Something Different - Memoire Mothers Day -Request- Referrals- Blog Tours- Aha

Well lately I have had several requests to share other people's work here on my blog.  I guess that must mean that this blog is being seen by other's as a platform to share their creativity.  Since this is new for me I am a bit hesitant to do this, but willing to give it a try.

The first request was a creative response to Mothers Day. I was approached by Teresa Jordan to embed the following video in my blog.  This poignant artist illustrated video about mother's, loss and the scent of memory, really touched me. Take the time to click on this link, it is really worth viewing.  Sorry that I couldn't figure out how to actually get the video on here. Oh well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-Z2O9LNZOA

Teresa's video really struck a chord with me.

It brought back auditory memories of the sound my mother's high heeled shoes.  She always wore them, and wondered why I never wanted to wear them myself.  The sounds of her heels clicking on the sidewalk, on the wood floor, on the linoleum, live in my memory.

After she passed away I had a series of three very intense dreams, early in the morning on three consecutive days in a row.  I am sharing this dream, altered reality experience here. 

Day 1 - Footsteps on the sidewalk, from a long way off, the sounds getting  clearer and louder,
sounding close and very familiar.
Coming up the walkway to my house,
stopping at the step and then I awoke.
So familiar, so close, so real, my heart pounding,
I knew it was my mother.

Day 2 - Once again, footsteps coming from a long way off.  The sound of the clicking, click.. clack, click clack,  getting louder as they approached my house.  I knew it was my mom coming again.  This time, I heard the sound stop at the doorstep, but then the sound of the screen door opening, rustling sounds, like someone carrying bags full of groceries, in their arms. ...and I awoke. Once again heart pounding  panic, is this real?

Day 3 -  A repeat of the sound of high heels, in the early, early morning, heels clicking, on cement, quickly stepping closer, and closer, up the step, opening the screen door, lots of packages or parcels being put down and keys in the door, with the front door about to be opened.  I could hear the door knob turning and the door starting to open.   I awoke, my body tight, sweating.  I knew my mother was about to come in the door, but I was too afraid to see what would happen next.  I cried out "Please don't come in.  I am afraid". Then  I awoke, to a bright morning sun shining through the window and stillness.  After that she didn't return.  But I knew I had been visited.

I had the distinct knowing that she was coming to visit bringing presents, bags of gifts and blessings, and I was ready to both receive and release her.  I felt grateful and in the months to come I did receive many blessings and gifts in my life, that I attributed to those early morning visits from my mother.

~

~ Another Request~

I have also been requested to participate in a blog tour and giveaway of a new ebook release of a fantasy novel, Dark Innocence: Book One of the Star-Seer's Prophecy, by author and therapist Rahima Warre.  I haven't read her book, but feel in affinity with her work, so I am agreeing to it.

She will be doing a guest blog post here on June 4th. 

Here is a link to her book, this should be interesting. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AN7CBGQ/ 

Until next time. Ciao, Caterina

Maker

I am a maker. I find myself making things, art, items, jewelry, figures, images, mandala's obsessively.  The form doesn't matter, but is dictated by feelings and the mood I am in, what does matter is the sense of joy and engagement and healing, I experience in  the making of things, one after another.

I often judge myself for not sticking with one things over time, or creating fine art, or developing skills in a progressive manner.  What I love to do is make things.

I just get on a roll, get called to create something and then make it in multiples. Again and again, until something else calls to me.  As you may know, I have been making pendants from my mandala art, and just recently started making pendants of one of my favorite artists, Frida Kahlo.
Hence the multiples, begin again.  These photos are of the series of Frida Pendants that I recently made.

After I create a series, I realize I have so many of these creative products or items, that I have to do something with them. That is what has led me to doing craft fairs, and starting so many etsy stores.  Selling them is always the next step, along with giving them away to people I love.  I make until something else calls to me.

I love Frida for her honesty and bravery in sharing the truth of her inner world through images. Bold, brave and so ahead of her time, she was groundbreaking, and provocative. 

She is one of my inner artist guides.   

Bravo Frida!!!   

Each of these pendants can be found for sale, on my store 

Mandala Pendants.

Frida Kahlo de Rivera (born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón; July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954) was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán, who is best known for her self-portraits, and her ability to paint her inner world and the bravery to share her pain with others through her art. 

Kahlo's life began and ended in Mexico City, in her home known as the Blue House. She gave her birth date as July 7, 1910, but her birth certificate shows July 6, 1907. Kahlo had allegedly wanted the year of her birth to coincide with the year of the beginning of the Mexican revolution so that her life would begin with the birth of modern Mexico. Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as emblematic of national and indigenous tradition, and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.  But what distinguishes her work more, and has made her the darling of art therapists, is how she was able to express her personal journey and pain,  from a brutal early accident that she had as a young adult, which affected her entire life, living with intense pain, from then on.  Art became her companion, guide and a deeply healing modality.

