Art of Allowing Painting 1

The invitation to Flora Aube's Art of Allowing was simple - "WE are on the journey of becoming, and the most graceful way through is to learn the art of Allowing; deeply listening for when to move and when to be still, when to charge against the edges and when to sit in our breath. It is cultivating the wisdom of relationship with the Great Mystery and serving as a midwife to the birth of Beauty in our lives and on our planet. This is the high art of embodying the Priestess within, empowered with full access to our divine gifts of Creativity."

Plein Aire studio

The time was right, I had just finished Mary of Magdalla, & was ready for more. The price was affordable, I said 'yes!' We spent a couple of weeks getting our studios ready (spring cleaning, painting one wall!) & sketching faces ....

We are about halfway through the course at this time - having painted one image, & just beginning a second (the class goes through June, and we'll have access to the videos throughout the summer).

"Painting happens INSIDE us, it's our job to give it birth!" 

We were invited to stay open to the mystery, tap our intuition & inner knowing as we moved into the creative - or Cre-ACT-ive process!
"This is a priactice, an unbelievable gift! Her love knows no limits!" 

Wash: Green Gold & Yellow ochre

Thursday May 15 it was a lovely sunny day, and I set up outside, taking a hazel pruning from last fall, that I'd cut low, & then noticed it would make a great bean (or other) support. A bit of time with some string & a couple of small oak branches, & I had a plein aire easel! (which I subsequently brought inside! 

Flora invited us to take a couple of hours with the wash - dilute paint & water, which we spread over the canvas ....

After the canvas dried, we could transfer a sketch from the faces we'd been drawing, or something seen in the canvas, & then begin blocking in with colour. I'd decided to go with dark skin tones, for the first time, so did a bit of research to choose colours!  

"When you invoke Her from this deep place of Soul, She is the Goddess revealed. She is birthed from the seed within you. She is a gift with a clear message!" Flora Aube.

Blocked

I used my friend Margaret Duperly's 'Rainbow Earth Tarot' to do a reading before beginning. A couple of the cards bespoke heartbeat/drum, so I brought my small drum outside, & as I applied the wash, at times I'd drum on the canvas! I spied a little dancer, & a face similar to the one I'd sketched in my wash! A fun part of having this makeshift easel, the twin sticks for supporting the canvas have a space in the middle, perfect for holding a corner of the canvas when I was tipping it to let the wash run! 

We were invited to spend a couple of days each week 'tending to our souls,' & I wrote "I intend to tend my soul with dance and art. I dedicate my creative energy to healing, wholing, & radiating Light! I was born to share my gifts & live with radical abundance! I am a dancer, a healer, a mystic & a mystery. I stand in my power & empower/inspire others to stand in theirs." ...

Lights & darks

I have been to weekly ballet class, got flowers for my office, & an African Violet for my art space. I have music on while I'm painting, & a candle lit. Sometimes incense ...

I used Yellow ochre (3 parts), Indian Yellow (3 parts),  burnt Umber (1 part), Quinacridone violet (1 part), & some of the Glazing Liquid for her base skin tone. 

One of my classmates wrote: "allowing is much softer than 'letting go' or 'giving up control,' Allowing - that asks for trust! What a beautiful process..."

Flora Asked us "What do you Love?" (about Her) 

I love Her energy, Her wisdom

I love Her emergence, coming out of a cocoon of an idea, a seed of a drawing, taking form, dimension

I love Her PATIENCE with the process, Her Willingness to allow my flow, my process, as I allow her guidance on what's next. 

I love the co-creation. 

I love listening for & discovering different elements as they emerge - Oh! She wants ...

What does she hold in her hand? A globe? A flame? it will become clear ...

Lights, Darks, details, FEATHERS!

Dance - I sketched dancers, tribal dancers, costumes...

The second week we began working with the skin tones, lights & darks on the face, 'cut yourself some slack' (My friend Candy Gordon used to tell me that!) What is she wearing? What colours does she want? 

