ART FULL MUSINGS

"Doesn't Everything Die at Last and Too Soon?"

2012-01-25T22:10:00.000-08:00

I haven't written here since the beginning of the year. I have a good, dear long time friend, who has been my business partner, teacher, sister and more, who is dying of cancer right now. My life has been thrown to the winds, as I have tried, along with other close friends, to be there, respond to crisis after crisis and all the needs that arise as someone moves towards the end of their life.

I have been overwhelmed with grief, sick of heart, and also in a state of sacred grace and awe at this process of letting go, and caregiving in different ways. Facilitating a helping hands website to provide information on her needs and journey, has engulfed my life and time.

Patricia and I met in the masters program at Sonoma State University in 1985, in a co-counseling class. We became co-counselors during the semester, and deep friends over time. When I first met her, I told her point blank, now don't get any ideas about becoming friends, I am overwhelmed and have to many friends in my life, so I don't want or need any friends. That first statement, became a story we laughed over many times. During our time in the Creative Art Therapies program, we were always stunned, by how parallel our art was. I would be working on a piece and not see her for a month or so, and we would realize that we were both be working on a similar image, theme or visual statement.

We became co-partners in the Creative Arts Studio, and for almost 20 years we had a community expressive arts studio, here in Santa Rosa, at 3 different locations. In 1992, right after my mother died, Patricia treated me to a weekend Mandala Retreat at the Angela Center in Santa Rosa, with the late Judith Cornell. That was the beginning of our both taking every class we could from her, training and then teaching her work and becoming facilitators of Judith's Illuminated Mandala Process.

Our lives have been very intertwined.

I had not planned on writing this story here, I rarely disclose my deep personal experiences here, but this feels right. So I have shared one of Patricia's mandala's done in response to Mary Oliver's poetry.

(She turned me on to Mary Oliver as well, what a gift)

So this is an honoring of Patricia, her art, her gifts and her loving generosity.

Patricia setting up at a Mandala workshop that we taught at the Cosmic Cowgirl Studio in Healdsburg.

The Summer Day

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean-

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

With your one wild and precious life?

Mary Oliver

Happy New Year to All

2012-01-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover

Mark Twain

May your life be filled with blessings and may you take the time to slow down and recognize them.

Happy New Year.

My New Line of Wearable Fine Art Pendants

2011-11-26T13:11:00.000-08:00

I have been making beaded jewelry for years..and usually start way in advance of the holidays making it. Along with my ethnic inspired earrings, necklaces and bracelets. I have started to create a line of Fine Art Wearable Pendants, that use my own art as well as images that inspire me.

I have been having soo much fun, I love making multiples of things.

The process is extremely self soothing to me...

and so I have been getting happier and happier

making a whole new line of jewelry.

using my own art as well as

vintage images I fall in love with

this is a reduction of an original encaustic painting of mine..

As is this a crop of the Buddha in blue, another on of my encaustic mixed media pieces

Aren't this lovely. I just love seeing the possibilities...

So now that I have made soooo many of these pendants...this isn't even a 1/8 of the amount. I think I have mad about 80 pendants so far. I have to do something with them.. Send them off to new homes, to grace the hearts of others. I have posted some of these on my etsy store

But... I am having an open studio with all of my jewelry and art along with 2 artist friends of mine...Susan Adler...who does such vibrant paintings, they take my breath away. And print maker Rob Duncan, whose work is stunning.

When: Sunday Dec. 11th from 11-6
Where: 637 Dexter St. in Santa Rosa, CA ( the JC neighborhood)
Join for some holiday cheer and support local artists when doing your holiday shopping.
Ciao.

Open to Unknown Blessings

2011-11-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.

~ Native American Saying~

Happy Thanks Giving!

Mandalas and more

2011-11-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

I have been truly remiss in posting here. My life has been filled to the brim, with new work, creative endeavors and more and more SoulCollage® experiences. So where to begin, with Mandala's of course. A week ago,Patricia Waters and I facilitated a Gratitude Mandala Day, at the Journey Center in Santa Rosa. It was a sweet, small group, and we all moved very deeply into the healing aspects of creating Mandala's. None of us completed our mandalas, but everyone got quite a bit done and loved every minute of it. So to continue with my usual love of sharing this process I am posting the photos that I took of that day here.

Scale of light practice drawings...

Small mandalas

Here is Elizabeth with her absolutely magical mandala that she started at our

Fall Mandala Day and recently finished.

Here is a close up of her stunning mandala.

Stay This Moment

Heart Energy Abounds as we focus on gratitude.

As the day drew near to an end, almost everyone started to add

the life energy of color to their mandala's.

Patricia flew in from the big island the night before our workshop, and swam with a turtle so this experience was reflected in her wonderful healing mandala.

This final one is my mandala, which is obviously just in its beginning stages.

I will post this again as it progresses.

Focusing our intentions, and awareness on what we are grateful for, while being present in the

moment for whatever came up, was a very powerful experience.

I am really blessed to be doing and sharing this work with others. I am truly grateful for more life.

A thought for today from Mary Oliver

2011-10-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

I want to think again of

dangerous and noble things,

I want to be light and frolicsome

I want to be improbable and beautiful

and afraid of nothing

as though I had WINGS

Mary Oliver

Tree of Life Mandala Completed

2011-10-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a month since I last posted anything here. I've been busy, playing around with making paper dolls, cutting out images from magazines for my SoulCollage® workshops, experimenting with more CitraSolv backgrounds, and finishing this mandala...among many other pursuits.

Tree of Life Mandala

I struggled with this mandala quite a bit, as I worked on it, feeling that the sun color wa too dominant....and at times wishing I had just left the drawing in black and white, or at least left more black in the drawing. But Patricia suggested I bring more of the orange of the sun into other parts of the image and in so doing I finally came to resolution with it. Unfortunately, none of the other participants from the Fall Mandala Retreat, sent me any images, so I am posting this alone.

By the way, we are doing a Gratitude Mandala Workshop on Novemeber 12th in Santa Rosa, if you are in the area and are intrigued with this wonderful art process. Contact the Journey Center for more info.

Paper Dolls anyone????

While I am at it, I mentioned that I had been playing with making some paper dolls. I do art mentoring with several little girls and since I planned a paper doll lesson, I pulled out some color copies of my art and turned them into my own version of paper dolls...just for the fun of it and as examples of paper doll possibilities. The little girl I work with, of course took off on her own unique way of expression, but I had some examples of my own to share with her. Talk about fun. Here are the ones that I did, all in differing stages of becoming complete.

This one is not complete yet, and her face is collaged from a photograph of me as as little girl.

Again, all are still on process. It is so fun to do this and it made me remember how much time I loved to spend cutting out paper dolls when I was a little girl. No wonder I love collage so much.

One final thing... here is a link to a clip from a movie called "Praying with Images"
about the art and life of the amazing artist Meinheid Craighead. .Praying With Images
If you don't know here work, this will be a epiphany for you. Enjoy... Until next time. Ciao

Tree of Life Mandala Workshop

2011-09-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Here are the process photos of the Tree of Life Mandala Workshop that we led last Sunday.

I love to the witness the process people go through during these mandala experiences. This image is of our beginning small mandalas where we practice the scale of light in a circle. We always stop and put them up on the wall, to get a better overview of what we have done, as well as to stretch, and rest our eyes. It helps to stand back from one's work.

Here is an image of everyone drawing around the large tables in the middle of my studio. It was a wonderful group of people, with such good energy.

The following photos are a sampling of everyone in the midst of starting their larger mandala.

Although our focus was the Tree of Life, everyone had permission to go in their own personal direction in their mandala.

This mandala was an honoring of the hope of the one tree that was left after the tsnumani and earthquake that happened in Japan.

Another Tree of Life Mandala.

Keeping the pencils really sharp really helps in this drawing process.

It is always amazing to see what emerges for people in their mandalas.

By the afternoon we did some color blending exercises to give people the courage to dive into color.

Here are some more of the black and white mandalas......I am sharing the evolution of pretty much everyone's mandala's here.

I love to see how they change as more and more scale of light shading brings depth, light and life to them.

