Latest Treasure 4" x 6"

It was my friend Billy Goats birthday celebration last Saturday. I was so happy to give her this little treasure. This what she had to say "Thanks so much for my beautiful painting, it is sitting beside my vase of bamboo and matches perfectly! The back of it is so lovely too! It's my favorite Lisa painting of all time. I really love that it sits so I don't have to hang if on the wall and you can see the gold thread on the back. Ronnie was saying how beautiful it is this morning too."

I am also liking the idea of mini artworks. I will start creating a new series of small treasures

Please Help the Moon Bear

Help the Moon Bears Moon Bear Rescue
In countries across Asia, thousands of bears live a life of torture on bear farms, so that their bile can be extracted and used in traditional medicine to cure ailments ranging from headaches to haemorrhoids. Bears are confined in cages which vary from agonisingly tiny "crush" cages to larger pens, all of which cause terrible physical and mental suffering.

My character Kitty Bliss is going to help the Moon Bears. I recently heard about these poor guys and how they are tortured. Kitty Bliss says "Humans please start evolving as fast as your technology." This is one of my Moon Bear characters. Please bring awareness to everyone you know about this horrid situation for these,beautiful,feeling and amazing beings.

Endings mean Beginnings Right?

Stream of Consciousness...
Today I awoke at 4:00 am. I have been feel down lately. I guess it all the stuff pending. My mind is kind of racing as I will be transitioning to the unknown in Los Angeles in mid October. Endings mean beginnings. Right?

In two weeks my work at LCC will end. I have been their over four years and I created an amazing transformative art program. Many kids were really healed from my combination of art therapy and cultural validation. Through the developement of safe container that I created in my art room and through the public exhibition of their(my kids) amazing art work.

Not sure if anyone will replace me as I gave the admin over two months to find someone. And I posted the job opening on AC chat and I know several people are really interested in taking this position. Time to let go.

Today as I was feeling low-one of the therapist Nancy said their will be a vast black hole in the milieu when you leave. She really complemented my WORK and all that I did for the kids. Need to embraces this. Stop the pity thang...

The image I call "Getting it Right". As I was taking this photo experimentally. Life does not have to be linear- A does not always have to proceed B. I love to break out of the box. That is what creativity is all about.

This might be my lesson. The next step for me is to break out of my self imposed box of limited beliefs and identity. I can become a supremely successful transformative artist and teacher. Better yet I am one!

Tony Robins would say Aay!

Alchemy Project -Prima Materia

Alchemy and its Process

As I am preparing to transition to LA I have begun another Alchemy process series. My first was instigated from a class that I was taking in graduate school called Alchemy with Mary Webster. In this project I came face to face to work with my social phobia.

There are seven steps in Alchemy.

The Transformative Processes

There are seven steps in the transformative processes, both for physical Alchemy as well as spiritual Alchemy. Here is a brief list of the 7 Steps of the Emerald formula.

1. Calcination 2. Dissolution 3. Separation 4. Conjunction 5. Fermentation 6. Distillation 7. Coagulation

The beginning art process is to create something the symbolizes ones Prima Materia (Prima Materia is, according to alchemists, the alleged primitive formless base of all matter, given particular manifestation through the influence of form) the issue that you wish to transform.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prima_materia

The image on the left is my Prima Materia in 2006 i.e Social Phobia. This was a very painful confrontation, the gift that it brought me was healing and over five years of Jungian Therapy.

The image on the top right is my Prima Materia in 2010. I will be completing the project on October 1st and we shall see what transpires. The issue at hand is what is stopping me from becoming a successful artist.

As I look and reflect on this piece questions come to mind.

What has tied me up?
The good news is gold exists right at the beginning of this process. It is not as sticky and painful as my social phobia materia.
Others first:

I find that one of my tools for procrastination is putting others first in my artistic promotion.

I will spend hours promoting others and little on myself.

What do I fear? Do I fear success? Do I fear total validation? Do I fear failure? Do I fear judgement and rejection? Can I live my dream of becoming a full time artist and opening a healing art studio. Do I have what it takes?

OK let the process begin.

The next experiment and post is Calcination (Heat)
Calcination is the first of the seven major operations in the Alchemy of Transformation.

Chemically, the Calcination process involves heating a substance in a crucible or over an open flame until it is reduced to ashes. In the Arcanum Experiment, Calcination is represented by Sulfuric Acid, which the alchemist made from a naturally occurring substance called Vitriol. Sulfuric Acid is a powerful corrosive that eats away flesh and reacts with all metals except Gold.

