joyouslybecoming

Roots and Wings

                                                                                                                                    Photo: Stacy de la Rosa

It's only been a week since returning from my road trip down to Big Sur, California, where I gathered with 20 soulful women at Esalen Institue for a Shamanic Painting workshop lead by the one and only Pixie Campbell. I have so much I want to share about my experience, so full of beauty and transformation, and I promise I will come back to it later this week in a follow up post.

❊

Roots: a base or support, an essential part or element; the basic core, a primary source; an origin, the condition of belonging to a particular place or people

 

"If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors.  All of them are alive in this moment.  Each is present in your body.  You are the continuation of each of these people."

--Thich Nhat Hanh

❊

Wings: to cause or enable to fly or speed swiftly along, to pass over or through, to carry or transport by or as if by flying

 This lovely creature sat on my fingers for a brief time, I marvel at the wings, the nicks and tears tell a story and makes them all the more endearing.

❊

Okay. I am beyond excited to announce this event, one very special to my heart. A teaching collaboration between four close friends, a dream hatched in a noodle house in Port Townsend a few years back, now manifesting into reality with the help of our friends (you know who you are, thank you for helping make this dream come true).

August 8 - 10, 2013

Layton, Utah

Three days of classes - one day with each instructor, Misty Mawn, Judy Wise, and Katie Kendrick, and an evening class with Stephanie Lee that includes dinner.

I told you it was pretty exciting! Go here to get all the juicy details! 

Oh Spring...I'm feeling your Green

I love this time of year, even with the high pollen counts. So many beginnings, everything is new.

I started my day with my favorite green smoothie:

almond milk

frozen bananna

frozen pineapple

1" chunk of chopped fresh ginger

a handful cilantro

two (gloved) handfulls of fresh nettles (or spinach or kale)

one juiced lime

a T of chia seeds.

Heaven, pure heaven in a glass. And it gives me energy that lasts until lunch.

And speaking of lunch, if you haven't tried kale flowers you MUST! they are so sweet and succulent, such a treat. I cut the flowers from some from my overwintered kale in the garden along with a little fresh parsley.  I will toss them with

these fresh broccoli, kale, and cilantro babies I thinned this morning from my starts. 

Thinning isn't my favorite thing although it must be done. Saying a prayer of gratitude to the cuttings and using them in salads when I can helps.

This time of year my studio doubles as a growing station for the new babies. It's a small inconvenience for the joy of starting my plants from seed and watching them grow, always such a thrill.

And I wanted to share with you a few of the photos taken from my recent South Carolina trip to visit my daughter, son-in-law, and 4 grandkids. The scenery is stunning, so very different than here in the PNW.

We glided through these waters in a canoe; I'd never seen an alligator in it's natural habitat before.

The scenery was magnificent any direction I looked...

I've got lots going on in the studio right now, samples for a *top secret* project and paintings in progress. I have a deep appreciation for all the variety in my schedule and the diversity in my life. I hope you are feeling the Gratitude and the Green too!

 

 

*Big News* Additional Session Added for San Miguel Mexico Workshop

Due to the astounding response we got to our Pilgrimage in Paint workshop, we have added an additional session (I'm so excited about this I'm jumping up and down in my seat as I write this!).

We will be offering the very same workshop

on October 16 - 24, 2013

in beautiful San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

one of the most colorful

and full of life places I have ever been

steeped in history, art and craft, and religion

the perfect venue to create art, share delicious meals, and wander the cobblestone streets with friends, old and new

the magic and majesty of the place transcends words and can only be experienced

Judy, Stephanie, Rebecca, and I would love to share this adventure with you.. 

Join us?

a pilgrimage in paint oct. 16 - 24, 2013

Pilgrimage in Paint

three treasured artists

three visions

a holy trinity of creativity

 

a week to reside in a

charming cloistered setting

just a few blocks from the jardin.

camaraderie, delicious meals, an art room available round the clock,

inspiring days in the studio with the incomparable

judy wise , stephanie lee and katie kendrick

tucking us safely under their wings

and excursions into the always delightful 

san miguel de allende.

