How to become a patron of Gideonslight art

"Sunny days" Day 1 WWCM

I invite you to take a look at my digital art galary that contains a collection of over 30 artworks that I  have created over the last four months. As some of you know, the month of July is World Watercolour Mont... and of course I participated!

World Watercolor Month was founded as a charitable event supporting art education.
Please make a child’s dream come true by donating to The Dreaming Zebra Foundation!

If you would like to learn more please visit the official website here:

Worldwatercolourmonth

I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of the 31 day painting marathon, and although I was not able do complete all 31 prompts, I was able to do most. This was a huge learning curve for me, and the journey revealed a lot to me about my skill as an artist as well as rekindled my love for the medium of watercolour. One thing is for sure... I have discovered my favourite medium. Watercolour and I speak the same language!

I would like to thank each individual who has encouraged and supported me thus far on my art journey. Many of you are wondering why I  am developing this talent now in my life. As most of you only know me as Gideon the hairdresser. Art has always been a personal value of mine, and due to the winding roads of life, I  have never had the opportunity and finance to take the time to develop my art skills. Ever since I  left school it was my desire to study art, but unfortunately that door never opened for me. Until now!

But my current life make-over started a few years ago already, when I  reached a stage in my career where I didn't feel the joy anymore in what I was doing every day. I cannot begin to tell you how many times in my 30 odd year hairdressing career I wanted to leave it all behind, but it was both my saving grace financially, as well as the limitation to achieving my bigger dreams.

Up until now all I  had time for, was my hairdressing career. But ever since I  started on the journey of my own business last year,  I  realised that the time has arrived in my life to develop and explore the things that I have always had to put on the "to do list" of my life. I guess it is something that comes with reaching the age I have,  when all I did before now, was trying to make a living, buy a home and try to be the best at what I  believed myself to be.

I read somewhere (I think it was in Conversations with God by Neal Donald Walsch) that ideally an 8 hour working day should be devided in 4 hours of dedicated work to earn a living, 2 hours of focusing on a hobby, and 2 hours of engaging in activities like garden work, or community service. And should you structure your day around this principal,  it would lead to a reduced stress level, and a higher productive and happy individual. Now that I work for myself I can put this principle into practice and I can testify to its effectiveness!

As you know working for an employer has its positive points, but one of the negatives is that you are a slave to their demands. You work their hours, do what they tell you to do and in my case a lot of my personal income and time was redirected back into my career, leaving me gridlocked in all things hairdressing, in stead of having any time or resources to persue my love for art.

"Beautiful blooms" Day 11 WWCM

It wasn't until I took a leap of faith last year that I  started to enjoy my hairdressing career in a whole new way... by creating the lifestyle that I  dreamed about... One that allows me to be sustainable in my hairdressing and finances, but also one that allows me time to explore and develop my art, as well as my interest in psychology. Working for yourself has the percs of setting up your day to day schedule to include the activities that otherwise would be neglected.

"Primary colours " Day 3 WWCM

Albeit it is more stressful to be self employed, because clients does not always cooperate and support my vision the way that I had hoped. It remains rewarding, because I can do so much more with my time. Letting go of any expectations from clients has served as a learning curve that only strengthened my resolve to make my goals and dreams become a reality. And according to the law of attraction,  life has no other way of manifesting, other than offering me the opportunities to make my dreams come true, because it is my deepest desire. My choices and daily actions help to shape and create my reality.

"Simple things" Day 6 WWCM

"Flying things" Day 8 WWCM

So, my goal with my art besides getting better at it? It would be nice to sell my art, and w
I'll get to that, but above and beyond being an artist, I  want my art to touch hearts and enlighten souls... this is where my art skills can help others through my art therapy program that I am busy developing. As I continue my studies in the field of psycology and art therapy, it is my intention to grow in my skills to become a certified art therapist with a logotherapeutic approach. This is my true-north in my current journey as an artist and counsellor.

"Shades of blue" Day 5 WWCM

"Climbing mountains " Day 9 WWCM

I am planning to start a greeting card series soon, and you will be able to purchase these greeting cards at my salon for your perusal. This way my art can be supported and the sales from these greeting cards will help me to purchase more art supplies I need in order to keep developing and growing in my craft.

"Light & luminous" Day 10 WWCM

"Forest animals" Day 12 WWCM

So, if you like what I am doing in my personal development,  and would like to support me in my art endeavours,  please feel free to become a patron by giving any donation towards purchasing art supplies, or sponsoring me to enroll in workshops with art teachers here and on-line.