And now comes the color, vibrant, brilliant rainbow scales of color....

It is often difficult at times, to add color to these powerful black and white mandala's... some people really hesitate and it is not uncommon for some folks to either love or hate these first tentative steps into adding color.

Hope

It is amazing how different each one becomes, and how unique everyones use of color is.

Only one person completed their mandala that day, everyone else was in different stages of the process.
This is a slow and meditative process, about being in the moment with what is coming up internally, as well as how it is mirrored in the mandala that is drawn.

This is Doris's powerful healing mandala, here sharing was a rich and deep model for where the mandala process can lead.

This final mandala is my Tree of Life Mandala in different stages of development.

I am now just beginning to add color to my mandala and I will share it here when it is complete.

Hopefully, the mandala group will send me images of their completed mandalas. If and when that happens I will post it here for the world to see. Until the next time....Ciao

Tree's on my mind.... The Tree of Life...

2011-09-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we are facilitating our yearly Fall Equinox Illuminated Mandala Retreat Day, at my studio behind my house. By we, I am referring to myself and my good friend Patricia Waters, who is also a Mandala Facilitator of the late Judith Cornell's wonderful mandala process.

Our focus for this workshop is the Tree of Life... and just thinking about it has really stimulated me and has made me pay more attention to trees, as well as the trees that have unconsciously emerged in my art over time. Again and again, the tree becomes a central motif for me.

As I reflected on trees, my love of them and how important they are to me, I remembered that my earliest drawings as a child, were of trees. I would spend hours and hours drawing trees with limbs that turned into little rooms and then created little magical areas in the roots systems, where little people could live. There was always a knot hole at the bottom where the people, or elves or gnomes would enter the tree and journey to their little apartments under the ground. Shamanic journeying.... as a child my imagination was fertile ground and I was always looking for a safe and magical place to reside. How I wish I still had some of those drawings, nevertheless they popped up in my imagination as I started reflecting on drawing a Tree of Life Mandala this Sunday, and I realized how deep the tree roots were in my life.

Then I began googling tree of life drawings....and was astounded to see my Tree Mandala's all over the place online, on different peoples blogs, as graphics for articles and in many other settings, most of them gave me credit for the image, but many didn't. It felt odd, to be so out there, and yet a bit invasive as well. But that is all part and parcel of having my images on flickr, here and in the many shops I have online. None the less, I wished people would give to who drew the original image, let alone contact info, and dare I even mention copyright user fees. The biggest issue, was when someone told me that this image was included in a Mandala Greeting Card Coloring Kit on Amazon. Now that is a different story. So, it leads me to being much more aware of what I pull off the web and giving credit where credit is due.

I am very excited to gather with others this week and dive into the Autumn and my unconscious and will post the photos from the workshop here for others to see. Until then, here is a quote to leave you with.

The Tree of Life is a universal symbol found in many spiritual and mythological traditions around the world. In various cultures it is known as the Cosmic Tree, the World Tree and the Holy Tree. The Tree of Life symbolizes many things, including wisdom, protection, strength, bounty, beauty, and redemption. This wise and holy Tree is like the Creator as it sustains creation with its abundant fruit, protection and generativity. From http://www.treeoflifeteachings.com/tree-of-life/

And some beautiful healing redwood trees from Fort Bragg California....

By the way, if anyone out there is interested in any of these mandala's I sell matted prints of them on my store on etsy, SoulArteEclectica, and I have cards and all kinds of interesting products made with these mandalas on them on my zazzle store ArteEclectica, so please do check them out, the holidays are fast approaching and they can make great inspirational gifts.......there I did my promo. Ciao. Caterina

As Promised a Few more Pocket Shrines to see...

2011-09-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

And so, without further ado, here are some more photos of pocket shrines that members of the Medicine Art Group made. Weeks ago I promised to post these. Since it has been about a month since the time that we made these, we are now onto new directions and art processes. As a natural evolution we are exploring themes in cigar boxes, dream boxes, intention boxes, dia de los muertes altars and...who knows where it will go..

When those are completed I will share them as well.

Enjoy these little gems~

Each one has a story to tell......

As well as an intention or focus......

And some were made just for the pure fun of embellishment and decoration......

I am now off to cleaning and reorganizing my studio once again, to get ready for a SoulCollage® workshop on this Friday morning and then our Seasonal Fall Equinox Mandala Retreat day on Sunday, which this time is focusing on the Tree of Life.. What fun ...until next time. Ciao..Caterina

The Soul Picture Story Continues- The Fuse of the Possible

2011-08-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

Here are two recently made SoulCollage® cards of mine. I love how this process takes on a life of its own and becomes a feedback loop of images, so to speak. Playing back the storyline of the inner mythic characters that are up in my life at that moment. The cards become alive and take on a life of their own.

This first card is one that I did on one of the citra-solve altered, National Geographic Backgrounds.

I am the one who travels through the imagination. Who flowers as she reads, traveling the world without leaving her home. I am the one who loves to read a good book, lose herself in a story that unfurls and circumnavigates the breadth of the cosmos. I am always happy when I have a stack of good books waiting to be read.

I am the one who becomes enchanted when I draw, or do any kind of art. I am the one who looks deeply, who pierces the vail of reality as my dreams draw themselves. I take the time to really look, and carefully render the magic of what is right in front of me. I am an artist. I am the one who loves to tell a story through pictures.

The fuse of the Possible is lit by the imagination.”

Emily Dickenson

Fun Making Pocket Shrines

2011-08-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

I facilitate an ongoing women's expressive art group, which has come to be called the Medicine Art Group. The name comes from art therapist, Shaun Mc Niffs's book, "Art as Medicine" Over time the name as morphed and changed, it was once called the Art Spa fondly by group members. Medicine Art has not only become the official name, but also now seems to also refer to all the groups that I offer at the studio, being part of the Medicine Art Series.

The idea being that doing art is healing on a deep level, whether it is process or product oriented, whether one likes the tangible outcome or not. All art making is healing, because we move into the moment, become more aware and our brain waves shift and we move into a deeper, healing awareness. Art therapists call this approach Art As Therapy, not necessarily art therapy. But to me and to participants in all these groups, it is one and the same. ART is MEDICINE.

This past Friday in this ongoing group, we began to make pocket shrines. Creating small containers to hold a specific energy, thought, intention or honoring. Whether playful or deeply meaningful, the experience was fun and filled with energy.

We started altering a various of sizes of tin containers, although any container can do. We used lots of altoid tins and small candy containers. Altering is the name of the game here. We painted, collaged and filled them with pieces, papers and items that moved us, in the moment, for whatever reason that emerged spontaneously.

Everyone really got into it, to say the least. These are some of the shrines that emerged during the group.

Many of us were not complete and are going to continue on with this process the next time we meet in 2 weeks.

So here are some of the small, portable shrines that emerged that day, for your viewing pleasure.

I truly love show and tell, which is what this blog has become for me, showing off what emerges in my groups as well as my own personal art process.

Aren't these all so wonderful, charming and magical?

Each with deeply personal meaning for the shrine maker.

This last one is mine, which is till in process.

After continuing to work on my pocket shrine after the group ended, I moved into another personal shrine.

A dear woman to me, who was my fathers girlfriend for many years, recently, and in many ways was another mother figure to me, recently died. Interestingly enough, she shared the same name as my mother.

So, I took a holy card that I received the other day in mail from Addie's memorial service and an old tin nichio that I have been wondering what to do with and created another shrine,
honoring Addie, my mom and all the mother figures in my life.

My Deck continues to Grow...

2011-08-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

"I am the one who steps into the healing pool and

is renewed and energized."

Here is the SoulCollage® card that I made last week, using the Citra-Solv page as a back ground.
At first it was too spacey looking for what I was trying to convey in the card, but with some white pen and gold markers, I grounded her in the healing waters and sent light and healing to her from the sun.

I really look forward to using these amazing abstract pages for more S.C. cards as well as in other mixed media art processes. Wonder how these would work with encaustic, saturated in beeswax?
Hmmmmm?