 

judy wise

* the art of seeing *

armed with journals, sketching tools, cameras and curiosity

we will step outside the courtyard and into the jardin,

the heart and pulse of san miguel.

judy will be our guide as we strengthen the lens of present moment seeing

capturing the world around us,

instilling ease and enjoyment in the powerful and reflective

art of drawing.

back in the art room judy will help us marry our renderings with 

a strong collection of her personal favorite techniques 

employing collage, acrylics, hot and cold wax, and mysterious layering.

connecting us to the world we inhabit through the ultimate joy of creating.

stephanie lee

* legacy in texture *

stephanie will guide us in the inquiry of texture and surface patterns

as we draw on the legacy of ancient and modern carpenters and abode builders of Mexico

to create the energy of San Miguel in plaster and wax.

we will look to light and shadow,

sky and vegetation, buildings and people,

to create studies in texture and color that we will finish

with luminous layers of wax.

with simple tools in hand,

we will create conversations in mark making within the layers of our mediums

to honor and represent all the layers of legacy that guide us

using some of our creations to create a tiled portfolio

to contain all our works from this beautiful week.

 

katie kendrick

* awakening inner visions *

katie will lead us on an interior journey within the contours of our hearts.

together we will explore our inner creative world

fueled by the inspiration of san miguel,

with a nod to the divine, 

creating a  retablo dedicated to the sacred feminine within us all.

with cardboard, acrylics, graphite, collage and love

katie will unleash our passion, awakening

our inner muse with wild abandon.

 

On our final class,

Judy, Katie, and Stephanie will converge to collaboratively guide us

through the final stages of completion of our works

as well as the construction of a painted pouch that,

up to that point, will have been a working surface that we will transform into

a narrative closing chapter to our shared pilgrimage in paint

judy, stephanie and katie

all wrapped up in the arms of exotic san miguel!

 

 

Katie Kendrick lives along the banks of the Tahuya River in western Washington, surrounded by the Tahuya State Forest. The peaceful beauty of the nature that surrounds her is a constant source of inspiration and nourishment for her creative spirit. She finds art making to be one of the most powerful ways to connect with her innermost essence, while at the same time discovering her authentic voice. She enjoys the experimental and intuitive layers of creating, where she can explore inner and outer worlds simultaneously. She has a passion for sharing her love of creating with others, and teaches mixed media workshops across the U.S. Her work has been featured in several books and magazines and her book, “Layered Impressions: A Mixed-Media Approach to Painting and Poetry”, was released in 2012. You can learn more about her and her work atwww.joyouslybecoming.typepad.com

 

 

Judy Wise is an Oregon artist who has worked as a printmaker and painter for nearly three decades and has kept daily journals of her writing and art since childhood. She is a painter, printmaker and mixed media artist who teaches creativity workshops across the United States and abroad. As a passionate lover of all things artful her greatest joy is helping others find their unique place in world of creativity enjoying a deeper experience of life through art, connection to others and spirituality. You can find her

in a variety of mixed-media books including Taking Flight, Creative Time and Space, Embracing Encaustic, 1000 Journal Pages, and Interactive Art Workshop, and Plaster Workshop which she co-authored with Stephanie Lee. but mostly you will find her in the hearts of countless others. You can find her  at  www.judywise.blogspot.com.

 

Howdy. I’m Stephanie Lee.

I am a professional artist, workshop instructor, and creativity encourager. I never let the comment “I’m not a creative person” be spoken without a bold yet gentle inquiry. I know that creativity shows up with more color variations than a Rubik’s Cube and my job (and joy) is to help you find yours.

I thrive on digging for truth, dancing in the answers, and making art that embodies all of that. I bring all that I am - homesteader, food preserver, speaker, wife & mom, loyal friend, and master mess-maker to the classrooms where I teach, both brick + mortar and virtual. I take the lead long and strong enough to give you what you need to take off and run on your own bringing all that you are to your own beautifully creative life.

Having taught sold out workshops all over the United States and internationally, I’m often humbled and inspired by the power of collective creative energy and support and am here to pay that forward. On my less-messy days, I stand in front of audiences creating art with my words, to bring each listener into a place of solid, fiery confidence in their own creative adventures.

You can learn more about me on my blog as well as glean some new skills from my books “Semiprecious Salvage” (Northlight Books, 2008) – an adventure in making found object jewelry, and "Plaster Studio" (Northlight Books, 2011 – co-authored with Judy Wise).  visit me at  semiprecious salvage

***********************

 

San Miguel de Allende

High in the Sierra Madre Mountains in the state of Guanajuato

waits the 400 year old colonial town of San Miguel de Allende.

Rich tradition, exotic colors, enticing aromas,

where the old and contemporary converge in a rich offering of art, culture and charm.

San Miguel sits on a hillside,

with inspiring vistas and glorious architecture.

Declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site,

San Miguel de Allende is a bustling colonial community with a perfect climate and elevation of 6,300 ft.

 Visitors are greeted with blooming flowers,

fresh air, blue skies, cobblestone streets, rich colonial architecture,

gourmet restaurants and an experience to savor forever.

Rebecca will be your hostess for

Pilgrimage in Paint

oct. 16 - 24, 2013

 

this workshop includes

welcoming party, eight nights accommodation, delicious breakfast and lunch as a family each day,

group transport from Leon, Guanjuato to San Miguel

and transport back to airport at the end of our retreat,

group adventures, most art supplies, and the inspiration of a lifetime.

room for 12

 please email Rebecca for more details and to join us at:

recuerda_mi_corazon"at"yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

come away with me

Come away with me...

a pilgrimage in paint oct. 26-nov. 3, 2013

Pilgrimage in Paint

three treasured artists

three visions

a holy trinity of creativity

 

san miguel de allende

october 26 - november 3 2013

 

a week to reside in a

charming cloistered setting

just a few blocks from the jardin.

camaraderie, delicious meals, an art room available round the clock,

inspiring days in the studio with the incomparable

judy wise , stephanie lee and katie kendrick

tucking us safely under their wings

and excursions into the always delightful 

san miguel de allende.

 

judy wise

the art of seeing

armed with journals, sketching tools, cameras and curiosity

we will step outside the courtyard and into the jardin,

the heart and pulse of san miguel.

judy will be our guide as we strengthen the lens of present moment seeing

capturing the world around us,

instilling ease and enjoyment in the powerful and reflective

art of drawing.

back in the art room judy will help us marry our renderings with 

a strong collection of her personal favorite techniques 

employing collage, acrylics, hot and cold wax, and mysterious layering.

connecting us to the world we inhabit through the ultimate joy of creating.

stephanie lee

legacy in texture

stephanie will guide us in the inquiry of texture and surface patterns

as we draw on the legacy of ancient and modern carpenters and abode builders of Mexico

to create the energy of San Miguel in plaster and wax.

we will look to light and shadow,

sky and vegetation, buildings and people,

to create studies in texture and color that we will finish

with luminous layers of wax.

with simple tools in hand,

we will create conversations in mark making within the layers of our mediums

to honor and represent all the layers of legacy that guide us

using some of our creations to create a tiled portfolio

to contain all our works from this beautiful week.

 

katie kendrick

awakening inner visions

katie will lead us on an interior journey within the contours of our hearts.

together we will explore our inner creative world

fueled by the inspiration of san miguel,

with a nod to the divine, 

creating a  retablo dedicated to the sacred feminine within us all.

with cardboard, acrylics, graphite, collage and love

katie will unleash our passion, awakening

our inner muse with wild abandon.

 

On our final class,

Judy, Katie, and Stephanie will converge to collaboratively guide us

through the final stages of completion of our works

as well as the construction of a painted pouch that,

up to that point, will have been a working surface that we will transform into

a narrative closing chapter to our shared pilgrimage in paint

judy, stephanie and katie

all wrapped up in the arms of exotic san miguel!

 

 

Katie Kendrick lives along the banks of the Tahuya River in western Washington, surrounded by the Tahuya State Forest. The peaceful beauty of the nature that surrounds her is a constant source of inspiration and nourishment for her creative spirit. She finds art making to be one of the most powerful ways to connect with her innermost essence, while at the same time discovering her authentic voice. She enjoys the experimental and intuitive layers of creating, where she can explore inner and outer worlds simultaneously. She has a passion for sharing her love of creating with others, and teaches mixed media workshops across the U.S. Her work has been featured in several books and magazines and her book, “Layered Impressions: A Mixed-Media Approach to Painting and Poetry”, was released in 2012. You can learn more about her and her work atwww.joyouslybecoming.typepad.com

 

 

Judy Wise is an Oregon artist who has worked as a printmaker and painter for nearly three decades and has kept daily journals of her writing and art since childhood. She is a painter, printmaker and mixed media artist who teaches creativity workshops across the United States and abroad. As a passionate lover of all things artful her greatest joy is helping others find their unique place in world of creativity enjoying a deeper experience of life through art, connection to others and spirituality. You can find her

in a variety of mixed-media books including Taking Flight, Creative Time and Space, Embracing Encaustic, 1000 Journal Pages, and Interactive Art Workshop, and Plaster Workshop which she co-authored with Stephanie Lee. but mostly you will find her in the hearts of countless others. You can find her  at  www.judywise.blogspot.com.

