Find Yourself In A World of Wonder

Somebody just asked me how I came up with the idea for Triumph of Venus and I said, “I just wanted it to be like looking up at a fresco. You know how you look up at the frescos and it’s like looking up at the angelic realm, and then I wanted it to be like, as above, so below”.

I’m a sky dreamer

“I’m a sky dreamer,” I said, which is also the title of my book on Amazon, “I’m always looking up at the sky, but I love the water and the sky has water and sends water down and the water goes back up and it goes down and back up. So it’s a cycle of life, and I wanted it to be like that. Skywater. Skywater, sky clouds, dream time and the angelic realms.”

And she replied, “I love that. I’m going to write that down so I don’t forget.”

The story behind the story

So it’s always interesting what people like to know about your paintings.

“I’m not an artist, but I really like it, and I wondered how you came up with the idea,” she said, “People are just standing back and really looking at it and loving it.”

And then she added, “You’d have to have a really big wall for it, wouldn’t you?”

That’s a good point because you don’t need a big wall at all.

I had Triumph of Venus in my office, and I didn’t need a great big commanding space, so it’s really important for people to know that you don’t need a big room for a big painting.

Find Yourself In A World of Wonder

In fact, hanging a larger painting in a smaller space is even better because it feels like you’re actually in the painting, like it’s a portal, and suddenly you’re in a different world.

Which is fantastic if you want to escape a rainy day, or the misery and warmongering that has taken over the planet.

Which reminds me of something that I heard on The Diary of a CEO podcast recently and it was Simon Sinek who is the author of a lot of good books, including a favourite of mine, Start With Why, and a new book on friendship, and he was sharing how it looked like his house was going to be consumed by the LA fires. They were told to be prepared to flee and pack two bags.

It looked like the winds were fanning the flames, and they were arching in his direction and Simon Sinek thought about all his beloved things, and wrestling with what he would take.

He found himself considering leaving behind things he thought he would never part with and taking things that he didn’t realize were so important. One of these was his favourite painting.

He didn’t name what it was, so I would be curious re the artist and subject, but he stood in front of it and , as he shared with the to the person who was doing the podcast, “You know it’s really important to keep having a spirit of gratitude, to be grateful.”

“It’s really important to keep having a spirit of gratitude, to be grateful.”

And Simon said he stood in front of the painting, and he thanked the painting for the love it had brought to his home and life. He thanked the painting for how important it had been in his life and then he said goodbye.

He said goodbye to the painting and thanked it again and prepared to lose it to the fire, and then in a miraculous act of divine intervention, the flames arced in a different direction.

And his house and his artworks were saved, and of course he was grateful for that too—not gleeful because that meant that somebody else in the path of the fire had suffered devastation.

paintings can become friends, lifelines, no less important than the beloved people and pets in your life

But nevertheless he shared that beautiful tale so it’s good to remind yourself that paintings can become friends, lifelines, no less important than the beloved people and pets in your life

Like a young mother and her daughter that came to my gallery, feeling so sad and low, missing their husband and father, who had taken his life during the pandemic and they purchased a painting which I called Love is the Answer and another one that her daughter named, at my encouragement, because of the way it made her feel which was “happy and excited for everything”

Why do we fall in love with paintings l Bree and Jessie’s testimonial

and that my friends is the power of art

It’s good to be in connection with people who are seeing your art because you never know how it will touch their lives.

It’s good to be in connection with people who are seeing your art because you never know how it will touch their lives. Imagine how Vincent van Gogh’s depression may have lifted or disappeared if he had known how his paintings would touch people’s lives—not just those lucky enough to own them, but those, like me, that have seen them in museums, movies or books.

You may enjoy my book, The Painter’s Garden: Life Lessons from Vincent van Gogh, Flowers, Art, and Nature.

And once when I was represented in a small way and a tiny gift shop and she sold a lot of my paintings, but she never gave me any feedback and I never got to see who purchased them or to know how the paintings impacted their lives and that was one of the reasons that I wanted to open my own gallery.

