my journal

a couple of weeks ago, i went on a wonderful adventure in art making with my sister and two of her friends. we traveled to pendleton, oregon and spent one day with a master printmaker and another day learning to make hand-made books. this is the result of my first bookmaking efforts. i like it so much that i can't bring myself to write in it...sigh.

more printing

Once upon a time there was a cherry blossom that fell from a tree.

The cherry blossom wondered why she had fallen and all of her friends still clung to the branches.

In the end, she realized that falling was inevitable and she patiently waited for the others to join her.

printing

A blind child
guided by his mother,
admires the cherry blossoms...

--Kikakou

monoprint by lucy made during art class at Crow's Shadow

inspired by Kikakou's haiku

friday fancy

is it just me or do the weeks seem to just fly by? this week i spent three days collaboratively creating a new workshop for couples called "the paradoxical dance." it was stimulating and exhausting work!

the week also included a bit of soul collage and more visual journaling. both seem to be great tools alongside my writing to help keep me centered. i enjoyed another class of NIA which seems to be a creative way to exercise. yea!

yesterday i went to my collage class and while i really enjoyed it, i became frustrated with myself for allowing the teacher to place her vision of my collage on me. shown here, this is considered to be a travel piece of my chosen site of bermuda. the teacher suggested it was "too pristine" and so i spent some time softening & blending. (it definitely is not yet finished!!) last night i realized that bermuda IS pristine and that was the affect i was going for. i got lost in listening to someone more experienced than me rather than listening to my own instincts! ah yes, another little creative learning bit.

no poetry of my own this week. i feel that absence. hopefully, i will feel the mood strike in this coming week. ha! next friday i will be in paris!!!

bon jour, mon artistes!!!

friday fancy

this week's theme (loosely speaking, of course) seemed to run along the lines of "creating space" and "creating health." much time this week was spent in conversation with students, friends, family and myself [which usually includes God.] these conversations all entail what i call creating space.

as far as "creating health" goes, it turns out that my lenten practice this year centers around spaciousness for myself and listening to what that looks like in regard to eating better, moving my body (some would call that exercise) and getting good rest. this really sounds to me again like "creating space," thus the theme of the week.

as far as tangible products of the week there were: collages, visual journaling, morning pages, a little poetry and some delicious salads created by moi. the somewhat less tangible, included new music from jack johnson, sleep through the static and beth neilsen chapman's hymns--both conducive to space making. the other audio treat of the week was my continued foray into drive time french.

my visual theme for the week was centered around vessels. the first collage shown here is a continuing work in progress from my class and the second is a page from my visual journal.

i am certain i have left a few things out, but this sounds like a pretty spacious and creative week to me, so i will end with that!

au revoir et merci beaucoup!!

collage class

thursday was the second week of my collage class. there are about 8 of us in the group and i think we span a pretty large range of artistic talent and ability. having not been in an art class since about 4th grade, it is a new experience for me. i have decided the best approach is to consider it as "play" and a time for acquiring new knowledge regarding techniques and materials.

the first week we were instructed to "not use color," in other words to work in black and white. i was glad to not bring my piece home last week and hoped it would morph into something extraordinary in my absence. unfortunately, it did not. this week our mission was to work "quickly" and create five small pieces. i chose to not bring any of my own supplies so that i would work with what i was drawn to in the class rather than relying on previous notions.

the photograph shows all six pieces (the black & white plus 5) which i consider to still be in process. the only one i may leave as is is the little roller coaster which was a piece that totally "created itself." the others, i think, may be used as a base for something else...evolving as we go. next week, we get to start using paints so things could get even messier ☺.

i truly have been following my own credo "create as though no one is watching," but here i am showing you the results of my playtime. allow it to motivate you if you will. i figure we all have to start somewhere. i'll keep you posted.

so, tell me, what's percolating in your creative day?