 

Howdy. I’m Stephanie Lee.

I am a professional artist, workshop instructor, and creativity encourager. I never let the comment “I’m not a creative person” be spoken without a bold yet gentle inquiry. I know that creativity shows up with more color variations than a Rubik’s Cube and my job (and joy) is to help you find yours.

I thrive on digging for truth, dancing in the answers, and making art that embodies all of that. I bring all that I am - homesteader, food preserver, speaker, wife & mom, loyal friend, and master mess-maker to the classrooms where I teach, both brick + mortar and virtual. I take the lead long and strong enough to give you what you need to take off and run on your own bringing all that you are to your own beautifully creative life.

Having taught sold out workshops all over the United States and internationally, I’m often humbled and inspired by the power of collective creative energy and support and am here to pay that forward. On my less-messy days, I stand in front of audiences creating art with my words, to bring each listener into a place of solid, fiery confidence in their own creative adventures.

You can learn more about me on my blog as well as glean some new skills from my books “Semiprecious Salvage” (Northlight Books, 2008) – an adventure in making found object jewelry, and "Plaster Studio" (Northlight Books, 2011 – co-authored with Judy Wise).  visit me at  semiprecious salvage

***********************

 

San Miguel de Allende

High in the Sierra Madre Mountains in the state of Guanajuato

waits the 400 year old colonial town of San Miguel de Allende.

Rich tradition, exotic colors, enticing aromas,

where the old and contemporary converge in a rich offering of art, culture and charm.

San Miguel sits on a hillside,

with inspiring vistas and glorious architecture.

Declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site,

San Miguel de Allende is a bustling colonial community with a perfect climate and elevation of 6,300 ft.

 Visitors are greeted with blooming flowers,

fresh air, blue skies, cobblestone streets, rich colonial architecture,

gourmet restaurants and an experience to savor forever.

I am honored to be your hostess for

Pilgrimage in Paint

oct. 26-nov. 3. 2013

 

workshop includes

welcoming party, eight nights accommodation, delicious breakfast and lunch as a family each day,

group transport from Leon, Guanjuato to San Miguel

and transport back to airport at the end of our retreat,

group adventures, most art supplies, and the inspiration of a lifetime.

room for 10 

 

 please email for more details and to join us at

recuerda_mi_corazon"at"yahoo.com

con abrazos,

rebecca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Spring Equinox - 2013

Happy Spring Equinox - 2013

Feeling new shoots growing from my old growth, tender sprigs of transparency and community

I've enjoyed my many times more solitary adventures of the past year in the inner and outer realms and know that this year is one of sharing and integrating many of those experiences.

I've been quiet but I've been thinking about you...I was when I was here, parked in a carpet of fallen leaves.

I am so rested, restored, and fired up to travel and teach again now. My workshop at An Artful Journey this past month was absolutely amazing, the students creating a huge volume of work in those 3 days. More on future teaching dates coming soon...

A whole month has flown by

 

And really, if I would have brought my lap top computer with me to Colorado, I would have been posting more. I have some big news to share with you so I've borrowed my daughter's computer and am sitting in a little wifi coffee shop in Castle Rock called lostcoffee, sipping a half-caf soy latte...I know, so Pacific Northwest of me. You can take the girl out of coffee country but can't can't coffee country out of the girl.

 

So I'm sure you're wondering what I've been doing in Colorado for the past month. Well, waiting. Waiting for baby Hudson to be born. And while I was waiting, doing a lot of playing with a certain rambunctious two year old.

 

Cooking and baking and stocking the freezer for the near future when I'll be back in Washington and mom and dad will be learning how to fit a newborn into their already hectic schedule. 

Here he is again, the life of the party and the melter of his meemee's heart.

And finally, finally, his baby brother Hudson arrived on Saturday July 7th in his own good time, weight 8 lbs 6 oounces, heralded into the world by a chorus of booming thunder and flashing lightning causing his dad to think "Thor" might be his real name.

It was an honor to be a support person at the birth and I will forever marvel at the grace and strength his mother embodied as she brought him into the world. It was a difficult birth for her; he was big, had the cord wrapped around his neck and his shoulder was so big and lodged in the pelvic bone. But she did it, she pushed that boy out in only 12 minutes of pushing and birthed him naturally as was her strong desire.

 

 

 I can't tell you how proud I am of my youngest daughter, she was amazing. And watching Mick attend to her and the baby made my heart swell with love and gratitude - what a precious time this has been.

