you can see all of my paintings at www.DominiqueHurley.com

Monkeys, Culture, and More Brave Intuitive Painting in Bali

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Abundant warnings leads to monkey fear:

It’s 4:30pm on Thursday – our afternoon off. I’ve come back to my room at Swasti Eco Cottages in time to witness the thunder and lightening show from inside. I had just been out for a walk down the street, to the very edge of both my comfort zone and Monkey Forest. This was my first taste of tourist-Bali. I had chosen not to visit Monkey Forest or even walk around it into Ubud as I had heard of both monkey and human attacks in the area – both leading to hospital visits and thefts of various kinds. I’m quite content to play it safe here. All of my classmates have already been into Ubud to shop, eat out, or even to get tattoos. I haven’t felt the need or desire to do any of these in town yet. I don’t feel I’m missing anything right now – perfectly content with how I’m choosing to spend my time here in the adjoining village of Nyuh Kunning.

Our cultural guide Nicole was asked to show our group the way on Monday and had a monkey start to crawl up her leg until a local man with a stick scared it away. She had been avoiding the place in fear for decades. I’ll admit I share in that fear and would probably attract such an occurrence because of it. Instead, I decided to stay at the hotel for a swim on that day. It was way too hot for me to go for a long walk at high noon. Call me chicken – a smart one though! I’ll add that I read on Facebook that someone from my 3rd workshop (visionary art one) had to go to the hospital earlier this week after being bitten. Monkeys will climb on you to steal your food, water, phones, etc., and a simple scratch requires a rabies shot…. so perhaps you can understand why I’ve passed up the opportunity.  Sorry, no great monkey shots.

Lunch on the edge:

Coffee & Copper is not the most relaxing place to eat with all the hubbub outside. Imagine a tiny dead-end street (where cars are concerned – motorbikes have a small but busy lane-way that bypasses the forest and goes to Ubud). The parking lot is big enough for about 6 cars, but there were at least 12 there and more trying to turn back after dropping off loads of tourists who wanted to pay to visit the monkeys (something locals think is crazy). Others may not even have noticed or cared, but I’m still a bit in hermit / ashram mode. One tourist parked her rented van right at the entrance of the lane and came in to eat – quite the commotion outside until I told her about it. Motorbikes were scraping by both sides of the van and some were getting a bit aggressive with it. I’m glad I don’t need to drive here – the fact they drive on the opposite side of the road would be the least of my worries.

Dominique Hurley_Bali_Swasti_IMG_6792From the restaurant, I could observe a few monkeys in the parking – the first ones I’ve seen. It’s baby season, and I’ll admit, they are really cute (although seeing them fight amongst themselves behind the fence as I walked back wasn’t very comforting). My classmates told me that an aggressive male came in Coffee & Copper the other day and stole the desert off their plate, growling and baring its sharp teeth. I therefore chose a table further back. At one point, I heard the waitress hiss a few times and take out a red wooden mask whose jaws made loud clacking noises, so I imagine there was a monkey coming in, but I didn’t see it. Effective.

Swarmed:

What I did see is a lone traveler – a woman about my age, but with tons of make-up and hair like Dolly Parton’s (but in black) – get swarmed by a throng of vendors. They kept shoving their wooden sculptures in her face and speaking loudly at her. I’d read about these and heard that some folks were happy to leave the country to simply get away from them and begging children. This was my first time seeing any in action. The tourist bought a beautiful dragon sculpture (which attracted even more vendors) and had a hard time getting to her hired car. She looked harried, but had her arms full by the time she got in. Both parties probably thought they’d gotten the good end of the deal. Interestingly, the vendors basically ignored me. I only got a “Buddha for a dollar?!” once and then was left alone. Maybe it was the wet hair under a Tilley hat, my hippy dress, my lack of make-up, or simple vibe of polite disinterest. All I know is that I was glad to have been left alone by both the monkeys and vendors. I did have a wonderful conversation, however, with a young artist, Dewa Artawan, who was painting fantastic pieces in an art gallery on the way. He invited me to return to the shop to paint with him.  That was nice.

Abundance:

Dominique Hurley_Bali_Swasti_DLH_9818

The lunch, by the way, was very good. The portion of red rice with garlic marinated chicken breast and loads of vegetables was bigger than at my hotel and the price much better. It’s not the $2-3 meals I had heard about, but still under $5. I had gone for a late lunch because before that, I’d had my 3rd massage – this time a mix of Mayan and Indian energy and body work to target the abdominal area / digestive tract (1 hour for $18). Two days ago, I had a lovely Thai massage. My body is appreciating the care and attention – and hopefully my eczema will improve.   After letting the coconut oil soak in for about an hour while I did the laundry in my bathroom sink, I had a wonderful swim. Once a day, at least!  There’s nothing quite like it.

Swasti Cottages– a truly Eco-friendly place:

This resort is doing a lot of things right for the environment. In addition to using salt in the pool (which my skin also appreciates), other examples I’ve become aware of is collecting rain water for their extensive organic gardens, cutting the grass by hand, giving guests cloth bags to avoid the use of plastic, using small refillable bottles for their organic shampoo and soap, recycling paper, plastic, and glass in each room, using cloth napkins in the restaurant and serving drinks with glass straws (very cool!), changing bed sheets and towels only upon request, and more I’m sure. Although the Internet service and restaurant have generated a lot of complaints in our group (which management has tried to address repeatedly), it’s quite the amazing place.

Balinese Cultural Afternoon:

On Wednesday, Nicole Lawrence took those who wanted to her friend’s house – or should I say her friend’s village. From the street, it looks like a normal household gateway (and it probably is). Behind it, however, there’s not only the family temple, but several houses where various relatives lives. It’s basically a family complex. There are also a few outdoor pavilions where people hang out, spaces for the pig (I had a nice moment with that pig!) and chickens, and green space for all the cousins to play. During my time there, I could really sense the importance of extended family bonds that exists here in Bali. Interestingly, however, families don’t eat together except for ceremonies. Food is prepared in each house’s kitchen every morning and people eat when they’re hungry. Although sit-down meals aren’t part of the culture, they seem to get plenty of together time. It was beautiful to watch everyone interact.

