Guild Gathering

In 2018, our teacher Shiloh Sophia revived the medieval practice of gathering those who have developed proficiency in an art or trade into a Guild of Journeywomen. Our preparation includes the year long Color of Woman teacher training and competing our Thesis - an Initiate Book summarizing the assignments and offerings we've given. There are now over 250 graduate Guild Members worldwide. Check our directory for someone near you! 

Sepha, Nadya and Shiloh, 2016

Nearly 20 Guild Gals currently live in Oregon and Southern Washington, and several of us met for the first time in classes, at graduation, during travels, or an in-person gathering. It had been several years since we had a local gathering, so in November I invited the local gals to a Gathering at the studio in MECA gallery. We set it for the afternoon, and Jan from Southern Washington, 3 hours away, choose to stay overnight! 

Sharing Purple thread with Sepha and Janet

While we do Red Thread circles when gathering with students and beloveds in our broader community, when meeting with other Guild members, we use a Purple Thread of Leadership. I've shared purple thread with several SiStars as they traveled through Oregon, weaning strands of connection. It's always a delight when we gather, and this was no exception! 

Olivia, Sepha, Uma, Nadya, Jan  - Nov 19

We shared chocolate and tea, warmth and SiStarhood. Our Muses must have consulted - our colors were delightfully coordinated! We passed the thread, and shared highlights from our year, and dreams for the future. 
We planned to share a Metacognative drawing practice (Uma is taking the Motherboard training), but after our check-in round we just kept talking!  And talking - laughing, commiserating, and finally said our fond goodbyes, with a stronger connection and sisterhood.

We've made plans to meet again quarterly, likely in Portland or Olympia. Each time we're together, in person or virtually, the connections strengthen - we're just a thread away ...

Purple Thread cuff

I used the purple yarn from this and other circles with my Guild SiStars to crochet this little cuff bracelet. It's both decorative and a wonderful reminder I can just give a tug, and the support and love from my sisters is on the other end! 

Harvest Queen and Treesisters

Because of a scheduling *error,* I needed to choose another day for my monthly circle, and decided to offer a little "paint party with a Red Thread Twist." It was my first local class in awhile, ten gals came, and we had so much fun! More classes are in the works, and we're talking about offering little Sip and Paint parties in my friend Holli's MECA gallery.

Harvest Queen in Process

 Two gals who have painted with Shiloh in person and online came from a town about 3 hours away! For many of the others, it was their first face on canvas, and they did so well.

Harvest Queens 

I am on the online support team for the Treewoman class Australian artist Jassy Watson offered a coupe of weeks ago in Sonoma. It's been awesome to see the variety and the wonderful connections with nature women around the globe are making. We began by sketching patterns and shapes from the natural world and human made, and making marks on our canvasses. (I used a square wood panel) Scraps of collage came next, often from pour own writing.

Treewoman - marks collage and sketch

We were invited to begin noticing shapes and forms of trees in our surroundings, plus the season and colors, and even what "season" is prevalent in our lives. I like the process of inquiry and observation in our painting practice!

Tree woman in a Newberg park

Leaves are turning colors here in the Pacific NW, and the rains beginning to come, but it's alternatly sunny, October's Bright Blue Weather! Last weekend's full moon danced into Her branches.

Pearly full moon in Aries

I'm tending in the classroom over the weekend, as some near completion, and others join the journey. I'm thinking of using a tall canvas and having another go ...

Dance of the Treewomen© 2019

What's on your easel or in your journal??
Happy Paint Party Friday!

Still Room Revisited

In a week, the new gallery MECA will be opening, and all of us are excited to see our art on the shelves and walls! During my last visit, Holli asked if I had any pieces in addition to the "ladies" I might want to show? 
I mentioned my Apothecary painting... "send me a photo!" So I did, and she wants it! 

Paintings have their own processes and time frames, don't they? The Apothecary process focuses on distilling tragedies, turning them into potions and remedies. It is a wonderful, rich, and sometimes intense process! You can share parts of my journey here, here and the request for some new items here. 

Some of the requested items were shelves, more Nick Nacks an Alembic Still, and some "real" additions. Shiloh invited us to stitch some red thread or ribbon into the canvas, and I haven't yet...