MORE CARDS
Now I have 2 SoulCollage® groups going a month, and I am excited that my deck is continuing to grow. I am also facilitating readings with friends as well, and am amazed at how potent and powerful they can be. So this new endeavor, which pulls together all the elements I have used before in my art therapy practice, but in a succinct and structured format, takes on a magical energy when all put together.
Here are 2 more cards that I made last Friday in my Inner Muse Card Making Group.

" I am the one who soars towards my dreams, with childlike enthusiasm. I am the one who holds the foundation for these dreams to become a reality. I move towards the light as I follow the path of my life and my right livelihood to the unknown."

"I am the storyteller, the weaver of images and fantasy. I clear the Open Meadow of your mind to allow the stories to emerge. I encourage your Inner Child to play in that field of plenty. I am your grandfather, telling you stories of the old country, making doll houses and murals and stirring the seeds of creativity in you, that will last throughout your life."

More to come....until next time... Ciao.

Citra Solv - Wowie Zowie

2011-08-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about playing around with creating collage paper with Citra-Solv for a while now, but since I have begun leading SoulCollage® workshops, I have been cutting out background images for the groups obsessively as of late. The other day I finally got together all the supplies and spent an afternoon, outside under a tree, playing with National Geographics and Citra Solv.

Oh my goodness, did I have fun, there is a bit of a learning curve getting started, but talk about Easy Peazy...it really is a no brainer. National Geographics....I used both older and newer and both worked.

Rubber gloves, and newspapers outside in the fresh air, and to prevent messes.

Vibrantly colored images that have lots of contrast...

Concentrated Citra Solv, a tin pan to pour it in and I used a rubber brush, but a sprayer or any brush will do.

Dribble, brush, spray, drop or splatter the citra solv onto the page, move it around

Smush the pages onto each other and leave them for a little while

Pull up the paper as it dries, brush around a little more...or blend in areas with a brush

and walla, absolutely stunning results....

Some of these can stand on there own as works of art.

Perfect for collage backgrounds, as well as SoulCollage® card backgrounds to say the least.

they are gorgeous, absolutely stunning

So I decided to post them here, just because I am enamored with the results

The smell is quite strong, but not unpleasant and lasts for days on the pages

But the results are beyond belief. Try it if you are intrigued.

I will show the SoulCollage® card that I used a citra solv background in, the next time I post here.
What a blast, absolute joyful creative play, just what the doctor ordered! Try it, I bet you'll like it as well.

The Artist's Creed

2011-07-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

I just recently came across this wonderful testimonial to creativity by Jan Phillips, so here to inspire you is the Artist's Creed.. Enjoy!

The Artist’s Creed by Jan Phillips

I believe I am worth the time it takes to create whatever I feel called to create.

I believe that my work is worthy of its own space, which is worthy of the name Sacred.

I believe that, when I enter this space, I have the right to work in silence, uninterrupted, for as long as I choose.

I believe that the moment I open myself to the gifts of the Muse, I open myself to the Source of All Creation and become One with the Mother of Life Itself.

I believe that my work is joyful, useful, and constantly changing, flowing through me like a river with no beginning and no end.

I believe that what it is I am called to do will make itself known when I have made myself ready.

I believe that the time I spend creating my art is as precious as the time I spend giving to others.

I believe that what truly matters in the making of art is not what the final piece looks like or sounds like, not what it is worth or not worth, but what newness gets added to the universe in the process of the piece itself becoming.

I believe that I am not alone in my attempts to create,and that once I begin the work, settle into the strangeness, the words will take shape, the form find life, and the spirit take flight.

I believe that as the Muse gives to me,so does she deserve from me: faith, mindfulness, and enduring commitment.

Another Mandala - show and tell

2011-07-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

I just recently finished this mandala, it is one that I started at our recent mandala workshop,

that we taught a few weeks ago, at the Journey Center.

The colors just make me happy,

feel expansive

and like my heart is stretching its wings, in new and colorful ways.

At this point in my life, I seem to only create mandala's when I facilitate a workshop, which is one of the reasons, why I love to facilitate these workshops. I have so many creative pulls in my life right now, so I don't often have the deep satisfying pleasure of stopping the world,

and diving into the slow and soothing process of drawing a mandala,

and watching it unfold and work its healing, calming magic on me.

So, this one will have to do for now. Until next time.

Journey Center Mandala workshop-

2011-07-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

Patricia and I facilitated half day, introduction to the mandala process workshop,

at the Journey Center, in Santa Rosa yesterday.

The Journey Center is a place to come for spiritual renewal, and

we were very impressed with its beauty, energy and sense of spirit filled possibility.

Here are the photos of the amazingly beautiful mandalas that were created in that short amount of time.

Although most of them are still in process,

the experience of creating them was calming,

focusing

mindful

and filled with insight.

Hopefully, some of the women who attended will send photos of their completed mandalas. Nevertheless, I love to share the powerful images that are created, each mandala unique and stunning. whether complete or in process.

This hopefully will be the beginning of doing more mandala classes at this beautiful, healing spiritual center.

Intention Sticks...or Prayer Sticks..

2011-07-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Last week in my Medicine ARt Group, we made Intention sticks, which are in some ways like talking sticks, but the focus is on making a three dimesnional talisman, that is a visual reminder, or fetish piece to bind to you, and the intention that you set, for your life or your future.

Take Time For Me

I have always been drawn to creating tangible vision pieces and the summer felt like a good time to create these organic sculptural pieces. So here are some photos, of the ones we made last Friday.

Add caption

All over the world, people make objects to hold and send their prayers. There are special ceremonies found in ancient cultures and practiced today, that involve the construction of ‘holders and senders’ of prayers from natural materials.Prayer carriers have many names such as Bahos (Hopi), Lung ta (Tibet), Prayer Flags, Ikupasuy or Prayer Sticks, Prayer Bundles, Prayer Trees and so on.

There really is something very satisfying about this process, holding the stick in ones hands, and wrapping, is soothing, meditative and in a way fulfilling.

Prayer Sticks are considered a vehicle through which we can communicate to the gods. Its artful and creative manufacture was a major concern; hours of thought and energy went into making a Prayer Stick.

Prayer Sticks with feathers attached as offerings to the spirits, were largely used by the Pueblo Indians. Pueblo Prayer Sticks are usually made of cottonwood about seven inches long, and vary in shape, colour, and the feather attached, according to the nature of the petitions, and the person praying.

The prayer energy is offered into the creation of our Prayer Sticks by thinking good thoughts, or healing thoughts, or thoughts of forgiveness, or whatever our reason for offering the prayers may be. All must be done with the very best intentions.

Here is Marcella in the studio, with her Intention Stick.

Our Process
we gathered sticks, wrote or painted intentions on them, or on strips of raffia or paper and glued or wrapped those onto the sticks binding them through the our movements to the sticks..
Next we added paint..
We then, wrapped fibers, yarn, copper wire, string and or raffia around the intentions,
After that, we added beads, feathers, charms and any number of interesting adornments to the sticks..

At on one of the next times that we meet, we will begin making pocket shrines and see where that takes us. I love to watch what emerges for everyone in this group and also I love connecting with the women in the group, and doing art with them. What a blessing.
Until next time.

Color Wheel Mandala - Flowering Colors

2011-07-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

So, along with backing my newest SoulCollage® cards, framing for this Friday's Sacred Circle Mandala show, and life, I have slowly but surely working on my newest mandala.

I began this one at our last mandala workshop. Something about working on a color wheel mandala is soothing and invigorating at the same time. I love have a repetitive pattern to work within. Making patterns gives me feelings of safety and comfort, without worrying or considering where or what to do next. And blending colors, softly letting the pencil circle around and around, watching new and vibrant shades emerge, fills me with energy.

So during a busy time, I still was able to carve bits of time in my late afternoons and early evenings brining to life another mandala. I love how this process fits so well into my life, and shifts how I feel. It's meditative quality stops the world and lets me dive into the moment.

My newest mandala. Enjoy.

