 My Newest God Jar, January 2011 Several years ago, I was feeling down and out about life. Living each new day was a scary thing. Terrified of what prospects the future held, I spent many a sleepless night. Turning a blind eye to the successful celebratory moments of my life, I viewed it instead as an endless succession of failures. I let negativity and helplessness infuse my world. And yet, there was still a tiny part of me that longed to hold on to the positive aspects of life. Just in the nick of time, I was referred to Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, a book for stifled artists/creatives and that’s where I discovered the God Jar (Chapter 12).
What’s a God Jar you ask? Cameron describes it as a container you store your fears, worries, resentments, hopes, wishes and dreams in. You write these down as brief statements on strips of paper, fold or roll them up and place them in a God Jar thus freeing your mind of them and placing them in God’s hands to deal with. At the time I found this a bit crazy but a magical way of dealing with things. Exhausted from drowning in my fears, I embraced the concept of the God Jar. Believe or not, this simple act of faith in a power beyond mine actually worked. Not that it cured all my ills, but it resolved enough dilemmas in my life to make me a believer. With the passage of time, many of my worries, fears and resentments dissolved … some eroded with time; others were resolved by people who serendipitously appeared in my life. When some of my wishes and dreams were realized they seemed like downright miracles! The God Jar became my saving grace – every year I added more things to it. At the end of each year, I love to paste all the problems that have gone away or the miracles that have come my way in my journal. It’s given me hope and renewed my faith in the goodness that can be found in life. The future doesn’t seem as woeful now. As well, through its mysterious powers, I began to feel somewhere out there in the universe someone was really listening to me.
Now you may be asking… how do I get me one of those God Jars!? Well, you may already have one in your cupboard or fridge! A recycled jam jar can be instantly transformed into one. Any kind of container will do really. I bought my first God Jar from Michael’s for $1.69 – a clear ruby-red glass heart-shaped jar.
Collage A God Jar of Your Very Own:
1. Find a clear jar with a flat even surface.
2. Cut out images*, inspirational words, phrases you like (you can use stickers, too).
3. Use clear packing tape to adhere the images/words; after you stick them on give them a final burnish (rub) with a bone folder or your nail to ensure they are secure and to flatten out any bumps.
4. If you want a real fancy jar, embellish it with artificial sticky-back gems; you can also glue these on with gel medium for a stronger hold.
5. Fill jar with your written: fears, worries, resentments, hopes, wishes and dreams.
* Images can be your own personal symbols or mythological beings; add patterns and textures as well as 3D embellishments like gems. Words, quotes or significant numbers in your life can become part of the collage as well.
Creating a God Jar is an invitation to magic – it’s a chance to let go of painful baggage and move on. Do you have a God Jar? Has it worked its magic for you? Everyone has a slightly different take on the God Jar. Here are some other thoughts from: Deborah on Spiritual Anecdotes; Mary Pearl Davis; Kimestry; How to Use a God Jar and The Pathway Chapel.
 Crichton Cultural Community Centre, 200 Crichton Street  One of the Centre's spacious classrooms
 Another view of the classrooms with my hubby Kevin  The CCCC provides a great atmosphere for creating art!
 Me waiting for you at the CCCC! Thought I’d start off the New Year by giving you a virtual tour of the Crichton Cultural Community Centre (CCCC) where I offer courses and workshops. The CCCC is a not-for-profit centre located in the heart of Ottawa’s New Edinburgh neighbourhood on Avon Lane (behind 200 Crichton Street). A stone’s throw away from the building is the peaceful Rideau River, Stanley Park and trendy cafés and shops located along Beechwood Avenue. Nestled within a quiet, friendly residential area, being in and around the Centre gives one a feeling of tranquility. Located on the second floor of a beautifully maintained historic building, it’s a bustling hub for all kinds of activities related to the arts and well-being as well as hosting a myriad other community-related events. The Centre is also home to the Main Works Artists’ Cooperative whose works grace its hallways and classrooms.