We were there to learn various crafts from this talented family. First, two of the girls taught us how to do a traditional dance. Fun, but very challenging! They perform at a local hotel every night. Later, when we were leaving, we got a glimpse of their elaborate preparations.

Several of the parents taught us to craft various offerings, an integral part of the Hindu culture here in Bali – they use about 100 of these a day, blessing their homes, properties, vehicles, temples, etc. It appears that there are plenty of young coconut fronds on the trees to supply each family year-round.

I’ve also seen the staff at the hotel walk around placing these everywhere, sprinkling them with a wet flower and burning incense in each spot. They’re also on the street in front of shops, etc. Sacred rituals are very evident here. Our taxi driver also had one on his dashboard. When folks don’t have the time to make their own, though, they buy them from door-to-door salespeople or at the 4am market. I’m sure it’s like knitting – you can get good enough to do it while watching TV (it took one mother 1.5 minutes to make a mini rice cake steamer pouch) – but as a beginner, I made plenty of mistakes.  No worries – the gods will still know how grateful I am.

After our craft session, we got to try their traditional instruments – the horizontal gongs (hear a sample on YouTube by clicking here). Great stuff. Now I know what’s making the music I hear very early in the morning around the neighbourhood.

Basically, though, we simply got to enjoy the company and the space with Nicole and her friends. Once again, I was grateful for this non-touristy experience.

After our visit, we walked to the most expensive hotel in the area and snuck down to their viewing area to see the rice terraces. Wow!

We followed that up with the world’s best ice cream (according to Nicole, and I’ll admit it was amazing!) and a lovely dinner at a traditional Javanese restaurant in Ubud (but not in the busy core). Afterwards, we walked behind the restaurant into their organic gardens to see the firefly show – advertised, but free. Nice. I certainly slept well that night.

Being Brave – Flora Bowley Style

Dominique Hurley_Bali_Swasti_DLH_9535Flora’s workshop continues to be great! After our first days’ themes of “presence”, “letting go”, and “self-love”, we had a day of “bravery”.  As usual, I was moved by some of the stories that some of the gals shared in our morning circle. What wonderful beings! It always feels good to be in a loving, accepting, authentic group. This is one of those and our workshop process has created the space to both express and honour that for ourselves and others.  It’s not just about painting – everything Flora teaches in her Bloom True course is as much about life as it is about what happens when you’re in front of the canvas.

If you’ll recall from my previous blog, everyone moved around the circle to paint on every canvas for the first few layers of the process – creating a space of openness, exploration, and total non-attachment.  This was done with a variety of tools in alternating layers of cool and warm colours, black & white, and so on – you can use just about anything really.  Take a look at some of the ones Flora used during her demo.

After that, we did more collaborative work,but with two people working at the same time.  Here’s Flora and her wonderful co-organizer Rachel Rice demonstrating – but on a fresh canvas.

This helped us to totally accept that anything can change at any moment. It’s so freeing when the painting isn’t yours and you know several more layers will follow. It’s all about getting in the flow and moving with what moves us without getting the mind too involved.  It’s also all about letting go of control.  Fun!

The funny thing is that when it came time for us to do it, my partner had gone and chosen the painting I had worked on last the day before.  We had been asked to keep one for the next day and let one go for the collaborative work.  I had let go (i.e. rejected) that one because I really wasn’t drawn to what I had created.  What an opportunity, therefore, to get past the “I have no idea what to do with you” to simply keep playing with someone else – complete exploration and letting go of control. The results were pretty interesting and when it came time to choose any canvas from that batch to keep working on for the rest of the week, I chose that one.  Ah, evolution…  This is where that painting got to by the end of Thursday.  I really wanted to practice one of Flora’s techniques using the sponge brush and whites…. I’m still struggling with using whites with my colours…. can’t say I like this right now, but I know it’s just part of the process. The nice thing is that I’m not tied to anything there and so the possibilities are still limitless.

When it comes to painting (and life), there are threshold moments that bring up fear and ask us to bravely move forward. Most paintings go through an awkward teenager phase – mine sure lived up to that today. I tried some new things in class and really embraced the idea that I’m not here to produce a finished piece to show you all. This is truly practice time – I may or may not finish anything this week or even here in Bali – and that’s OK. I’m just taking advantage of being in this group and having Flora to consult with when blocks come up or when I want to try one of her techniques that I couldn’t quite figure out during her e-course. I was feeling good about my umbrella and banana tree that I had painted from on-location sketches. When I turned it around, however, I decided to take a risk and turn the banana tree into a woman. A few layers later, however, I had created a total mess, sprayed it and wiped it down, creating a very muted painting – not my preference. I know that the bright colours on the next layer will really pop on the muted background, but by 11:30, I was too hot and I’ll admit, a bit discouraged even if I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be with this painting.  So I gave up for the day. I was brave and took a risk – I didn’t like the results. Tomorrow will be a brand new day. I know the awkward teenager will evolve. There are still limitless layers to go.

Flora’s painting is evolving beautifully. I loved what she had done yesterday with her painting, but it wasn’t edgy enough for her. Nothing gave her that spark – so she went in a completely different direction with it today– not to prove a point, but because it was what she was moved to do. I love the results of that too and now she’s feeling more interested in it.  It’s important to keep things interesting for ourselves in our painting process – or else painting becomes boring.  Again, she’s a great role model! To see with what ease she let go of what was to create something new by bravely exploring new avenues was inspiring. This piece, as for all the ones you’ll see here, are all works in progress.  Stay tuned for more.

Flora’s work in progress:

Some Classmates’ Work in Progress:

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Tooth Filing and Brave Intuitive Painting in Bali

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Tooth Filing Ceremony:

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Dominique Hurley_Bali_Swasti_DLH_9316Wow! What an honour! Tooth filing is the most important religious ceremony in a person’s life here in Bali – more important than a wedding. It’s a coming of age ceremony that symbolizes the release of an individual’s animal nature (filing of the canine teeth) and sins, thus ensuring peace for the soul and reincarnation. I’ve read on some webpages that only family can witness the ceremony. You can imagine, therefore, how special it was for our group to be invited because Nicole, the cultural coordinator for Flora Bowley’s painting workshop, used to live here (on that property, actually) and is very good friends with the family. The father is the owner of a tour company that caters to German tourists and so there were actually a lot of foreigners there.