Sacred Circle Art - Illuminated Mandala's by Caterina Martinico & Patricia Waters

2011-06-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased to announce that we are finally going to be able to show many of our Illuminated Mandala's in an art show here in Sonoma County. Myself and Patricia Waters, my co-facilitator in the Illuminated Mandala Process, will be having a show of our Mandala's at the Journey Center, in Santa Rosa, CA. The opening will be on Friday January 8th from 5-7. We will be showing many of our Mandala drawings through the months of July and August. We would love for you to stop by for the opening if you are in the area.
The Journey Center Art Gallery Presents

Sacred Circle Art

Illuminated Mandalas by Caterina Martinico and Patricia Waters

Caterina Martinico and Patricia Waters are both artists

and art therapists, who have been drawing mandalas

as part of their personal spiritual practice for many

years. As Certified Mandala Facilitators, they share the

powerful healing process of creating Illuminated

Mandalas, based on the work of the late Judith Cornell,

with people of all ages and from all walks of life.

Learn more about Caterina Martinico and Patricia Waters and

their work at http://www.creativeartstudio.com.

Opening Reception

Friday, July 8, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Appetizers & beverages will be served.

Free admission.

Sacred Circle Art - Poster

The Journey Center

1601 4th St. Santa Rosa

707-578-2121, www.journeycenter.org

Gallery Hours

Mon - Fri, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Call for evening, weekend & holiday hours.

Show runs through August 2011.

A mandala is an image within a circle with

an emphasis on balance, symmetry and

intentionality. Creating mandalas, or

sacred circle art, is an ancient healing art

form that has its roots in almost every

spiritual tradition.

In conjunction with this show, we will be offering a half day introduction to the mandala process at the Journey Center on Saturday July 16th,

Creating Mandala's for Renewal and Healing.

Please contact the Journey Center for more information.

Color, Color and More Color - Color Wheel Mandala Day

2011-06-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Well, there were a total of 8 of us, drawing in the heat of the approaching summer this past Sunday, in my studio in Santa Rosa CA. As the weather heated up, so did the vibrancy of color that emerged in everyone's mandalas.

Here we all are at the beginning of the morning, as we began our day. Not everyone is shown here.

In the beginning stages of creating mandala's, drawing with white prismacolor pencils on the black paper, using the scale of light to illuminate the essence of the image,

out from the dark ground of the paper. Always so, powerful!

In the afternoon, we began to add color, and our images heated up

along with the temperature of the room.

Often times it takes an act of bravery to add color to the already developed black and white mandala, which is always so stunning.

But it is always worth the risk, and takes everyone to a new level of engagement and satisfaction.

I love watching the image and colors emerge and how excited everyone becomes as their mandala's come to life. Here they are in the beginning stages of emergence, as color starts to blossom. We place them on the wall periodically, to stand back and view them, giving our eyes, hands and bodies a chance to rest from this very detailed work.

This is a small Virgin of Guadalupe mandala, that Sue, drew along side her larger one, to honor an image that she photographed recently.

Almost complete.

Working with the color wheel is a simple yet powerful way to create a beautiful mandala, that allows spirit to come through in a striking way.

This is Patricia's mandala with all the color down, now she will develop it more fully.

This is my mandala, I didn't get too far on the day of the workshop, I was feeling under the weather, and worked slow and since the workshop was at my studio, I had the luxury of taking an extra long lunch break and a nap that day. I will post its development in later posts.

This is Lake's mandala, also still in process, I am so drawn to the quality of energy and movement in it. I look forward to seeing it as she puts more time into it.

Yes! So powerful and with such a wonderful sense of movement.

I love how this process, transcends peoples early art woundings, and allows people to see their creative potential. This mandala was done by Rusty, who didn't think she could create something new. What a stunning and expressive mandala. She left feeling renewed and ecstatic about her creative possibilities.

And lastly Sue's mandala, I love how the energy emits from the hand, radiating out in all directions. After initial hesitations about the hand, it worked out so perfectly.

So thats it for now. If I get images back of completed mandala's I will post them here, as well as my mandala as it progresses. Blessings to all.

SoulCollage® Facilitator Training...whew!

2011-06-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

So I am now a SoulCollage® Facilitator, along with all the other many hats I wear. I am still integrating everything that occurred this past weekend. This is such an exciting process, integrating everything I have been doing all these years into a organic, alive, syncronistic structure that allows people to play in the field of image and creativity, while diving deep and contacting their inner guidance.

To say the readings were amazing, doesn't do the experience justice. More on that and the process later. For now, I am going to post images of the process participants cards and the ones that I created during the weekend training.

IMAGE, IMAGINATION AND INTUITION are the guiding words in this process.

The Circle and our cards being shared.

As we walked around the circle witnessing, I photographed some of the cards that participants in the training made.

People attended from all over the world and it was fascinating to see what emerged in their imagery

Seena Frost, who is the creator of this wonderful process of SoulCollage®, created this beautiful piece from her wedding gown and a fishing net. Each

time she trains facilitators, they add a bead to the net, to become part of the whole energy of this work. The One and the Many.

Our final Ceremony, with everyone's cards forming this visual feat of an Image Mandala.

Seena Frost, dancing opening to the group energy in the center of the circle of images.

These last images are the cards I did at the training and right before I got there.

I Am The One Who finds grounding in creativity, who slows down and finds my center and patience in working with my hands, who sinks deep roots into the earth as I am creative.

I Am The One Who plays in the field of fools who comes through when you spend time with your dog.

I Am The One Who finds balance and heart in the center of the thistle, who can do this despite the fears and challenges that circle around me.

I Am The One Who had deconstructed my old beliefs about money and abundance, who plays in the field of light and beauty as I create money and abundance through sharing creative play. Who cuts away what isn't necessary as I manifest a new way of working in the world.

I Am The One Who peers into the wellsprings of the unconscious, pulling up the blessings and insight that live within it.

I Am The One Who gives you the energy you need to move forward in the world and do your work with others.

I Am The One Who reminds you to be happy, be in the moment and move into the forest of the soul.
Blessings to all who read this and see these images. Ciao. Caterina

On this journey called life .....Just Trust Yourself

2011-06-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

"Just trust yourself, and then you will know how to live" Goethe

In my ongoing expressive art group a week ago, I began a mixed media collage. Having fun with it for days afterwards, I created this this. I love maps, they elicit so many fantasies, and memories for me as well. I used to spend hours drawing them as a little girl, and then pouring over them with dreams of travel as I became a young woman. Even, now maps continue to hold a power over me, but in a different way. They are guideposts, signs leading to inwards reveries and imaginings. So, they often find their way into my art these days.

There are many art therapy directives that integrate maps and mapmaking into the art process, creating maps of your inner landscape, maps of your spiritual journey, maps of your life's path, maps of your journey in overcoming challenges. Creating mandala's is another ancient mapmaking process, the experience of finding your center, creating a way to orient to your own personal true north...and of course, just the experience of drawing a mandala is a map of the cosmos, both inner and outer. Oh how I love maps.

My newest fantasy is to make a series of envelopes from old maps. We shall see if I follow through on that one. If so I will post them here eventually. Maps are a call to the journey towards the self. What do you do with maps? Show me!

Once again getting excited...about SoulCollage® Training in June.

2011-05-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I led a introduction to SoulCollage®, for a group of my old colleague's, that I worked with at Santa Rosa Junior College, for over 25 years. We are now meeting monthly, to keep the connection we developed going. Some of us, have been laid off from the college, (myself), others continue working there, and others are now retired. We all enjoy the memories of the incredibly rich, humanistic program that we worked in and developed together, with others. It heartens us in these challenging times to reflect on it , and saddens us to know that what we worked for has been decimated by the California budget crisis. Ahhh, but thats a whole other story. The arts by the way, were the first to go.

I loved sharing this process with my old friends, and everyone who came, really dove into the process and loved it. Here is Tana, cutting away as she creates one of her SoulCollage® cards. I only wish I had photographed everyones cards, but I was having too much fun doing my own to stop and take photos.

So, I am getting excited about doing the training in June. The last time I was about to go, in March, I had a freak accident the night before and had to cancel. I am hoping that nothing unusual will befall me before this next training. (Actually that is a belief that I need to release.