Bravo Frida!!!

Frida Kahlo SoulCollage® card - Community Suit

Inner Artist Guide

Mandala Complete - Process Photos

I recently completed the mandala I started at the Spring New Beginnings Mandala day that I recently facilitated at my studio.

I am such a sucker for show and tell, perhaps because, I loved it as a little girl, showing off my art to others. However, my training as an art therapists, enamored me with the stages of my process in creating as well, so here follows a series of photos of the stages of my mandala.

 As it takes form new directions are  showing as possible directions I can take the drawing. I love how the scale of light drawing, seems to sculpt dimension and form, through the contrast of the white on black.

 Although I could have taken more photos in the earlier stage, here is my mandala with just the beginnings of color coming in.  The central image of this mandala really stands out in this photo. The holding/ honoring of the iris in the center, which to me is about opening and holding a space within for the new the emerge and flower in my life.

And here is the completed mandala.  Often time in this drawing process, the image changes again and again.  I have a tendency to be a bit heavy handed with my pencil and it affects my ability to lay in more color, so I have lost some of the gradations in the center.  But I still love how the holding energy stands out admist the opening mandala.  Holding Possibility, Dwelling in the Possibility of New beginings, new opportunities, beginning again and again.

After spending quite a few days working on a mandala, I am almost bereft that it is complete, but I also am trying to stop sooner rather than later, to avoid over working and allowing the mystery of the black, the unknown powerful mystery of the procreative darkness, to be part of the image. Without the dark, the light is not as bright.
Now on to the next mandala, or???? Ciao.

Dwelling in possibilities, a Day of Mandala Making

Yesterday I did a small spring mandala group in my home studio.  The  four of us spent the entire  day lost in the Illuminated Mandala drawing process.  With one person new to the process, the day flowed magically, as we each shared, explored and dove into the beauty of creating mandalas.  

 I love sharing what emerges in these drawing days. So here are the mandalas that came through for us.

 Creating a color wheel mandala is a wonderful way to be free of creating image and yet still explore color and the process in depth.  This color wheel mandala in its initial white on black stage, was created by Claudia, whois an art teacher, this was her first illuminated mandala.  She took to the process effortlessly and was caught up and lost in drawing for hours on end.

 This is Liz's Spring mandala, so eloquent in the black and white drawing

 Holding iris mandala, is one that I began yesterday, inspired by a vase filled with Iris's and daffodils on the table in front of me.

Still in  process  this mandala, created by Scarlett Sky was a poignant one, emerging out of the depths, honoring two of her precious dog companions who had recently passed on.

 Finished or rather almost complete mandala,  the color evokes  the mystery of transcendence and new life, subtle and stunning, I could lose myself in viewing this one. Definitely a Spring Mandala.

 Claudia's color wheel evolving.  What fun she had doing this, I can't wait to see the completed mandala.

                                Scarlett's Spirit  Shield coming more into focus.

And finally my mandala, with the color just being laid into the paper.  Who knows where it will go.  Interestingly, looking at it here, allows me to see it in a new light, and open to what might be next.  My intention for this mandala, was to create an image that supported me in being able to dwell in possibility instead of concern, or worry or, ......  
Each of us, moved into our own story, journey and process with these drawings, and as always, the process was grounding, healing and enlivening all at the same time.

" Dwell in Possibilities"  Emily Dickenson

until I get around to posting  here again.. Ciao.

SoulCollage® Readings- Always Amazing

This past week, I had my Soul Stories, SoulCollage® writing group.  As usual it was filled with unexpected ephiphanies and ahahas..for the four women who participated.  Here follows is a taste of what we did in the group.                                                                We began by each pulling 3-4 cards out of our deck that seemed to express where we were at in the moment or what we wanted to bring into the coming year.  Next we did free writing for each card and shared.  The images always speak so much more strongly than  words.     

I shared  a series of questions about what we wanted to bring into our lives for the new year, or release or focus on. The questions I focused on were: What is it I committed to receiving in 2013?  Where is it I will spend my time? What abundance am I going to bring forth?  and....How will I care for my body?

 Each of us picked questions that spoke to us personally and  pulled a card for each of our questions.  We did free write and the "I am the One Who" prompt, speaking from each card specifically about these issues.  

Once again, we all shared our writings.  Towards the end of group, we picked 2 more cards from our deck, and asked them to clarify one of the issues came up in our writing.

These are the 2 cards that  I picked. Next we had the energy, being or essence of these  cards write a letter to each other, addressing, clarifying and giving more advice to in relation to one of our questions.
I am sharing my writing because it was such a powerful process for me.