The ceremony takes a month to prepare and lasts several days. Because of the high expense, families usually wait until they can hold the ceremony for two or more of their children. The actual tooth filing is what we were invited to witness – it’s only about 10-15 minutes long and by the time we got there (and the time I took photographing the abundant visual stimulus on the way through the family’s entrance gate, temple, upper yard level, and down the steps past the crowd), I only caught the very end of the second daughter’s filing. She was no longer lying down, but seated and then carried out.

 

The eldest daughter later told us that the actual experience felt a bit painful, but mostly strange. This daughter had already been married for a few years to a man of a higher caste. She therefore had to have a special ceremony to bring her back down to her family’s level. At the end of the celebrations, she would need another ceremony to bring her back up to her husband’s caste. Although she visits the family every week, she cannot pray in her family temple anymore. The father had ensured, before she got married, that this arrangement would be allowed so that he could fulfill his tooth filing duty to his daughters once both were of age.

Our hosts and everyone there were very welcoming – I’d venture to say tolerant as we were sometimes like the paparazzi. I’m not sure if it’s because of the heat or the culture, but the atmosphere was very laid back. People sat around and chatted, answered questions, ate, etc. As is custom when visiting a temple, we all had our shoulders covered and had to wear a sarong (wrap around garment) – even if what we wore underneath was a long skirt. If you had a sash over your sarong, it was even more respectful. Although part of our group left before the daughters were all dressed up for another part of the ceremony, I stayed to see them come out of where they were being prepared. We al left, however, before the ceremony started, in time for a very quick swim before our afternoon painting workshop.

A few quick notes:

  • The temple was brimming with offerings, most made with the young fronds of palm trees. At the end, they will all be ceremoniously burned.

 

  • The most popular subject of conversation and photos was definitely the sculpture made almost entirely out of the parts of a pig – even those pretty lace flags at the front. The red parts, however, are either peppers or mini tomatoes.  Everything else came from the pig.
  • There were 12 priests involved in the ceremony. The high priest was extremely generous to allow us to photograph him – something we were told not to expect.

Flora Bowley’s Bloom True Ubud Workshop

Dominique Hurley_Bali_Swasti_IMG_6745We’re already half way through our retreat and I’ve been too busy experiencing it to write much about it (that and the horrible Internet service here at Swasti Eco Cottages has encouraged me to be more present).

 

As you’ve seen through the photos in the previous post, except for the Internet service and tiny portions at the delicious organic restaurant on site, the setting is ideal.

Opening Night:

Our group met for a lovely organic buffet on Sunday evening – more fresh vegetables than I had seen the entire week before. We’re all women living in various areas of the world – U.S., Canada, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria (that would be me). The restaurant looked beautiful and each table was decorated with individual gift bags (Flora Bowley designs) filled with goodies (paint brushes, a fan, a notebook, and more).   What a nice touch. After dinner, we headed through the organic garden to our painting area. The pathway was lined with candles and a circle of cushions with a beautiful altar in the center welcomed us into the space. After sharing a round of names and “truths of the moment”, we had a ceremonial letting go and welcoming ritual before choosing a hand-painted card for our week. I let go of any scarcity mentality (as per my last blog) and welcomed laughter. My intention is to reconnect to that playful side of myself this week. The card I intuitively picked said “Follow your breath”. It seemed very appropriate.

I fell asleep that night to the incredible concert of frogs, geckos and other creatures. Happy. Peaceful.

The Workshop:

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Most of the ladies in our group had already taken Flora’s Bloom True e-course (highly recommended). The workshop is following the same process, but doing so in community is quite a bit different. We’re doing a lot of collaborative work, from mandalas on paper to paintings on canvas. The process of having everyone paint on every piece for short periods of time through each step of Flora’s process is ideal for the practice of non-attachment. For the first two days, nothing was “mine” and so it was easy to be bold and brave and to let go of what each layer of paint offered. This course is all about making strong commitments and then being open to change. It’s all about exploring what’s on the edge of our comfort zones and not being attached to anything until much later in the process. It’s also about having a lot of fun while following our intuition. It’s an amazing process for both beginners and advanced painters.   Again, I totally recommend it, and Flora is simply lovely in so many ways – a great teacher. What we learn through her classes (and blog, etc.) is as much about life as it is about art. Some women here have truly had life-changing experiences because of her course. What an amazing role model. Plus she’s a great business woman and I’m learning a lot from her from that perspective too.

There’s so much more I could write about, but that’s it for now. Time for another great day.

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“Lighting the Way” – Dedicated to my Parents

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IMG_6085It took nearly 6 months at the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art to create this self-portrait from visionary exercises, design, drawing, underpainting, layers of glazing, painting, and finishing stages.  Truly, however, it took me a lifetime.

As one classmate said, all paintings can be considered self-portraits.  This is the first time, however, that I have consistently felt like I was painting my essence, my journey. It is true, I usually wear flowing clothes and now have short hair…  that’s not the kind of self-portrait I mean.  Instead, it it is a visual representation of the sacred connections that have guided me all along my evolutionary path in this lifetime.

The Symbolism:

You may have read about the process and symbolism in several previous posts.  As a quick recap, it honours:

  • IMG_6082my Source/ God from where I have come and from which my roots continue to feed,
  • the various guiding spirits, totem animals, and angels that have accompanied me at different times of my life,
  • my inspirations (Nature, a sculpture of Psyche & Amore I saw at The Louvre as a child, the work of Klimt and Hundertwasser here in Vienna),
  • my Higher Self (the tree whose glowing spiraling branches covered in sigils continue to reach ever higher, leading the way)
  • the fruit of spirals, symbols of evolution, holistic growth; connectivity and union with deific and cosmic energies; and more,
  • my roots here on Mother Earth, and
  • the vibrancy of Love and Beauty (colour) that nourish my soul.