I am also excited because I am starting a SoulCollage® Inner Muse, monthly open studio at my studio in July, and people are already interested. This will be a wonderful art process, to add to those that I already offer through my studio art practice. If you live in the area, and are interested, please do get in touch!

So in the light of show and tell, which is really what I love about this blog, I am sharing the three cards that I created that day.

"Mirrors are used to see our face, but art to see our soul..."

~ George Bernard Shaw

Bird Medicine repeats itself again and again in all my art.

And lastly, this card, which I shared in my last blog post, it is the card that really speaks to me right now. The limitless blessings spilling over from source, again and again, never ending. But it is opening to the awareness of its presence that is the work to be done.

Blessings to all.

A wish for us All

2011-05-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

Oh please do watch this sweet and short video by Lynn Whipple posted on Lanie Garriety's 14 Secrets for a Happy Artists Life.

14 Secrets for a Happy Artist's Life: A sweet video from Lynn Whipple

Yes!
and now go make something,
do it for you, do it for me, create it for the whole wide world. Amen.

More SoulCollage® cards...still making them

2011-04-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

Well lately, life has been grounding me a bit. I did something to my left knee, and have had to slow down tremendously. I am trying to let it heal, but it is real slow going. My impatience has me up and running in my head, but my body can barely hobble. Today, I wound up canceling on a excursion, and then losing the keys to my studio, and finally, my car was dead when I tried to go somewhere needlessly. So the universe is truely forcing me to be still and slow down. Nonetheless, I made 3 new SoulCollage® cards today. So I am sharing them here, as well as a few more that I did about a week ago.
Without further ado....

Transforming the ordinary to the extraordinary....

Trust has always been an issue, but really it is a non issue... because there is a greater story afloat here.

   I guess I am meant to write about all the wonder, awe and musings....
   These first three are the ones I made today....

   the following were created in the past few weeks..

I Am The One Who celebrates in nature ~ I transform through my connection with the earth

This is the essence of soul..

The waterfall of abundance.......

I Am The One Who looks within, who notices the patterns of life around me, often taking me away from what is right on front of me, that is blossoming and ready to fly right in front of my very eyes. So . Pay attention.

Today I came across this Mary Oliver quote, it fits to end with this.

"Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished.

Tell about it." — Mary Oliver

Abstraction is a challenge for me

2011-04-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

I work in so many different media, that I have to find ways to trick myself into doing some of them. I love to paint with acrylics, but rarely do these days because I am so pulled by many different processes. One way in which I get myself to paint, is to never leave paint unused.

I have a magical little girl who comes to paint with me at my studio. She loves to use lots of color, so after we meet I always use the paint she has left over to begin a new painting.

I give myself permission to do whatever,

not worry about outcome

spread the paint across the canvas impulsively

know that I can use this as a base for collage so anything goes

be thrifty- and have fun

I have begun a series of these paintings.

This is one that I just recently began and then subsquently

worked on over a series of studio sessions.

This painting kept changing from its initial impulsive, expressive beginning. I was hoping to stay completely abstract with it, but the last time I worked on it, the image of the bird and then the flower emerges. I loved each in their own way, so let them stay. I however, really respect abstract painters and wish I could stay completely abstract and free from imagery. But I really find that a challenge. Nonetheless, I like this piece and feel it is complete.

If you are an abstract painter, how do you stay committed to the non representational, I would love to hear from you.

And another mandala to share with you all

2011-04-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

Today in my email I received this photo of another completed Spring Shapes mandala. This was drawn by Paula DuVander. Once again, it is so interesting to see how even when working with similar motifs, ie the 5 universal shapes, each mandala is so different and unique/

When I look at this vibrant, colorful mandala, I am reminded of the thick texture of needlepoint or the vibrant colors of Huchiol yarn paintings. I am so pleased that folks continue to send me images of their completed mandalas. I will be sure to post them as they arrive.

Enjoy the spring...

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

2011-03-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-03-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

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.
www

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.

2011-03-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

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-

2011-03-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

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

2011-03-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

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,

New Soul Collage Cards

2011-01-29T09:53:00.000-08:00

I have been making Soul Collage cards, in preparation for taking a Soul Collage Facilitator training next month. Here are some images, without words...for your viewing pleasure..
Do any of these call out to you, and if so what do they say?

More to come, until then... ciao.

Day of Creating Prayer Flags...in process

2011-01-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

In my Medicine Art Womens Expressive Art group, we began creating our own Prayer Flags this week. Only 2 people came to group this week, but we all were so engaged, that it was nice having the space in the studio to work. All I can say is what fun we had.. Here are some photos of our ongoing process.

First we cut unbleached muslin into the size and shape we wanted.

Then we painted washes of Jaquard fabric paints on them and put them in the sun to dry.
Horray that it was a sunny, warm day.
The next step was using stencils of both letters and images, that we pounced onto the fabric...and wallah! amazing things began to happen.

Here you can see some of Roberta's in process. We all got about 2 of them kind of done that day.

This is Marcella showing off one of her prayer flags..

These last two are the ones that I did that day.

This will obviously be about a 3 session process, and with the other members of the group joining it
who knows how long we will be at it. So many ideas are brewing in regards to this process.

Even my own entreprenurial mind is spinning, and I am thinking of doing a day long prayer flag workshop for others it was soo exciting and fun.

These are inspired by Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags, which monks hang so the prayers printed on them (traditionally in sanskrit with an image of the Buddha) can be whisked into the universe with help from rain, wind, sunshine. When we are too preoccupied to hope the best for the world at all times, the flags are a constant prayer. They're even left unhemmed intentionally, the quicker to disperse their prayers.

New Years Mandala Retreat Day Process Photos to Share

2011-01-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

On January 9th we had our annual, New Years Mandala Retreat Day, "Mandala as Visual Prayer". We gave it that title, because, the act of drawing a mandala, or for that matter doing any artmaking with intention, is a visual active dynamic prayer.

The workshop was absolutely wonderful, with a very, lovely group of 10 engaged participants, plus myself and Patricia Waters. We co-facilitate these mandala workshops four times a year, around the change of the seasons, and at the New Year.

The next day, however, I got hit with a pretty virulent cold virus. It totally laid me up, and I have been in dream time ever since. 10 days later, I am on prednisone and still not too well. I realized that I wasn't feeling good that day, because I didn't feel up to photographing the mandala's at the end.

So without further ado, here are all the photos I took that day. Unfortunately, my energy was very low at the end of the day, and I didn't photograph everyone's mandala drawings at the end of the workshop. I haven't added mine here, either, I will do that as it progresses on another post, as well as Patricia's completed one for the day.

Working in the studio.

My good friend Vicki down from Mt. Shasta for the workshop.

Patricia and Sanna Rose, looking at her mandala's progress.

Judy and her daughter Kaila.

Hearts within hearts within hearts, wonderful

Allysa proudly sharing her drawing.

Release

Patricia Waters in process mandala.

Here is Sanna Rose's completed Mandala

Sue Wiseman's completed Mandala.
I will be posting other completed mandala's as they are sent to me. Enjoy viewing them. More to come
Caterina.

Back to Encaustic in the New Year

2011-01-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

Something shifted for me on New Years Eve and Day, I found myself actually cranking up my hot plate and electric skillet filled with encaustic medium and losing myself in the dreamy process of painting in encaustic.

It has been months, and months since I last felt the urge and acted on it.
Once I started playing, I went back to the process every day for four days in a row. What a joy. One thing led to another, and I wound up expressing some ideas that have been stirring for a while.

When I first began painting with encaustic, I was drawn to its textural possibilities, but lately my draw has been what happens when the densely colored paint blends and merges as it is fused with the hot air gun. I am in love with the sheen, and the smooth glasslike glow that emerges when it is polished to a shine. Each of these pieces began with alot of encaustic medium and color that was played with and coalesced into a brilliant explosion of color and organic form.

Then I took a bone folder and burnished zerox transfers of photographs the I have taken over the wax, and embellished it with more paint and mixed media to create each of these paintings.

I am in love again. What a way to start the New Year. Ya Fatah!

I can't wait to continue on this theme, with my paint, but this Sunday, Patricia and I are facilitating a New Years, Mandala Retreat Day,....so I need to put away my hot plates and paint for a bit to set the studio up for the 12 people who are coming to draw and open to the New Cycle with us.