The Maker, Embellisher and Devotee of Creativity

Dear Great Spirit of Life,
I am just a humble maker of things of beauty.  I often wonder if my work can be infused with your spirit and speak to peoples lives, and help them on their journey.  I also do so many different creative things, that I worry that I am diffusing your energy and my offerings to the world would be more powerful or of worth if I focused on just one thing.  I am writing to you to get your advice on this deep issue.

My creative endeavors are so many and so varied, like the creatures of the forest.  My work as an art therapist and teacher, is of course prominent, but also the joy of making things and crating a life sustaining business from my art is a big piece of it all.  I have tried to keep all my creative pursuits in alignment with spirit, but I am in a quandry over process vs. process.  Can you offer me any advice or direction in this new year around this issue.
Yours in service,
The Maker, Embellisher and Devotee of Spirit in form.

.

Creative Life Force/ AKA Great Spirit

 l

TREE OF LIFE

The Tree of Life is an important symbol in nearly every culture. With its branches reaching into the sky, and roots deep in the earth.  I have been drawn to and drawing trees my whole life, so my fascination with the Tree of Life and creating mandala drawings 

featuring the symbol is not new.

This Full Moon Winter Solstice Tree of Life is the first mandala I have drawn featuring the tree of life.   It symbolizes life itself, with it's branches joining "Father Sky" in the heavens and it's roots with "Mother Earth".

As a child I drew tree after tree, turning them into Tree Houses, with room in the roots, where little people lived.  The branches were their porches, with little lanterns and stairways lighting the way.  I drew serial tree stories, and the little people that lived in these Tree Villages.  

They were my childhood companions.

~This mandala ~ Full Moon Tree of Life ~ was done on the Spring Equinox

The Full moon also seems to come up again and again in my drawings, along with the deep roots and the extending branches.  When I was a  young woman, living in Southern California, I felt bereft of trees.  I used to go on walks to visit trees, making pilgrimages to them, since they were so rare, in the area that I lived. I think the fact there were so few trees in LA, was a factor in my moving to Northern California, where they are abundant.

~Summer Time Tree of Life - Balance~

When I taught Creative Process classes,  at Santa Rosa Junior College, I would give the exercise of drawing a Seed a Star and a Tree.  Then we would put the drawings up on the wall, and brainstorm our associations with each symbol and make up stories, reflecting each drawing.  The symbolic meaning of the tree of life, was so inherent to each person, and everyone loved how the drawings revealed something about their lives.

~New Years Tree of Life~

it dwells in three worlds- a link between heaven, the earth, and the underworld, uniting above and below.

I just finished this mandala of the tree of life, and it is my most favorite.  I began it at the last mandala workshop I taught.  I worked on it over New Years, completing it New Years Day.  I always love drawing on New Years, it is my perfect way to bring in another year.

As I prepare, to teach yet another mandala workshop, I decided to share these four images here.

Have a balanced and deep New Year.  Sinking your roots deep into the fertile ground of your life, and extending your dreams out into the skies of your evolving imagination.

Best To All.

Caterina

Bittersweet Year

This past year has been very bittersweet....and this past month has really brought up feeling of loss and sadness for me. 

 Last February, my dear friend and partner in the Creative Arts Studio, Patricia Waters, passed on...to...from, into another form.   The first 6 months  or more of 2012, were an ongoing process of dealing with her life.

It is amazing how much it takes to unravel a life deeply lived through her possessions, and her wonderful amazing art.  This is one of her powerful pastel drawings.   Patricia's death was an amazingly deep  loss  for me and only recently has it gotten less difficult.

However, right after Thanksgiving, my sweet dear little spirit dog, Chelsea had to be put down.

Here she is outside a Mandala workshop that Patricia and I facilitated at Mountain Home Ranch in Calistoga.

Chelsea often went along to all of our workshops, sitting in circle with all the participants holding sacred dog compassion for everyone.

So Chelsea's death has made me revisit all the losses of the year and it has been a very difficult time for me.  One loss, truely reminds us of all of them.

So on this New Years Eve day, I am honoring both of these dear friends through my writing and photos on this blog.

I find that my healing  way of coping with loss, sadness and challenges is through expressing myself through art. I teach this to others, because art has been my life long salve, and coping strategy.

Here is the SoulCollage® card I made for Chelsea right after she died.  I cried all the way through the process but it helped tremendously, and I have had this card on my altar for her, for the whole month now.

This is an acrylic painting I did of Chelsea about 5 years ago, that is now more precious than ever before.

So, I end the year honoring  these two sweet beings, who made such a difference in my life.  I don't know who reads these writings, but it is important to express my truth today.
May you all have a blessed and creatively fulfilling new year!
Namaste.
Caterina