Painting in Mid-Air: The Messiness of Letting Go

Painting in Mid-Air: The Messiness of Letting Go

"It is not possible to complete yourself without sorrow." ~ Hafiz Last April, I began an enormous and purposeful transition in my life. I left my long career in residential architecture to explore the direct experience of creativity, and its healing potential. I soon felt like my life was out of control, derailed and barreling [...]
Safe Place, Sacred Space

Safe Place, Sacred Space

“An artmaking space is a “mishkan” a portable sanctuary. Each artist working there is alone with her image and the message it brings as well as being in a subtle communion with others in the space. (…) The witness of others and our ability to struggle alongside them deepens our engagement in the process. Safety [...]
Process Art: Antidote to a Product Oriented World

Process Art: Antidote to a Product Oriented World

I recently found myself explaining to a fellow architect who is also a professional painter the difference between product-based painting and process painting. Articulating the difference helped me to understand how profoundly I have been trained to look to “the other” for approval, and how process painting gives me the chance to look inside, instead. [...]
Reclaiming Play Through Process Painting

Reclaiming Play Through Process Painting

I hadn't realized how much I needed to play, and my body and spirit jumped at the chance. My first sensation in a process painting workshop was the feeling of happy, engrossed play. I was in a crowded studio at Esalen, there were rows of vibrant color, brushes of various shapes and sizes, the medium [...]