You may enjoy this video, How I opened a gallery in my farm shed during Covid

I loved having contact with people during all those lockdown years, and giving so much joy to others.

I also I love to be represented by major galleries too, and have my painting hanging a lovely position where people love the art and want to purchase it.

“A Crazy Little Thing Called Love”

This piece now lives in Los Angeles, with a beautiful collector rebuilding after the fires.

There’s something quietly powerful about art finding its way into tender places—into healing hearts and homes ready to bloom again.

So many are restoring not just spaces, but their sense of beauty, love, and self. And I’m honored my work gets to be part of that journey.

A Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Cassandra Gaisford, 2022

Sold via Saatchi Art to a US collector

to view available works https://shop.thejoyfulartist.co.nz/product-category/art/

Then there are paintings which healed hearts after we had been locked out of the world for so long, and the borders reopened and families—sisters and brothers and aunts and granddaughters and mothers and fathers could see each other again.

And a woman came to a local restaurant where one of my paintings was hanging, When Love First Tasted Your Lips. She said she fell in love with the painting immediately, and the lovely waitress was a great advocate for the painting and encouraged her and her family to come to my art gallery and she bought it from me and then I shipped it over to Sydney.

Selling My Artwork: Discover the Heartfelt Story Behind the Latest Purchases!

VIDEO: Euphoria l A world of beauty awaits

Experience the serene, calming vibe of this artwork. Immerse yourself in a dream-like garden filled with peaceful colors and a touch of zen. This painting is going to be on view and available for purchase from The International Art Centre’s Collectible Art Auction in August 2025.

Euphoria, , like it’s sister painting, Triumph of Venus, is an abstract rococo-inspired painting , I created in 2024 expresses my love and reverence for nature. Euphoria offers an invitation to experience daily moments of beauty and escapism, a calming focal point that transforms any space into an oasis of joy and elegance.

This painting, Triumph of Venus, is a symbolic reminder to flow gracefully.

This lovely lady in this video came for a play date at my studio in 2024 while visiting from the UK, for a one-day art retreat with a really good friend.

I was once told by a psychic that paintings were how spirit talks to me. It’s my belief, and that of the eloquent thinker Dr Jordon B Peterson, that art is how Spirit speaks to all of us, enabling us to transcend.

In this video, Mandy shares how I Bought You Flowers spoke to her and the amazing new directions its encouraging her to go.

My Books Offer The Perfect Escape Too

You can gain more of Leonardo da Vinci’s success tips for life, love and work in my book,
The Art of Success: How Extraordinary Artists Can Help You Succeed in Business and Life (Leonardo da Vinci Book 1)

To enjoy your copy of the Art of Success from Amazon:

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IR11NAO

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01IR11NAO

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01IR11NAO

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01IR11NAO

Universal link:

https://mybook.to/ArtofSuccessLeo

To enjoy your copy from iBooks, Barnes & Noble and other great bookstores:

https://books2read.com/u/mqqBpQ

Step into a Kaleidoscope of Color and Emotion in The Painter’s Garden: Life Lessons from Vincent van Gogh, Flowers, Art, and Nature.

In this enchanting collection of reflections and art, follow a painter’s journey as each flower tells its own story of resilience, beauty, and the power of nature to inspire. From the bold defiance of sunflowers to the quiet strength of chrysanthemums, every chapter reveals lessons on life, love, and creativity through the lens of blooms both wild and cultivated.

Discover the joy of tulips in a field that seems endless, the quiet grace of forget-me-nots and their tender whispers of memory, and the luminous honesty of lunaria. As the artist’s brush captures each flower’s unique essence, their timeless truths unfold: the courage to bloom boldly, the beauty of vulnerability, and the power of connection.

Perfect for lovers of art, gardening, and inspiration, The Painter’s Garden is more than a celebration of flowers—it’s a meditation on life’s fleeting yet enduring beauty, reminding us to embrace every season and bloom where we are planted.

For fans of Victoria Finlay and Hannah Richell, this beautifully written book will leave you inspired, uplifted, and longing to wander through your own painter’s garden.

A story of flowers, art, and the life lessons that blossom between the petals.