how do you experience listening to yourself?

 

life is a process, health is a process, art is a process. part of this process is listening to yourself in body and spirit. often the mind tempts us with a voice that offers doubt and insecurity. it is often hard for us to listen to our true self and set aside the critical voice that arises alongside the positive feelings.

for me, the sensation of trusting intuition is like a wave. i experience the self-judgment and identify it. then i choose to let it go, and enjoy the experience of listening to myself.

 

do you identify with this? if so, how? and what’s your experience?

things starting, ending and the symbolism of archways

there is something undeniably satisfying about the feeling, sound and sensation of a collage. the sound of many papers colliding. bending and twisting with different tensile strength. the crackle, the whisper. the one corner that always comes unglued.

david cho, postcard from japan and the arc of settling waves

my old journals are full of found images and scraps that i glued into the pages. when i look back at the old journals it reminds me of places and experiences, and secretly stashing magazine clippings or items i found on the ground. now i have instagram to capture images of odd experiences. here is a photo i took of a butterfly sticker stuck on a pole.

kid version of street art

recently, while sitting with a student and a pile of magazines i pulled out my own images for a collage failing to stick them down in the moment. i got home and didnt want to throw them away or save them so i decided to put them into my journal filling up a few pages.

do you notice a theme?

once pasted in, i noticed something they all had in common…. the arch of wood ceiling, the arched ancient passageway, a world of arched undersea walls and the waves hitting sand in an arch shape. do you see it?

i then had to wonder, what does an archway mean to me right now? why was i drawn to all of these images? why was i choosing this arch or arc shape?

i dont think this was coincidental as i was choosing images resonated with me and pondered starting 2013 and my last semester of gradschool. i am not going to elaborate too much here about the symbolism behind the arc shape. but i want to recognize and share with you that i believe it’s connected to me entering my last semester of graduate school as well as the independent study i created called “The Use of Expressive Arts in Health & Wellness Coaching and Programming”.

which brings me to the next topic….

as part of this independent study i will be posting weekly about my self exploration of the correlation between the arts and health. i look forward to sharing my explorations with you and as always, would love your  feed back or comments.

Smorgasborg

i learned the word smorgasborg one saturday mid day while my dad, brother and i were looking in the fridge for lunch. there was nothing in there to put together a cohesive meal, or perhaps my brother and i couldnt agree on what to eat. so we put out every delish leftover and morsel we had in the fridge. it made a lasting impression on me.

so i love the word smorgasborg. and it really seems to apply to my life right now.

i’ve been steeping in school work, family time and little jobs here and there. it’s been difficult for me to know what to post the last few weeks since my weeks haven’t really made space for long posts, big art pieces or much writing other than working on my thesis. i have been keeping a mini journal for a few of my classes and taking some photos here and there as well as loving a few soulful songs playing over and over.

so i thought- perfect. a smorgasborg of life. if you were to make a smorgasborg of your life of the last few weeks… what would it look like? when’s the last time you made a collage of images or words that describe how life has been? i invite you to make your own smorgasborg to share with friends or to keep as a memory.

here’s mine…. those of you who follow me on instagram may have seen some of these….

First up!

Ray Charles & Van Morrison Duet. Epic.

here are some photos i took from my brother’s vintage car on a beautiful sonoma  county fall day.

Old Adobe Road fields from the car

Frates and Adobe crossing. no filter. take with iphone 4s

Eva Cassidy singing one of my favorite songs EVER. her voice makes me feel like I’m flying.

here is a melding of four little images i made. they are all from a little journal i have been keeping about my Mindfull Meditation practice.

some little images from my journal

this image below, (source unknown) inspired the image above in the bottom right corner

that’s it for now. hope you enjoy these photographs, little images and songs. happy monday!

don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts, songs and images to tell the story of your life right now, you can post here or on facebook!

weddings ~ an avenue of artistry

Labor Day weekend ushers in the end of summer, bringing the new school year and a rush of weddings squeezed into the last warm, vacation
plenty days of the year.

