Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Dreamy, stormy dabbles at creativity...

Hi beautiful people..... OK, so I have to admit I am totally loving the blogging experience... Yesterday I got deliriously lost in blog surfing and reading some of the most wacky, silly, fun, uplifting, beautiful blogs by people out there. Yes, there was the occasional advertizement, a few I'm-a-really-angry-teenager/left-wing/right-wing person, and of course the few mandatory porn sites, but overall I was totally positively surprised at people's creativity, wit, and sense of humor about themselves. The thing that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside was the universal need to be heard and valued in this world. I know, I know, most of you have discovered this fact eons ago, but what can I say - I can be a painfully slow learner and a hopeless introvert sometimes. That seems to be shifting for me a bit these days though. This connecting with other people business for no other reason other than because you can is kind of enjoyable....... I really think that having this time off right now (thanks to my incredible, beautiful, supportive husband) is finally allowing me to detox a few years worth of compassion fatigue. It's not that I haven't had time off, because I have, but this is the first time (in possibly ever) that I am doing n-o-t-h-i-n-g other than sitting still with and by myself for any length of time. I love being a therapist, but it definitely has its dark side - and it can sneak up on you in a milli-second - just ask my husband who sometimes gets to witness the sobbing mess called his wife. So, this experience of blogging is turning out to be quite therapeutic. Go figure.

Well anyhoooooo, enough about that.



I promised to share with you some of my touch drawings in my earlier blog, so here goes... This is a mandala I created this morning.

I love this process! While I certainly would not feel comfortable calling myself an artist (instant images of gallery space and a funky art studio flash in my mind, not to mention actual artistic talent - and I claim to have none of the above) this is one of my favorite creative expressions. I have only recently even learned about it (thanks to my dear friend, aka. sister separated at birth, Tamara), so I am still very much in the learning/ experimenting phases, but there are sooooooooooo many things one can do with it! Basically, the process consists of rolling paint onto plexi or glass and then covering it with tissue paper while using one's fingers as paint brushes. They are usually done in quick progression, with no thought involved. The purpose is not so much to create an image of anything as it is to explore what happens if you just "let go". Actually, I've done most of mine to meditative music with my eyes closed. I've heard them be called soul prints as well because like the mandala, they reveal something deeper within us. The prints can then be mounted onto canvas, watercolor paper (or anything else!) and painted. They can be collaged together, used as background for other art.....the possibilities are as endless as your imagination. Sometimes just meditating on the images can reveal some new demensions within them, or within ourselves.



"My Inner Goddess" - I was exploring what the "wiser me" might look like.....



I seem to be about swirlies lately........



These two pieces were some of my first I ever did. I don't know why, but I just love them. They are already mounted on canvas and just waiting to be painted... but I am too chicken to touch them.



Finally, this is my loose-leaf visual journal covered with some touch drawings...

So there you go! Thanks for witnessing some of my creations. Have a grand day my dear blog friends.

Haera ra,
tia

6 comments:

Bobealia... said...

I LOVE the one you did this morning. So let me get this straight... these are on tissue paper? How do you mount them? What do you mean paint them? They look finished to me. The term artist... well, I will not go there will I today, but you are VERY creative. Are you an art therapist? If not, have you ever wanted to do that? My friend was a play therapist, but she could not make enough money, so now she's a teacher. Play therapy sounded great!
In myers briggs I test as the most introverted of the introverts, but most people think I am an extrovert (basically I pretend and then I go home exhausted). It is a fine balance for me. Part of me doesn't mind that my husband chose a career that keeps him away so much, because I need a lot of space to myself. I think that might be why I like blogging so much. I have a community, but I can be in my own home, comfy space at the same time. Sometimes I feel like I actually know people and I have to remind myself that i don't. Sort of sounds unhealthy, but it doesn't feel unhealthy. I still have real-life friends out there...
Anyway, I'm babbling. Must go make supper. Belly is babbling too.

Anonymous said...

One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make career wise was to not get my therapist's license. I became pregnant while in graduate school and I knew in my heart that being a therapist would invade my family like mold toxin - quiet and deadly. It definitely has it's darkside. It all worked out okay...I ended up becoming a college professor and now teach my students how to be therapists! I truly love your art work - I am still searching for that creative outlet.

keda said...

these are really beautuiful. hmmmm we need a roller!
i used to love making mono prints in college. but these just using touch is wonderful.

i am a physical therapist, but people hold so much of their emotion in their bodies and often people tell me all thier secrets/troubles duing massage so i can understand well, how exhausting that can be.

this time alone for you is great and you are making such good use of your time already!

its a pleasure to come by here. thank you again :)

Tia said...

Bobelia - yup, just plain ol' tissue paper... You use acrylic medium or thinned Sobo glue and thinly cover the canvas (or whatever you are mounting the drawing onto). You then lay the tissue paper on top and thinly glaze over it again. Ta-dah! It's ready to be painted. You can color-enhance the pieces by using pastels, color pencils, watercolor, acrylics, whatever...

Anonymous said...

Wow honey - you've really taken off with this blog thing - and nice to see you using the digital camera! I absolutely LOVE the top drawing, how cool! Keep it up. I'm glad you're getting something out of "nothing" by sitting still right now. I almost feel bad interrupting the process for our vacation next month! Did you know you glow with whatever you do?

WV: I love the yvangus angle on the touch drawing...

Stephen Newton said...

Really good seeing you again! And I'm awestruck with your touch drawings. Thanks for explaining the process, too. Yes, definitely more of that kind of thing!