From the first moment I walked into the CCCC I felt at home. I was warmly welcomed by Programming Director Susan Ashbrook as well as Administrator Kiki Cliff. Susan’s warm, professional manner as she ensured all my teaching needs were met, instantly secured my trust in the building’s administration. When I taught my first workshop there this summer, I was blown away by the classrooms – large and spacious with high old-fashioned ceilings and windows that let in lots of natural light, I felt as though I was in art studio heaven! There was so much room to move in them – I don’t know about you, but I can never have enough elbow room to make art! I was equally impressed by the spotlessness of the facilities… encountering clean tables and chairs that didn’t need to be wiped off and sparkling floors was unbelievable! I’ve long felt that maintaining a clean work space is good for students’ health; it was a relief to find an art organization caring for its facilities as I do my own home studio. As a result, my students enjoyed using the space; it gave them the perfect surroundings within which to collage their first vision boards! I feel very privileged to be part of the CCCC!
This month I’ll be teaching another Vision Board Workshop there. Although my Journaling course will not run due to low enrolment, I’ll be offering it again another term and hoping for some takers. It would be so nice to have you there for a few hours… we could visually “play” with our reflections, share some insightful thoughts about our lives and art as well as make a few new friends. Stay tuned for news on my upcoming workshops and courses which I’ll post on my Workshops/Courses website page. Hope to see you at the CCCC sometime in the future!
 "Fearless", Mixed Media Collage, December 2010 For decades, the start of a new year never signalled much for me. Each one held surprises: good and bad. But when I turned 39, the New Year took on great significance. At the mid point of my life, I decided to make a conscious effort to ensure my remaining years would be fruitful ones. I’d love to share some thoughts about this with you…
At 39 my life was a mess. I’d lost several friends due to life outlook changes; I’d gained over 10lbs in one year and found myself in poor health. To boot, my art career was floundering. Having a high cholesterol level and numerous warnings about heart disease and diabetes from my doctor, in January several years ago, I decided to tackle my health issues first by joining a popular weight loss program. As a result, I not only lost 50 lbs over two years, I gained insight into creating a long-term healthier diet and life style for myself. I reaped the benefits as my bad cholesterol went down and my mood and energy levels rose! Every morning, after a good breakfast and exercise, I’m raring to work in my studio! I’ve found taking care of your health is an important life style change – it can make a big difference to your overall well being and zest for life.
The next New Year, I was ready to resuscitate my art career. This was an even bigger challenge for me; one that would take years to accomplish. Instead of procrastinating about making art, I began to take weekly courses in mixed media which I had long dreamed of exploring. I gained much needed technical knowledge of the medium and began to produce a steady series of works. Bent on promoting that work, I felt the need to develop some art business skills; the following New Year I attended a course given by artist Susan Ashbrook. I discovered that it took much discipline to become a “working artist”; putting into practice what I learned, I made several pieces that were subsequently published in magazines.
Delving deeper into finding new ways to promote my art, I looked outside Canada and discovered the SmARTist telesummit, a virtual conference which I’ve been attending every January since 2007 to brush up on my business skills. The brain-child of art coach Ariane Goodwin, the telesummit features professional art-related guest speakers of various national and international backgrounds. Attending the teleconference each year via the internet or phone enables me to connect with other artist entrepreneurs of all levels from the United States and beyond. Two years ago, after listening to many artist success stories, I decided to take the plunge and learn how to start my own business. I took another SmARTist related course run by Ariane Goodwin and art coach Jennifer Lee (Artizen Coaching): The Right Brain Business Plan which gave me the impetus I needed to create my own business plan. In 2009 I sowed the seeds that produced Collage Your World… this past year it’s taken root and blossomed into a small, steady business.
As an added bonus, taking courses and going to teleconferences, allowed me to make new artist friends along the way – accomplishing two goals at once! Losing my previous set of friends had made me want to withdraw from life. Enrolling in courses and reaching out to others enabled me to create a new network of friends. This past year I’ve realized how blessed I am to have these wonderful people in my life — I don’t know where I’d be without their advice and encouragement. I’ve found having a supportive circle of friends is crucial to my creative life.
