Zines

  When preparing to teach a class, i generally make notes of what I plan to include in my journal, and may add to my set of prompt cards. A fan of things 'tiny,' I  was intrigued a couple of years ago when I happened on a call with the lovely Denise Daffara on working in little "zines" 

... but I had missed the instructions, lol! 

So after the circle, I looked for more info on making these little booklets, and was enchanted! 

Calendar and Zines in process

Who doesn't like tiny booklets? And with the central slit, these fold into a cover and several pages - perfect for a little collage session, class notes, or a planning booklet! 

Double Calendar spread, paint and collage

I made a handout that would fold into a zine, and brought this project to our next Red Thread Circle - For my own, I used a double spread from this large biodynamic calendar. I liked the black and white illustrations of candles and beeswax, so worked around including them, and some of the text. The small blue Zine was created from another calendar. 

Acrylic paint and collage

A piece of Junk Mail, a double calendar spread, or even piece of notebook paper is great for a small "class notes" booklet, which can be written in directly or painted and collaged. 

Here's a little "kid friendly zine" tutorial.

A Zine could also used for:

• A poetry booklet
• A mini art journal
• Class notes
• A process page - write what you want to compost on the 'inside,' paint over' then flip and fold to "grow some lilies"
• A booklet of symbols you use in your paintings
• Writing about your painting

During the Color of Woman teacher training, we create Vision Plan and Story books on a half sheet of watercolor paper as part of the quest. These are a lovely visual way of collating ideas for our work with IC, but generally in a larger format. Here's one side of mine from the course - it makes a lovely background for an altar.

Vision Plan Book

I enjoy the compact booklets for collection my class ideas, as another option. They are a great size to tuck into a Planning Pocket, and a page may provide inspiration for a Story Card!

Happy Paint Party Friday!
Do you have a favorite style of art journal or booklet? 

Heron Walking

 This week one of the artists at our church is hosting a show of pieces bespeaking Peace, and I selected Heron Walking from the Spring class Awakening our Mythic Legend.

On the train headed from Oregon to my Color of Woman Graduation celebration in California in the fall of 2015, I began seeing herons in the wetlands, and later heard they were much loved by our teacher Shiloh's mentor Sue Hoya Sellers!

Heron stands tall and silent, rooted in the watery depths, watching, waiting for a day we can gather with our artful crafts of music, dance and storytelling, sharing in wonder and the inspiration of creativity.

Heron Walking - 2021

Crossing the threshold

we are enough, 

each of us, all of us.

We can be heard

singing our songs

calling for change

for respect

choosing to rise.

Rose petals on the path

and waiting, in still waters

Diving deep

Emerging

with hidden treasures.

Nadya Vestella King, 2021

Insta-Magic

 Wow - I now have 1300 followers on Instagram! 

I began posting on Instagram three years ago, after Maestra Shiloh Sophia suggested we  use the #intentionalcreativity, and see if we could boost the numbers of posts over a thousand or so tagging our brand! We are now at 18.5K!

I love the visual focus of Instagram, which is ideal for our artist selves.

In those early days, I wrote, "It's been fun playing with my pictures for posts, making little montages (which don't always behave!) And meeting new virtual friends! I love the journal pages @quantummemoir does, and ... I'm @nadyakingartist ❤"

• When you start typing a tag, suggestions will come up - bypass ones that have over a million, and look for ones in the 50 - 500k range or lower
• Check out the tags your colleagues use - make a note of those which fit! 
• Choose a few that are unique to you, or your small group. Recently I added red thread Creatives, as that's the name of my Facebook group. 
• It's a good idea to check out the tag, and see how the posts match your intention - I usually click "recent" as well 💖
• If you're collaborating on a class or other offering with someone, choose a tag together, and use it with your posts. I was recently the Art Doc for a class two Pete's offered, and they chose #AwakeningMythicLegend for our class posts.
• When you have a bit of extra time, visit some of the folks who liked recent posts, and choose several which appeal to interact with and comment on.  
• While we can use up to 30 tags in a post, the magic number is 11 - I generally use a few more.
• The Magic formula is to choose 5-8 'popular' tags that have been used 100-500k times
• 5-8 moderate 50-100k
• Several specific (like intentional creativity)
• And a few niche - personal to you!

Instagram allows one "active link" in your profile, so many folks create a link list (like Linktree) with link to classes, free offers, their main website, blogs. Check our accounts, and see which are most appealing. 