For my first dark, I used Jenkin's Green, & light: 3 Yellow Ochre, 3 Indian Yellow, 2 Buff Titanium, 5 burnt umber, plus glazing medium ...

And rather than hair - Feathers!! Ooo, what fun, those feathers!

I'm posting to Paint Party Friday!

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.

Beltane and Mary Magdalene

Mary's Altar

Bright Blessings of Beltane (early May)

One of my dad's favorite Easter song was 'In the Garden.'

Composer C. Austin Miles writes: "I seemed to be standing at the entrance to a garden, looking down a gently winding path shaded by olive branches. A woman in white walked slowly into the shadows. It was Mary. As she came to the tomb, she bent over to look in, & leaning her head upon her arm, she wept. Turning herself, she saw Jesus standing beside her: so did I. I knew it was he."

Awakening from his vision that March day in 1912, Miles wrote 'as quickly as the words could be formed the poem exactly as it has come down to us.'

Mary's Portal

My dad & I often sang it at Easter, & I've always loved it. This Easter artist Shiloh Sophia McCloud offered her video painting series on Mary Magdalene for 40 days, at no charge (!) & I signed up!





Mary, Mary!

April 28

I've been working on my painting since Saturday the 26th, and love the process, the painting, all of it!

The "Tea with your Muse' class I took in February was inspired by Shiloh's work, & it's nice to have some experience with her methods. We are part of the 'intentional creativity' movement, taking time to set up an altar, vision, 'listen' to what the painting/subject wants, and say little prayers along the way.

One of the first steps, after writing words of intention on the canvas, is to paint a first layer with 3 colours. Shiloh suggested seven strokes or 7 layers,  the last being the 'portal' for Mary to come through. She bespoke 7 being for 7 veils, or 7 things you want to overcome.
After writing my intention, & painting my layers, I scribed my 6 grandchildren's first initials onto the canvas, (A, E, G, K, K, & Z), plus two Ms for my grandmothers Mary & Minnie!

Over the last 20 years I've read several novels featuring Mary Magdalene, and a few years ago, I discovered Karen King's Gospel of Mary Magdalene at our Public Library. I was fascinated to read the fragments that have come down to us (from 3 different source scrolls, found with some of the other scrolls in Egypt) Mary's gospel appears to have been "well distributed in early Christian times and existed in both an original Greek and a Coptic language translation." The first & second World Wars in the last century interfered with publication until 1955.

work on eyes

The message  Mary of Magdala passed on is simple (& of course the other disciples argued with her, & grumped about HER receiving the message, not them!)

"Peace be with you. Receive my peace unto yourselves.
* Beware that no one lead you astray saying Lo here or lo there! For the Son of Man is within you.
* Follow after Him!  Those who seek Him will find Him.
* Go then and preach the gospel of the Kingdom.
* Do not lay down any rules beyond what I appointed you, and do not give a law like the lawgiver lest you be constrained by it."

 I'm using a bigger canvas, 18 X 24", & Shiloh's suggested pallet of colours, mostly Golden brand (some fluid, some in tubes). I've been paying visits to the local art shop, & the first round were on sale!

More layers on the face 4-30

Last weekend was also a parting, as our sweet inclusive 'peace & justice' church's Senior Pastor & his wife
are moving across the country to Beverly Mass, where he will minister to a different congregation. Many emotions are flowing, so it seems timely to be working on Mary!

There are several video segments left to watch, & am intrigued that in this class (the first directly from Shiloh that I've followed) we haven't added hair yet! (that's next! It's fun to just try things, & see how they turn out! I'm looking forward to my friend Elisabeth's return from Kansas, & painting together again.

I am working on doing whatever Shiloh suggests, adding layers of colour and reworking lines, glazing both the whole canvas & in certain areas, colour suggestions; AND getting lost in the process & in Mary!

So she's still a Work in Process, but getting close to completion!

I'm posting in Paint Party Friday & to the Red Thread Cafe.