.. 

Last spring, I added some shelves, carving (gel), and sketched in the still, .... and then went on to other projects, while the potions bubbled away ...

Now  a still requires heat, and there is a Red dragon in the area, so she kindly volunteered to keep the pot bubbling when necessary! I've sketched her in, also a water dragon peeking into the vessel on the far right (I realized only three dragons were showing!)

At this point when revisiting a canvas, I often do a glaze, (full or partial, choosing transparent colours) to get back in touch with my process, and pull out my journal for some current inquiries ...

Sketched in - Red Dragon & Alembic Still

I've begun painting and adding more details to the still and Red dragon 

What's your creative process today?

Happy Paint Party Friday!

Alembic Still and red dragon

New Year, New Gallery

 Happy New Year!  
Last year was a rather strange one for me, I spent more time "percolating," and not as much creating - change is in the air - I already feel a shift, do  you? 

She Changes© Nadya King

For me, one of these shifts is moving to a new gallery, one my friend Holli and her husband will open this spring. McMinnville Center for the Arts, MECA, will be a  place of inspiration and service to the community. I'm excited to be one of the MECA artists.

I've loved being an artist at Ten Oaks Gallery over the last two years, enjoying all the art, and attending events. ...and, Holli has taken several of my Intentional Creativity classes, so it feels perfect to be part of this new venture. I hope to offer some of the community classes there, as well as show my art.

In On Sunday, I picked up my work from Ten Oaks. This week, I have been working on my bio, and choosing 5 pieces to hang at MECA - whew! What a process! It's intriguing to me how that process goes. 

Two of the ladies, Siren Song and Elen Star Path, were in a show "Myths and Legends,"

Siren Song© Nadya King

several years ago, and also part of my show as a Featured Artist at Ten Oaks, September 2016. I love the magic of legendary figures, and bringing them into this world. Siren Song is one of several Mer women who have come to me. 

Order of the Phoenix and She Holds the Heart of the World were painted in harmony with our greater of continuity, during online offerings. I was a Hearth Tender for Black Madonna, which included both painting prompts from Shiloh, and history of the Black Madonna in Europe from Kayleen Asbo. I love the depth Kayleen brings to all of her shares.

The fifth painting, She Changes, began as the demo painting for one of my own classes, and I continued working on her in my Gaia as Portal class last spring near Earth Day. I invited my students to bring a canvas to repurpose if they wanted, and my 20x20 Birch Panel seemed perfect! 

Elen Star Path© Nadya King

Elen Star Path 
(16 x 20", acrylic on canvas)

Guardian of the ancient pathways, the Leys, the kundalini currents of the land. 
The horned lady, Elen leads us aplom the first track ways, the migratory paths of the reindeer in the Northern lands. She leads us home.

Siren Song
(16 x 20", acrylic on canvas)

I call you from the depths, invite you to sing your song.
Listen to the waves
Listen to your heart beat
Which moves the currents of your very being
Listen. Listen.

Order of the Phoenix
(16 x 16", acrylic on canvas

Order of the Phoenix© NK

)

From the ashes, we rise transformed. 
From the ashes, we are born anew.
Enter the fire, and find rebirth.

She Changes (20 x 20", acrylic on cradled birch) 

She Changes everything she touches, everything she touches changes. Earth Mama invites you to listen for her voice in the wind, to see her patterns in the stars and swirling water, to cherish this sweet planet. Will you answer her?

She Holds the Heart of the World© NK

She Holds the Heart of the World  
(18 x 24", acrylic on canvas)

She hears the cries of the World
And ponders them in her heart.
She Holds holall dear
Treasures beyond measure
She Holds us in her heart.

Oh! It was hard to decide which ladies to submit! ... I was almost ready to relinquish my "thesis" painting from my Color of Woman quest, Priestess of the Cosmic Portal, but when I looked up her message in my Initiate book, realized she has more to teach me. Such is the power of creating with intention, and juicy Juju Journal making.

I'm looking forward to meeting the other artists this weekend at our Blank Canvas event, and to the Muse nudges I'm feeling!