Whilst researching link options, I came across a YouTube tutorial from Canva on creating active web pages and decided to that for my profile link! I often use Canva for graphics, so that was an easy choice! 

• Post a link to your website or blog in your bio, and update your site regularly. 
• If you're promoting an event, make registration easy to find! (I often check these in colleagues' posts, and have to poke around for their current offer!)
• If you have several distinct business, you may want to add other accounts
• Post your bio link at the end of your text "click the link in my bio to register -@nadyakingartist 

Here's a recent post with in depth suggestions on using hashtags! 

Are you on Instagram? You're invited to post the link to your account, and share an tips you've discovered. 

Happy Paint Party Friday! 

 

Awakening Mythic Legend

 This spring I was delighted to be asked to be the Art Doctor for their workshop by two of my Red Thread SiStars! Olivia Oso and Uma Joy are offering the first Legend class to be taught by Guild Members, and I thoroughly enjoy being part of the pilot run! 

Uma and Olivia have taught many classes together, and I appreciate theit gentle flow of instruction, journaling and painting in our virtual classroom. 

Awakening Mythic

We received symbols in several meditations, and I discovered several commonalities - a headband with the blue jewel activating her pineal gland / bui hui, stars from a beaded pouch on her headband and medicine bag, circle of ancestors ... 

I enjoy Listening for my Legendary Lady's voice and wishes, sitting back, and letting her take the lead! This is my 5th Legend,

 .... I never completed the 2nd - so part way through this journey, she began hollering for attention! 

Okay, okay!! 

Red Hat Legend - 2018

While I loved her symbols and elemental dragons the crown of her hat has felt too high for too long! My granddaughter Alyssa's dad gave her this lovely Red Hat when she was about 5, which I wore to many a tea as a Red Hat Lady! !! 

Red Hat SiStars

I began sketching the alternate shape usingNeocolor 2, and then used yellow and transparent yellow oxide over the Red ... Ahh! I love how forgiving acrylics are! 

Olivia suggested using hoops as templates for orbs and circles - and I'd just unearthed a basket of embroidery hoops! So the dragons are now in orbs (even the one by the medicine bowl) which will be highlighted with interference paint soon.

I've been modifying her expression as well, and will do more reverse stencil above the hat brim on our right - 

Bodacious Bessie

 What's on your easel this week? 

Happy Paint Party Friday! 

 

  

That Risky Glaze

 Beloveds who are new to our painting community are often a bit nervous (shakin' in our boots!) when it's time to do the first glaze! And why not? We're got several layers on the canvas, we may really like what's there - and now you want me to cover it up?? Ugh! 

When I took my very first Muse class in 2014, I was having a good time with ceremony, visioning, painting and journaling, ...

Then Elisabeth told us we were going to paint over our canvas with a Risky Glaze - ¿paint over? ¿glaze? Yikes!! 

So how do we glaze and why?

Applying a glaze, a thin layer of translucent paint, is a great way to integrate what has gone before, and is a key component of our process with Intentional Creativity® It is also a simple way to add Mothercolour, which brings harmony to the whole painting.

Supplies:

• Spray bottle, adjusted to mist
• Clean t-shirt squares 4" or larger
• Old towel to mop up excess water
• Shallow cup
• Big brush

Glazing basics:

• Use a transparent color - Golden's Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold or Transparent Red Iron Oxide are some favorites! (Green Gold, transparent yellow iron oxide, Quinacridone magenta, a transparent blue are other options)
• With Golden paints, you'll find a little transparency scale on the back of the bottle it tube, look for ones with the dot toward the left. (Without white)
• I use a small shallow plastic cup ~ 3" across, put in ~ nickel size dollop of transparent paint, and a teaspoon or so of dirty paint water, and mix, adding more paint or a spritz of water as needed. You'll need a bit more water with heavy body paint, but not a lot! 
• Spritz the canvas all over with your spray bottle
• Lay it flat on your drop cloth, if you can (you can also glaze it upright on your easel - your choice!)
• Put on happy music if you're working on your own
• Use a big brush to apply your glaze all over the canvas
• Spritz again if you need to for the glaze to spread
• Use a piece of T-shirt, to rub and "burnish" the canvas if you wish (try on a small area first)
• Then, you guessed it! 
• Sit back with your journal, and write about what's being integrated!  

