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

Sonoma County Beauty

The other day I went out to Sonoma to bring some of my Mandala Pendant to the charming store "Sisters ", where they will be for sale.  

It was an absolutely stunningly beautiful autumn day and I was dazzled by the beauty all around me.

The sky was so dramatic, with dark storm clouds moving in and out of the sky, punctuated by intense white and  cerelean blue skies.  

 Luckily I had my camera with me and as I drove out there, frantically trying to be in time for an apt.

 I noticed different places along the road that I vowed to take photos of on my way home, when time wasn't and issue.

Now, for those of you who don't know Sonoma County, it is often called Wine Country, and Luther Burbank called it the Chosen spot in the world...as far as natural beauty is concerned.  Whenever, I go away from here, I come home like a tourist, re-enchanted with the place where I live.

 I become jaded to the beauty all around me, yet on this particular day, actually this past Friday, I was driving around in a state of wonder at the dramatic beauty all round me.

As I drove, I noticed cars parked along the side of Hiway 12, with people outside their cars, doing plein air painting, and some taking photographs.

 

Suddenly I realized that like Julia Cameron writes of in her book the "Artist's Way", I was on an Artists Date with myself, and I slowed down and began to take photographs of what drew my attention, all around me.  

 Pulling out of the traffic here and there, and thinking about the dark and light, the contrast of colors, and whether or not any of these images would work well as photo transfers for my encaustic paintings.

 This mountain is called Sugar Loaf and it is a very special state park right in my back yard almost, isn't it sweet?  What a perfect name for a mountain.

 Along the way I stopped at some fabulous thrift stores, and spent a little money on some delights as I made my way home to Santa Rosa.

 The photos turned out quite wonderfully and so in the spirit of show and tell, and like a proud mother to my wonderful home county, I am sharing them here with the world, or at least a tiny little slice of it.So I hope that you all enjoy these photos, they call out for taking  a deep breath.

  So, Ciao..... and

  happy autumn.... Until Next time, from the Valley of the Moon in Sonoma County.

Festa Italiana Collages

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you might know not only do I love collage, but am constantly making things, playing with images and doodling as well.  I recently made a series of collages for this Italian festa that I will be selling at, this coming Sunday Sept. 30th, in Santa Rosa.

 I just love how they turned out so I am posting them here as my show and tell for the month. ( Yes it seems like I am a monthly blogger) enough is enough, I do so many things on line that this is a monthly  commitment that is doable.

 After dribbling and playing with watercolors on really good paper, I rubber stamped, doodled and collaged all over the pages...

 Then I began to look for Italian phrases and words that called to me, and were recognizable to even non Italians.

 Pulling out my rubber stamps I stamped here and there on the large page of watercolor paper, first with the words and them with some of my favorite charming stamps.

 I then pulled out my large stash of various small collage images and began to glue papers and images here and there on the large paper that seemed to reflect either the meaning of the words or the Italian theme.

 One thing led to another, with this process being done in small stages of one step each time over a series of days. About 45 min each sitting.  Perfect art making time for my computer affected attention span these days.

 I then had a large sheet of paper with little vignettes all over it.  Each one small and flowing into the other.

                                                Just the perfect size for 5"x7" art cards.

 So I proceeded to cut them up into various sizes, finding the essence of each little picture story.

 And low and behold they were charming but  small, so I pulled out a lot of my beautiful art papers and began to glue them onto the papers, highlighting all the wonderful burnt sienna colors I love and that reflect the softly worn colors of the beauty of Italian towns.

              I next glued these onto the fronts of art card panels that I have in my stash of art supplies.

But too my delight, I found them soooo charming that I decided to put them in 8"x10 matts instead of just leave them as art cards.  And this is what I came up with. They look so perfect matted.  Although rather primitive, with the stampings smudged here  and there, they delight me and they are absolutely charming to my eye at least.

So this Sunday at the Festa Italiana at the Vets Building in Santa Rosa, I will have these little darlings for sale.  Come on by if you are in Santa Rosa and say Hello..and see not only these but my Italian themed art pendants, mandala pendants and some charming little encaustic paintings that I am selling, all with an Italian slant.  If you don't know by now, I am Italian American, my mom's family being from Bari and my dad having grown up in a little town in Sicilia called Strassati di Petrosina, which is near Marsala.
So selling at this fair, allows me to be close to all those old Italians again, warming my heart and filling my soul with italian music, food and sounds.   I wonder if anyone who reads this will stop by and say hello.  Who knows.  Ciao. Caterina