A step in the graduate direction

This image is of a watercolor drawing from my journal during my brief stay in Kauai, Hawaii earlier this year. It's titled chicken and papayas.

Many wonderful and exciting things are happening in my artistic life. Some of which have been several months in the making such as getting ready for graduate school! I will be attending Marylhurst University to pursue a degree in M.A Art Therapy Counseling. I’m so excited! I applied for and received a Miller Foundation Art Therapy Scholarship so that has put a bit of wind beneath my wings. Encouragement is always welcome.

I’ll be leaving the security of my 9-5 at PAM but I’m ready to take this next step in my professional development. My tenure at the museum these last three years has taught me lessons in patience, flexibility, altruism, and above all always bring the beauty of art into my everyday life.

Eventually with parental/ guardian consent I will be posting pictures from my internship with the special patient population in Aloha. In the mean time, I’m going to finish up here at work and go out and see some first Thursday openings.

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Art card swap #2

I recently participated in my first art therapy-artist trading card swap. I was once again gently reminded by this activity of the awesome power of making spontaneous art. Truly art gives us what we need to survive emotionally and spiritually. Despite being a dedicated studio artist I feel that I’m often asleep to what I really need inside. Yet this simple and meaningful task reminded me of what I do best which is to create from within. Am happy with how my cards turned out and I am a bit surprised at how peaceful they look. The themes that emerged within my cards are those that seem to have stuck with me during my graduate training thus far which are keeping a drawing journal, breathing, listening, and observing. The guiding theme for the artist trading card swap was collage unleashed so I brought it back to some old school fun by scanning three dimensional objects ( including my face), collaged items, packing tape, text in black ball point pen, and of course some iridescent fabric...

A great escape with watercolors

This summer I drew in watercolors during a quick trip out of the city with a fellow art therapy student and published poet Paula. She and I went out east toward the Colombia Gorge and observed the lay of land from a hill top at the Women’s Forum. This impromptu art happening gave me a fresh look making art out in the open, out in nature, away from the consumerism that can be the livelihood or bane of any artist. There we had time to take note of the timeless beauty intrinsic to this Pacific Northwest region. We found ourselves a sunny spot and were fortunate to meet members of the Portland Plein Air Society. They painted painterly landscapes in oils on French easels whilst Paula and I gave it a go with watercolors, sepia ink pens, and charcoal on scrap paper from a print exchange. The paper is Arches watercolor paper and is 4.5” x 20”. A panoramic landscape seemed to be just right for these left over bits of paper. Armed with a big sunhat, a water bottle, and an anxiety free disp...

Cardboard butterflies

At last the art swap cards are here! My cards arrived and I am mighty pleased with these lovely miniature works in my hot little hands. Check them out! At artists from top left to right are as follows: Stephanie Aliberti (NY); Melanie Glassey (PA); Diane Menna (NY); and Poppy Terris (FL). What really strikes me is how well these small works read. The compositions are unique, visually appealing, and have their own symbolic narrative. Now that I have my cards I realize I made mine smaller in width. It is time to invest in a ruler and not use the measuring tape for paper projects. Oh, no! Another trip to the art supply store, best buy required textbooks for this term first! I feel lucky to have stumbled this opportunity to participate in a community building project. Thanks again to the organizer Melanie Glassey and to all you hard working creative folks who participated in the Art Therapy Alliance 2nd ATC swap.

Musings of an Artful Mind

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