Two More Mandala's completed...from Spring Workshop

I asked everyone who attended our mandala workshop on the Spring Equinox to send photos to me when they completed their mandalas.  So I am pleased to share 2 more mandalas for viewing here. 

                          Here is Patricia Water's mandala. For those who don't know this, Patricia and I facilitate the mandala workshops together. For many years, we had a community art studio together, called the Creative Arts Studio.  Our website still holds the name and energy of the studio. Now our workshops are held  in  different settings, as well as at my studio. Our work together continues creatively in facilitating Illuminated Mandala workshops.

This is Marge Gogh's powerful and vibrant mandala. She attended the Spring Workshop. There is so much to find delight in when looking at this one.  I am so drawn to, excited by, and comforted from the wonderful repeating details that form patterns around and within this mandala.  What a delight. Can you tell which shapes were dominant for her in this mandala?

If anymore mandala's from this springs workshop come flying to me, via the etherworld, I will share them here as well. 

Ciao.

Art Therapy Without Borders - So Far 10 Postcards...

So far I have only gotten a total of 10 postcards, from art therapists around the world who participated in the Art Therapy without Borders Project.  I have already posted 5 of them, and at this point I would be really surprised to get any more of them.  So I decided to post the newest ones for all to see and let it go at that for now. 

 This first one is from Renee Bond an art therapy student at NDNU in San Francisco

                             The above postcard  is from Christy Wolfram living in Northern Kentucky

 Natalie Coriell an art therapist from a small southern Illinois town sent the one shown above.  Natalie is the only one with links to an online shop and a blog.  nostalgicscraps on etsy ,  and urbannostalgicscraps blog...unfortunately her blog link doesn't work.  Oh well.
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 Be My MIrror comes from Christine Hennig in Omaha Nebraska

 And lastly, the one above is from Paul Lee and art therapist in Singapore.

I wonder if I will receive any more of these.  What do you think.  I obsessively sent out about 36 of them at the very begining of the project.  It was fun to participate, but whether or not I will do this type of thing again, I am not sure.  Should I?

Let's keep it simple.

I am not sure where I came across this quote, so I can't give anyone credit.  

Maybe it was somewhere on facebook.  None the less, 

this fits for me today...

it made me think of one of my affirmation cards, 

so here it simply is.

Let`s keep it simple.

Stay soft and quiet inside

Meet everything as a friend

Forget how anything "should" look

Forget how anyone "should" behave

Especially "yourself"

Forget how you "should" feel

Make no modifications at all

This is the "secret" to true happiness.

Color Wheel Mandala - the Circle , Triangle and Spiral- Finished

I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - 

things I had no words for.
Georgia O'Keeffe

This is the color wheel mandala that I started at our mandala workshop last sunday.  I have been laid up since the workshop with a problem knee.  It has been raining everyday, and I have found such solace in the drawing I have done on this mandala.  Working with the color wheel, mixing the fine pencil point of one color into another on the lovely nubby paper, has a comforting healing effect.  I was lost for hours, watching the colors emerge, blend and over lap.  Playing with the shapes, witnessing they way they interact and the stories they seem to tell me intuitively is an endless pleasure.
Truly healing.  Blessings to all.

Exploring the 5 Universal Shapes -Spring Mandala Workshop

Yesterday Patricia and I facilitated our Spring Mandala Retreat Day.  We incorporated Angeles Arrien's process with the 5 Universal Shapes into our mandalas.  The energy in the group seemed to hum with contentment as we welcomed the Spring through creating mandalas in community.  

Here are the  photos that were taken of the days creative process.  

 These are the scale of light experimental doodles that we did at the begining of the day,  each of us exploring the circle, square, triangle, equal distant cross, and circle in our drawings.

                              
                                  Shapes Mandalas with just a hint of color coming into them.

 It is magical to see these in process photos of this drawing process.
Look at the magical, emergence of color and light in Marsha's mandala.  So luminous!!

                           It is amazing to see how each persons drawing essence presents itself.

I feel so honored to witness this creative emergence drawing process, and sharing it here is also a shared pleasure..

                                                        Everyone working away.

 I loved the energy in the room in the afternoon, after we had been deeply drawing for a while. The focused joy of drawing was almost  visceral.  Both calming and energizing at the same time.  The healing power of art and the focusing energy of drawing mandalas, intertwined.  How lovely.

 This is me drawing the my mandala.  I was working with the circle, spiral and triangle.

            Here are everyones mandala's at the end of the day.  Each one so unique and whole.

 Everyone agreed to send me images of them when they are complete, so I will post them when they arrive.

I personally started a color wheel mandala, and I really look forward to playing with it and letting it emerge into what it will become.  I will post its evolution eventually..Until then, happy drawing.