As I look back now, it all seems like a dream… one that started with making a New Year’s resolution. So this New Year if you’ve been throwing your life into the wind and hoping that everything magically falls into place by chance, perhaps you might consider making a wish, jotting down some thoughts as to how you could make it happen and then trying to take some action to make your wish a reality. Even if it’s just one small simple wish, know that in the following year, it could lead to much more! Remember too, it’s not too late make a resolution any time in the year. And, for those of you who began the past year with goal(s) you actually accomplished or are still in the midst of accomplishing (sometimes things don’t always work out the first try!), don’t forget to acknowledge your efforts and give yourself a pat on the back for your hard work! Best to you all in 2011! If you’d like to share your New Year’s resolution or goal with me, I’d love to hear from you.
 "Holidays", Mixed Media Journal Page, November 13 2009 I don’t know about you, but for me, Christmas was/is a real “mixed bag” season emotionally. I wasn’t raised in one of those “happily ever after” families (yes, I’ve seen some – they actually exist!) where everyone just loves to go “home” for Christmas. My childhood memories of this time are filled with joy and pain. Even still, it’s nicer to reflect upon the happier moments of times past; later, I’ll find a way to journal the misery away.
When I was a kid, although Christmas often ended on a sad note, the season started off with much excitement. It began with the mouth-watering aromas of my mom baking holiday treats while we watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on TV. Her home-made chocolate macaroons, sugar cookies, divinity fudge and much coveted fruit cake (spiked with brandy!) were some of my favourite sugary delights. Each year she added more new delicious goodies to her holiday baking list. Mom’s fruit cake always caused a great stir within the family. You see the recipe was given to her by my late grandfather Marcus (my father’s dad) – an amazing cook who ran a catering business. On tenuous terms with his daughters, Marcus passed down his baking secrets to my mother instead! Ever since I can remember, Christmas was also the time of the great bake offs between my mom and my aunts – each one trying to outdo the other in the kitchen! It may have been warfare for them but for us kids, it was great holiday eating! 🙂 Mom has passed down her recipe to a few select people; no one has ever come close to topping her Christmas fruit cake. Blissfully ignorant of it myself, I’m content to simply sit down and devour a piece (or two or three or…)!
The other sure sign of Christmas was my Dad’s decorating. When it came to that he was the king of Christmas decor – way head of his time, my father was definitely the Martha Stewart of his day and also a bit like Tim Burton’s “Jack Skellington”. Over the years he accumulated hundreds of decorations which he carefully packed away each year in several gigantic boxes as though they were semi-precious jewels. He revelled in purchasing novel ornaments like Christmas balls that chirped like birds or Santas that danced to “Jingle Bell Rock”… things that made my younger siblings laugh – he loved to see their little faces light up. Every wall, window and corner of our home was tastefully decorated in his elegant style… each piece transforming our ordinary home into a magical winter wonderland. I’m quite sure some of the layout ideas for my art are descended from Dad’s design ideas. Of all his decorating feats, his crowning glory was putting together our Christmas tree. He spent hours configuring lights, selecting balls and unique decorations of varying sizes, shapes, textures and colours and draping tinsel just so to fashion the perfect tree. By the end of the season the whole family agreed Dad’s tree was the classiest of all! Before he died, he passed this tradition down to us and we in turn have passed it on to our younger siblings and nieces and nephews. When I see a Christmas tree all decked out it’s hard not to imagine Dad sitting by it with a little one on his lap singing a Christmas tune in his base voice. It was wonderful to see my father, a dark, brooding figure for most of the year, light up our world during the yuletide season.
Yes, those are the times I love to remember. The ones I miss the most. What about you, any Christmas memories you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them. Happy holidays to you and yours. I hope the new year’s a happy, healthy and creative one!
 Dessert Time, Mixed Media Journal Page, December 2 2009 Everyone once in a while, after spending tons of the time in the studio meeting deadline after deadline, it’s nice to take a break to treat myself and others. Now, I’m no Martha Stewart and even though I’ve descended from a line of incredible cooks, I tend to shy away from the kitchen. At Christmas time, however, it’s hard not to long for the sweeter side of the holidays. For the past several years, I’ve discovered the inner cook in me and made time to bake a few varieties of cookies and squares. This year, having found my new business swallowed up most of my time, I decided to pick one recipe to give as gifts for friends and relatives. I wish I could send out virtual cookies – instead I’ll share a favourite chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipe with you – taken from the back of a chocolate chip packet decades ago. Everyone loves them. Best of all you don’t have to be great in the kitchen to make them… here it is:
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 and half cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
half tsp salt
half tsp cinnamon
2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
2 cups quick rolled oats
In bowl cream together room temperature margarine and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla.