Psychologically, this is a destruction of ego and our attachment to material possessions. Calcination is usually a natural humbling process as we are gradually assaulted and overcome by the trials and tribulations of life, though it can be a deliberate surrender of our inherent hubris gained through a variety of spiritual disciplines that ignite the fire of introspection and self-evaluation.

Psychologically, the Fire of Calcination can be experienced as the metabolic discipline or aerobic activity that tunes the body, burning off excess from overindulgence and producing a lean, mean, fighting machine. Calcination begins in the Base or Lead Chakra at the Sacrel Cup at the Base of the Spine.

On the Planetary level, it is the Fire of Creation, the formation of a liveable environment from molten matter and volcanic ashes. http://mystic-grove.com.au/ost/seven.html

Zing Inspiration.."B" art cars!!

Every other Thursday for the last five years I have made my journey into San Francisco to see my Jungian Shrink, Raymond. It has been an alchemical experience as I brought into this rented space (which is so weird in a way-to pay for counsel) my prima matria--one of my greatest, an one of my most paralysing limited beliefs about myself--fear. self loathing. and social phobia.

Over the years I have done some hard work to dissolve and transform my social scared stuff.

This Thursday as Don and I got on the BART car their was something different. Two people were lurking around asking people to sign something. Bam..instinctively my social phobic self put up a shield and internally I rolled my eyes as I was thinking now what do they want. On closer inspection their were actually passing out a survey. BART wanted to here our voice. I felt pretty empowered as I rated BARTs service. At the end the asked how could BART be improved. As most of you know my life is Art and I believe it is really elemental in our society. And it should be raised above to the ranks of advertising. Which floods every aspect of our daily lives.All to brainwash us to consume, so that we can have an economy. Back to voice. I was like BART needs Art!! Zing I was inspired--when I get inspired I get really hyper and I imagined BART art cars everywhere. Then as Don and I transferring lines. I saw that BART has ART in it already. Then I started think "B" ART cars.

Just think how this would transform the commuters experience. Art is Moving really moving. Art Therapy in public transit. How cool would that be!!!! I am very inspired and I want to write proposal to submit to BART. It will be another aspect of the ARTcart. We could artists create installations in cars and artists could be facilitating art making with the bored commuters.

http://www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection/pubart-press-releases/2010/07/30/central-subway-public-art-program-winners-announced/

http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/02/art-on-track-invades-chicagos-elevated-trains-this-weekend/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paper-magazine/artists-have-a-home-in-ea_b_673712.html

Words for the Amazing Artists I Teach!

Today we had are art reception for my ART students. Everyone was really shy about the recognition. Except a few! What does art mean to you? Jose the creator of Hope the picture above was eloquent about his vision of becoming a professional artist.

Congratulations!!

This is a happy art day.

I want you to realize how amazing this is….and how

PRICELESS THIS EXPERIENCE IS! We are acknowledging and recognizing you! your creativity and imagination!

“Imagination is more important than knowledge-“- Einstein

Meaning

· That your art is powerful and moving

· That your imagination and creativity is priceless

· ART IS A LIFE SKILL THAT YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU WHERE EVER YOU GO

· Your personal story has been told through your art

Connection

· with countless amounts of people who saw your ART in public

· They were very moved by your individual work

· The people that collected/bought your work were so touched that they had brought it to be in their lives

Success

· There is over 75 million children in the USA and

there is no other school in the United States that has a program like this! Where they actually sell you work

· Very few talented artists in this world ever sell their work

· One of the most successful artists/famous Vangogh never sold a painting while he was alive. His latest work sold auction for 82 MILLION

· Your are all super successful

Congratulations!!! On your PRICELESS SUCCESS!!!

Through your ART!

‘Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist once he grows up.’ Pablo Picasso.

Lastest Tree Shrine and a Reflection

I think all artists are obsessed with placement. Creativity is about placement. Meaning placement of intentions and objects to create a new. Every brush stroke that a painter paints is about placement. And this can be totally impulsive, intuitive, unconscious or thought out. Our obsession with placement brings about a vibrational quality within our work. I think as artist we also validate and embrace successful placement. As I write this I am on my hammock in my garden. I am surrounded by the glory of nature. What captures my attention is the marvel of the small spider and its perfection of placement.



The decayed sculpture is what is left from my undergraduate final which was in 2003.
I love how it has weathered. Today I created a natural tree shrine. I was driven to circle the trunk of the tree with flowers. When I completed I found this antler and thought it looked amazing next to my decaying sculpture.



It is all about placement!