So next time I plan to post photos of that workshop. But you can be sure, that soon after I will set up my encaustic supplies and dive in. I am also planning on doing another encaustic workshop sometime in February. Life is good. Blessings to all.

Happy New Year to All, and ~ Art Postcards from A Far~

2011-01-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year,

May you enjoy and revel in your life as it is,

and make of it what you will.

As they say life is what you make it,

and this is a wonderful time for creating a new template for your life.

Dance with your dreams,

savor the cup that is in front of you,

walk through all the open doors,

and release what no longer serves you...

Many Blessings in the coming Year.

If you have been reading these musings, you may remember that I have been participating in a postcard exchange with art therapist from around the world. I have finally begun to receive some of the postcards from fellow participants. Slowly but surely. So since I have only sent off 3/4 of mine,

I don't feel too bad since others are slower than me to respond.

Here are the ones I have received up to this point for your viewing.

Enjoy...

and now off to enjoy a new day in a new year...and make some art to honor the coming year.

Ciao.

Half way through the Holly- Daze- Blessings

2010-12-27T09:52:00.000-08:00

This holiday season has been very stress free for me, my goal was simplicity and joy. I found that experience in the process of baking a different kind of cookie daily for the week leading up to Christmas, adding to my Italian cookie repertoire.

Biscotti, Zelletti and Pizzelle

Here are two photos of my pizzelle - the second one filled with cannoli filling

Now that Christmas is past, things are slowing down and I am hoping to find some time to do some art making as well as preparing a bit for our Mandala Workshop on January 9th.

So, I am taking the time to send blessings to whoever reads this, but sharing this drawing that I did way back in 1994. I call this the Blessing Angel, who showers blessings, Peace and compassion to the earth on a daily basis.

May blessings present themselves in the simple pleasures of life shared deeply and creatively to all of you.

Prismacolor Pencil on paper 1994
Earth Blessings

The Thrill is Gone- Still making postcards..

2010-12-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

As I continue to make postcards for the Art Therapy without Borders, post card swap, I have to say, tthat the thrill is gone. Gone is the excitement of creating, being replaced with a sense of the obsessive need to complete the project.

I know, ..... I know that I have 6 months to complete the postcards... but I feel the weight of the commitment to it haunting me, and keeping me from doing other things.

So, I have been creating postcards in bits and pieces over the past week, and now I only have 3 more to make and I am done.

The other day I mailed off the last of the cards to go to the US and as soon as I finish making the last three I will mail off all the international cards and be on to something new. I am often like that when some creative process turns into a creative commitments, something shifts for me and....somewhere along the line, the excitement of the initial creative response leads to the feeling of the grass is always greener syndrome...only in this case the greener longing for another art engagement of some sort. Maybe it is the colder weather, but encaustic is calling me.

So these are the last few cards that I haven't shared here yet. Once again, using rice papers and collage bits and pieces of ephemera, to create a visual ground and then adding words. The words for the Raw Soul Art Card came from a little box of words and letters that I keep adding to. I just pulled words from it and tried to find some wisdom from the random words.

I love this Pablo Picasso quote, which I added to several postcards...."Art washes form the soul, the dust of everyday life."

Art Heals...

Inspire....

So artists and art therapists, and all creative beings, are explorers of spirit.

May you all find the way to explore spirit through creativity in your own unique ways.

Thanks for visiting, and sharing in my art process.

Post Card Exchange- Art Therapy Without Borders

2010-11-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been busy making mail art postcards, for the Art Therapy Without Borders Post Card Exchange. I will be making and mailing over 25 Art postcards to be sent to a list of art therapists all over the world

Add caption

.

This art exchange includes over 350 art therapists and art therapy students participating from Singapore, India, France, Scotland, Slovac Republic, Canada, Ireland, Australia, the UK, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan, Belgium, New Zealand, Malaysia, Hungary, Honduras, Chile, the United States, South Africa, Germany, Peru, Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Portugal, and Hong Kong.

"The goal of this collaborative art project is to allow community members from the Art Therapy Alliance, International Art Therapy Organization, and Art Therapy Without Borders to receive postcard art from art therapists and art therapy students living all over the world." ~ ATWB

Here is the entry way to my studio and some of the supplies that I have been using for my mail art - mixed media post cards....

So I have finished 11 of them and mailed them out yesterday. I am posting the mixed media cards I sent out as well as my process here, for your viewing Here are the 11 postcards that I sent out yesterday , to art therapists in the USA. I plan on doing the international ones all in a group, so I only have to go once to the post office for the correct postage.

My process.... I started with a large sheet of watercolor paper, I measured the size for each postcard on the back....then I created washes and played with it without any specific focus.

I then cut out each postcard (and I found out that the size given on the directions was a little to small)
I loved the idea cutting out each section and letting only a part of the whole be the postcard. Here is one of the watercolor postcard sections. I love the combination of orange and blue...so vibrant.

Here is the card that this section eventually became. I took a folder of laser prints of some of my mandalas, that weren't extremely high quality prints and cut parts and pieces of my original art out.

Then I glued pieces onto my watercolors randomly...

I took irrdescent and metallic watercolor paints and doodled on each of the watercolors.....

All of this was done in stages, watercoloring, doodling, collaging and then

stamping....all around, once again randomly.
my intention was to have fun, without judgement or plan.

The last step in the process was adding words with rubber stamp alphabets.

I really like this quote by Norman Vincent Peale.

"Imagination is the true magic carpet"

Well for some reason, I am not being successful in uploading the last several images...so I will leave it be for now. At least this gives an idea of my process and the fun I have been having.

My next series will be done a bit differently. I am looking forward to getting started soon and will share not only what I do, but what I receive here. Until the next time.

Gathering with my Tribe @ the American Art Therapy Conference

2010-11-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Well its been a few weeks since I last posted here and I have been quite busy since then, journeying a bit on both the inner and outer level. This past weekend I attended the American Art Therapy Assn. conference ( ATA) in Sacramento. The 3 days were a whirlwind of inspirations, connections, networking and mini epiphanies. I sold some of my art at the Arts and Crafts marketplace on the first night, which allowed me to sit in one place and have people visit me and see my art, and talk about my work. I was happy to see many old friends and make new ones as well, and to attend quite few exciting and inspiring workshops that speak to the power of making art in a studio based setting.

ONe of the compelling things I participated in was an introduction to the Soul Collage cards with Seena Frost, in a key note lecture and a hands on workshop. Above is the card I created in the workshop on Saturday.

The interesting thing about this work, is not that it is new to me, but that it is something I have been doing for years, that combines my early work with the tarot, my gestalt jungian bent in my art therapy practice, and my ongoing involvement and love of collage. It is a great fit for me, and I am planning on taking the facilitator training in the new year.

This card speaks to me saying: I am the one who calls to your sense of adventure, your longing for a deeper journey, standing as the gatekeeper, calling you to the next step, helping you to find that inner map that leads to another part of your souls calling.

So I am sharing this with you all, a little wary of putting this out there before I act on it, but the image calls me to this as well.

Along the collage path, I am participating in an exciting Art Post Cards exchange, through Art Therapy without Borders....I will post photos of my cards and more of that whole international community art process in another post..

Why do we do what we do?

2010-10-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was just reading a post on Lanie Garrity's wonderful blog 14 Secrets to a Happy Artists life, and one of her posts focused on this question. It really got me thinking about my life now, as an artist and as an art therapist.

I was born with a congenital heart condition, and as an only child growing up in Chicago, I spent alot of time alone, often in the hospital, and when not, missing school often, rarely playing outside with other children.

I was pretty lonely, and art became my best friend, my ally, and my constant companion.

I self soothed, created imaginary friends and worlds, and lost myself for hours in lovely fantasy.

This rich inner world, stayed with me my whole life, and after having open heart surgery on my 13th birthday, I threw myself into life and activity.

But artmaking stayed with me, throughout my life and shaped my life into the one it is today.

As a child, I remember often looking down from our third floor window watching the kids in the alley and courtyard, riding bikes, playing with hoola hoops and on the swings. I felt like an outsider and wanted to belong.