The Chosen Name:

For all of these reasons, I have chosen the name “Lighting the Way”, a name offered by Sherrill Miller in Grandora, Saskatchewan.  It captures the essence of my enlightened connections, of never being truly alone, and of the feeling of growth and expansion represented by this piece. Thanks so much Sherrill for that suggestion and to all those who participated – there were so many good names to choose from. I’m holding on to all your suggestions for future paintings.  Know that your contributions have inspired me.

Dedicated to My Beloved Parents:

I dedicate “Lighting the Way” to two very special people who have made my life and my life’s journey possible.  Thank you Maman et Papa! You are a crucial part of my root system here on Earth.  I take this opportunity to publicly thank you for having provided such a strong foundation for me to grow from. Your courage to follow your own paths, leading to your blessed meeting in Europe, has no doubt flowed into my blood stream.  I grew up thinking anything was possible and that I could shape my life the way I wanted. Tears are flowing from my eyes as I write this – tears of deep gratitude and joy. You respected my introverted, imaginative, and sensitive nature and didn’t discourage my solo adventures at such a young age (in a time and place where this was much safer than today). You fostered my curiosity and supported/encouraged my education and my dreams. You opened me up to the wonders of travel.  You were attentive to my needs in so many ways and nourished my creativity by allowing both my exploration and expression. You comforted me when the realities of the world were hard to bare and helped me face them when all I wanted to do was hide. Through your dependability, integrity, and equanamity, you taught me how to function in this world. You also provided a strong spiritual foundation – introducing me to God, Jesus and the Roman Catholic church – and accepted when my spirituality moved away from organized religion. Indeed, you’ve rarely tried to influence any of my choices, trusting me and my Guidance, even if my choices were so different from that of yours and most of your generation.  Truth be told, you loved me to the very best of your ability throughout my entire life – caring for my happiness with few expectations.  This too is part of my self-portrait – the roots that spread above and beneath ground. Thank you for the role that you have played in my life – when I say that without you I wouldn’t be here, I mean so much more than the obvious. Along with all those more evidently represented in this painting, you have lighted my way and continue to do so.  I love you!

(Oh yes, you also learned to accept my very different ways of expressing myself. 🙂  )

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3 Days to Go – VAVA Works In Progress

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There are only 3 days left to this trimester.  The other five students are returning to the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art full time next trimester; nevertheless, everyone is working hard to move their projects forward.  It will be really nice to have our work on display at the Equinox Party & Exhibition on Friday night, some works in progress and some for sale.  May those find good homes!

WORKS IN PROGRESS:

Here’s a glimpse at what the others have been working on these days.

Martin Cash:

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Banker:

Hadley Seymore:

Kevin Campeau:

Rachel Lubeck:

Timea Tallian (teacher):

IMG_6107Dominique Hurley:

IMG_6082As for me, I will probably put the finishing coat on all my oil paintings tomorrow.  It won’t be traditional varnish as this can only be done 6 months after they’re finished, but I’m told it’s not necessary.  Name suggestions are still coming in for my main piece – so many to choose from – I’ll make my decision by Thursday, when I finalize the tags.  Quite a few ring true for me.  As for “Co-Creative Bliss”, I added series of little white highlight dots in the eye and on the spirals. It’s vibrating even more now.  I love the energy of this painting (not just the one represented visually) – but it puts my iPhone in a tizzy – very hard to photograph!

I’ll have more to show of everyone’s work later as I’m bringing in my good camera and tripod tomorrow for students who want me to photograph their pieces.  I’ve also been working on name tags for all the paintings we’ll have on display.  I’m used to this kind of work, plus I don’t want to start any new projects, especially since I’ve been packing up my gear for Bali.  It always feels good to de-clutter and organize.  I’ve even put a pile of drawings and projects together to offer to party-goers at a “Pay What You Can” price – I don’t want to ship everything back to Canada to sit on a shelf and the funds will help with my upcoming art workshop travels.  No expectations – I’m simply open to the possibilities. By the way, none of my paintings on canvas or panel are part of that deal… sorry.

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Please Help Name this Painting

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4 days to go before the end of trimester party and exhibition/sale!  I’m almost done.

IMG_6067I need help naming this one though.  All suggestions welcome. Let’s start brainstorming – your comments may inspire others.  Feel free to comment at the end of this post or on Facebook.

IMG_6085The theme is Never Alone, but I’m looking for positive wording that expresses that same feeling. I’m also open to whatever else inspires you.

It’s all about being connected to Source, to guiding spirits / totem animals, to angels, to Love and to the Higher Self on our evolutionary journey.  I usually “download” titles during the painting process, but oddly, for this self-portrait of sorts, I haven’t … I came up with “Never Alone” just this morning, but being big on the guidelines for wording affirmations, I try to avoid negatives.

IMG_6088Today, I worked on the angel’s final hairstyling – still feathered, but more like the wings.

And added the Light that comes from the joining of hands, of Heaven & Earth, of Psyche & Amore – the Light of constant support, companionship, Love.

So what do you think a good title would be?

IMG_6082

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Painting in Progress: Co-Creative Bliss

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IMG_5961I believe that when I’m painting, I’m working with God / Higher Self/ Great Spirit / The Universe (whatever term you’re comfortable with – I use them interchangeably) – creating art is for me a form of self-healing, channeling, communing.  I often include rituals in my process to help connect with that flow of universal energy, the very reason I so love to paint.  Working with Energy in this way has also opened a portal to it for those who spend time with my art.  This is why a great portion of my customers are also energy workers,  bringing my pieces into their homes/offices for their benefit and that of their clients.  It’s been such an honour to be a part of others’ personal and spiritual growth process in this way.