In another bowl stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; add to above creamed mixture.
Combine chocolate chips and rolled oats into mixture. Shape into teaspoon size mounds onto ungreased cookie tray.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown; for softer cookies bake 10 minutes — makes 4 dozen.
Let them cool or eat them hot and gooey — Enjoy!!!
If you’re like me, you probably still haven’t finished your Christmas shopping (Yikes!). Here are some recommendations for the creative soul on your list. Thanks to my friend Olive Jones for referring #s 1, 2 & 9:
1. Jane Davies: Collage Journeys: A Practical Guide to Creating Personal Artwork A thorough book on the subject which gives terrific insight into the process of collaging. It’s so wonderful to recommend a Canadian artist/author.
2. Bee Shay: Collage Lab: Experiments, Investigations and Exploratory Projects The “mad scientist” in me loves this exciting array of collage experiments!
3. Beeswax Collage with Claudine Hellmuth This excellent DVD is a fun way to learn about the basics of collaging “retro-style” with beeswax.
4. Exploring Fabric Collage by Lesley Riley In this DVD you’ll learn how to put together a fabric collage book — best of all, you don’t even need to know how to sew!
5. Traci Bautista: Collage Unleashed A cool book which features stitching/drawing on fabric; Bautista’s graffiti/doodle drawing techniques are amazing.
6. Suzanne Simanaitis: Kaleidoscope: ideas + projects to Spark Your Creativity A cornucopia of advice, reflections and a wide variety of projects from well-known mixed media artists.
7. Telling Stories with Collage & Paint with Anne Baldwin A real “scardy” cat when it comes to integrating paint and collage, I really appreciated the tips/techniques on this DVD.
8. Karen Michel’s Green Guide for Artists: Non-Toxic Recipes, Green Art Ideas… Is filled with ideas for creating eco-friendly products (ie. glues, paints, etc.), mixed media pieces as well as a green-inspired studio.
9. Eric M. Scott; David R. Modler: The Journal Junkies Workshop: Visual Ammunition for the Art Addict Great for all ages (young teens to adults). A user-friendly style with step-by-step instructions: perfect for beginners. (Olive notes this is one of the few books on the subject written by men.)
10/11. Gwen Diehn’s The Decorated Page & The Decorated Journal Give much insight into the how’s/why’s of journaling; contain beautiful photos and offer ideas for related projects: excellent references for the intermediate journaler.
12. Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity Kick-start the waning or non-existent artist spirit in you! Use a variety of simple methods to integrate creativity into your life. Worked wonders for me!
 This journal page "Taboo Subjects in Our Home" (December 8 2009) was inspired by my Mary Shelley collage explorations In October I wrote of how music can be a great tool to inspire your collaging. Similarly, I feel literature can add vibrancy to your collage/mixed media work. As with music, not any old piece of writing will do. It must be something that thrills and excites you – something that touches the heart of who you are. Often, the briefest passage or chapter from a favourite book gives light to images within me. While many of these stay nestled within my head, others feel an urgent need to manifest themselves; collaging never fails to awaken the story-teller in me!
My first story-inspired collage was based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. That Dr. Frankenstein literally cut up body parts and reassembled them into a new human form made it a compelling subject matter for my collages. As I researched the history behind this gruesome tale, I learned how Shelley’s role as a woman, her parents, social life, odd marriage, miscarriages and a nightmare contributed to spinning this fascinating tale of scientific creation gone awry. In putting together the novel, as any great collage artist might, Mary Shelley used many fragments of her real life: her secrets, joys, sorrows and fears as well as her imagination to give birth to Frankenstein. Every time I dwell on this, I think the role of writer, collage artist and even mad scientist to be such kindred spirits! My Shelley-inspired collages are replete with hybrid, Gothic and Victorian imagery as well as references to the science of anatomy. I discovered I really liked juxtaposing materials that seemed sweet and innocent with ones that were macabre and sinister – it’s a technique I love using in my current collages.
