Next Alchemy Art Experiment

My next Alchemy Art Experiment is Dissolution or Releasing the Power of Emotions
Dissolution is the process of dissolving in water the ashes left over from calcination. While calcination works on mind and ego to destroy illusions, dissolution works on the heart to release buried and repressed emotions. This surfacing of buried material allows new power to be accessed by the individual.

The process for this painting was I first mono printed my last Alchemy art experiment Calcination on the canvas. Because this experiment is all about dissolving or Dissolution I placed the canvas under my sprinkler in the garden for hours.After sometime I started painting on the canvas in an automatic abstract way. I left in dry in the garden overnight to the full moon

This art experiment has my dreams on fire....again all stream consciousness. Here a couple fragmented drea

ms.

Strange yellow eyes coming towards me--bug eyes. I was like what the hell is it. Perceptions could not id with this imagery. Such an unknown it was a half bug half man.

Dream my Mom (she passed away 14 years ago) was driving our car. It seemed like we were flying off into the water. Then we were going up a hill that was flooded. Then small room and a man in a wheel chair with blood coming from the back of his head. I turned him around and he had a huge deep gash on the side of his neck.

Dream of a monk who might have been the Beatles George Harrison. He told me that if I quiet myself the Dakini's are always there for me, protect me and wan

t me to give me want I need.

The amazing thing about this dream is the Dakinis are spiritual beings that eat our negative poisons.

Loving this process.... Love the holistic engagement. I am learning a lot and transforming. Onward to Separation my next art experiment.

Art Alchemy — Calcinatio:

My process is stream of consciousness: This is my second experiment. My prima materia is what is holding me back as an artist to rise to my greatest potential. This project is also of form of ritual/ a marker of my transition to LA. As I will moving there in seven weeks.


I found out from my first art work that I am tied up about some preconceived notions of what it means to be an artist in this world. My next experiment Calinatio-fire I for several nights burned seven candles on the top of the canvas. At one moment I used some iron oxide paint on the top the surface. I decided to bind the surface again as I still bound up by something that gets it my way. The next step was some automatic abstract painting. The amazing thing is my dreams have been on fire and I found myself really engaged within my holistic self--mind, body, and spirit. More reflection is needed. Currently, I am working on the next experiment DISSOLUTION.

Tradtionally
Calcinatio is considered the first of the alchemy procedures. It has to do with burning, subjecting the prima materia (basic material) to intense heat. The desired result is a burning away, a drying out, a process that drives away all alien substances leaving only the purest of substances, a whitened ash.

What this Means Psychologically
What this means psychologically is that through analysis the client is allowed to burn, metaphorically speaking, to become emotionally intense in a way that both dissolves and dissipates anything but the truth of the client’s psyche. Anger can often arouse the state of calcinatio and under controlled circumstances is a useful means of burning off the false and leaving the truth of an experience. With the calcinatio exerience what remains is the true psyche of the patient, released from all of its complexes, affects and distortions.

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