Challenging Times

These are times of change and challenge for many of us.  I too, along with so many in the country was taken by surprise this week, when I was laid off, permanently,  from my position of over 28 years, as adjunct faculty teaching at Santa Rosa Junior College.  There is a hole in my heart for the curriculum as well as the  students and program I have taught in for so many many years.    And for the field of Art Therapy. 

Transformation Through Time

Supporting people, with the powerful healing aspects of artmaking, and being able to facilitate creative growth, has been deeply enriching and rewarding for me.  I have been blessed to witness transformation on many levels, over and over, with artmaking as the catalyst.  

I am in mourning, but also filled with hope and possibilites for opportunity.  It is time for me to take my skills on the road and to share in different ways and venues.  Fear definitely rears its head, but along with it is transformation and surrender.  

Things I am grateful for:

1. The opportunity to witness so many people grow, change and transform through art
2. The beautiful, tragic, and inspiring individuals I have met, taught and befriended.
3. The community and staff I have worked with through Disability Resources Dept.
4. My creativity, strength and resourcefulness.
5. Art, ART, AND MORE ART
6. The stories of so many individuals
7. The opportunity to grow, change and develop professionally with like minded individuals.
8. Many many mentors and friends.
9. My family, husband, son  and cohorts.
10. The synchronicity of the universe.
11. My dog chelsea.
12. Vision and creative impulses.
13. Living and living in beautiful northern California.
14. Beeswax!!! and the bees.
15. The sanctuary of mandalas.
16. Time for artmaking!!!!!!  And Visioning...and dreaming!
17. And on and on and on into the future.

Encaustic Tree Series - All of six them......

I have finally completed my summer time encaustic vision....photographing  trees and doing encaustic paintings and  phototransfers of the tree images on top of the paintings.  

I have learned alot in this process.  Working with the encaustics in a new way, exploring color, line and form...as well as developing a finer eye.  I have been noticing and photographing trees for months now and began to look at trees as individuals with unique personalities, flaws and idosyncracies....as if they were people.  Here is the completed series.

I found myself looking for the perfect tree.  What were my criteria, unique tunk, branches that stood out, no background to divert attention and alot of sky showing through the branches.  Then I began to think about standards of beauty, in not only trees but people.  What is beauty, what makes imagery stand out.  Each tree had flaws, the branches were changed by life and wind, and trauma.... again and again the parallels with people began to emerge.  This has been a very powerful and evocative process for me.  

My final tree in this process, is the most subtle and evocative.  I am ready to move onto another series...I am all fired up with the possiblities.  My work with encaustics has taken another turn.  I am looking forward to more exploration of this new direction