In the Light of it All - I offer a Message from Thich Nhat Hahn

In the light of the  events that have been happening in Japan, and the escalation of the unthinkable, in this nuclear crisis, it feels as if anything I say here is frivolous.  So I just feel like sending an image of healing to all the people affected by this massive, unimaginable happening.  With heart felt blessings, for the people of Japan, everyone on the earth and our dear planet.. 

by Thich Nhat Hanh on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 1:34am

Dear friends in Japan,

As we contemplate the great number of people who have died in this tragedy, we may feel very strongly that we ourselves, in some part or manner, also have died.

The pain of one part of humankind is the pain of the whole of humankind. And the human species and the planet Earth are one body. What happens to one part of the body happens to the whole body.

An event such as this reminds us of the impermanent nature of our lives. It helps us remember that what's most important is to love each other, to be there for each other, and to treasure each moment we have that we are alive. This is the best that we can do for those who have died: we can live in such a way that they continue, beautifully, in us.

Here in France and at our practice centers all over the world, our brothers and sisters will continue to chant for you, sending you the energy of peace, healing and protection. Our prayers are with you.

Thich Nhat Hanh

blessings to all....

The Best Laid Plans - can run amok-

So, even though my artist self, was biting at the chafe to go to the SoulCollage training this past weekend,  the universe obviously had something else in mind for me.  The night before I was going to leave and drive down to Los Gatos, my cat Bobby,  jumped into my arms, being threatened by a newly adopted alpha cat we have, Petit Caramel.  I tried to avert a cat fight between them, and wound up being, bit, clawed and scratched so bad I had to go to the ER.  

My hand swelled up so bad,  I couldn't hold a steering wheel, let alone drive 3 hours down to the workshop.  I was disappointed, in pain, and a bit bummed out.  But by the next a.m., I knew it wasn't meant to be.  So I had to let it go.  

 Even though, a deep part of me knew that I was being led on some level to take this training, to incorporate another approach into my work with others and collage, I also knew that I had been pushing to do this all along, and I needed to trust the process of what was going on, and not resist that.  I had to let go.  And throughout the following days, again and again, I was grateful for my decision to stay home.  I really needed to baby my hand, especially with a swollen red hot hand from a cat cut.  

So, I will do the training in June, and just keep making my soul muse cards, and perhaps begin to gather others for a small SoulCollage group at my studio.  Letting go, is a big one for me. 

I continually get lessons in going with the flow again and again, and this was a prime example of a time when I had to go with the flow.  My lesson is to trust, and flow through life like the wind.  

So, I will keep posting my SoulCollage cards as I make them, but I will let go of the push to complete and get there, and become one, and do it.  Rather I will trust, let it happen in its own time, and not worry or sweat the small stuff.  

So, now that it is getting easier for me to use my hand again, I have found myself drawn to complete the mandala that I started at the New Years Mandala day, especially since in 2 weeks we are doing another mandala making day at the studio.

Trust, Go with the Flow and Don't worry, be Happy.  Ciao, 

Time Goes By - and More SoulCollage

It has been awhile since I last posted anything here, but I have been busy, actually busier than I thought I could get without working alot.  My life is full and good, rich with abundance and the beauty of creativity is my life blood.  This weekend I am taking a SoulCollage facilitator training in Los Gatos, which is in the hills on the way to Santa Cruz.  I am looking forward with anticipation to the experience. So, as part of my preparation for this, I have been making more cards, some of which are shown here.  

 Abundance and Beauty

 Inner Artist

My inner artist is loving this process, my creativity is like a strong flowing waterfall and never  ceases to amaze me.  But I am a bit concerned about being pulled in too many directions....my hope is that I will be able to integrate this approach into my work as an art therapist/creativity facilitator.  My fear is that I will be overwhlemed and not have time to explore the many creative pulls that call to me, by adding one more focus.  

 Creative Source

 Nonetheless, the inner pull towards this process is strong, and I am open to watching where it will lead.  What I find so fascinating about SoulCollage cards, is the articulating of just a few images and letting them speak.  When an image is taken away from its contextual origins, something as simple as one face, or tree or waterfall, says volumes.  As a mixed media collage artist, the simplicity is something new and needed for me.  Less is more.

 I am the one who has something to say and something to share.

  I flow effortlessly towards what calls to me, being guided by the flower of creativity and my own inner guides.  I trust that this new directions will bring, a youthful new enthusiasm to getting my work out there.  It is challenging being self-employed, and often times new energy is like life blood, infusing me with energy and excitement, all of which helps me to manifest work in the world. 

Inner Manifester

So I am the one who is able to manifest my creative dreams, and doesn't hesitate to move forward. 

I look forward to releasing my doubts, and returning with some new contacts, information and direction, all of which, or at least some of which I plan to share here.  

Ciao,