And even though making art made me happy I wanted to do it with others... Whenever I was sick, my parents would give me another paint by numbers set, or kit for weaving pot holders. I loved to make different things, use my hands, and build little people out of mushed up toilet paper, making up stories and traveling across the united states in our long hallway with my handmade paper doll friends....

As I fast forward to my life now, I see that I live a life now that allows me to do art with others, share all the different art processes I have learned, and offer others the opportunity to explore the healing realms of their imagination.

This is a bit more personal that I have been before on this blog, but it seemed to fit for today, so Thank you Lanie for your wonderful prompt.

Why do you do what you do? Ciao

Fall Mandala- Process of a Drawing....

2010-10-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, myself and my working partner, Patricia Water's, led an Illuminated Mandala workshop, focusing on the change of the seasons, from Summer to Fall.

We are both facilitators of the late Judith Cornell's Mandala Process. The workshop was a wonderful day and I have shared the groups process in my last post. I have finally finished my mandala and am sharing the process of the drawing here.

This is my original drawing, using white prismacolor pencils on the black paper.

In this second image you can see how I add the scale of light (reversed shading) to the images on my mandala, illuminating the shapes with light.

In this drawing I have begun to add color, in some cases going over the white and in other areas, leaving the white light uncolored.

Each step of the way is primarily unplanned, and whenever I do something I don't particularly like, I go with it, letting it take me where the drawing wants to go. Allowing it to change and evolve organically.

Here is the final pieces, a lot more subdued than the last image, but still illuminated. The intention of this piece was release as well as trusting the process of life and change to guide me, as we move into the winter, the dark, the unknown of the cycle of life.

This mandala, along with many of my other mandala's will be available as a matted print on my etsy store, for purchase. Patricia and I take these workshops on the road, so if you are interested please get in touch, here. Our next scheduled Illuminated Mandala Seasonal workshop will be a New Years Intention Mandala Day in January of 2010. Please check our website at the Creative Arts Studio for updates on the details.

Mandala Workshop- Recent Images...

2010-09-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

I am finally posting the images from our recent Autumn Equinox Mandala Retreat Day.

We had a wonderful, small circle of women, drawing and sharing in my studio, last Sunday. The weather really co operated, thankfully and it wasn't as hot as this weekend, with Indian Summer blazing away here in northern Ca...otherwise the studio would have been like a sauna.

Photos speak louder than words for the process so here are some from that day of what emerged and our process.

Here are some of the small practice mandala's that were created just in the white on black.

The contrast of the white prismacolors on the black canson mi tientes paper is always so stunning. It is hard to jump into color, because often these are so perfect just as they are.

This is the mandala that I began that day. It really expresses alot of my feeling about transitioning into autumn and the approach of winter. Actually, fall is my most favorite time of year, but their is always a bittersweetness to it as well.

Lots of release and letting go is inherent within it.

There is something about the dark center that is so provocative

After a wonderful morning of diving in and drawing small mandalas, we began our bigger ones and then created small test color wheel mandalas, practicing blending the rainbow prismacolor pencils that we use in the process. Color is so exciting, and it changes everything.

We use a limited palette in this process, just 6 colors plus white. Aquamarine, true green, yellow, orange, magenta, and violet.

With these 6 colors it is possible to mix hundreds of vibrant colors.

The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.â•ˇ

> - Kahlil Gibran -

Here are all the mandala's in process up on the wall. Because this is such detailed work, we need to give our eyes, hands and backs breaks. Often times when you stand back and look at what you are doing, it is possible to see the work in new ways. The mandalas will let you know what the next step is.

Please note the intricate detail on this amazing mandala.

Close up..........

This is the mandala that I began that day, in process. I will post the completed process at a later time.

This is Patricia Waters mandala in process, created with a dear friend in mind who is going through some traumatic life changes.

Most everyone in the group promised to send the completed mandala images to me, perhaps those will be included in another post.

I knew that in finding the mandala as an expression of the self

I had attained what was for me the ultimate.

C. G. Jung

Shrine Making -Visual Feast

2010-09-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have been facilitating a women's art support group, every other friday morning, for the past 20 years. The name of the group has morphed and changed over time, along with all the wonderful women, who have made art in the group. For a while it was called the Art Spa, because everyone always felt like they had gone on retreat and been renewed from it. But the name Medicine Art Group is the one that has lasted the longest. Obviously, the name reflects how artmaking is a deep medicine that is available to all of us. How doing art heals, and how being in community with others, excelerates the healing process.

In past month we have been creating Shrines in the group. The focus has been to create a shrine that honors an aspect of ourselves that we want to bring energy to, allowing that part to come into our lives and to celebrate it joyously.

I love what is happening in the group and how powerful the process has been for the participants, so I though I would share some of the shrines here that are now in process. Unfortunately, I don't have photos of everyones shrines, but here are a few of them, for your viewing pleasure.

Shrine to Inner Wisdom

Shrine to My Inner Healer and Inner Wise Woman

Roberta's Shrine to Joyous Living

Here is the back, in process, it has changed quite a bit

Marcella's Transformation Shrine

Each of these shrines are in process and I hope to post several others at another time. They are made with foam core, that has been cut, covered with rice paper and then painted and collaged over.
Aren't they visual feasts for the eye. More to come, with more photos and perhaps a story or two. so thats what I have been up to.

On going work- Inspiration - What do you think?

2010-09-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

I continually return to pieces I have worked on as a matter of course. A painting, collage, mandala or encaustic sits around my studio for a while and then suddenly calls to me for the next step. I posted this painting a while ago as part of a way I have been playfully using up paints, that my clients leave on their palettes after a session or a group.

Here is the original painting that I posted a while back.

I have now taken it into another direction, adding some collage imagery, (birds which is a continuing motif and theme in my art) as well as wording. The colors have changed somewhat and it has become less subtle. What do you think?

INSPIRE 12"X12" on canvas

For some reason the colors are different than the original in this photo. The blues are still more subtle and the bottom is actually purple. I will retake the photo in different light and post it again.
This painting Inspire is now posted in my etsy store Soul Arte Eclectica.

So my question is a request for feedback, should I have left it alone or does this work as an inspiration piece. Thanks in advance.

INSPIRE: to fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative
To create (a feeling, esp. a positive one) in a person

Whales at the Coast - Oh My

2010-09-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went out to the Sonoma Coast, and it was a beautiful day out there. Such a lovely laid back experience, except for the hoards, and crowds of labor day visitors, and campers crowding up the usually empty roads and beachfront parking.

Russian River Mandala - The mouth of the Russian River at Jenner, CA.

But the highlight of the day was going out to Bodega Head and watching the whales
off the coast, breaching the waves. It was magnificent, I have never seen them like that before, so close to the coast and so many of them. There were hundreds of people standing at the edges of the cliffs, and although at other times I might have found that irritating, it created this amazing festive atmosphere.

Every time a whale leaped over a wave or a mother and baby whale jumped or showed their tales, the crowd went wild with excitement, whistling and screaming in glee. We all got into the energy of it, pointing out their fins to each other, and just feeling awed.

Normally the whales are not this far south at this time of the year, but apparently the waters are warming, and their are lots of krill in the water, so the whales are staying here instead of going up to Alaska to feed. Even thought it is probably a harbinger of Global Warming, and the changes aren't so healthy ecologically, I felt honored and blessed by the experience.

Happy Labor Day to all out there.

“When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the circle of Creation is completed inside us, the doors of our souls fly open, and love steps forth to heal everything in sight.”
Michael Bridge

Art Therapy Renewal in the Redwoods- Connecting with the Tribe

2010-08-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to the Northern Calif. Art therapy Assn. gathering in Redwood Valley in Mendocino, to connect, network and gather to do a workshop at art therapist Linda Chapman's wonderful studio, Art Therapy Institute of the Redwoods.

Her studio space is an inspiration, and the setting is exquisite. Linda facilitated us in collaborative Eco Art Workshop, making collaborative art with recycled materials. More than anything else we had fun. We had to create a collaborative piece which was either a character or an invention that had a purpose.