My second project was spurred by Wayson Choy’s novel The Jade Peony which relayed the tale of mid-twentieth century west coast Chinese-Canadian immigrants struggling to understand their place in Canadian society; this struck a chord with my own plight as a South Asian-Canadian. I was surprised and delighted to find that the little girl, Liang in the story, idolized Shirley Temple and tap dancing as much as I did as a kid – watching too many Saturday morning kiddie matinees will do that to you! After reading the book, as with most great stories, I never wanted it to end. I wished to live within its pages forever! So it wasn’t long before I uncovered some of the sources (through an article or interview) that Choy had researched for the book. As my fingers scanned the same historical texts and images the writer may have used to give life to his characters, my spine tingled… I would use these same images in my collages. It was stimulating and enjoyable to re-imagine Choy’s Liang through my own eyes and imagination and bring out the little details in her character that I loved.
Recently I just completed a piece for the Nick Bantock collage contest/tribute inspired by his Griffin and Sabine trilogy. I came up with my own design based on studying his collages as well as reading Urgent 2nd Class, his book of collage methods. I was so into the spirit of it, I made up my own story on the back of the postcard based on real and fictitious events in my life. I even designed an envelope! Best of all – the card was actually submitted well before the deadline! I urge you to check out the wonderful blog set up by Socrates which features nearly a hundred Bantock-inspired cards (including mine!). I hope these ideas will inspire you to add that magical literary element to your own collage-based work. If you have been inspired to do the same, I’d love to hear about your story-based pieces or ideas for future ones.
 Maggie Jordan, Vision Board (detail), Collage, November 2010  Sheila Cain-Sample, Vision Board (detail), Collage, November 2010  Olive Jones, Vision Board (detail), Collage, November 2010  Wendy Southin, Vision Board (detail), Collage, November 2010  Ruth Watt, Vision Board (detail), Collage, November 2010 Part Two:
Vision Board day finally arrived. As the sun made its appearance – I thought, ah, a good omen from the Great Creator. With my husband at the wheel, we left the house on schedule. As we departed I cautioned him: “Now no driving down the highway like a wild man!” My husband, secretly an Indy car racer at heart, reassured me: “No problem honey!” (right!!!). Ten minutes later, we were pulled over for speeding which delayed our arrival in Richmond. I thought, why today when I need every minute of pre-class time to set up?! As I watched the time dwindle, my paranoid brain set in…
When the class started a bit late, I felt a little jittery. But not as jittery as when I discovered that most of the group had NO clear idea of where they were headed with their vision boards! I nearly fell off my chair when someone wondered if visioning could help them at all! – I sensed wariness here and my panic set in. Okay, okay… deep breath, deep breath… . While a part of me freaked out; the professional in me desperately tried to figure out how to deal with the very scenario I had dreamed into existence! I thought, hell, I’ve been trained by The Royal Conservatory (of Toronto!) to deal with situations like this! Okay now, what was I supposed to do?!… if only I could remember right NOW!!! And suddenly, I did. Taking a leap of faith in my abilities as a teacher, I decided to do something radical and break free from my perfectly timed schedule! I allowed myself more time to understand the mindset and context of my students and any apprehensions they had about the vision board process. Through their comments and questions I learned that these were not the lost souls my paranoid mind had cooked up! They were a group of bright, articulate, creative women! All was well; we’d make it through.
By the end of the visioning exercise, despite an initial lack of clarity regarding their dreams, each had found a number of paths their visions could take. As they scribbled down their thoughts I was happy to see them bursting with ideas. As we explored various vision board examples, I sensed the process becoming clearer to them. By the time they were ready to construct their boards, they were raring to go! And in that moment, I realized, YES, it’s working!!! I really CAN teach this stuff! Then I looked at my watch and realized ditching my schedule had cost me over an hour! Instead of panic, calmness filled me… I decided not to worry – I had transferred the fervour and passion it required to finish these vision boards – whenever that happened to be. I watched, learned and basked in the creative energy these women exuded as they breathed life into the magazine fragments that formed the basis of their wishes and dreams.
