Refreshment ~ A Shared Workshop

Months in the planning, another Ashland Art Center Artist, Yelena Joy and I have created a tandem-taught Journaling Workshop. "Self Discovery Through Journaling" at the tucked away jewel of Hidden Springs, was a one day affair and did some deep and refreshing work.

We arrived early to set up the beautifully coral colored room. We have ample room and tables enough for samples of both Yelena's and my journals. While Yelena leads off the workshop with some breathing and awareness exercises I get to savor some of her new-to-me processes. All us participants are lead to a safe, playful place and with no design in my head, I allow marks and colors to land on my journal page. I get to hear my usual "critical" voice wondering where
the order is? the tidiness? the structure? And in just ignoring "her", this is the page I create. Viewing the curves I begin creating lil' people and fish to inhabit  the

 playful world. And eventually, just out of triangles, comes the graphic fish swimming along my border. It truly was refreshing and freeing.

After our lunch break, we gather for my portion of the class. I guide them through one of my all time favorite processes, "Animal Mandala". Everyone gives vision to different animals ~ reminding me of how different and how at diverse places we all are in 
our lives.

I giggle, because once again, I out-picture the Chipmunk. He seems to be with me for awhile and I think I sort of know what he looks like. I sketch in a rough chipmunk and save completing his head 'til I'm home and can get a better reference from which to work. Well, when I begin to finish up my chipmunk, I realize he's more like a squirrel. I have to enlarge my critter, scrape off wax crayon and re-design the entire mandala. Now, my chipmunk has the right proportions (what happened to that photographic memory I had as a child?) and the correct tail. And he even gets to dab his tail onto the underwater play of my previous page. Sigh. I do some research in my "Animal Speaks" book and feel out what text applies to me and the particular attributes I need to be wary of or work on.

The workshop continues onto the following page ... with an appropriate finale ... stay tuned!