"Fast and loose" Day 13 WWCM

"Sweet treats" Day 14 WWCM

You can support me with a money donation, or by purchasing a gift voucher from Jimnettes (if you live in Pretoria), or you can look at my wish list on Amazon.com or Art Saver.co.za

As you might know, art supplies are very expensive and the best way to develop any skill is by practicing. So a gift voucher from Art Saver will go a long way towards achieving this goal. If you feel inclined to support me in this way, you can do so by visiting Art Saver and purchasing a gift card on their website. You can find them here: Gift voucher

I also have a wish list on Amazon, simply use this link to have a look at my wish list, and if Amazon is your thing, feel free to support me there!
Amazon wish list

"On the beach" Day 15 WWCM

"Casting shadows" Day 16 WWCM

"City life" Day 17 WWCM

"Rainy days" Day 19 WWCM

"Glorious golds" Day 21 WWCM

"Farm life" Day 25 WWCM

In the meantime if you like any of the art I created recently, I would be honoured if you would make an offer to purchase it! Just send me a WhatsApp message and tell me which art piece you would like to claim, and what you are willing to donate financially for it. I would be so grateful for any support! You can do an EFT for me, or bring me cash with your next hair appointment. I will hand your work of art over to you then! I am looking forward to sharing more about my art in another blog. So watch this space.

"Wet and dry" Day 20 WWCM

"Monochromatic mood" Day 24 WWCM

"Under the sea" Day 22 WWCM

"Splashing around" Day 26 WWCM

"Exotic location" Day 30 WWCM

"In the jungle" Day 18 WWCM

On another note,  I  have retail options at the salon again, and will focus my retail sakes in the OI range of Davines that is for all hair types. Currently there is the "buy a shampoo and conditioner " deal that spoils you with a free Circle Chronicle treatment valued at R135 as a gift. So make your appointment today and come spoil your tresses with all this fabulous goodies at the salon.

I am looking forward to seeing you this month at the salon!

Stay blessed!

Gideon Busquèt-Craucamp
Master stylist
Creative Coach
Counsellor
Artist 

By appointment only!
☎️0794965407

"Still Under Construction"!

 I am a firm believer in the truth; that your life is a reflection of your beliefs and the consequences of your daily choices and actions. In all of my spiritual lectures and also in my art therapy workshops, I remind people to look at the events and happenings around them for clues, as messages from Spirit or the Divine. Much can be revealed as to what is going on within, by paying close attention to what is happening in our day to day lives. Nothing is coincidental. Nothing happens by accident. Everything from the person serving your coffee at the coffee shop, to the butterfly that grabs your attention in the garden, has a potential message for you, if you would only become present enough to pay attention!

This method of awareness in taking the eagles point of view to get perspective in your life, can be applied both on a personal scale as well as on a national or even international level... albeit the wider your inspection is, the higher your perspective needs to be in order to see the relevant information and understand messages from the Divine.

With that said, it is interesting to use my own current life situation as an example of how this method of introspection can be applied to your life.

I considered myself very lucky home owner over the last 10 years to live in an area that, most of the time, is fairly quiet and peaceful. Especially as a resident in an urban environment. We all know the levels of noise pollution that we have to cope with on a daily basis. So you can imagine my surprise recently as the empty plot next to my home got invaded by a team of builders!

At first light one morning the peaceful atmosphere of my neighborhood got interrupted with the awful noise of hammer against brick, as the old house next door, that could only be described as a dump, got deconstructed by a team of workers, brick by brick!

At this moment I was still blissfully unaware of what was about to unfold in my world but it was the first clue towards the message of today...

Before anything new can come into being... sometimes a deconstruction of the old and "out of use" might be in order, to make way for the construction of something new...

As the weeks went past and the noise levels increased, I became aware of my own inner process of dealing with issue of frustration. Feeling powerless around controlling the constant noise, and feeling annoyed because my peaceful world got invaded, I felt angry that there was no advance notice of the intended deconstruction of the dilapidated property next door. I felt frustrated and helpless to stop the progress that was made, especially when it dawned on me that this was merely the beginning of a whole process of development that I never thought would happen on this plot of land!

It was at the moment that the builders started to dig foundation holes that the truth of the situation fully realised for me... my peaceful life in my neighborhood is about to change forever.  My view from my home is being altered permanently. The view from my garden and even the light in my home will be changed forever. A new block of flats is busy being constructed and will be a new landmark in my neighborhood.

To illustrate the power of this symbolic message I take you now to my salon where the owners of Salon Allure recently started with the renovation and redevelopment of phase 2 on the part of the property right next door to the salon! So, now there is construction at my work place, as well as at my home! The noise and sounds of drills, power tools, hammers, steel and concrete scraping is my new constant companion.