my facebook feed is filled with photos of joyous bridesmaids, adorable children in formal wear, parties lit with strands of lights and young couples in love. it seems as if everyday there is a new engagement announcement or a wedding celebrated. all of the hullaballo around getting hitched reminds me of gowns, photographers, seating arrangements, planners and a whole slew of other things that have come to define these celebrations.

it is amazing how much creative energy goes into a couples special day. every little detail of a wedding is thought about. even people who don’t consider themselves to be creative stretch their imaginations and budgets to create an event to communicate a style, a taste, a feeling of two lives combining .

one of the most ubiquitous aspects of a wedding, are the flowers. the bouquets held by all bridal party members, the boutonnieres, the table centerpieces, flowers that line the isle ……. the flowers are often what you notice first when you walk into a ceremony or reception. and i would wager, it is one of the things remembered most at home in your undergarments thinking about what a fun was had and how beautiful everything was. but, i don’t know that many people think about how the flowers transform from flower and leaves on stems to mini-moveable-impermanent pieces of art. arranging flowers is an art. a true artists trade.

i had the pleasure of helping Daisy at Daisy Rose Floral Design to help prep for one of her larger weddings. here are some of the shots of the flowers, the little candle holders that transformed into mini vases, and of course her mascot Cooper (such a stunner).

all of these different bunches of flowers were turned into flower arrangements to create ambiance and add beauty to a wedding.  here are some images of the bouquets all done. (photo credit Michelle Walker Photography, wedding planner Melanie King of Dreamers and Heroes)

looks magical really.

how did creativity impact your wedding or your experience at a wedding?

thanks for reading!

all floral designs in this post are by Daisy Rose Floral Design.

gluten free galette

galette: a free-form crusty cake or a flat round cake often topped with fruit.

i think of galettes as a less fussy version of a tart. simple and elegantly rustic. this gluten free version is quick and just as delicious it’s gluten-ey sister.

i used Bob’s Biscuit & Baking Mix  to make the hand shaped crust for a few reasons. a) it’s highly trusted in the gluten free world. b) it’s easy to use and almost as easy to find in your neighborhood grocery store. i am sure you can find their products at online retailers as well. you can buy their products in bulk on their site but can’t purchase single bags, but i wanted to share a link to their site with you so can read more about them and their great products if you haven’t already.

the crust recipe listed here doesn’t deviate too much from the pie crust recipe on the package, just so you know- that i know- and i am not trying to take credit from the lovely folks at Bob’s Red Mill.

when making a crust (and most other baked goods) consistency is key. you want your crust to stick together without being too wet or too crumbly. a fine balance. making gluten free items that successfully do this is TRICKY! since there is no gluten, which aids in holding ingredients together. this recipe has successfully worked for me multiple times now and i plan on using it for the rest of eternity, or until i get sick of galettes. i love savory galettes as well, i would definitely use this recipe minus the sugar for savory galettes. (want a recipe for that? just holla at me and i will whip something together for your reading/viewing/tasting pleasure.)

for this recipe you can use your hands or a Cuisinart to make this dough i’ve done both- with great success.

ingredients:

2 cups + a bit more for sprinkling of Bob’s GF Biscuit & Baking Mix

1 stick cold unsalted butter (pasture raised preferred!)

1 teaspoon vanilla

6-8 tablespoons ice water

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar or coconut palm sugar

1 cup ground almonds (optional)

coconut milk ( i used canned)

2 cups neatly cut ripe fruit- my current favorite- peach strawberry (enough to fill the center of the dough)

some other combos you might try:

• plum raspberry
• apricot, straight up!
• berries galore

peaches sliced– these beauts are ready for dehydration. but they would look just as good in your crust!

directions:

preheat over to 425 degrees

grease a large baking sheet

if you are grinding your own almonds, do this first. i used raw vanilla infused almonds the first time i made this. heaven.

put mix and 1 tablespoon of sugar into a large bowl or your Cuisinart.

cut cold butter into small cubes, roughly 1/2 inch. add it to the bowl and start working it together by hand or with the dough attachment in your Cuisinart.

