Showing posts with label virtual classes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label virtual classes. Show all posts

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Vivid - Legend 2020

In the invitation to the newest Legend course, Shiloh Sophia invites us to examine what we are harvesting and what we've learned in 2020. In a bold move, she is offering Intentional Creativity® teachers the opportunity, after completing Vivid, to be licensed to offer this signature course to prospective students! 

As Shiloh began teaching the process we've come to know as Intentional Creativity, one of the first steps was a journey to reconnect with our Legendary Self in a several month course that includes journaling, visioning and painting. As the prerequisite for the Color of Woman teacher training, I first painted my legendary lady, Shanden'eah Star Path in 2105. 

Before taking Legend, I had the opportunity to take several local IC classes, from Elisabeth Friese-Mick and Heidi Moondancer; plus two online from graduates Flora Adobe and Jassy Watson. It was invaluable to have these in-person and small group experiences as a foundation for the course, and benefit from different teaching styles! And though I could include them in my initiate book, they didn't "count" toward the course.

Shanden'eah Star Path - 2015

Earlier this year, I again had the opportunity to paint Legend in the Oracle and Ally, and to help tend their online classroom. As in other years, some of the students began their IC journey in my classes. I'm excited at the prospect of offering the prerequisite course, both in person and virtually! 

Here are some of the students, and part of their stories: 

While I was still in Color of Woman, my friend Sepha Nisbet invited me to tea, to pick my brain about CoW. Long identifing as an artist, Sepha has taught watercolor, clay, and was offering Paint Night parties - but longed for the depth of creating with intention! She took my first Muse class and shared great practical suggestions for setting up and flow, and always asks the best questions! 
Sepha graduated from CoW 2016, and we co-facilitated many circles and classes before she took to the Road as a Travelling Artist

When it came time for Sepha to offer her 13 step class, Christy Cozby was one of the students, and I played harp and assisted. Christy came to another of our classes a couple of years later, then enrolled in CoW 2020, and will graduate November 1! 
I felt I'd come full circle to take Christy's 13 step class, Princess Silver Hands last month, virtually! I am so pleased with this small canvas and transformed princess! 

Linda AllenAngie Delaplain began coming to classes from several hours away, both in McMinnville and at my friend Margot's in Corvallis, before deciding to enroll in Color of Woman! Linda competed the Red Thread Circle Guide program first, then decided to take the plunge and do CoW. They both took my spring 2019 class, Embracing Mother Gaia just before their CoW Quest began. 
They graduated fall of 2019, and Linda took the 2020 Cosmic Smashbook course, with founder Catt Geller! Linda co-facilitates most of my virtual Red Thread Circle, and has led several, Angie will lead her first this week! 

Another student in the Gaia class, Carol Fairbanks, has taken at least 4 classes with me, and attended numerous circles. An older student (78) Carol also has extensive art experience, and her paintings are phenomenal. She has taught paining and yoga, and is a dedicated environmentalist. She took my Harvest Queen and Wonder Woman classes last fall, shortly before enrolling in CoW 2020.
She chose Harvest Queen as the theme for her virtual class, which I also attended, and offered one of her other events via our RT Circle. She is graduating Nov 1 as well. 
Carol at Harvest Queen - 2019

In the summer of 2017, my friend Glenda's sister Sherry Rueger Banaka and I chatted on the way to Glenda's book reading, and the next week, Sherry contacted Shiloh for early enrollment! 
Sepha was one of the Art Doctors for Legend 2018, and with our local friends Sherry, Angie and Rema in the class, we decided to offer an open studio for those finishing recent paintings or in Legend. Gals loaded paint, brushes, and their big canvases in their cars to join us. Sherry graduated in 2018, and last fall we co-facilitated Grief to Gratitude. 
Sherry, Nadya, Rema and Angie 2018

Rema Tillet began coming to Red Thread circles several years ago, graduated from the Cosmic Smashbook training, offered by CoW graduate Catt Geller.

My cousin Leah Hankins has been a steady attendee of the Red Thread Circles, and also took Harvest Queen - she completed the Red Thread Guide certification in the summer, and I look forward to her presence and facilitating local circles soon!
 
I found it invaluable to have had in-person experiences as a foundation for the training, and have gotten wonderful feedback from the students who have gone on to take trainings themselves. There's a benefit from smaller classes, and experiencing different teaching styles! I am delighted at the opportunity for graduates of Color of Woman to "refresh" with Legend, and have the opportunity to be licensed to teach MYSTIC! 
 
    

Friday, September 25, 2020

Harvest Queen and Princess Silver Hands

Last weekend felt like a Retreat, as two of my friends who are in this year's Color of Woman teacher training offered their required 13 step class - virtually! Carol Fairbanks has been a frequent student in my workshops and circles since 2016. I first met Christy Cozby in Sepha's certification class around the same time. 