It is not until very recently that I realised the depth of the message of this deconstruction and construction that is currently evident in my life. I started to look at the symbolic nature of the message and started to look at both my inner life as well as my business, and it's in that moment that I was able to see the relevance of the message found in the mirror of my current life experience. My life is being deconstructed and something new is taking form out of the seemjng chaos. I just have to surrender to the process and allow... Something is clearly changing. Something is being deconstructed,  broken down, and altered permanently.  Something old is making way for something new...

So many of my life dreams and most of my current goals can be brought into the vision quest of what my life is showing me through this construction sites all around me.

My business as a hairstylist is busy evolving and changing. My life as an artist and art therapist is busy taking on a whole new dimension and the Spiritual aspects of my life as a teacher and facilitator is also going in a whole new direction. These are just the superficial themes I can count here... but time will tell about the true depth of transformation taking place right now!

If I take into account the fact that all the heavy planets out there is coming closer to the earth in 2018 than in the last 30 years, and most of them will have extended periods of being in retrograde this year, then no wonder most of us are experiencing massive changes and shifts in our lives, if not in one then maybe even in most of our personal lives!

Another interesting aspect of the big planets is that they all represent the big aspects of your life for example; money, career, relationships, family, dreams and major life goals... it is no wonder that big changes are happening all around us. Once every 30 years or so this event occurs with the big heavy planets. Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus... yes, big changes are unfolding for all of us.

So in using my observation of current deconstruction and construction in my life,  I  can't help but wonder what you are currently experiencing in your world. Where in your life is major tables being turned? Where does it feel for you like the card house is tumbling down? Where in your life does things feel stuck, or is it taking on a new direction, one that maybe you weren't expecting? Feeling surprised? Like something suddenly appeared out of your blind spot?

Do not feel alone, for this is a sure sign that the Divine is busy working as the Master Architect in your life. Life happens when you make other plans... and sometimes the only option you have is to surrender and to accept what is unfolding.

Rather than becoming complacent, become an active participant in this process unfolding in your life, because "control" is the biggest illusion of them all. "Relax nothing is in control" is my motto, and remember, what you resist will only persist! Like my beloved husband reminded me of in his full moon post on Facebook, just relax, this too shall pass! I promise. It might not be today... it might not be tomorrow,  but eventually it will pass. And one day you will wake up and you will realise even though the deconstruction of your life seemed painful and inconvenient,  it lead to the construction of a whole new life, and one that you never knew was even possible!

So here is the spiritual lesson in this story that I realised this week; Life presents you with opportunities. You can choose to see it as challenges but truly it's nothing more than opportunities. Opportunity to grow, to expand and to learn. Opportunity to choose again, to experience life from a new perspective and to break free from the "boxes and roles" we constantly place ourselves in. You can either give your power away by complaining and playing the victim,  or you can claim your power back and get involved in the deconstruction and re-construction of your life right now.

The choice of how you will experience this re-construction phase in your life is of course, always yours! And the next time you wonder why everything seems a bit stressful right now, and maybe not going your way, just remind yourself that all of us are always still 'under construction"!

Written by:
Gideon Busquét-Craucamp
Master Stylist
Counsellor
Reiki Master
Creative Coach
Art Therapist
Artist

Find me on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/Gideonslight/

🖱https://www.gideonslight.wordpress.com

📞 0794965407 by appointment only!

📧gideonslight@gmail.com
📍Salon Allure, 142A Tecoma street, Wonderboom, Pretoria, 0182.

Top hair fashion trens for 2018

Welcome winter! Goodbye summer...

With the winter arriving in full swing it is time to get the winter wardrobe out and put the summer wardrobe away... but I  think dressing in layers might be a wiser choice, especially for us in Pretoria, since we do experience four seasons in one day of late! But along with the change in the seasonal wardrobe, comes the opportunity to look at and update your hair colour and style for this season.

One of the things I  would like to discuss in brief before I reveal some of the trends for 2018, is the whole idea of "going grey" via the route of a "granny grey" colour technique. This misconception of colour is so horrifying, and a persistent request from clients, that I feel the need to clarify some things about this look. It is so far of the mark trend wise in our city and probably elsewhere in South-Africa that even Nataniel wrote about his horror take on this nasty trend in the latest Sarie, and trust me, his words on this toppic was not so flattering!

The whole "granny grey" trend started about 4 years ago, and back then when it was still in vogue,  it was a refreshing new direction for colourists and clients alike. But as usual, it takes about a year before popular trends realy becomes street fashion in SA. Needless to say that once it became fashionably acceptable to be "grey", an avalanche of clients rushed to the salon to colour their tresses grey, and somewhere in between the high end trend and the mediocre mass production of the general population,  it became something else... especially for the uninformed and misguided individuals who visits "garage hairdressers" who rarely attends trend workshops, and who uses inferior products! Suddenly we all find ourselves surounded in shopping centres and church pews with very badly coloured "grey" hair, and of course the term "granny grey" is loosly used to describe it all as fashion!