With all my other paintings on the go at The Vienna Academy of Visionary Art, I hadn’t had time to touch this one since before Christmas (see previous post from last trimester).  This week, however, I spent most of my time not only working with the Hand of God, but on the Hand of God 🙂  as well as on the spiraling energy between our hands.  These spirals meet in the center in a hint of a triskele (celtic triple spiral), symbol of progress, cycles, spirit-mind-body, spirituality, intuition, expansion, and so much more.  I also added the underpainting for the sigil on my right arm – one that I had developed last trimester.

first layer of colour
as is now

This painting is a visual representation of co-creative energy.  The energy flows not only from the Hand of God to the human being’s, but also between those of this spiritual being having a human experience back up to God. Indeed, it’s about God experiencing life through us and us through God (and all being One).  It’s also about being a channel for that Love here on earth – using our gifts for the good of all.  That’s what creating art means to me.

as is now

One really cool thing is that I’ve learned about a new painting tool – 3D glasses!  Probably for the same reason that this painting is hard to photograph, it is super cool to look at it through these glasses.  They work alright with other paintings in the studio, but with this one – wow!  The hands are floating a good 3 inches in front of the blue background – like if I’d painted the background, put a 3 inch deep panel of glass and painted the hands and energy spirals in front of it.  One advantage has been to make any sloppy brushstrokes highly obvious, no matter the highly textured background (allowing me to fix them up before the oil paints dry).  One disadvantage, though,  is that if I wear them too long, I start doubting everything around me (the paper cutter told me something was straight, but the lines on the cutter and the paper looked quite crooked to me).  I’ve never tried drugs (a rare thing in the visionary art world), but I wonder if this is part of what it’s like.

This painting is still a work in progress.  I hope to have it finished before the end of the trimester next week. With a bit of co-creative energy, I believe it can be done 🙂

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New Painting: “Wings of Change”

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Wings of Change“Wings of Change”
Mixed media on canvas:  acrylics, mica, 22kgold
140cm x 88 cm (55 in x 34.6 in)
SOLD

I am so thrilled with this piece after working on it for 2.5 months – photos can not do it justice (its look changes with every light and angle due to the interference paints).  It touches me energetically and aesthetically at a very deep level, and so I’m very happy to introduce you to this finished spirit owl.   The name came to me much later in the process than usual.  I had been given a sense that it was a “messenger”, but I didn’t feel that this word was part of its name.  Then, pondering on the symbolism of owls, I came up with “Winds of Change”, but the next day in class, it became clear that it was going to be “Wings of Change”.  The fact that the yin yang symbols look like coins falling out of his wings has nothing to do with that decision – we noticed this interesting synchronicity afterwards.

Wings of Change 1cWings of Change_sideview

Summary of Owl Symbolism:

  • change, transition (the fiery wings are also suggestive of a phoenix, a powerful symbol of transformation in my life)
  • intuition
  • wisdom
  • seeing beyond masks, delusion

Summary of Painting Process:

I’ve already shared some of the process with you in previous posts, but want to summarize it all here on one page.

Mirrored Image:   Using Golden High Flow acrylics, I made paint splatters that I mirrored by folding the canvas in 2.  I repeated this process several times.


Overall Colour Theme:  Using a small sea sponge, I applied layers of colour so that the whole canvas was covered in paint.
03_Wings of Change in Progress
Bringing Out Details:  Using both white and purple and a fine paint brush, I spent a couple of days bringing out details that were already there.

Contemplation:  Observing it from every angle, I looked for inspiration on what wanted to come to life through it.  I decided on an owl and saw it in my mind’s eye emerging from the canvas, from the darkness.

06_Wings of Change in ProgressDesign:  I created half a design free-hand.  I did half the body on transparent tracing paper, folding it in half to duplicate it.  I then did only the right wing on larger paper.  I made myself a Fibonacci Sequence ruler to guide me in this process, re-working some of the pieces I’d done free-hand.  It’s surprising how many were already intuitively to measure.

08_Wings of Change in ProgresCreating the Mask: I traced the design onto masking paper and cut/numbered all the pieces – a laborious, but worthwhile process in the end, despite what I wrote about before.  I’ll look for a masking paper that has a bit more tack next time.

Applying the Mask:  I then traced the original design using transfer paper onto the canvas. Once I had all the pieces (which I flattened in a book – make sure to write “Do Not Touch” on the book), I used this traced guide to stick them on the canvas.  For the spirals, yin-yang symbols and a few dots, I used masking liquid, applied with a paintbrush..


Creating the Background:  Being very careful as the pieces kept lifting, I used a small sea sponge to apply 3-4 layers of uneven colours (blues, magenta, interference blue for the iridescent look).  The transparency of the colours I chose also created additional colours (e.g. the blue over the yellow/orange created a green). The final mottled look is exactly what I was going for.


The Reveal:  I had so been looking forward to this part – how exciting. I had to use my original design as a reference as many of the pieces were camouflaged by the paint.   I was glad I hadn’t cut my nails to remove all the pieces of the mask. Rubbing the masking liquid off the spirals, small dots, and yin-yangs worked, but not as cleanly as with the masking film – plus it resulted in a blister on my thumb.


Yin-Yangs:  I used Golden acrylic gold light (fine) paint to accentuate the yin-yang symbols. This paint contains mica, energizing the piece with love and compassion -both for oneself and others – as we explore the transitional shifts occurring within our selves, our relationships, our lives, and our world.  It’s about connecting with Nature in a truly unconditionally loving way.
IMG_5848Touch ups:  Some areas in the upper wings ended up too dark – mostly blues – which didn’t stand out from the new background.  I then spent about 6 hours adding colour and lightening these areas, but in a subtle way.  Can you tell the difference between these two photos?


22k Gold Leafing:   In addition to symbolizing the sun, divine love, and prosperity, gold has very powerful metaphysical properties.  It is seen as a symbol of purity, spirituality, and flexibility – helping to allow beauty and happiness to flow into one’s life, boosting vitality, as well as clearing out unwanted or stagnant energy.  My teacher Timea Tallian generously brought in some of her 22k gold leafing for me to apply to the eyes, heart chakra, and to the top edges of the wings.  Wow!  This adds a lot to the painting on many levels.