For me the experience of playing with art with others in my art therapy tribe and networking was the highlight of the day and quite invigorating...So Here are some photos of the day.

old computer keys...what fun to incorporate into an art piece

This piece is a playful expression of the source of creative energy that art therapists draw from, or as Christi defined as the Art Therapist.

The beginnings of a piece made from recycled braille books.

The Amazing and Wonderful Art VARk

It purpose is to only speak in positive, life affirming statements.

The Art Vark was made by covering a cardboard box with many plastic bags, covering them over with masking tape and other recycled paper products to give form and substance to the body.

Gathering with this group made me rethink going to the AATA conference which will be held in

Sacramento this year.

Plus the drive up into Mendocino county was so, lovely. Ciao

Playing with Paint

2010-08-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

My process: I always try to make use of the paints that my clients and group participants leave on their palettes. I hate to waste acrylic paint. I have had a few canvases that I keep undercoating with left over paint. The other evening after a young girl I work with left, I started dabbing away at the canvas with her left over colors. This painting is what emerged. I like it. I had fun without attachment and the entire process made me happy. I had so much fun with this piece that I moved to another canvas.
( both of these are 10"x10 by the way)

This time I took off in another direction, using a stencil and working around it with color, line and letters.

Now I am thinking about going back to the first one and adding the word Inspire in painted cursive. What do you think? I always love to play with words that have meaning for me. If anyone is reading this post and has an opinion let me know.

I actually haven't painted with acrylic in quite a while, other than to do backgrounds for collage pages in my journals, but I had so much fun on these canvases, that I might do more. Once again the appeal is in the play not so much the product, but when I like what happens, it makes me happy.

Geography of the Soul Encaustic painting...

2010-08-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would post this painting today. This is the encaustic painting that I have been working on for a while in stops and starts. My creative process moves in such a left brain way, but I have to trust the process, so this was in limbo for a while and then wallah...I came back to it.

It has changed a bit since I first began. I think it is complete but I am open to responses. I have lost most of the map that is embeded under neath the images collaged into the beeswax, but it still feels like a personal journey map to me. Traveling over the safe waters of my life towards my home in the heart.

If I had done something like this in years past, their might have been many more troubled waters, but these days, it doesn't feel like that. I love getting the feedback of my souls state though my art.

I hope to post more here again in the near future.

Digging In...Trusting the Process

2010-08-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Digging in, excavating down to the heart of the matter, revealing the layers underneath, allows me to find respite from the issues and problems on the surface of life, as I dig in. Sometimes when I am doing art, creating an image story, I feel like I am digging into the depths of my soul. I work creatively in many media, but nothing seems to go as deep as when I work in encaustic.

The nature of this media is perfect for digging in. Tactile, and dimensional, it calls to the fingertips and aches to be touched. After painting and fusing several layers of encaustic paint, the thickness of the texture of the beeswax begins to coalesce into mountains and valleys of colored forms. By digging into the wax, the layer just under the surface is revealed. Light reveals dark, darkness exposes light. A little like the soul of therapy, there is an opportunity to uncover the facade that is pervasive and brings something and hidden and new to the light of day.

When I participate in this type of excavating, I fantasize that I am on a journey through time, going back to an ancient land, old and mysterious, like the walls of a fresco painting, doing into the ocean of memories of ancient patterns of expression. Making simple marks, crosses, spirals, repeated patterns of triangles, I touch into a part of my being more in touch with my instincts more open to patterns, that when repeated and combined in new ways, is in sync with a long, lost lineage.

So digging implies a process of commitment to a process. Taking the time to go as deep as possible with out fear of failure, just following the thread of thought and experience as it reveals itself through the process. Trusting the process, and hence trusting life. Trusting my life.

Inspiration Monday - A Reminder : Why We Create- Take the Time to Make Art!

2010-08-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

Today is a good day for a little inspiration, a reminder of how important it is for us to take the time to create, not for product but for how the experience of art making transforms us in unknown and known ways.
So I am sharing this wonderful video that reminds us why it is so important and powerful to create.

I tried to embed it here but, somehow that didn't work so here it the link. Take the time to watch it, or rather make the time to watch it.

Even if you already know why creativity heals and is powerful, this wonderful U-Tube video says it so eloquently and clearly. It is a reminder for Monday!..Enjoy!

Click on the green link below, (that says why we make art!)

Why We Make ART!

Finally back to Encaustic Painting...

2010-07-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

Once again, I am lax in posting on this blog. Life has a way of taking me away from the computer. Then its just like getting in touch with a real old friend, so much catching up that it seems over whelming to even begin. Another thing, is that I feel I need to be significant and post something meaningful, rather than the facebook like updates that we are all so accustomed to. So, I put it off and off, and then bite the bullet and post again.

I have been back at working on my encaustics. I set up the studio and had a studio day with an art therapist /friend and that primed the pump for me and now I am in the mode again, and excited. I have begun working on a piece, exploring map as art, or my life as a journey...I did a series of mixed media map collages...that I printed up on tracing paper and adhered with encaustic medium to a cradled hardboard. As a jumping off point.

This is the beginning of the process.

The piece began taking on geographical significance for me.. Their is the Sea of Sicily, where my family is rooted...and Chicago where I grew up, all peering through the encaustic medium.

One of the things I found frustrating is that, the encaustic medium adhered wierdly to the underlying tracing paper background...but I decided to just go with it.

And continued to over lay collage imagery on top of the piece.

I then began to paint in areas, forming land and sea.

I also began articulating a series of
diamond shapes. I love to make triangles in repeated patterns..something so satisfying in that for me..

A ship traveling across the safe waters, brought up lots of wonderful metaphors I thought I could add, ie the winds of change... being one that became a refrain in my mind as I worked. A moon or a sun and a house to place at the center of the Heart Land, came next....

It still however, looks chaotic and disjointed...but is moving along.

So I added more collage elements, to bring grounding to the land, sea and sky as well as delineate the land and sea masses, using color. Still the medium and paint, pool on the tracing paper, even with adding layers of medium inbetween colors. But there is nothing else to do except go with the process, and see what emerges.

Close up of the Sea of Sicilia...

The land mass....

and sky line .....So this is as far as I have come with this piece. I am sitting with it, planning on carving in, bringing in more contrast and pulling out more words, and perhaps revealing some of the maps in underneath.

So far so good. I am engaged and excited by the process. More to come. I hope to get into the studio today and do more on this piece. Have a great Sunday. Ciao.

Soaring Bird Encaustic- Bird theme continues

2010-07-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Birds are a continuing archetypal theme, or image in much of my art. As a child, the only pet I could have, in our 3 floor apartment in Chicago was a parakeet. I had many parakeets over the years, and developed my love and relationship to flying things from those early, tender and companionable memories.

Here is an encaustic painting I did of a Soaring Bird, which is available for purchase in my etsy store.

Encaustic painting

10"x10" on cradled hardboard

“For man, as for flower and beast and bird, the supreme triumph is to be most vividly, most perfectly alive.”

D.H. Lawrence

Changing the Look of my Blog and my Evolving Mandala

2010-06-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

The other day I started playing around with the design of this blog, and once again was unable to return to its previous look, so hence it new look. I actually like it better now, it feels more airy and open. So hence welcome to the new look of this page. Blogger has some new features, and I am eventually going to try to add some extra pages. But this is enough for now. All this technology is too much for me, and I need to take breaks from the computer.

One of the ways I have been retreating and renewing myself, is by the ongoing work on the mandala that I began at our Summer Solstice Mandala retreat. I have decided to share its process, from the beginning drawing to the place I am at right now. It is now completed yet, but getting closer.

Here is the beginning drawing.

With the scale of light being developed.

Color, color and more color.

This is where I stopped drawing at last evening. I wish I had left more black, but I seem to have a tendency to fill in all the spaces. That is something I keep reminding myself to work on, not only in my mandalas, but also in my life. Creating these images, always bring up a metaphor for me, that guides me on my personal growth issues and process. This mandala is all about honoring, health, growth, new directions and beginnings, as well as loving all the sprouting seeds in my life. I will post the finished mandala another time.