In the streets these days you see badly damaged yellow and orange hair with patches of green slate sluge that looks like something crawled out of a drain, or you see broken luminescent violet to purple gray hair that clearly comes out of a "Gention violet" bottle. It all just looks horrible to say the least.

The worst part of this undying trend is hitting the general salons now with the aftermath of naturally grey clients that thinks this is the way out of their colour routine of covering their greys every 4 weeks, who dreams of the "final colour" at the salon that will save them from the embarising "letting go" and 6 month ordeal (or longer) of growing out their own natural grey, to embrace a life where it is more acceptable to walk around with grey hair! The sad truth about this, and I agree with Nataniel here, is that most woman who embrace the greys, look like they are casting to play a role in the next witches if Eastwood tv series! Can you see why I say this trend has gone all wrong in the watering down from high end trendy fashion to the washed out eye sores we now have to stare at in the que at Woolworths!

If you want to embrace your grey hair, please make sure you have a strong modern hair style. Take a clue from Merrill Streep in "The devil wears Prada" and make a proper fashion statement by having a great haircut. Take care if the condition because having grey hair does not equal laziness and letting go!

                                                             VS

Can you spot the difference? Then there is the technical aspects of any grey technique whether current platinum trends, the original "granny grey",  or unicorn/crystal shades... if your natural hair is dark brown or darker, and you have been colouring your hair dark for ages, forget it! This trend is not meant for you! Your hair will not survive it and the maintenance on your hair will dissapoint your wallet and all hopes of getting a relief from the usual root cover-up job you normally have will fade into the distance when one colour correction after another finally ruins your hair and all faith in hairdressers! Even if your hair is fairly light and in a good condition, extreme hair trends like this is high end and will cost you a lot of money to have done and to maintain! Don't say I didnt warn you!

Now a final word on the "special hunters" out there... you cannot have a high end hair colour technique done on a shoe string budget, and asking for a miracle on a midweek maintenance special is just silly! And to answer a maddening question, if your hair is black, you won't leave with white hair in one sitting, and it wont take 30 minutes, and no it won't cost you less than R500! Really! So stop asking! If that is what you want my advice is get a wig!

So, now that that is off my chest, let's look at current hair trends that are worth celebrating and making an appointment to update your tresses to look fabulous this winter season! Here are just some of my personal favorites that I am excited about.

The "coffee bollyage" is an exciting update on a classic technique. Gone are the harsh contrast between dark roots and white ends... This is a deep espresso tone on the roots with a soft mocha cream fusion to the ends! Note the shine and condition!

The "fruit salad" is a refreshing spin on multi tone highlights and lowlights. I love the play of various browns, mahogany and soft cool coppers here! Yum!

Rose browns gives brunettes a chance to enjoy the popular rose gold trend in deeper tones in a playful way.

Rose gold blond is still all the rage. This look is particularly on trend with the middle parting and loose uncept curls. It's all in the touchable shiny soft texture.

Deep mocha browns are always a classic, especially for winter, but freshen it up with uneven bangs and a medium blunt cut length. Liven this look up with the very trendy caramel highlights in between to give more movement and texture seen here below...

Then texture in the form of curls, beachy waves, or even spiral perms has been seen on the red carpet! Natural curls, crimpers and even sets have become all the rage, as women everywhere look for a fresh look away from the controled curls or bone straight hair of the last decade. Embrace your own curl is the motto. Update the look with a middle parting and soft layers to enhance the volume.

Big soft plaits and ballerina buns are also still trendy. Hair length is long and layered, medium bobs with fringes or a long pixy cut for short hair (see top of the blog)! I guess the 80'ies will always try to make a comeback, but remember, even though we draw on inspiration from past fashion trends, it will always be in a fresh new way!

So whether you want a deeper charcoal or blue crystal tone to update your "granny grey", or you add coffee tones or fruit salad hues to your bollyage... there is plenty of trends for you to update your look and to banish the witchy grey that makes you look old way before your time!

Choose an experienced colourists that uses a profesional brand, and take care if your hair with a weekly masque to keep your hair condition and colour top notch this winter!

I am looking forward to seeing you in my salon this winter, make use of my midweek special that is still available Tuesday's to Thursday's every week! My bring a friend 50% discount offer for being an ambassador for my salon is still available , such a great way to introduce a friend or family member to a skilled master stylist! Simply send me a whatsapp to book your appointment now!

Gideon Busquèt-Craucamp
Master Stylist
Creative coach
Artist
Counselor

Find me on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/Gideonslight/

📞 0794965407
By appointment only!

📧gideonslight@gmail.com
📍Salon Allure, 142A Tecoma street, Wonderboom, Pretoria, 0182.