Category Archives: Studio

Guest Blogger: Carla Pineda, Viva Bookstore

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Let me introduce my dear friend, Carla Pineda, writer, retreat leader and certified spiritual director – and, lucky for me, assistant manager at Viva Bookstore, one of my favorite places to visit. We were talking the other day about the upcoming Sacred Ground exhibit, and I asked her to tell us about some of the books she’s bringing on Sunday to celebrate the art exhibit, the new Cathedral Park Meditation Walk, and the empowering partnership between the visual arts and the literary arts. (Speaking of partnerships, Carla and I have some great ideas for exciting events at the Studio – stay tuned.) Here’s Carla! . . . . . . . . . . .

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I am so excited abcarlaeditout the Sacred Ground Art Show at Bishop Jones Center this Sunday.

Scouting the shelves here at Viva Bookstore for books to bring to the show has been so much fun.  I’ve found ones that speak of landscape, creation, beauty, prayer ,and the elements. The words water, wind, earth, and fire, pilgrimage and thoughtful gardening grace the covers of books I’m bringing.  One of my favorite books this year is entitled, “Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems about Birds.” birds  It’s about more than birds.  I think birds are poets we often miss listening to and I wonder how many different bird voices fill the skies around the sacred ground of Jones Center.   “Nature as Spiritual Practice” is a book I haven’t read but just the idea of “practicing” nature makes me want to give it a try.  I think I’ll do a little practicing on Sunday.  Another title, “The birds2Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality” is one of my favorite books.  Yes, I know Jones Center isn’t desert or mountain but I wonder if, in the past, before the city grew up around it, and before it became what it is today, if those who settled here didn’t feel it as fierce.  So, on Sunday I’m going to listen, walk, explore and experience this special place, its history and the gifts of talented artists.  Hope to see you there!  And, course, I’ll have books!

Friday Freebie – Silver Shards for a subscriber –

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mirrors1The kiln and I have been busy for the last few day. I’ve done two firings since Tuesday with new designs. Here are the first few pieces of earthenware with silver Gilder’s Paste which I order on Etsy. I love this combination or terra cotta and silver. Check out the little shard mirror! The Gilder’s Paste is a metallic wax that you can rub on with your finger to highlight texture, and it becomes a permanent patina-like finish on the unglazed clay.

Today’s Friday Freebie is one of the little B Beautiful shard dishes like the two in front. You can use them for tea bags, rings, whatever – or just look at them as a small one-of-a-kind work of art. I put a honeycomb texture on the clay that looks very cool, if I do say so myself. If you are a SHARDS Blog subscriber before midnight tonight and your name is drawn by my number randomizer app , I’ll send you one of the little B Beautiful dishes – free tea bag included 🙂 Subscribe by adding your email on the top right on the page – thanks! And thanks to all of you loyal already-subscribers – you guys are awesome.

Also, as a PS, since I’m talking about ME, I was asked to submit my digital portfolio for consideration as San Antonio Art League’s Artist of the Year for 2014. Now, chances of my being chosen are about as likely as flying pigs, but it was nice to be nominated. I didn’t have a digital portfolio so I put one together with some work from the last couple two years. The nomination made me smile because my work was rejected by the juror in the last Art League show, but you gotta roll with rejection, keep calm, and carry on!

 

Aromatherapy and Compassionate Care

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aromaabode

This afternoon the Studio will take on a different role as a workshop space for ABODE Contemplative Care for the Dying. More than 20 hospice workers, counselors and social workers will attend the presentation. You’ve heard me mention the good work that Patsy and Edwin Sasek do with this beautiful non-profit organization, and today they have asked Dr. Bill Kurtin and me to discuss essential oils for end-of-life care. Bill and I maintain an educational website about Aromatherapy as an art and science. It’s called Chemaroma, and I invite you to visit anytime for research-based information about aromatherapy – there’s far too little of that, and we hope to provide more of it on our site.  There are also some formulas for skin care and other fun things. – look around!
Researching today’s presentation took me far afield from visual arts (sort of), but I discovered some wonderful resources. One of the best discoveries was the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe. The abbot, Joan Halifax Roshi,is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and author. She has worked in the area of death and dying for over thirty years and is Director of the Project on Being with Dying. It’s a fascinating, if not cheery, subject. If you’d like to know more about what I’ve found out, you are welcome to look at the Resources I’ve gathered for today’s workshop.

 

I need to, I should . .arg!

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It’s one of those “I need to” mornings right before the Hildegard: Art and Soul Workshop which begins at 10:00 this morning at the Studio – incredibly good timing, because it is much needed.  “I need to post a Friday Freebie – oops, too late – I need to fold up the laundry – oops, forgot to put it in the dryer, it’s probably all stinky – oh, no.” Have you ever been swamped by so much stuff that you can’t talk yourself out of panic mode? I’m not quite there yet, but am on the outskirts. However, after visiting with Michelle Belto yesterday about the workshop plans, there’s hope, because she could calm and refocus anybody. Check out her blog post on Viewpoint and Perspective. It makes me wonder why we don’t give our own selves permission to chill out once in a while, like Michelle did at the Spurs game. I’ll report back from the workshop as a new, improved serene ME.