Carol chose as her theme Harvest Queen, drawng from the HQ class I taught last fall. She scheduled her class over two sessions, so we'll meet again tomorrow. 

Heidi, Leah and Carol, fall 2019

Inquiries:

  • What wisdom can I harvest from this year?
  • What mature fruits are ready for harvest?
  • What is ready to be Clipped?
  • How can I make space for the next cycle?
I pulled the card Old man of Stories - Legba - is the story one of healing? What will being balance and harmony? (Rainbow Earth Tarot)
Underpainting - 3 words and 3 colours - centered, (Quinacridone violet and Dioxazine purple) renewal (Green Gold and Yellow Oxide) and gratitude (primary magenta)


Symbols: Apple, (fruitful harvest) spirals of life, wreath - crown, balance and wholeness

This week I revisited her face and expression, bringing in a looked Fae presence - and need to do loved listening/ journaling! We will gather again this Saturday, and delve deeper! 

*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*

Christy's class on Sunday was based on the tale of Princess Silver Hands, or the Handless Maiden - which she told beautifully! (Several of us weren't familiar with this tale)

  • what gifts do your hands bestow?
  • They are the "tools of tools," enabling you to feel and do.
  • What do they hold, feel, grasp, fashion, give and receive? 
  • What phases go with hands/restrictions? Sitting on my hands, hands are tied, waiting for a band out ... 
  • How do we internalize the patriarchy, make a margin without all the information?
Our creativity grandmother, Lenore Thomas Strauss asked, "what ancient knowing lives within these hands?"

All the great stories are variations on the same story of challenge, journey into the underworld (forest) benefactors (a pear tree that offers its fruit, King, kind mother in law) initiating and renewal.
Sketch on the background
I appreciated the places in the story where in spite of challenges, she is cared for, loved and nurtured. 
 
There's a pear tree in the background, and a cord nesting in her hair (I used reverse stencils on both paintings, the technique we learned in treesisters. One of the themes in the story is a renewal of wedding views with the King after a seperation and misunderstanding, and a big celebration of nine days and nine nights. Our Color of Woman SiStar Anna Corsini, from Florence, Italy, committed to continuing working with her lady overr this time! 

Fun to see the shadows of the birch tree on my lady ... She's continuing to inform me as well. I look forward to what each of these paintings and process have to bring.















Monday, August 24, 2020

Crystalline Heart - Wonder Woman

This week Shiloh Sophia invited 40 of us in the Intentional Creativity® Community to share our art with the group during the Feminine Frequency Festival

I am sharing Crystalline Heart, my Wonder Woman, in the MUSEA : Intentional Creativity show. Painted during the online workshop with Jessica Enovald, her message is:

“We are all whole and holy. Each of us carries gifts to bless and uplift each other. Your Heart holds the spark that ignites others – weaving an infinite web of love and connection that stretches through time and space! 

"Your magic harp sends ripples along the web, reminding all who resonate with their own connection. You hold the chalice of renewal, and are allied with the Phoenix of Translation. Your inner vision and compassionate heart lead you ever home. Oh Sada – it is good!"


Earlier posts about this class are here and here. We used Wonder woman and her allies as Red Thread Circle and Class themes last summer and fall, with delightful, powerful muses emerging! Inquiries include
  • Who are your allies and companions 
  • What super powers are you developing?
  • What symbols activate these talents?
  • What's your theme song? 
Margot, Denise and Carol - fall 2019

I love using round canvases - and enjoyed beginning by using an extra piece of Red Thread for mark making. 
  
This is a powerful theme, and one of my favorite paintings! Wonder Woman is the class for summer in my Medicine Wheel series.

Blessings on your journey of connection with your own sense of wonder and empowerment! 

Friday, August 14, 2020

Red Thread Circle Time

We began offering Virtual Circles as a pivot from the in person gatherings early in the summer, and one of those early circles was Thinking Cap

What comes to mind when you hear the words Thinking Cap

Some of us had done the process during a Guild members call, and we chose it for our August virtual Red Thread Circle offering.

We did this one during a Guild members call last year, and this week for our virtual Red Thread Circle


  • What image comes with the phrase "put on my thinking cap?"
  • How do you access information and your intuition - do you have different access channels?
  • Are there different caps for different purposes?
  • What feels unique? What similar to others?

I love our smaller circles - 15 women joined - from nearby Albany Oregon, to as far away as Florence, Italy! It is always a treat to see how our muses interact, and we inspire each other. We began with a couple of readings from my co-host Linda Allen and then a bit of Metacognative drawing - put pen or market on the paper, and  do a free form doodle, while thinking of the phrase, "___ my thinking cap" (activating, accessing, what's ...) we drew for about a minute, then wrote about what we accessed. 

