Journey with the Woman who Journied

Today is the Feast Day of Mary Magdalene, 'the most sought after female messenger of the last 2000 years.' My teacher Shiloh Sophia will be joined by her guest Kayleen Asbo for a day of ritual, story & painting, followed by a 22 day novena with chants, rituals & prayers. Not able to join today? You can still register for the class, & paint when you're able. 

One Magdalene devotee writes, "Mary TRAVELLED! She didn't just sit around in one

Mary of Magdala

place, there are stories throughout Southern France, Languodoc & Provance, of her journies, her presence, the sacred objects she carried & her teachings." Of all the disciples, she is likely to have continued her ministry the longest, over 30 years! 

Mary's gospel was rediscovered in the last century, & is finally available in print. Her main message? Peace & loving kindness! She was well educated, & is likely to have helped fund Jesus' ministry.
Through our art and stories, Mary is still on her healing journey - Is she calling you?  

Mary is called the 'Apostle to the Apostles,' & was the first to share Jesus' message with the other disciples. This year, Pope Francis declared her day an official feast day, and the role of women in the early days of the church is being recognized more frequently. 

I first painted Mary with Shiloh in 2014, & my friend Lora is offering online-support for this class.  I've written several posts on Mary of Magdala, beginning with that first online class, & the most recent, in March of this year. (you can find all the links by clicking on 'Mary Magdalene in the sidebar) 

My current 'Work in Process' is Diva-X, uncoiling! It will be fun to see how she evolves - I've reclaimed a $7.50 canvas from Goodwill, that's 26 x 60" !! It was covered with paper collage, so I began with a layer of gesso - white over the pale areas, & black with some gold acrylic mixed in over the darker central panel. 
And I was at the Fairgrounds with my son & middle grandkids this week, watching their 4-H events; with sketchbook in hand for some 'doodles' ... fun inviting my 10 year old grandson's contribution.

Posting to Paint Party Friday - happy painting!  

Wine-Down, Biz-Muse

Last week my friend Audrey & I remembered that the last Friday of the month, Walnut City WineWorks features a 'Work Week Wine Down,' with trays of goodies & staying open till 6:30. 

My lady Sekhmet from last summer's Art of Allowing course hangs behind the bar, & as one of the 'featured artists,' I can bring a few friends to tastings at no charge.

Brooke & Sekhmet at the WineWorks

I love seeing her behind the bar on the maroon wall! She is still one of my favorites! And the Tasting Room hostess Brooke often gets asked if she posed for Sekhmet! (not really, but I have known Brook for years, 

This month, we move from painting into the Biz-Muse part of our Color of Woman Teacher Training. "We chose business to fall in the domain of the Archetype of Artist for various reasons - the primary one is that your artist self is often the part of you that longs to 'be seen' and get your work out there." ~ Shiloh Sophia

And so we work on biz-Muse ideas & plans, delving, enquiring .... as we begin to share these offerings in the wider community.

TalisWoman 6-30

While some have completed, others of us continue to paint our Talisman/Woman throughout July. "Talisman comes from the root word in Greek teleo which means “To Consecrate.” The meaning of it has to do with the person who makes it, charging it with powers, blessings and/or healings through choice. They are charging it up, in essence, with prayers, hopes and dreams....The act of making it itself is what makes the opening happen in the universe for the information, the in-form-ation, to come through and is what brings our awareness into alignment and harmony with what it is we are choosing to focus on."  
~ Shilo in a post on Intentional Creativity 

This Creating with intention, with the focus, is at the heart of the work we are doing. We set an intention, and as we paint, we continue to delve into that, we examine our 'old stories' through writing & creativity, & "each step is a revelation in both consciousness and in design that creates the breakthrough (they just begin to happen there in the subconscious without effort.)"

Sah Sen

On the weekend, a hummingbird came & hovered in front of me, & I added a NW tribal Hummingbird to the symbols on my TalisWoman. As I looked up information & meaning, I found this line captivating; "Hummingbird's ability to hover back and forth at great speeds is believed to be a skill for guiding the people; if they fall behind Hummingbird can easily back up to keep pace." 
 

Humminbird is a messenger of joy. "This beautiful tiny bird, also called Sah Sen, represents friendship, playfulness, and is a symbol of good luck in Northwest Coastal Native art. It is a positive sign to see Sah Sen prior to a major event such as hunting or travelling to another village."
Sah Sen has a message to take to deliver - to thank each flower for making our world a more beautiful place!

How PERFECT for us as teachers, to remember to 'hover' and keep pace with our students, or fly ahead to inspire! And to affirm that acts of creation make our world a better place! 

Happy Paint Party Friday!! 

Around the World Artsy Blog Hop

A couple of weeks ago, Denise in Australia invited participation in an 'Around the World Artsy Blog Hop,' about our creativity ... & I decided to play along .... then was off at the coast on a camping trip, and .... and ... time to write!! 

These are the 4 questions:
1. How does my creative process work?
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
3. What am I working on now?
4. Why do I create what I do?

1. How does my creative process work? 

"Presence" Mama Lois & She Who Watches

I've always thought of myself as 'Artsy-crafty' .... my mom Lois knit, crocheted, & took craft classes including basket weaving. She always had a great eye for colour, & I followed her lead, taking 4-H sewing, & drafting some of my own patterns, learning various arts & She also mentions  and creativity are ... I took art in HS, and a live drawing class in college, and 'always' sketched & did crafts in fits & spurts. I garden & keep garden note books, ... 
I made dolls & paper dolls, I took up spinning ....
I dance (from Ballet to Square Dance!) &  sketched kids at the ballet studio during my daughter's class, now sketch my grandkids ...Jewelry making, pine needle baskets, I tend to accumulate supplies, which tend to be beautiful all on their own! Over the last decade, I've taken classes from local artists - beeswax collage, slab pottery, & played with Soul Collage...

