'HEALING THRU ART' 
AS I DREAM - SO I VISION - SO MY ART

 

 "For me, art is celebration"

 

   
In our technological age people are searching for other dimensions and creative involvements as a panacea for the fears and frustrations of their hectic lives. Hence we see the rise of the spiritual element in human beings. Influences such as Buddhism and alternative therapies are gaining an ever growing audience. The Arts are not getting the support today that science and technology experience. However art with a healing focus is slowly becoming more widely accepted particularly in USA. For me art as a healing force has been is a process of transformation which unites mind, body and spirit thereby making healing possible. 		 
In my experience healing artists are not trained art therapists or working within a methodology. They are people using the creative process of art to heal themselves, others and the Planet thru the expression of the collective unconscious. This section will provide information about my own process and lots of other interesting stuff that I am able to resource. I would also love to hear from you about your own experiences of 'Healing thru Art'.

 
EXPRESSIVE ART - vision drawings..
I love to explore my inner reaches through painting.. The purity of using just colour and form make expressive painting a perfect vehicle for exploration. When I confront the blank paper it is like being in a vacuum. This can be scary as one often does not know how to proceed. I have found that by setting an intention, even a small one like using a beautiful colour, or telling yourself this one doesn't matter, choosing a place to begin and there it is! You jump into the emptiness and somehow you are moving, like following a thread and there is an out-pouring of energy......feelings flow directly from a place beyond language. 

Try it - ask that mysterious inner space for an insight into the meaning of a life situation, then jump in without interpretation or judgement. Paint it, draw it, dance it, express it ! See what comes through for you. It is fun and relaxing!

Here are some enquiries that I have played with:

        
 

 
BEYOND THE VEIL - A PAINTING IN PROGRESS
The Power of a Single Heart 
( My Cat -Smudge)

Art is life for me. Painting on canvas is a journey of discovery. A journey of trust, of learning to listen to my own guidance, of putting ego aside and just allowing the process to evolve. I have rituals that work for me, moving me into that space when something just clicks and I know to begin.

Step 1
choose a colour/s and apply to the canvas in big sweeping movements, 'feeling' rather than' thinking' where.

Step 2
take your tools - anything that will create texture in the wet paint (rags, plastic, feathers etc) Break the surface moving your tool as feeels right, going with the action. In doing this you will understand the process and get the feel.

Step 3
Now stand back and just observe the surface. Even walk away and come back later. What is emerging What draws your attention. Embellish details. Listen to what the image wants to express.
 

 
 SYMBOLS
My paintings symbolize steps in my own journey and the collective mind. Symbols may simply express things which are beyond words. Fire, for example, can express the all consuming transformation of the soul as well as warmth and togetherness. Water can be the unconscious mind and Mountains, the journey. Below is a group of symbols which I apply in different forms in my work. These are consciously created and therefore different to the symbolic nature of the unconscious mind.