Stretching the Canvas:  This canvas had been folded for the mirroring process and rolled for storage several times in the last few months.  Placing it on a clean white bedsheet, I sprayed it with water and cut a tiny bit into the edges of the canvas (every few centimeters) to help it relax for a few hours before the stretching process. I used an amethyst in the water and then layed a big quartz crystal on it during its resting time – adding  to the piece.  I’ve always used rituals as part of my creative process.  This piece has received smudging, chanting, clearing with Tibetan bells, prayers, etc. over the past almost 3 months.  I believe these ceremonies to be important elements of my praxis.


Timea then stayed with me 2.5 hours after class on Friday to teach me how to stretch it on the stretchers I’d bought that morning (we didn’t do so during class to avoid distractions and to spare my classmates from the noise).  This is really a 2-person job!  First, you create the frame – line everything up flat on the floor and put the parts together lightly. Next, use a square edge to make sure every corner is 90 degrees and keep turning the frame around tapping in and tapping out until everything is perfect. Make sure to use a block or some other protector between the frame and hammer not to make grooves in the frame.


Then, line the frame on the canvas, checking to make sure that it’s exactly where you want it to be.  In my case, we had to make sure my mostly symmetrical design was exactly centered, leaving the same amount of space to the side of each wing.  I also had to make sure the halo / sun  and the tail had enough space.33_Winds of Change in ProgressAfter that, start stapling using a staple gun.  Start at the center of each side first, stretching (either with hands or a stretching tool), making sure that the staples are aligned with each other.  Then do one to the right and one to the left, both on the horizontal and vertical so that it’s evenly stretched.  We sprayed it lightly a couple more times to help – it then shrinks as it’s drying.  It’s recommended to put staples at a slight angle and not in a straight line to avoid stress on the canvas and risk of tearing.  Timea is an art restoration expert and so she recommended we even add bits of cardboard under these staples in case I sell this painting to someone overseas or bring it home – necessitating that the canvas be removed from the frame to be rolled up for shipping.  I wouldn’t want to tear the canvas while removing the staples.  If it’s sold to someone locally, I’ll use a hammer to push the staples further in and the cardboard will then act as a buffer to protect the wall.


The Final Touches:  At 8:30pm on Friday, after wiring it at the back and hanging it, I stood there admiring and grinning – so grateful for Timea’s help and for having been a part of this co-creative process with God/ The Universe/ Great Spirit (Use whichever you’re comfortable with – I’m comfortable with all of them).  As I said, I am thrilled with this piece – on so many levels.  It’s very much in the style of my previous work, but with many little improvements in both the logistics of the creative process and results.  Basically, I learned a lot and this owl spirit will continue to teach – both myself and others.  This week, I signed it and brought in my good camera to photograph it.  Its iridescent nature makes it very tricky to photograph indeed!

More Finishing Touches: Signing /Varnishing:

On Monday morning, I signed it and took it outside to varnish (fumes are too toxic to spray inside). You should have seen me with my hat and scarf on my face and extra layers to protect my skin (should have done a selfie).  I would hold my breath in, spray, and run to the other side of the courtyard to breathe.  I put on a few light layers – this protects from scratches and UV rays.  It was amazing to be with it in full sunshine like that.


I hope you’ve enjoyed following along in its journey into being.  If you feel called to bring this painting into your home or business (or that of someone you love), please contact me.
“Wings of Change”
Mixed media on canvas:  acrylics, mica, 22kgold
140cm x 88 cm (55 in x 34.6 in)
SOLD

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Art as the Teacher/Mirror – Masks

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Art has often been my teacher, providing many opportunities to reflect on life. The last few days have given me rich fodder for looking inward as I spent over 24 hours working on masking my large colourful canvas with hundreds of little sticky pieces in preparation for the emergence of the owl spirit that has called me to assist it into Being. (I have already shared a bit of the process on this Fantastic Creature in my posts “Tidbits” and “Another Great Week at School“) . Indeed, I’ve learned as much about the technical aspects of masking as I have about the symbolism of the experience and authentic living.

IMG_5786Parallels with life:

We’ve all learned to wear masks to protect ourselves from being rejected and to try and manage what others think of us.  Unfortunately, when we only present ourselves with our masks on, there is no way others can see who we truly are and therefore accept who we truly are.  The result is that we can never feel unconditional love as we remain unknown by those around us: we don’t allow the seen-> accepted -> loved potential that can only exist when we tell/show the truth. I was thinking about this on my way home from school as I compared the masking film I was working with and the masks we wear:

  • the goal of masks is perfection – or the appearance of perfection – or protection
  • masks are a lot of work to create and maintain
  • their low-tack nature means they keep lifting, risking a frustrating and messy situation
  • their backing gets easier to peel off once you get into the habit and so masking becomes more automatic – beneficial for my in-class task, but not in life
  • the question is – is masking really worth it? could I have achieved better results without all that painstaking work – just by being more spontaneous or at least more direct by only using transfer paper to lay the lines down of what I wanted and creating around those?

I haven’t finished the process – stay tuned to see what other philosophical insights it may lead me to… Can you tell? I spend a lot of time in my head 🙂

Technical lessons:

For the fellow artists out there, here are a few tips if you’re going to use low-tack masking film, popular with airbrush artists.  I used Artcoe Frisk Film – matte.  It was recommended to me as a way to create nice crisp lines for my owl spirit.

  • draw your original design right on it or on a transparent paper, like tracing paper. That way you can use a light table to see through both and trace it onto the matting paper. The part of my design I had on thick brown paper had to be traced on transparent paper and then from that to the masking film

     

  • use a sharpie to trace shapes so that you can see the outline of your mask once you put it on your artwork.  It’s very hard to tell in some lights, especially with matte, where my pieces are
    IMG_5792
  • if you have a zillion pieces, use transfer paper to get the design down on your surface – it will make placing the pieces easier and it washes right off – an easy job on acrylic paint
  • if using transfer paper, go over the original lines on your design with a different coloured sharp pencil or pen (if you use the same colour, you’ll easily lose track of which lines you’ve already transferred
    IMG_5785
  • it really is low-tack – make sure to press hard and don’t use paint that’s too liquidy as it will seep under.  My pieces kept lifting… I can’t imagine using this on an upright canvas for airbrushing – they’d fall off…
  • it’s extremely hard to separate the clear sticky part from the paper – some of my pieces took 5 minutes or more, especially in the beginning – if you have over 100 pieces on your artwork, consider another approach.  My average was 2 minutes per piece… I had about 200 pieces.
  • if you have an intricate design, it’s a good idea to number each piece on both your original design (make sure not to cut that one up so you have a guide) and on your pieces before you cut them
    IMG_5795

      • if you’re going to organize them in sections and place them in a book to flatten them after cutting them out and before sticking them on, make sure to place a “Do Not Touch” sign on the book…

I am grateful for the exercise – I’m not sure I would approach this project the same way again, but I’m learning and that’s what exploration is all about.