add the water little by little until the right consistency is achieved.  you should be able to touch the dough without your hands getting all sticky or it being too crumbly. if you are using a Cuisinart you will probably need to scrape down the sides and do the last bit by hand.

cover a hard surface with extra bit of mix  and roll out into a large circle. don’t worry about it being perfectly symmetrical. just make sure it’s all stuck together and has an even thickness- about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.

cover the center of the round with the ground almonds to make a base for the fruit. this adds a marzipan taste to the galette and also helps absorb some of the moisture from the fruit.

start layering on the fruit. the center of the fruit will be seen so if you want to get fussy about how the fruit it looks this is the part to do it on. leave between 2 – 4 inches around the edge for folding in depending how big you made your dough round.

once all the fruit is in the center start to gently pick up the side of the dough, folding it in, on top of the fruit and itself, patting it down slightly as you go making sure there are no cracks at the base where it folds over. if there are, smooth it out a bit by pushing the dough back together.

brush or spoon coconut milk the top. this will make it brown and crusty.

sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the top.

one of the galettes i made recently– unbaked.

put in the oven until browned. about 35 min.

another galette– baked up and browned.

serve warm or at room temperature with some fresh whipped cream

a few more notes–

galette dough is often made ahead of time and put in the fridge or freezer for easier rolling. you can do this too! make ahead of time and have it ready to whip this delish dessert together anytime you have fruit ready.

vegan/dairy free option- i haven’t tried using refrigerated or frozen coconut oil for this. but i am thinking it would work well if not handled too much. let me know if you try it.

rainbow of photos and the magic of apps

the camera features on phones astound me. i downloaded an app recently that is compatible with instragram and i was fiddling around with it today. i  stumbled upon one feature that pieces together different photos. i made one, and fell in love with what i could create. i havent been able to stop. i created a series of photographs made up of other photographs- creating blocks of color. when you look at these images, they are made up of many different colors but still communicate one color.  i am not sure how i feel about the cheezy frames but it will do for now.

enjoy! i would love your feedback!

reining in the speed of time

summer is flying by and time is filling up before it even happens. this weekend  i have been trying to slow down, to flutter around and enjoy everything. i spent time alone in a place i love so deeply and photographed one of the my favorite spots.

often when i travel i leave a camera behind.  i tend to get so caught up in taking pictures that i dont look at the experience as a whole but in little segments.  i always try to capture every last bit of what i am seeing but this is usually futile– things rarely look the same through a camera lens as they do in real life.

on the other hand- taking pictures forces me to slow down though. sit and look for the best angle. clicking away looking through a lens works to capture  images, moments, glimpses of experiences, and tethers time into an image.

here are some of the images from an afternoon of unhurried time.

the branches with they’re crickle crackle whisper, speak to each other

and the eucalyptus leaves fell

its easier to love myself when i love where i am standing

sometimes when we take that leap- it feels like we’re flying

tea sweetened smoothie…..oooh!

6 years ago as i sat waiting for a massage in a small kitchen in santa cruz in “sarah’s nest”.  sarah placed a deep brown fragrant cup of tea in my hands. suddenly the wonderful aroma of her little house made sense. i held my lips to the cups edge tasting the rich sweet liquid.  i was pulled back into my childhood body. on saturday afternoons where the grown ups drank tea while i ate gingerbread animals and cheddar cheese. my mom would let me sip on the tea.

Good Earth Sweet & Spicy original is a flavor of my childhood and a part of my present.

The other day I woke up and made myself a cup only to find myself on a 2 hour phone call. When I got off the phone it was cold and I was ready for a smoothie. i put my fruit, yogurt & greens powder into the blender. i then opened the refrigerator to see no milk (almond or cow!).  there was the cold, sweet flavorful tea on the counter. and so this recipe was born.

i love the taste of sweet smoothies but i like to cut out extra sugar where i can because it’s hidden in so many foods.

so i thought (read as lightbulb!) Good Earth Tea- perfect! it’s sweet on it’s own without sugar. so i added that cute little cup of cold tea to my smoothie as the liquid portion. here’s the recipe. ENJOY!

