Art Journaling-- a Red Book of One's Own continues

Free to Be (Kim)

 These Art Journals are inspired by CG Jung's Red Book -- each one is an individual expression of soul, each student's personal 'red book' expressing her own myth.  Their stories unfold in shape and color;  images of the magic wand and elephant, bicycle through the sky;  an "Open Your Heart Book" with La Virgencita; creating and leading from the heart center, allowing the childhood memory of playfulness to lead the way, much as Jung described in Memories, Dreams, Reflections...the way to begin, Just Play!  This is the way in, so often, through the child....

La Pasionada (Ann)

seeking Passion in all things

Elephant Guide (Karla)

Laugh your way into an open heart (Sal)

Let the 
beginning 
begin 
with the 
clarity of the 
heart's 
thought, 
intuitive compassion 
guiding the thoughtful 
mind 
laugh your way in
elephant guides
bicycle rides
little box
girl and the dinosaur emerging


with love and curiosity
for what is next
and what is now

here we go

More Art Journaling--This Time with CG Jung

CG Jung's illuminated calligraphy

Angela G "Be There in Spirit" with Kite

Group's Journals

CG Jung and the Red Book...Liber Novus, a stunning visual journal in which he calligraphed his dreams, active imagination experiences, and painted rich detailed images including many mandalas...this opus has been an inspiration in my new Visual Art Journal workshops, where participants explored their own dreams, imaginal worlds, memories and longings through making their own visual journals, painting, collaging, and writing their way into their own souls.  What a gift to be witness to their sharings! 

Fluid Visual Journaling

Getting unstuck with random collage and writing!  work quick! no thinking! 

I was having a creative block:  too much judgement,

hesitation, doubt in my fingers...having a gallery space

to show work can be motivating but also invites the critic

to the table;  is it good enough?, how will it look?, ...

will it sell?

Working in a visual journal could be a key, I thought, to

changing this mental space I was in (ugh)...something just

for me, that no one else could see, and wouldn't be for

sale nor have to be suitable for framing or hanging...

So, paradoxically, I post these images here for the public

eye, for you dear looker, but not to ask "is this ok?"

but to say "you can do this too!  we all can!"  and the critic

has taken a nap.

change

"Just paint a box blue and the world will change" -- student in today's nichos class

As often happens making art with others, deep conversations unfold over the course of the workshop day.  Our talk turned to change--what idea, what dream even, must we let go of, so that a new image, behavior, perspective, can enter in?
A caterpillar changes itself to a kind of soup inside the chrysallis--not even a little foot left, as my student commented.  Are we prepared to let the form of something die so that the new can emerge?
The act itself of making art can transform us inside as much as transforming our environment.
What have you painted blue today?

underwater nichos

New series of nichos inspired by an ocean visit last year...the process of collecting, assembling, shells and sand, a bit of white coral...Inspiration is all around in nature, in travels or in the daily walk of life...nicho in this photo titled "Blue Pearl", meditation link to follow...

Autumn in Mexico

I love the sound of the whistle of the camote cart--the sweet-potato seller.  It's a true sign of fall in San Miguel de Allende.  Right towards the end of a recent nichos class, there came the loud whistle from down the street.  I flagged him over and, as he pushed his cart up the street--stopping to throw a few bits of wood into the fire-box--I saw that on the front of the cart was an old  New Mexico license plate!  The story of how it got there was a little vague--something about importing cars from Los Estados Unidos -- but it made me very happy to see that outdated yellow and red design dangling off an old wire, announcing the arrival of this year's crop.  It's always a sign of cold weather and impending winter, that loud whistle venting off the steam of the roasting yams.  It's a unique sound and instantly recognizable to me after these years living here, coming around the time of Dia de Muertos or Day of the Dead.  This is the liminal time between the fall equinox and winter solstice, the in-between space when souls come to visit, and a cup of water is placed on the ofrenda--altar or more literally, offering--for the great and great-great grandparents who come for one brief night to visit.  The departed are honored.   We--my students and I--shared plates of the sweet roasted yams and platano macho or plantain.  A sprinkling of canela (cinammon). Buen provecho--enjoy your meal.

article about San Miguel de Allende in Continental magazine

We became famous when the May 09 in-flight issue of Continental magazine featured San Miguel de Allende --and various classes including my "Windows to the Soul" tin nichos class!  The author of the article, Elaine Glusac, was a creative student, made a beautiful nicho, and as you will see, she is a great writer as well.  Hope the photos pop up for you as Macduff Everton is a great photographer ---you will see mi amiga la cubana, Elenita, painting her nicho.  Hope this information will entice people to come visit San Miguel--there is so much to do here! 
Here is the link  http://magazine.continental.com/200905-been-there
saludos desde Mexico!