 

 

And my other big news is more of a reminder. Registration opens tomorrow, July 10th at 10:00 AM Pacific Time for my 3 day workshop " Nourishing the Creative Heart" at An Artful Journey.  I'm so excited to be going back again for what I know will be an adventure filled with artmaking and heart. I hope some of you will join me there!

I head back home on Saturday, bitter-sweet, and I look forward to catching up more with you here then. Until then...

riding in on spring's coattails

I'm almost in a state of disbelief - it's really been 4.5 months since my last post here? I'm truly riding in on spring's coattails, I almost missed the season here altogether, and I wouldn't have liked that, not one bit. 

I've actually written a couple of blog posts over the past few months and both of them were gobbled up by the icey fingers of my frozen computer, both when I was ever so near to pressing the "Publish" button. I admit it. I got discouraged and just let it go.

And the other part is I've been feeling kind of pulled into myself the past several months ... 

But as of late,  I'm feeling a bit more like this...

It's spring, and like the plants, the life-force is moving out my limbs now, towards friends and family and the sunshine when we get it, here in the pacific northwest.

I'll give you a few highlights from the past 4 months so I'm not leaving entire chapters out. Use your imagination to fill in the details.

I had a wonderful experience team teaching a 3 day workshop with Misty in Wisconsin at beautiful Valley Ridge Art Center. It was bittersweet though, knowing this was the last year Katherine would be offering retreats there.

And while I'm on the subject of teaching workshops, I want to let you know that the workshops are now up on the Artful Journey website. I am honored to be one of the 6 instructors sharing at this soulful all-inclusive retreat, my offering, "Nourishing the Creative Heart; Personal Expressions in Mixed Media" .

It will be my second time teaching here, and I can say from first hand experience it is one of the most enriching reatreats I've attended, set perfectly in the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains of California. If you're looking for some creative inspiration, some art tribe commradery, and a vacation to brighten the winter ho-hums, check out the offerings and consider joining us there. Registration opens on July 10th at 10:00 AM Pacific time; mark your calendars as classes do fill.

More big news... 

Our grandson Jackson is going to have a little brother any day now. I'm looking forward to attending Hudson's birth and being one of Marissa's support people as she aims for natural childbirth. This will make grandchild #6 - I feel so blessed and grateful for each one of our littles.

I've ressurected one of my past lives, once again selling vintage Japanese kimono fabric, except now I'm going to be selling bulk lots, five pound bundles, in my Etsy shop in the coming weeks. The two I put up on Friday sold that afternoon. I'll stock more the first part of July, after the grandbaby hub-bub has settled. 

Gosh, now that the pump is primed, I want to gush and just tell you everything...but I'll save my more for later. Soon. 

The expressions of water

The dogs and I were happy to have the sun shining down on our morning walk.

I wore my brand spankin new pair of boots I bought at the hardware store in Belfair yesterday - when I saw them (they only had 2 pairs left) I couldn't believe one of the pairs was my just my size!

Which way to go first?

The dogs never struggle with decisions; making them has always been the monkey on my back, but then it's to be expected as I am a Libra.

The morning light was tinged with steam rising across the field. This big root ball belongs to our beloved Maple, the bank gave way in high water. That's how it is living on the river - constant lessons in the nature of impermanence.

The clothesline sags under the weight of invisible laundry.

By day, I am busy working on the presentation I'll be giving next week in Seattle at Search for Meaning Book Festival, The topic I've chosen to speak about is "Painting as Poetry; Self Discovery in the Dynamic Flow". I'm pondering times I'm in the flow and times I'm not, and the many ways that I find my way back.

How do you find your way back when you've lost your creative way?

I recently learned that one of my favorite poets, David Whyte, will also be presenting at the festival and I'm overjoyed that he's speaking at a different time slot than I am so I can hear him.

I leave you now with one of his poems,

What to Remember When Waking

In that first hardly noticed moment in which you wake,
coming back to this life from the other
more secret, moveable and frighteningly honest world
where everything began,
there is a small opening into the new day
which closes the moment you begin your plans.

What you can plan is too small for you to live.
What you can live wholeheartedly will make plans enough
for the vitality hidden in your sleep.

To be human is to become visible
while carrying what is hidden as a gift to others.
To remember the other world in this world
is to live in your true inheritance.

You are not a troubled guest on this earth,
you are not an accident amidst other accidents
you were invited from another and greater night
than the one from which you have just emerged.