By the end of the class their (15 x 20 inch) vision boards were nearly finished. Ecstatically, I surveyed the pieces feeling each one was a little miracle. Beautifully composed, I sensed what I had come to know of their spirits in each piece. As the group shared their vision board journeys with each other, I was touched to hear how they had allowed their inner spirits to guide them while creating their works. Some even ventured courageously into dream territories they had silently desired. This amazed me – they had earnestly contemplated what was in their souls; I felt privileged to be a part of the process. I was delighted when they enthusiastically spoke of making more vision boards. They realized that creating a vision board was not just a one-stop journey but could lead to a succession of future dream avenues to explore. A student mentioned she intended to pass this skill on to her grandchildren; I was proud to have contributed something that might become a family ritual further binding generations.
Thank you to Wendy, Ruth, Sheila, Maggie and Olive for sharing your visions. I wish you the best in the pursuit of your dreams. Above is a sneak peek of their fabulous boards – I hope to spotlight them in more detail in the future. You can see Wendy Southin’s vision board on her blog as well as her thoughts regarding the process. Special thanks to Wendy (an awesome artist and jewellery maker) for trusting in my abilities as an artist and new teacher enough to recommend me to her friends and for providing me with the perfect atmosphere and space for us to “dream” in. Last but not least thanks to my husband Kevin who shared his own vision board thoughts with us as well as being my “guy Friday” and putting up with this drama queen. 😉
In embracing the power of the vision board, these students helped me to regain a sense of confidence in my teaching abilities… taking my own vision board dream one step closer to reality.
 Michelle Casey, Vision Board (detail), Collage, May 2010 Part One:
Part of the vision board dream I created for myself a couple of years ago was a desire to be a great art teacher. Each time I hold a class, I feel myself slowly but surely reaching this goal. Teaching vision board workshops particularly excites me because I can pass on this passion to others. As well as getting my students to understand the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, in order to reach their goals, I often have to remind myself to do the same!
This November I held my second vision board workshop in Richmond, Ontario hosted by my friend/artist colleague Wendy Southin of Dragonfly Dreams. I was psyched up to give the class because my first one had gone very well; I felt this one was going to be even better. Thanks to valuable feedback from my previous students, I streamlined my notes, devised new demos and made the class more interactive. Best of all, I extended the length of the workshop from three to five hours giving myself plenty of time to guide students as well as allow them more time to finish their pieces. I always worry about sending students away with unfinished work – I feel there’s a great risk they might lose their enthusiasm once the class is over. I really hoped this wouldn’t be the case for this group of five artists.
A week before the workshop, I asked them to prepare themselves by doing a simple visioning exercise, choosing a couple of magazines and selecting several images that resonated with their vision board theme. A part of me was bent on ensuring everyone had a theme before class – what would they work on if they had no dreams?! Asking them to keep me informed of any mind blocks they encountered, I hoped to nip that situation in the bud! Wendy, my host, revealed she was having problems deciding what her theme should be but eventually we found one she felt good about exploring. My relief was short-lived, however, when my paranoid mind finally made its weekly appearance. Soon the deadly silence of the others began to worry me… I couldn’t believe there weren’t any other questions or problems… I just wished I knew what was going on in their heads! A little voice inside me whispered: this was just too good to be true! As the weekend drew nearer I began to slowly lose my sense of optimism about giving the workshop as I let the time/control-freak within me start spreading her negative vibes…
With all my bad vibes out there, it wasn’t surprising when our fairly new car died the night before the workshop! With Richmond a bit of a drive out of the city, I exclaimed to my already exasperated hubby: “How the hell am I going to get to Richmond now!?” I was distraught at the thought of having to cancel the workshop. As we discovered all the car rental places were booked and no other car options were available, I went into panic mode. Not long after, a gruff, rumpled looking man from road side assistance came and resurrected our car with his jumper cables saving the day! For two seconds, my positive self was back… Hurray! The workshop was back on! Ignoring the evening’s recent mechanical miracle, my paranoid mind kicked in again. It began insinuating the car was a bad omen of things to come… OMG I began to wonder wouldn’t it be a TOTAL nightmare for me if ALL my students had no two clues about what they’re vision boards would be about? What would I do?! Determined to be ready for anything, I added my advice to Wendy to my notes. Then I came to the horrifying realization that if that was the case, it would throw my whole perfectly timed workshop schedule off! A creature whose best friends have long been control and predictability, it terrified me to no end to concede that despite revamping my class hours, my carefully laid out plan would fall to pieces if this one dreadful thought came true… chaos would surely ensue! Needless to say, I had a restless night’s sleep. Now you must be wondering how did this crazy paranoid, negative-minded soul ever get to be a vision board teacher?! Well, the short answer is (you lucky reader, I so tend to run off at the keyboard!)…. that even I have a number of ever so glorious positive-minded moments which have miraculously pulled me through life! It was at that moment that the side of my ever resourceful positive spirit decided then and there to pray to the “Great Creator” (as writer Julia Cameron has taught me). I asked the Creator … please give me a good bunch of understanding students … a creative bunch of spirits just like me who despite not being able to finish their vision boards in class would still come away with some solid something to get them believing in the power of the vision board! After I did this, I was at peace… for a while anyway…
Stay tuned next week for the conclusion of Dragonfly Dreams Vision Board Workshop Part II… and see the nightmare transform into a dream… along with plenty of beautiful visions from the class!
