Sunday, July 13, 2008

Wishing Tree
















My third tree shrine was also collaboration with children at Lincoln Child Center, Oakland. LCC is a mental health agency for traumatized and abused children, where I teach transformational art. My vision for this artwork was to create a solar wishing tree shrine.
The tree that we choose was a neglected olive tree, located on a small island of dirt surrounded by cement. Jasmine, my student and I poured beautiful pigments and contrasting hues to activate the energy in the concentric circles at the base of the tree. Then we tore Sari cloth into ribbons and asked the other children to make wishes as they tied it to the tree. It was quite magical as the children intuitively asked permission from the tree and made wishes for world peace, to go home, not to be restrained anymore and so on. It so was enchanting when little Sara animatedly bowed down to the tree like Buddhist monk. The wind blew through the tree with the simplicity and the majesty of Tibetan prayer flags.
In months later I had numerous enchanted students running up to me telling their wishing did come true!!

2 comments:

Bula said...

I have been recommending a book called "My Stroke of Insight - a Brain Scientist's Personal Journey" by Jill Bolte Taylor and also a TEDTalk Dr. Taylor gave on the TED dot com site. And you don't have to take my word for it - Dr. Taylor was named Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People, the New York Times wrote about her and her book is a NYTimes Bestseller), and Oprah did not 4 interviews with her.

Lisa Rasmussen M.F.A. said...

Hello Bula:
I love that TED talk with Dr. Taylor!! I love TED. i also had to share that talk with all my friends. I would be interested in getting the book.
Thanks!