Music & Waves

Lior and the Sea, Blessings of the Grandmothers

This week I pulled out several songs I wrote for the folk harp, & reworked them a bit. I studied piano with a lovely teacher, who taught me to write out music, & we studied a good bit of theory.
Today another harper visited. He is interested in ordering a harp like of mine from a luthier across the country, so he stopped by to play for awhile, which was fun for my harps & me!

When my middle granddaugher drops by to paint, I wanted some simple surfaces for her.

Lady of Wind & Waves

I put gesso on on several 5 x 8" pieces of matt board I'd picked up for Collage.

They are perfect for small pics, so I did one as well. I began with acrylics, & finished with oil pastel, using copper paint for the necklace & earrings.

I'm linking to Paint Party Friday! Enjoy!

Daffy-down-Ddilly

Daffy-downdilly detail

Here's my little Daffy-down-Dilly flower fairy

I started this one for a local Daffodil Festival, which includes an art show .... but didn't deliver it by the deadline ...

blocks of colour

Daffy-downdilly sketch & finished piece

The idea came after seeing my teacher/friend Elisabeth's work in progress for the same show. I love drawing/painting flower fairies, it was fun bringing this one to canvas.

I'd forgotten (till a friend on FB reminded me) there's a poem about her! 

Daffy-down-Dilly

 




Daffy-down-Dilly
Has come to town
With a yellow petticoat
And a pretty green gown
Daffy-down-Dilly.
Nathaniel Hawthorne

I'm linking to Paint Party Friday 

Dancers

A couple of weeks ago, Shiloh Sophia McCloud invited artists interested in her Colour of Woman workshops to celebrate International Women's day by painting two women.

Though I wasn't able to participate in painting along with her livestream at my friend Elisabeth's studio, I set my easel (OK, music stand!!) up out in my yard, & painted away! 

Paint table

I began by painting an undercoat, & then began sketching in the dancers. I love all forms of dance, from Classical Kirov style Russian ballet to free form improvisation, and wanted my dancers to reflect that range.

Outdoor 'studio'

I've sketched the dancers at our ballet studio for years, & pulled up a few images from the last Nutcracker performance as inspiration. 

Undercoat

Outline

I was able to paint for several hours, & was grateful for the lovely sunny day!  

The next day was our Artspiration show, which was a lot of fun, but whew!! I have a new appreciation for artists who participate in weekly art/craft markets! It takes a lot of energy to set up even a tiny exhibit like ours, & interact with the guests ....

roughing in Flesh tones

 So I had a break of several days, before getting back to the studio (inside this time) & playing more with my dancers. 

*  Dancers *

There are bits of silver paint in the crown & earrings, a floaty scarf .... and two sweet dancers, caught in a moment between movements

I just discovered a lovely group: 
Paint Party Friday this is my first submission!

Presence - part 2

I think she's finished!

She Who Watches

Over the last couple of days I did more of the details, raised the hairline a bit, then shifted that a bit more, added Prayer Flags & Tsagigala/ Tsagagal - the Columbia River painted petroglyph we know as 'She Who Watches.'

My grandmother Mary grew up not far from this place on the Washington side of the Columbia, & spoke Chinook Jargon (the trade language, with its mix of Columbia dialects, French, English) ... so I was thinking of waiting and using Tsagigala in a future picture of Mary (whom I never knew!)

But after chalking her in, she seemed to want to stay!

Here's the Wishram version, as told by Ed Edmo & artist Lillian Pitt:

"There was this village on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge. And this was long ago when people were not yet real people, and that is when we could talk to the animals.

"And so Coyote — the Trickster — came down the river to the village and asked the people if they were living well. And they said "Yes, we are, but you need to talk to our chief, Tsagaglal. She lives up in the hill."

*Presence* in morning light

"So Coyote pranced up the hill and asked Tsagaglal if she was a good chief or one of those evildoers. She said, "No, my people live well. I watch to see my people have good salmon, venison, berries, roots. I watch to see they have good shelter. I watch that we live in peace. I watch so good things will happen. 
Why do you ask?" 

And Coyote said, "Changes are going to happen. How will you watch over your people?"  And so she didn't know. 

"And it was at that time that Coyote changed her into a rock to watch her people forever."