance of prosperity, happiness, creativity, love, and most importantly,  only the best for myself and everyone else around me.
This process allows me to feel a great energy flowing through me and my area.
The cleaner the mirror the more powerful the cleansing.

4. Morning rituals are so important and I am a high believer that your morning schedule holds the key to your success during the day.
Even waking up an hour earlier, than everyone else in your household,  can be so productive.
Waking up at least half an hour to an hour earlier and start my day walking over to my coffee machine which
I love and making my first cup
​of coffee for the day, this is one of my favourite rituals.
The aroma of coffee first thing in the morning is one of my favourite things in the whole world and I would go as far to say that it is my happy place!.
Gratitude is so important….Practising gratitude every morning has already made a massive difference in my life.
Even spending each day thinking of three things that you are grateful for is so simple.
I find keeping a gratitude journal is easy as you can do it while you have your morning coffee, instead on going on your phone you can spend 5 minutes thinking about what you are grateful for. By writing down good things you will eventually notice so many great things that are happening around you.
I am a high believer that gratitude makes us happier, it strengthens our relationships, improves our health, helps reduces stress and in general is good for you.
Try it for 2 weeks and see how you feel!.

5. Salt plays such an important part in life. it comes from the sea and it can help cleanse and clear out energy.
I own a salt lamp that is turned on while I am cleansing my house. When you turn a salt lamp on you can smell and taste the aroma of salt in the air.
Having a Himalayan soap bath can be used to cleanse your body during a shower.
Cleaning all your window sills and placing salt on them I find brings great energy into your house or office/studio space.
 
This list could go on and on, however finding your own way of cleansing, can clarify your body, mind and soul.
Honouring yourself by trying one of these a week can make a huge difference in your life and give you the amazing energy you deserve.
 
Written By: Ani Ipradjian
copyright: aniipradjianart

2018 Here We Come!
I always think there is something really special about this year, and there are so many reasons for this.............
Let’s start with the year 2018 it has an 8 on the end of it and the number 8 represents Infinity and everything good in the universe which is infinite.
How amazing is that! ‘
So the year has already started off with a positive note, wouldn't you agree?
I also feel that so many people around me seem be so motivated  at the moment. I keep hearing about everyone's goals and dreams more than usual and this is great, because surrounding yourself with people who want to make positive changes in their lives is a rich and meaningful experience.
 
Like so many people around me, I entered into 2018 with a lot of goals in mind, eating better, doing my gratitude every morning, making sure I have time for myself, sleeping when I am tired well ok the list goes on and on, however, simple goals that can be achieved is the way to go. I say it’s best to incorporate them into your daily life to constantly improve yourself.
 
Colour plays such an important role in our lives, and I feel that every year is different when it comes to colours tones and shades.
In December just before New Year’s I redecorated my office.
This was something that was really overdue.
The colour scheme I had in mind was dusty pink, white for all my furniture, grey with a touch of blue, and there are so many places we can visit to get inspiration:
1. Pinterest
2. Instagram
3. Blogs
4. Interior designers/stylists  
Even designing my office around a piece of my art.. Well that's what I did…..
My office was finished before New Year’s Day and I found that it was one of the best things that I ever did!.

What a difference it has made, there is so much natural light that just fills up my space, everything is de-cluttered and has its own place.
Surrounding yourself with colours that you are drawn to there, is probably a good reason for that, it could have a lot to do with personal energy and your chakras.
By de-cluttering we invite a new energy into our homes and lives and here are some tips:

​1. Spend 15 Minutes De Cluttering each day
(Chose a space that you feel needs it)
2. Unsubscribe from emails or pages that have no purpose in your life!
3. Spend 10 minutes every morning before you start work deleting emails.
4. Buy a white board and set tasks for yourself to do to de clutter. A white board is great tool for many reasons, one thing you can start doing immediately is write your daily tasks on it.
When we de-clutter, we feel more organized and in control of our lives.

Practicing gratitude every morning has already made a massive difference in my life.
Even spending each day thinking of three things that you are grateful for is so simple.
I find keeping a gratitude journal is easy you can do it while you have your morning coffee, instead on going on your phone you can spend 5 minutes thinking about what you are grateful for.
By writing down good things you will eventually notice so many great things happening around you.
I am a high believer that gratitude makes us happier, it strengthens our relationships, improves our health, helps reduces stress and in general is good for you. Try it for 2 weeks and see how you feel!. 

Setting goals.
An important step in realising this is to set achievable goals.
This is something I love to do. There are so many different types of goals we can do, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, 5 year plan the lists go on and on.
I find having a book that I can write in like a journal is great.
You can always reflect on your goals, and there is nothing better than placing a tick next to the gaols you have achieved its like giving yourself a mental high-5.

A great way to set goals is SMART GOALS. There is so much information you can find online about these.
S: Specific (Strategic and specific)
M: Measurable (Motivating)
A: Achievable(Agreed, attainable, action-oriented, ambitious, aligned with corporate goals, (agreed, attainable and achievable)
R: Relevant (Realistic, resourced, reasonable, (realistic and resourced), results-based
T: Time-bound (Trackable, time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive, time frame, testable.

Hope you all have a year to remember, and I hope you all achieve anything your heart desires.
May your 2018 be the year to remember!

Written By: Ani Ipradjian
copyright: aniipradjianart
 

​T I P S  O N  S E L E C T I N G   A  C O L O U R  P A L E T T E
From an early age, I knew that I had a passion for, & wanted to explore colour. This led me to painting endless colour charts, composite colours complementary colours and colour wheels by hand, before the invention of the internet. As an artist, exploring colour is one of the most important aspects of my creations. I mainly work with colours and shapes, to create an Asymmetrical piece & by trying not to use too many colours in a pallet. Keeping it simple is usually the best solution however sometimes, that not as easy as it sounds. 