My mother-in law Dorothy Fender (now 98!) loved having a full collection of various art materials, & in the 70s & 80s, would often 'share' with me - when we were 'into' embroidery, she bought us EACH a full set of DMC embroidery cotton (!) later, Prismacolor coloured pencils.... she has some lovely pastel paintings she did in her earlier years, at this point, she no longer creates, but still appreciates what I bring over to show her!  

In February, I took a 'Muse Encounter' workshop with my friend artist Elisabeth Friese-Mick, who has been studying "Intentional Creativity"with Shiloh Sophia McCloud, so painting has taken the forefont!  Chocolate is an important part of the process, keeping the Muse happy while we paint! In later Spring & Summer, I've taken on-line & virtual courses with Shiloh & with another of her students, artist Flora Aube.
When I go to an art fair, or into a gallery, I often think "I could do that!"  So my creative process is stimulated by other artists, by nature, by imagination.

I'm lucky (or unlucky!) to have an Art Supply right in town, so when I want to try new materials, they're very handy! If I'm inspired, I may begin painting in the evening, with a candle lit & some music on, & paint into the wee hours! I often have a couple of pieces going .... & revisit older canvases, as the muse whispers. 
I'm a Virgo, so love tiny things - have done water-colors on 1 1/2" squares of paper!! & have made wee rugs for doll houses, so it's been a bit of a surprise to find myself working on canvases that are 2' x 3'!!

Yarrow Rose, Healer

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I love reality & fantasy .... my faces tend to be 'sweet' & people seem to find my paintings uplifting (which I strive for!) .... 
I find myself loving being part of the Intentional Creativity movement, putting intention into the canvas, writing words, saying a little prayer, before applying paint .... As a Reiki Master, I have had a number of artists study with me over the years, who also seek to infuse their art with healing & inspiration.   
Flames, eyes that speak volumes, loving kindness  spirals, art as healing icons .... 
Several of my pieces seem to 'ask' to be part of a story , that may be next! 

 3. What am I working on now? 

Zander helping Journal

I just began a little canvas (square: 13") and an art journal that has words, collage, drawing/painting. Last weekend my daughter's family & I joined a number of folks from our church for a camp out at the coast, & my youngest grandkids (3 & 3 1/2) LOVED helping paste & draw Grammie's art journal (& mom & dad were grateful for keeping them happily occupied for awhile!)
 

Green lady

4. Why do I create what I do?
Gosh! Doesn't everyone who is creative 'have to' create in some fashion or another?!! I think it's the nature of the beast ... As Denise says "When I’m creating I’m in a different world where time does not exist." YES!! She also mentions art as a good way for processing emotions beyond words ... I find that true as well. Art, any art, is therapeutic! 

If others enjoy my offerings as well, all the better!!

Blessings to all who visit & find inspiration in these words!

I'm linking to Paint Party Friday, & to that Artsy Blog Hop!!

Mary of Magdalla

Mary, Mary!
She has emerged so beautifully! I'm awestruck and a little In Love with her (OK, a LOT in Love!)

Wee Atelier

When I last posted about her, I was just ready to add her hair ... and then finishing touches, more lights & darks, attention to details ...

In early May I borrowed a table easel from my artist cousin Wendy Thompson, got turquoise paint (Jamaican Sea) for facing wall, & moved a wardrobe that had contained a TV & it's trimmings into my wee dining nook - a space that's about 6' x 7.5'- turning it into my own Atelier, (the Room or studio where an artist creates)

Paint chip

I've been participating in several Facebook Artist Groups, & last week another artist working on her portrait of Mary Magdalene posted a link to a wonderful talk by Ana & Phillip Jones, the leaders of this upcoming (Sept, 2014) The Magdalene, the Grail & You

 I love the words that came to Ana in a dream: "Don't forget Chateau Cantal (sp?) Once a Grail Castle, Always a Grail Castle!"  Places where the Grail has been are vibrationally altered, the spiritual & energetic signature remains.

Added Hair

When Mary came to the South of France, she carried with her various artifacts (there's speculation around what she carried, was the grail a physical cup, or was it Mary's womb a vessel for Christ's Child? Did she have a copy of her gospel? ...) She is the only apostle known to have continued sharing his message,  teaching for 30 years after the crucifiction!

Ana was also given a Grail Riddle - "Forever will you journey, of this there is no doubt. The grail will lead you Inward, Upward & Out." When they visited a cave in Languedoc where Mary gave teachings, they experienced just that - going INto the cave (into ourselves, into the mystery) , then climbing UP a flight of stairs (raising our consciousness to another level) & then OUT (out of our own way, out of preconceptions, false ideals & beliefs)

A pilgrimage is a quest, whether we go physically, or in our dreams, visions, and art! We can each journey Inward, Upward & Out, any time we are ready. Shiloh speaks of our paintings being vessels for healing, healing Icons for both ourselves, in the creation, & for anyone who views them. This feels so true for Mary of Magdalla as she emerges into her shining radiance!

Lady Mary of Magdala

Ana said "Mary TRAVELLED! She didn't just sit around in one place, there are stories throughout Southern France, Languodoc & Provance, of her jourenies, her presence, the sacred objects she carried & her teachings. In the mid 90s while living at the coast, I wrote a story about Mary learning the hands on healing when she was a disciple, & I believe she did.

Through our art and stories, she is still on her healing journey ... I took her to my women's spiritual book group a couple of weeks ago, when I had finished her, & it was lovely to see reactions to her.  Several of the women asked for prints, so I guess that's a future project!

May Mary of Magdalla bless you, & may her Peace & healing presence radiate in & through you.