New Year Collage

I enjoy taking the time to reflect and think about the new year. Last year I made an intention stick; this year a collage.

I gathered with two friends who have been on retreat with me twice this past year. We came up with our idea of an "at home" retreat which proved very helpful in our individual journeys into creativity.

I have made collages many times.....alone and with groups. This gathering to create a new year collage fell on the final days of our second retreat. Together we focused on the year ahead as individuals yet the camaraterie made this time very special.

There are several major events ahead for me this year and I gave them some focus. But the magic of creating collages is that images that are selected may manifest or predict a future event. For example, I made a collage of skiing in the Alps because that is something I wanted to experience. A few years later, I visited Switzerland and randomly selected three ski areas to ski. When I returned home and looked at my collage......................ALL the images were from places I visited and skied. Even a spot where I ate lunch outdoors in the snowfield was in the collage!

So, here is my new year collage. Let the magic to happen.

Intention Stick

At the start of the new year, friends gathered for a potluck and to create intention sticks.

What is an intention stick?

These sticks are also known as prayer sticks or talking sticks, but the focus of an intention stick is to create a visual reminder, or fetish piece to bind to you, and the intention that you set, for your life or your future. What a great way to provide focus for the New Year.

All over the world, people make objects to hold and send their prayers. There are special ceremonies found in ancient cultures and practiced today, that involve the construction of ‘holders and senders’ of prayers from natural materials.

It is fun to create intention sticks with friends. Especially sharing food and materials as well as conversation.

How to make an intention stick:

1. Find a stick that you feel is special.

2. Write intentions for the year on a pieces of paper.

3. Wrap the paper intentions face down around the stick and cover the intentions with colorful yarn, ribbon, thread or other materials.

4. Embellish with beads, stones, other objects.

Here is my intention stick from different angles.....

Mandala Class

A small group of students signed up for the Mandala Class I teach at The Evergreen State College extended education program. Actually, small classes are fun and more intimate.

The other evening I brought the medium of craypas to explore and had the students create a mandala for an hour and fifteen minutes. They were amazed by the meditative quality of the process of creating a mandala. The students were open and able to gain insights into their art and their process.

"This is fun!" rang in unison when the class ended.

Usually I do not create art myself when I teach class as my tendency is to go off into my own creative world and neglect others. Feeling the desire to create a mandala, I asked the student's permission to join them.

I found myself enjoying the flowing shapes and tried to reframe from a blossom flower type image that appeared, but then I gave in to it. I have not decided if it is above ground growing or in water..........what is your feeling?



Growing