Before I start painting I select a colour palette this usually consists of 4 to 5 colours but be prepared, there are so may colour palette available.
As an artist you will know there is not just one shade of grey, there is thousands of tones and shades of grey. Blue grey, green grey & so on, so choosing that perfect grey can take some time.

Here are some suggestions on selecting a palette - 
If you take a photo of a landscape building, beach setting you like, you can then google https://www.canva.com/color-palette/
Canva is amazing because all you have to do is upload your picture and it will produce a matching colour palette. It is free and you can also use Canva for all your social media promotions. 

Using 4 to 5 colours is the maximum pallet I will select for a piece, which sometimes is not that simple, so I get some help from colorpalettes.net
This website is amazing & is one of my favourite websites to use for selecting colour. Colour Palette offers you thousands of combinations to choose from. 

After selecting my colour palette, off to “Riot Art” where I select the final paint I will use to create my art. At any riotstores.com.au you can pick up a colour chart of most paints and take it home with you so next time you select a colour palette you can use these charts to match your final selection. It just makes life easier.

There is one paint I do prefer using, and that is Derivan Matisse Flow. Each Tube of paint has a stripe of colour that has been hand painted and is a true colour match. 
It gives me a better idea of the final colour, and as a bonus, Derivan Matisse Flow is made in Australia.  /www.derivan.com.au/derivan-products/matisse-flow-formula-acrylic.html
 
Selecting colour is one of my favourite things in the process. Once my colour palette, theme is selected and my paint is purchased the motivation and creativity levels start to flow. One of the best feelings in the world for me is the first brush stroke on the blank canvas. 
Hope you enjoyed these helpful hints. 
Written By: Ani Ipradjian
copyright: aniipradjianart
​
You can click on web links and it should take you to the required website. 

You can view my original artwork www.aniipradjianart.com.au and see the colours and themes I have selected. 

A R T  F I R S T  D E C O R A T E  S E C O N D

Now I am not an interior designer, however I have spent years studying colours, shapes & patterns. I do believe that most colours come from nature and can influence design in so many ways, from the entire building spectrum, to a special piece of furniture.

Decorating a room is time consuming, from searching online for endless colour schemes and most importantly from choosing the right piece of art for your room.

Have you ever thought of making the piece of art that you choose be the hero of your room?  Not the couch or cushions, but the artwork? This is usually the first thing you notice when you enter a room.
​
Most of the time we shop for art, and we treat it as an afterthought, or we leave it until we can match it with a piece of furniture or a cushion. This can often lead to tearing our hair out, as it can be so hard to find a piece of art that will perfectly match your interior, due to colour, tone & hue variations.

​Sometimes our decorating life can be made easier, by choosing a colour scheme for our room and then by choosing a painting to fit the wall space we want to decorate. 

There are a few ways we can do this. You can either spend hours searching for a painting online or by visiting numerous galleries, but the simplest way to go about this is to get a piece of art commissioned by one of your favorite artists. This way you have the perfect colour scheme to decorate with and the painting can be made perfectly to fit your wall space. 

Another positive by choosing a commissioned piece is that you can also choose the frame colour you are after. How great is that?!

We are so lucky that by living in Australia, there are so many talented artists to choose from and that are willing to work around the colours you personally select. 

If you are thinking about decorating a space in your home or want to add a splash of colour to brighten up the walls in your house or office, you can contact Ani Ipradjian
Written By: Ani Ipradjian
copyright: aniipradjianart

www.aniipradjianart.com.au

​Finding Inner Motivation
I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an artist; I believe this was due to a natural born gift & inner ambition. Sometimes the only thing that makes me happy is when I am painting and creating art, as I feel as if it’s my life’s purpose and that it is what I was born to do. I do believe a purpose is one of the most important things in this world, and as I believe we only have one life that is excluding past lives lol so we need to live this life with a solid purpose.
 
Before the brush hits the canvas, the most important thing is to have a plan. Planning takes form in the sketching, colour schemes, testing of colours, shopping for the tools required, deciding on a theme, the artworks name.
 
One thing that drives me to paint besides a deep love for what I do is the motivation and inspiration. It is really hard to start a piece of art without these two elements.

Here are some suggestions to motivate you.
1. Clear and clean the area you are going to use to create your art.
2. Have all sketches and ideas along with all colour schemes in a folder or plastic pocket ready to go.
3. Cleanse the area either with white sage or place Himalayan ​ Salt in large rocks or small rocks around your space. Even clean your window sills and place Himalayan Salt on the ledge as it will bring in an abundance of motivation.
4. Look at your past work, paintings, sketches, art you may have done years ago, this can also sometimes motivate you.
5. Going on Instagram and Pinterest, looking up interiors that you find appealing can trigger motivation.
6. Doing a light meditation to cleanse your Solar Plexus Chakra, Sacral Chakra and Root Chakra.
​These chakras control your motivation and are connected to your creativity. (Google Chakra meditations on You Tube there are so many mini ones. I find the guided ones the best.)
7. Make a small collection of crystals and place them around the area that you paint or create art. Here are some crystals that will help with motivation: -
Almandine Garnet, Carnelian, Siberian Gold Quartz, Tangerine Quartz
8. Clean out all you drawers and where you store your paint and brushes.
9. Set a date you will start to paint or create your art, & do not put it off.
10. Post a few previous art works up on social media, particularly ones that you enjoyed painting.
12. One of my favourites visit a gallery.
11. Visualise your painting finished and hanging up on a wall.
 
 
Cleansing and cleaning my art space always works for me such a simple thing that has a great effect.
Written by Ani Ipradjian.
 
Copyright  Ani Ipradjian Art
www.aniipradjianart.com.au