Student applying a partial Glaze

 Other Glazing Options

• We often glaze several times, here are some options to consider:
• Partial glaze, use one color on half the canvas, and another on the other half. Smudge the line between the two, burnish if you wish.
• 4 directions: choose 4 transparent colors. Spritz the canvas with water, then use the first color along the top, spritz again and let it drip ...rotate the canvas, spritz and use the next color ... Spray, paint, play with the drips. Turn the canvas again 
• We may want to glaze just the background, to make our figure stand out more - light draws the eye
• I love add a bit of metallic Gold as times! Our inner Critics are easily distracted by shiny objects! Spray the canvas, and use splashes of gold or another metallic in a few areas, usually in addition to another glaze color! 
• And - however you glazed, grab your journal, and write about what's coming up, what's being integrated. What happens as you turn the canvas and get a different perspective? 

In our process with Intentional Creativity, each layer builds on the last, and we are invited to return to our Journal, and our notes in messages from the original visionary journey, and our intention for the piece. 
What if there was nothing we could get wrong? 

What's going into the fog, and what's coming forward?

Take it to the Journal 

Pour a cup of tea, move back about 6' and sit with your journal. Hydrate while your glaze is drying! This helps integrate what's happening in the canvas.

This is a good time to write fast and furious about whatever is coming up, and is fun to use watercolor pencils. If something seems important, you may want to note it elsewhere, or just process - get it out! (I hear Shrek, "Better out than in!") 

Is this something that's come up before? Is there a voice attached to it? (Can you identify a person who told you that?) You may want to dialogue a bit with your Muse. You can let the words and colors cross and build. This can become a compost layer ... You can later activate the colors with water, and perhaps collage over the words.

 

It can also help to return to the initial visioning, and ask yourself if/ how what's coming relates to those? 

What attracted you to this class or journey in the first place? 

What's shifted who've you first wrote? 

What insight is arising? 

This is also a good time to notice symbols that may be arising, and sketch them in your journal.

 

Remember to take photos to document your journey, especially between steps and before you glaze. 

Woven Together

Well, my Sisterhood of the Red Thread ladies kept hollering at me that they were perfect for the upcoming Women Women Together show - so off they went in virtual format! 

Over half of artists around the world are women - but less than 5 percent of the art in museums was created by women! So our art community has begun to correct that by establishing our own Museum, both virtual and in Musea around the world.

You can view my work in both past and future Musea shows on this page, which will give you access to the virtual opening. You can also join Musea for access to information about future art calls, class's and a monthly virtual call. As a graduate, I'm part of the World Wide Web of creativity teachers and guides! 

Woven Together is the first juried show for our Musea, and the call went to women Artists within and outside of our community. Inviting places that depict the connections between us. 

Sisterhood of the Red Thread 24×30" 

 Golden fluid acrylics on canvas

This is one of my earliest IC pieces - painted in September 2014, whilst Shiloh's teacher and mentor Sue Hoya Sellers lay in hospital, and passed at month's and. It was inspired by the connection that runs between women, no matter their culture or background. Connected by the red thread of our blood, of our stories, of our hearts.

The previous spring, for International Women's day, Shiloh offered an online Sisterhood class for painting women together. My Red Thread friends Lora and Elisabeth met and watched/ painted together! Shiloh invited community members to donate their paintings to a women's shelter or other place women or girls gathered, as inspiration. I painted on my own, a piece called "Dancers," and gave to our ballet teacher for the studio. 

They ask us to remember

We are connected, 

Woven together with stitches of love

Heart to heart

Spirit to spirit.

Through time, space, lifetimes

Dancing in brittle starlight,

we sing our way home!

Sisterhood of the Red Thread 24×30" - Golden fluid acrylics on canvas

Finito Friday

#Finito Friday - our Red Thread community takes time to share Ta-das and finished projects! 

A big one is celebrating the graduation of extension or Muse Time students from their Color of Woman teacher training! So proud of these gals for their dedication and wonderful peer support - Congratulations! 

Color of Woman graduates

One of the final alignments is teaching a longer painting class - traditionally two days when offered in person. At the beginning of February, Heather Jackson and Rowan collaborated to offer "Queen of Your Heart" to an online group which included several of their sister students. I joined them for a potent day of painting and inquiry. 