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) of water

1-2 Good Earth Tea Sweet & Spicy Original tea bag

1 cup greens (either baby spinach or fresh kale)

½ cup frozen unsweetened blueberries*

½ cup unsweetened peaches*

½-2/3 cup plain yogurt either greek or regular depending on desired consistency.

1-2 teaspoons greens powder (optional)

*use any of your favorite fruits. banana would be fabulous in this! there are so many  possibilities!

to make:

bring water to a boil and steep tea until the water is very dark.

set aside to cool (or make ahead of time- maybe even make good earth tea ice cubes)

put fruit, greens, yogurt, & greens powder into the blender

add about ½ the tea & start the blender

add more tea in increments until the desired consistency is achieved

sweet morning to all!

2 in1~ within opposites

there a few things i find myself not wanting to do this morning. one of them, is trying to explain something to readers that makes me feel vulnerable. but this is what the whole experience of blogging has really been about. feeling vulnerable, sharing my thoughts and simultaneously feeling empowered by the experience of sharing.

the contrast of vulnerability & empowerment is a perfect example of two opposites existing at once.

we each know the experience of having two emotions simultaneously, or loving someone who views the world in a way antithetical our own beliefs. another instance- to be in a relationship and still feel alone (or independent!)….. at this point i think you are starting to consider some examples of how contradictions exist in your life. how two elements, radically different, yet equal– still make sense together. somehow!

this is what today’s blog post is about –the tension of opposites.  the way we can hold two contradictory things as equal. finding a way to balance between the two opposites.

i used this concept as the premise of an art project i developed for a class final. my idea was to present a project allowing each individual to explore their personal understanding of the “tension of opposites”.  the instruction i gave was to “depict the tension of opposites in clay”.  they received this instruction only after the clay was in their hands. my thought was, this would reduce the logical thought that went into the shaping of the clay. my hope was that their first thoughts, their initial response (perhaps their unconscious?) would guide them in creating a representation. i wanted their depictions to evoke the experience of the tension of opposites from an emotional place  rather than from a more logical place.

this wasn’t an attempt to test a theory or hypothesis. instead, my interest lies in creating opportunities of artistic expressions that tap into the thoughts and trying to capture artistic representations of purely rational thought. here are the pieces that were made and a few photos i took that day as i photographed these mini sculptures.

i only had a short amount of time to photograph these sculptures after class.  i am loving how they capture the light and the shadows of this room. it makes the contrast seem more stark. i wish that the background was more consistent. hope you can see how other people interpreted this concept…. maybe you will want to make your own tension of opposites art piece.

mini painting & butterfly love

butterfly gaze

my love affair with butterflies has followed me around for as long as i can remember. and every morning in mexico i would look over the vast jungle from our porch on the 3rd floor watching all the various butterflies float and flap from tree to tree. huge black, brown, yellow & blue butterflies, who’s wings flapped slowly, rhythmically due to their enormity. small neon orange ones that were always in pairs, like they were playing tag. yellowish green ones blending into the trees and leaves hiding their flighty ways with their camouflage.

butterflies have continued to be on my mind…

i had this mini canvas sitting around and i knew i wanted to use it. i had painted it last time i had a lot of extra mixed paint laying around so it was ready to be used. i often start a new canvas or board even when i am in the middle of another project. it is so nice to have something that is ready for me to start the moment i have an idea to execute. i used a cut out image of the “blockhouse” and pasted it on the canvas. then i used water color to start blending the collage piece into the painting. then i used acrylic to finish up all other aspects of the piece.

blockhouse w/ butterflies (5x5in) collage, acrylic, and watercolor on canvas.

here are a few photos from this mosaic mural that i walk by sometimes.  i hadn’t looked at it very closely before. as i was finishing this last painting i realized it was also full of butterflies….. of course!

happy monday! hope you get to see a butterfly this week. and if i may have a wish for this blog and it’s future….. i wish for many more butterfly posts.