The repetitive nature of this manual task did have a bonus – I needed something to keep my Left Brain engaged so that my Right Brain could get into the flow of creation all the while keeping me out of all the discussions happening around me in class.  To do this, I listened to a lot of uplifting educational podcasts in those 24 hours – some from my Art Empowers Me e-course, from the free Product Publicity Virtual Summit (March 3-14), and my friend Jo-Anne Guimond’s inspiring podcast about her Gratitude Project on www.debozarko.com.  My interview on that site will air March 20 – mark your calendars.  Keeping my left brain engaged like that actually helps me step out of my own way so that I can connect with my art in a deeper way – sounds strange, but it’s true.  During more creative (vs. repetitive manual tasks like today), I find kirtan music (Sanskrit meditation chanting) better.

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Intensives Wrap-Up + First Painting For Sale!

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As you may have already read, we’ve been very busy at The Vienna Academy of Visionary Art. We had two 6-day Intensive Workshops in the last two weeks – Spark in the Void and Thangka Painting.  Six days each wasn’t enough though, so we extended the workshops into this week.  Vera and Timea came to school on Monday and Tuesday to assist us with our various projects.  Beforehand, though, Timea gave us a very informative lecture on colour properties & mixing. Although we were using gouache and the colours we talked about were traditional Thangka colours, the information will be very useful for my work with acrylics, saving me a lot of money in the long run – instead of buying 30 different colours, I may buy half of that and mix my own.

The Mandala:

We only did a partial closing ceremony with this mandala (which included chanting to Padmasambhava)  as there are still a few finishing touches to make.  Although a lot of love, energy, mantras, and intentions have already been infused in this collaborative piece, we will empower it further when it’s completely done by writing Om Ah Hung in Tibetan on the back of the canvas, behind the figure at the forehead, throat, and heart chakras.  I’m truly in awe every time my eyes rest on this beautiful piece- it affects me on many levels.

Vera & Lizzy
Tiimea & Lizzy
Rachel
Lizzy

Individual Projects

Students flowed between their various projects and the mandala during our two days of the Intensives Wrap-Up and some into Wednesday, this week’s studio day (for all Academy projects).

www.hadleyseymore.com
Rachel’s
Martin – www.facebook.com/mcasharts
Kevin Campeau
Sara’s
Sara

Finally Finished my First Painting!

Cosmic VisionIntroducing “Cosmic Vision” – 50cm x 70 cm (19.7″ x 27.6″); acrylics on deep profile gallery-wrapped canvas. SOLD.  

Those of you who have known me for a while know that when I paint, I usually work on about 5-10 paintings at a time, 12-16 hours a day, for days or weeks at a time.  I get into the flow and unless I’m working with thick layers of gels/mediums that take weeks to dry (especially in humid Newfoundland), I stay in that flow until they’re finished.  Then I take time off to take care of other aspects of the business or do other things until the next painting marathon.  That’s the groove I work best in.  It’s a truly connected state of mind and spirit (some may say obsessive, but I prefer meditative) and it feeds my soul.  It’s been challenging, therefore, for me to start a whole bunch of projects here at the Academy and never get around to finishing them – whether it’s because it takes weeks for layers of oil paint to dry before I can glaze again or because we’re going from one class to another, one project to another.  We spend 8 hours a day at least 5 days a week at school, but I hadn’t completed one painting in 5.5 months!  Well now I have!  Yay!  It feels great.  On Wednesday, I applied a final UV protective archival varnish to “Cosmic Vision” – a piece that’s very much in my style, but integrates some of what I’ve been learning, especially about transparency, glazing over whites, dimensionality, and brush work.  I spent most of 5 days working on this piece with short lunch breaks and occasional visits to the mandala. To follow up on what I wrote about this painting in a previous post, it was infused with sacred ritual, energy, and intentions (something I’ve done with my artwork for years)- but this time it was also empowered by writing OM in Sanskrit in the back of the circle and Om Ah Hung in Tibetan in the back of the Buddha.

Photo by Florence
photo by Florence
before the zinc white washes
local glazes on tree & birds
With my wonderful teacher Timea
The final piece
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Connecting with Mother Earth Through Her Creatures

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It’s quite ironic – it’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and I know that what my body & soul need is time in Nature, but I can’t seem to get myself off this chair.  So instead, I’ll keep writing, this time about connecting with Nature through its animals. Then, tomorrow, I’ll head out early to explore one of Vienna’s hiking paths.  (P.S. – good thing I’m not hiking – it’s now 4pm and pouring out!)

Animal Communication:

I started writing this blog in my head weeks ago when my friend Janis in Edmonton sent me a link to a fabulous video on Animal Communication (now unavailable on YouTube)- I’ve seen it 4 times now and it evokes such powerful emotion in me each time.  It’s the amazing story of a rescued black panther (one of my childhood totem animals) which was unusually dangerous and therefore in peril until Anna Breytenbach, an animal communicator, came to sit with it for a while.  Then everything changed.  It’s not only another example of the role of imagery as a form of communication (referring to yesterday’s post), but also a very good reminder of our human potential as we reconnect to the land and its creatures – something I believe we all need for all our sakes. I have personally felt this for years, but more so since I moved to Vienna, where I must seek out trees when I feel myself disconnecting from Mother Earth – there are very few in my district.  This short clip (13 minutes) is powerful , and I was lucky enough to see the full 52-minute program on YouTube during the holidays before it was removed for copyright reasons. One can only imagine the possibilities after watching such a video.