We accomplished a lot in 6.5 hours! I love Heather's Zentangle "Diva Dance" rose, which overlaid the spiral is done in her throat -vortex of the empowered voice ....

"From deep in the sea, and long ago/in the future.  Song under the stars and drink deep from wisdom's well 

"Sing with the ancestors

"Swim with dolphins, and meet octopus in the nest of your open heart."

Sea Rose - We-co'ma Kloshe tip-so 

(Chinook jargon)

Awaken in the

Mystery - hear her calling?

Her voice, her presence

Sacred breath beckons 

Treasure so vital, precious

Queen of deep water.

She's rather fierce! I look forward to future offerings from these sisters - we've built a sweet international community, and plan to continue meeting to share inspiration and creative offerings.

I've been enjoying experiments with Oil Pastels, after seeing some lovely ones on Instagram. Checking on YouTube, I discovered shine fun ones tutorials with Black Bean, and playing with his "scritchy scritchy" mark making! (Using Dollar store screwdrivers!) 

 

Eye studies

Face in oil pastels

My sets are all inexpensive ones I've had for awhile or been gifted ... 

Thinking of investing in some higher quality crayons, Neocolor and Sennelier are some of those suggested  ...

Update - I got the set of 24 creamy Sennelier oil pastels ....

Face in Sennelier oil pastels

This article gives an overview of the suggested brands and qualities. I used my harder oil pastels for the details.

Happy Paint Party Friday - what mediums or tools are you exploring?

Creative Path

"This is where the door is opening, will you peek through?  

"The most regretful people on Earth are those who felt the call of creative work, who felt their own creative power restive & uprising, & gave it neither power nor time." 

- Mary Oliver -

My friend Brenda posted this quote several years ago, & went on to write "Sums up my feelings after lots of soul searching earlier this year & the realization that my one regret is that I never went to art school. I looked at schools & prices, and none of it really resonated in my soul. Then I started looking at teachers I admire, classes that inspire, souls I love. ... 

"I realized the classes I love the most are the ones that are intuitive, access the soul, invite inner listening, etc." 

My friend Jeanette wrote "We are all Creative Beings. This is our birthright, regardless of our circumstances, talents or beliefs. The invitation is to discover how your creative gifts will be used to create a reality that is worthy of your Soul's incarnation."  

In 2015, I enrolled in Shiloh Sophia's Color of Woman teacher training, a potent 9 month course that empowered my creativity, and converged with my own healing arts and teaching pathway.

I was the kid who drew in the borders of programs, and drooled over paint by number kits, and got blank canvases to use the leftover paint. In grade school, I was asked to draw a camel for some Christmas art project. Later, I was frustrated in my HS art class during our pottery unit - in 50 minutes, my clay was usually too dry, or too wet! I took a few classes art both in college, and later at our local Community College, and doodle sketched in meetings ....

Since graduating from Color of Woman, as a Teacher and Coach, I've opened the door to creativity for many others, shine wounded by college art trainings; encourage others as they complete the IC training, and as they begin sharing their own offerings. 

I love collaborations with SiStars from our local community, including our bimonthly Red Thread Circles with Linda, and with our international SiStars. 

Wherever you are, there's likely an Intentional Creativity® or other intuitive art teacher near you, or available online.

Sedna - stone Cairn

As we head into 2021, many of us are committing to daily practices, whether on paper or canvas. Most days I with in my journal or on cards. Last spring, I began exploring the NW Inuit Legend of Sedna, in a painting journey with my Austrian SiStar Tania McGinnis, and am stepping through that portal again.

While some in our broader community are moving into a degree program, others of us are on an independent Soul Curriculum path, focusing on both our own offerings, and as Brenda said, exploring classes which pique our curiosity, and are "intuitive, access the soul, and invite inner listening;" and like Jeanette, "discovering how our creative gifts will be used to create a reality that is worthy of your Soul's incarnation."

  
Have you opened the door to your own creative path; will you step through the portal?   

Happy Paint Party Friday!    

Sit With Her

Shande'nea Star Path - Legend 

Muses each have their own energy and timing, their own interests, inquiries and inspiration. Shiloh Sophia, the founder of our Intentional Creativity® community, has provided a wonderful format for inviting our  Muses to flourish, and encourage us to shine in our own special ways!

Since painting my first Muse Gabriella in 2014, I've danced between painting, journaling, creating cards and codxes and being in conversation with my paintings. 