 Romance in Europe, Collage/Mixed Media, October 2010, 9x6 inches, by Jacinta Barroso It’s time for another student spotlight… this time from my Basic Collage workshop held in October. As a new instructor, it’s hard to know what to expect from students who are first time collagers (hey, I invented a new word!). Each time I brace myself hoping that the material I cover will be sufficient to imbue new students with enough knowledge and inspiration to get them going. After holding two such classes, I continue to be amazed by the creativity and courage of those creating their first collage pieces.
After visiting my Pieces of Me II exhibition, Jacinta Barroso, an Executive Assistant for a High Tech company, registered for my workshop in the hopes of re-igniting her artistic passion which had been dormant for some time… she was finally ready to get back into the groove of making art. In the past she had dabbled in painting and scrapbooking; I think this prior knowledge gave her the confidence to take on collaging. I’ll let Jacinta take over from here as she relays some thoughts about creating her mixed media collage “Romance in Europe”:
I started with a theme – travel. My layout ideas for this piece developed as I went along, intuitively choosing images and adding different layers and elements to my design. I created the collage using paint colours inspired by nature as well as layering pictures I selected from a travel magazine. The focal of my piece is a couple shown in a sweet embrace. I like the way the bright red of the woman’s jacket stands out against the painted yellow and green background of the work; these colours remind me of my favourite season – fall. The floral, geographic, cultural and architectural elements convey fond memories of my stay in Europe 4 years ago and my future hopes of travelling there again with my boyfriend, Mauricio. The geographic map of North America, Central and part of South America was added as a symbol of the countries of our birth. I was raised in Ottawa, Ontario in Canada while he was raised in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in Central America. The greatest challenge I faced creating this piece was deciding whether or not to add rubber stamping embellishments: a white ink rose (top, left) and a black romantic French cursive text (bottom, right) to it. I knew, by stamping on glossy magazine surfaces, that a slight slip of my hand might have ultimately ruined my collage! Once I made my fateful decision to do it, I knew that there was no turning back. Thankfully, it all worked out and I felt these added layers gave my collage the final intimate touches it needed. I love the way the piece’s bold colours evoke feelings of love while its images come together to form a feeling of romance and travel.
When I completed the collage, I was extremely content with how it looked. The colours, images and embellishments revealed all the emotions that I had hoped it would ultimately portray.
Congratulations to Jacinta for creating an amazing collage! I could hardly believe it was her first time collaging; she put this piece together in a mere two hours! Every step of the way I observed her taking small leaps of faith in herself and trusting her gut feeling until she arrived at this final stunning conclusion. I too love her choice of bright, bold colours and images as well as her ability to channel her personal experiences and love for travel into the piece – this is no small feat! I was so pleased to hear her boyfriend loved the collage as well. She has since framed it and placed it on her living room wall as a memento of their love – how romantic! (deep sigh) It was such a great privilege to help you begin to re-kindle your creative spirit, Jacinta. I look forward to seeing more of your collages and other artwork in the future!
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