I once hired an animal communicator to help when my beloved cat Koya became mysteriously ill at 3 years old.  What I learned about myself and Koya through this service was invaluable.  When it comes to animal communication, some of you may be more familiar with the term horse whisperer, which became widespread after the release of the film by that name starring Robert Redford – I watched that one again last night on YouTube.  (I’m so very grateful for this free resource – have I mentioned that?)  I also had the chance to hear an animal communicator present at conference in San Diego – her description of how animal spirits shake off their mortal coil in joy, playfully bounding into their new form after death stayed with me.  She further explained how they can transition back into another body if we wish them to do so.  I can’t remember all the details, but it was great stuff!

Memories:

I love animals!  When I lived in Germany as a child (in 3 locations between the ages of 5-10), I spent much of my time alone in the forests, fields, and parks – alone, but never really alone.  In addition to angels, guides, fairies and other beings of the spirit world and of my imagination, there were the animals. I especially remember my solo bike rides to a nearby duck pond near the first village we lived in (in a time and place where it was relatively safe for 5 year olds to wander far and wide without adult supervision). When we moved to Baden, I found the forest. My family will recall the frequent search parties sent out into that forest at dinner time since I had no sense of time there.  I can’t quite remember how I spent all that time, but I do remember getting laughed at when I’d share all my animal stories with “friends” at school.  It didn’t matter – along with all my “imaginary animals” and forest creatures, there was also Heidi, my best friend,  a schoolmate’s Cocker Spaniel dog who waited by her door for me every day after school.  I’ll confess, I lost a few friends in my life when I’d abandon them for any and all dogs who came into view. I was obsessed – knew the names of every breed in existence!  When we moved to Lahr, I spent a lot of my free time roaming in the neighbouring Stadtpark with its large flower gardens filled with animals and free-roaming peacocks.  I remember “communicating” with one of the ponies who often expressed its boredom and stress at being enclosed – pawing with its foreleg up on the cement foundation to its bars that stood between us.  My heart reached out to it and I’d just spend time with it.  Back in Canada, I didn’t stop craving time with Mother Earth and its creatures.  I’d often jump on my bike to seek out natural places where I could sit and connect. Neighbourhood animals also occupied an important space in my heart and I took horseback riding lessons as a teen – although the fantasy of it was always more fun than the reality of it since I fell off a few times learning to canter in an indoor ring in the winter.  Oh well….  I was an animal lover nonetheless!

Animals as our Teachers

koya vaseI learned so much from sharing a home with Koya for 13 years – as a rescued cat, she mostly taught me about love and fear.  Indeed, animals are great teachers.  I’m not the only one who feels this way- there are so many books out there about the lessons we’ve learned from animals.  For Christmas, my friends Jen & Ken gave me a bestselling book that I truly recommend:  Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog.  I’ve had a lifelong love of dogs, although I’ve never had my own canine companion.  Although I cried for one almost every week of my childhood, I found that once I was out on my own, I chose to live in a way that wouldn’t have been fair to a dog.  Maybe one day…  In order to understand them better, however (and to satisfy my need to be around them during a time of great transition), I became a Certified Dog Trainer and Behaviour Therapist with CCS in 2003.  I wouldn’t hire me though – anyone who has shared a home with a dog has more experience than I do… but those 6 months were more than educational and will hopefully serve me and some dog well in the future.

Animals as Healers:

When I lived in Ottawa a bit over 10 years ago, my friends Jen & Ken and I would take their 2 golden retriever dogs and their cat Cuddles (appropriately named) to various senior citizen homes and mental health facilities as part of a pet therapy group.  This was as healing for me as it was for those we were visiting.  Witnessing such unconditional love and even occasional miracles was simply heart-opening.  I remember the time I felt moved to place Cuddles on the lap of a woman who sat in a chair in the corner all day long, not moving – quite unresponsive to her environment. I’ll never forget the look on the nurses faces when they entered the room and saw her hand slowly stroking Cuddles – utter shock and delight. It was during those times that she would also whisper to me about her past.  Together, Cuddles and I were making a difference and that felt awesome!  Anyone who has loved an animal knows what powers they have – not just to entertain, but truly to heal.  Blessed be the animals.

Totem and Spirit Animals:

We not only learn from the animals who cross our paths during our waking hours.  Animals will also visit and teach us in our dreams and visions. Some have talked about Animal Totems while other talk of Spirit or Power Animals (animal spirit guides).  No matter the case, the power of animal symbolism has long been recognized around the globe.  On Friday, in class, I spent a few minutes skimming through a classmate’s book “Animal Speak”, to research the 4 childhood totems featured in my “self-portrait” painting.  I introduced you to the story behind this painting in a previous post and you can see its development over a period of a few months in the photos below – it’s still a work in progress.  Friday’s research has certainly enriched my insights about their role in my life (summarized here).  Very interesting indeed.  I could have written a book from the years of stories we shared together in my imagination.

1. Panther: Reclaiming One’s True Power – living your life purpose

2.  Hawk: Visionary Power and Guardianship

“Through its flight, it communicates with humans and the great creator spirit.  It awakens our visions and inspires us to a creative life purpose.”

3. Snake (boa): Rebirth, Resurrection, Initiation, Wisdom – life transitions, changes, new opportunities, healing, awakening of creative forces, kundalini, visions and intuition becoming more accurate

4. Horse: Travel, Power, and Freedom

Although I haven’t had it in my possession for years, I recommend the divination deck of Medicine Cards that help us tap into the animal kingdom’s guidance.

However you choose to connect with this beautiful planet we live on and with, I encourage you to find time to do so.  You deserve it!   For today, my writing this post is my way of doing so –  my way of paying homage to God’s creatures great and small, alive and in spirit form.

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Note: On Saturday night, I found a free movie on YouTube (surprise, surprise!) about love, dogs, and great artists – some real (like Reubens), some fictional.  A Dog of Flanders (1999) is based on the famous book “Nello and Patrasche”. It’s not the greatest movie ever made, but there are days when I’m not too fussy.

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