We went on to sketch/ paint an image of our Thinking Cap for 5-10 minutes - and what a delightful variety of images emerged, and then shared during our Red Thread Circle. Cindy recalled doodling light bulbs in her college notebooks when she had "ah-ha!"' moments!


One lady showed up at the base of a tree, with messages in the roots and leaves - which led to a wonderful discussion of how tree communities support each other, sharing nutrients and connection via the mycorrhizal fungi... 


It is such a joy to share time and creative process with this community, 4 of the gals are in this year's Color of Woman teacher training - 

CoW intern Carol Fairbanks led one of our circles last month -Creating Home with Your Heart as one of her IC events - and last weekend Christy Cozby led her own version - I did the first in my Juju Journal


And the one with Christy on canvas - the prompts led to recalling the cute 50s home my dad painted pink, with dark red trim and a white roof (to reflect the Central Oregon sun) ... And the Blue Door of my piano teacher's little back room Bible Bookstore. 

 
Carol is offering her second IC session this Sunday  in a longer session- Tea Time With the Muse - you're invited to join us! 

Happy Paint Party Friday! - enjoy the artsy blog roll! 

Friday, May 29, 2020

What's in your Basket?

It's so fun to be collaborating with my Red Thread SiStars on virtual circles! Linda is graduate of both the Red Thread Guide and Color Of Woman, and competing the Cosmic Smashbook certification course! She's also a super craftswoman, and basket maker. 

Our inquiry for yesterday's circle was "What tools do we need in our baskets now?"  With choices on how to create our baskets using simple materials! Linda and I've both made pineneedle baskets, and brought one to share on our call! 
Pineneedle basket
Several women from Oregon joined our call, plus 3 from E Canada! As usual, the finished pieces varied in materials, shape, colors and contents. I tore strips from a privacy envelope, colored with Inktense pencils them wove the strips, and glued then to another envelope to make a pocket. One gal wove silk strips, others added feathers or bark ...
Nadya's basket, Red Thread and vision plan cards

Linda's basket and collage
Our next circles will be June 11 & 25th, at 1 PDT. 
The link will be on the MeetUp announcement. I look forward to more collaborations with my IC SiStars. 
Margie's basket
What tools do you need at this time?
Jana's basket - handpainted silk strips 

Enjoy creating - and happy Paint Party Friday!

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Magic in vessels

 During this spring of our time as Artists in Residence, our Intentional Creativity® teacher Shiloh and her husband Jonathan decided to offer their transformational APOTHECARY (online) class over the month of April. 
This is my third time in the workshop, which is designed to transform tragedies to remedies through painting journaling, and my second round as one of the online support team. I'll be certified to offer Apothecary for my community, at the conclusion of this round.

Posts on my paintings and process during the First year and here, second year and here
APOTHECARY - Compass and biophotons
This class was inspired by Jonathan's own journey, finding healing from PTSD through creativity, moving from "Distress ... to Discomfort."  They offered APOTHECARY Medicine Painting as an in person workshop in the states and Australia before translating it into an online offering. 
  • Shiloh and Jonathan encourage participants to choose just a few old stories which block their lives now, and not dwell on the pain, but move toward the translation to healing.
  • The emphasis is on process, rather than finished product (Though that is usually satisfying as well!) 
  • Intentional Creativity® is an approach to creating "which yeilds greater access to who we are now, who we are becoming, and what is possible for us in our unfolding future."
  • Utilising our inherent creativity offers a wonderful opportunity for clearing old baggage and facilitates lasting change.
Apothecary participants are encouraged to have their own support system, and if working with a therapist, to keep them in the loop! Decades ago, my massage mentor  Jeanne bespoke working through layers like peeling an onion, a few at a time, which is more manageable with both physical and emotional pains. 
Flower allies
This year we used the videos filmed in 2019, supported throughout each week by a team of Guild members who took Apothecary previously, and  interacting during 4 Zoom calls. The paintings this year are so rich, and participants are invited to share insights and breakthroughs in our private online group and on the calls.

Yesterday, my kitty Percy brought a snake inside - 
I scolded him, and took it back outside - and decided it was one of my vessels!  ... During our legendary journey earlier in the year, we made Ally cards as a journaling exercise, and one of the animal totems was snake ... The medicine: "coilng around what is needed, letting go of what is ready to be released." 
(A dragon showed up on my 'Legend' canvas - which I'm in love with!) 
Legend 2020 - Raven's Beauty
Other vessels are a mortar and pestle, and Oracle cards for medicine teachings, and the pine needle basket a vessel for abundance of resources and financials.
The vessels are blocked in, ready for the remedies to bubble and shift...
APOTHECARY vessels
I look forward to adding details and symbols, as the remedies evolve, and seeing my classmates' medicine emerging.

Happy Paint Party Friday!