Now, looking through the slanting light of the morning window
toward the mountain presence of everything that can be
what urgency calls you to your one love?
What shape waits in the seed of you
to grow and spread its branches
against a future sky?

Is it waiting in the fertile sea?
In the trees beyond the house?
In the life you can imagine for yourself?
In the open and lovely white page on the writing desk?

 

Book Drawing Results

The winning numbers from the random number generator are 11 and 36; winners are Lorie, comment #11, and Edie, comment #36. Please email me with your mailing address and I will send you out your books.

This is how it looks out my front door today but the camera isn't picking up the crusty layer of ice on top of everything. Yesterday we had a Snow Storm Warning and today it's an Ice Storm Warning and the governor declared a State of Emergency for the whole state of WA. Half way through this post we lost power but it's back on now,  we are grateful as thousands are without power or heat.

It's definitely soup weather, I made a tasty pot of it and thought I'd share it with you. Ingredients are approximate - add more or less according to your preference.

Split Pea Soup 

a pound of green split peas

2  1/2 quarts of water

4 bay leaves

1 cup white wine + 1 cup vegie stock

2 cups onion

2 large cloves garlic

1 1/2 T dried thyme

1 t dried rosemary

freshly ground pepper

3 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped red bell pepper

fresh chopped parsley

2 tsp Italian Seasoning or basil

dash cayenne pepper

sea salt to taste

Cook the split peas in water with bay leaves. While peas are cooking, saute onions and garlic in wine until transparent. Add the broth, spices, carrots, and celery and continue cooking until vegies almost tender then add peppers and cook a few more minutes. When the split peas are done, add the veggie mixture to the pot. Laddle out about half the mixture and puree in blender or food processer. Add it back to the pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.

I spent three days and nights on the Oregon coast with dear friends (made it home just in the nick or time too, before the big storm hit here). There were sunbreaks to play in the sand or walk along the beach.

 

One morning we woke up to the beach covered with snow (a precursor of things to come); this was the amazing view from our deck.

 

We shared tea and a delicious lunch in town one of those days - the menu had gourmet vegan options which made Judy and I jump for joy!

We played with paint, did some collaborating, but in the end we mostly worked on individual projects.

"Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love". -- Rumi

I feel like I broke through some painting inhibitions and insecurities that had been haunting me of late. The magic circulating in the field of kindred artists, whether drinking tea and talking, or creating art, cannot be underestimated - I highly recommend it!

I brought that inspiration home and have a 36" x 36" canvas prepped and textured with linen and molding paste, ready...waiting. I love beginnings.

Namaste.

 

 

Book Giveaway and Upcoming Teaching Events

In celebration of my newly released book, Layered Impressions, I'm giving away two copies. I will draw two names using random generator next Thursday at noon.To enter the random drawing all you have to do is leave a comment on this post, sharing one (or more) thing(s) you feel grateful for. I know reading all these gratitude comments will put a smile in the heart of everyone who reads them, so come on, share the love! 

And tadaaaaa - I'm excited to have co-created a 3 day workshop entitled Sacred Play with my dear friend and talented artist Misty Mawn happening at Valley Ridge Art Studio this coming May. We're moving outside the box to include activities that expand consciousness, provide grounding, and invite intimacy to heighten the experience we'll be sharing together as we create in the studio.

Valley Ridge Art Studio is one of my very favorite venues to teach at, located in the heart of rural Wisconsin, surrounded by nature and green, green, green. Katherine, our hostess, thinks of absolutely everything to make this an experience you'll forever cherish.  Registration opens this Saturday the 14th, at 9:00 AM, CST. Spaces are limited and classes fill quickly.

My other big news, something I haven't yet shared here on the blog, is that I've been invited to be one of the 40 authors presenting at the Search for Meaning Book Festival put on by Seattle Universtiy. I can't begin to express how honored and grateful I am for the opportunity to share and learn from others who are also searching for meaning. The line-up of authors is steller and the reserve tickets are free. It just so happens that the key note speaker (one of two) happens to be one of my most favorite-in-the-world poets, pulitzer prize winning poet Mary Oliver!!!

If you're in the Puget sound area what a better way to spend a Saturday? All the authors will be doing book signings as well, I'm so excited for the adventure.

And to top off a post filled to the brim with goodness, I'm on my way to the Oregon coast in the morning, to share a long weekend with some dear friends. You can be sure there will be painting involved; I'll make sure and snap a few photos to share later. Until then.

 Namaste.