You might wish to bring out your Legendary Lady, and Muse, plus your notes about them, and the intention you wrote on the canvases, and call council.
Pour a cup of tea and sit with your journal and your ladies. 

Put on some music, perhaps what you painted to, before, or something you currently love.

• What messages and insights do your ladies carry for you?
• Do they have suggestions for how to proceed?
• Which of your other ladies carry messages for you and your quest?
• What is your next step?

If you are in process on a painting, do this same exercise with her, as you consider where to dive in. Ask her! Sometimes I do a light glaze, then sit back and journal while it drips.

Rosa Mystica - Legend 2020

This may be a good time to clean up your painting supplies, and reset your altar. Get out a new candle, and maybe some flowers to welcome your muse! Is it time to create a new journal, or Oracle cards? Sweep the floor, open the curtains, it's time! 

Happy Paint Party Friday! 

New Moon altar

 One of the simple practices we often use in our Intentional Creativity® community is setting up an altar. Home altars have been used since ancient times throughout the world, be people from many traditions. 

An altar can be as simple or intricate as you wish, often set in a lovely cloth, holding momentos of loved people, pets, items from the natural world - rocks, a bowl of water, a candle, some smudge or incense ... I have little altars on surfaces all around my home!

Today marks the first New Moon of 2021, with the sun and moon both in Capricorn. New Moon can be a good time for setting intentions and celebrating new beginnings, and a lovely time to create or reset your altar. 

A couple of years ago Shiloh Sophia shared a process of gathering and blessing water, drawn from a service at her church. From Dr Maseru Emoto's work on water, we know that water responds to intention and spoken words, and can be patterned.

Altar with Magïc brushes and Holy Water

My blessed water from that session included well water, Bulgarian Rose Oil, Hathor oil blend, and Our Lady of the Cosmos flower essence bouquet (formulated for Red Madonna 2015). I placed it in a cut glass, stoppered bottle, which I'd used for Holy Water from a Buddhist lama in the mid 90s. 

I often "charge" water by placing it in a bowl in the moonlight, sometimes with crystals in it. We can add some of this blessed water to our paint water, and to a spray bottle. 

The altar cloth is a placemat from France, and holds my Magïc paint brushes, crystals and coral, a carved red turtle (Kenya), reindeer antler, a goddess of fossilized horn and silver, Hathor oil, rose  beads (around the angel), the flower essence bouquet, smudge sticks, a Red Jar candle, and chocolate!

Altar for Mystic Legend

Some of my altars are set on cloths, others directly on a shelf. There are crystals, breathers, shells, Oracle cards, a candle or olive oil lamp, flowers, holy water, smudge sticks, figurines ... Some are little arrangements on window sills - blue bottlers, a little bowl, shlls, beads, feathers, bells ...

Denise Linn has written a lovely book on Altars and Shrines. While Zsuzsanna Budapest wrote a one on bringing altars and the Goddess into your workspace 

Do you have a home altar? .

Happy Paint Party Friday!

Legend - Rosa Mystica

Mystic Legend 2020-2021 

Painted through Winter Solstice, and the Grand Conjunction - Jupiter and Saturn conjunct at 0° Aquarius, as the sun enters Capricorn! Painted during the US elections, and the recent counting of the electoral college ballots. 

During Christmas 2020, "the one where we were quarantined," during time as Distant Learning aide for my 3rd grader Grands - who were in preschool when I painted my first Legend! 

I joined the Color of Woman class last January, as they painted Legend - Oracle and Ally. Filmed several years ago, that was Shiloh's most recent Legend, before MYSTIC, fall 2020. 

I've been compiling my lexicon of the Inclusions and Symbols.

Rosa Mystica

I am from the depths of the earth

And beyond the stars

From the grand Conjunction

Cyclical cycles converge

In our times.

I am from the ancestors

From the goddess

From passion and poetry

And the depths of deep silence.

I stand with the trees

The ancestors

The ancient ones.

I am from the Temples

Singing the songs of the Universe.

I call the children home

And send them on adventures, on quests.

I eat stars at midnight, 

To shine with their light and ignite others.

I am in you, and you in me, 

There are no strangers here.

We come from the stars

Living in the stars, 

Go back to the stardust

Turn the world around!  

  *******

Happy Paint Party Friday!

Blessings in 2021