On that very topic, Here’s a link to upcoming Studio events – lots of cool stuff- actually, being frazzled is sometimes productive. I keep telling myself that the best research papers I ever wrote in college were the ones I did the night before they were due. Yeah, sure.

Your Saturday order-of-the-day is to do something relaxing for yourself. Get a pedicure – guys, too! Eat some gelato, that yummy salty caramel kind! In the meantime,convincing myself that things are getting done, I did finish the five Guardian pieces – they will go to the Cathedral House exhibit on the 19th of this month along with some other small paintings. Here’s a phone shot as I was leaving the Studio last night – whew! Happy Saturday 🙂

guardians

 

Earth Day 2013 – and a sneak preview about artist Pablo Solomon

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earthday 2013My memories of the first Earth Day involve getting in trouble at Alamo Heights Junior School (I was a *very* young art teacher) for organizing an activist march for my students. My principal, Mr. Ivy, was not pleased with my rabble-rousing, mini-skirt-wearing, hippie ways. Forty+ years later, how things have changed – or have they? Thoughts? Pablo Solomon, internationally known artist and designer, featured in National Geographic for his part in the first Earth Day in an article by Mark Anderson, lives for the earth’s conservation. In a recent interview, Pablo says, “Do what you can to obtain a green freedom, a philosophy that there is no greater freedom than energy independence.” He created the first Earth Day poster and has done another one each year since 1970. Here is this year’s (left)

But wait! There’s more! Pablo Solomon with be at the Studio in June for an informal lecture, exhibit and sale of his work. I am really excited about his visit. Mark the weekend of June 21-22 on your calendar.

pablosingle

In the meantime, celebrate Earth Day – as Marshall McLuhan reminds us, there are no passengers on Spaceship Earth – we are all crew.

 

 

Heather Ash and Michelle Belto

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How did I get so lucky to have these two extraordinary teachers in my life? On Monday evening, Heather Ash Amara will be at the Studio for an informal, enlightening talk about creativity and intent – and how to spark both. Carla Pineda from Viva Bookstore will be there to share some of Heather Ash’s publications. This is the perfect start to a thoughtful spring (and if you come, I’ll have a new basket of take-home shards). Refreshments and conversation, too.

And I’m counting the days to Michelle Belto’s workshop. I’m really excited about this, and so is Michelle. Please consider joining us.

logo copyOff to do a happy dance 🙂

Nope, haven’t forgotten the Friday Freebie either – stay tuned!

Poets read at the Studio to enthusiastic audience

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Superlatives don’t begin to describe how compelling, accessible, funny and inspiring the four poets and the author/moderator were last night at Lyn Belisle Studio. I really had no idea how it would all turn out, but the 40 people who attended were treated to a rare evening of art and eloquence. Bravo, everyone! The video is available here (I wish the sound were better because the words were magical, but my little Flip video did its best). It’s your Friday Freebie and it’s a treat to watch. Here are some snapshot from the evening.

The Solomons: wisdom and art

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Last October I had the good fortune to meet artist/sculptor Pablo Solomon and his designer/creative director wife Beverly at an art opening at Marta Stafford’s gallery in Marble Falls. Pablo’s sculptures were captivating – very organic and fluid in stone and clay. We started talking and decided we needed to stay in touch. And we did! This weekend Beverly and Pablo came to San Antonio and we spent two days with them exploring galleries, talking, eating, laughing and discovering lots in common. They are amazing people who took the leap of faith to leave the city and make their home on 1856 historic ranch for sale in the Texas Hill Country north of Austin. You can read about it in an article about Beverly (and Pablo) here. If you visit their websites, you’ll be as amazed as I was with scope and depth of their talents. And they are both passionate conservationists and ecological crusaders.

I’m especially grateful to both of them for the good advice they gave me about my Studio space. I hope to have them back soon for an evening lecture about some of the things we discussed over the two days of our visit. Here we are at the Botanical Garden‘s Art in the Garden yesterday evening – a perfect venue for a sculptor!

solomonAnd here’s Pablo with Miro (thanks in advance, Beverly, for letting me swipe this great photo from the website) – some of the best stories we heard were about Miro the Amazing Cat with three legs – hooray for Miro, Pablo and Beverly!

 

 

 

Studio mascot?

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Today was a workday in the Studio, painting walls and rearranging artwork. I bought a new rug for the front door area that was cheap and colorful – yay. But the most amazing thing was moving those hawks wings (some of you have seen them) to a new wall above the drafting table. After they were mounted, I remembered a lonely deer skull that was high on a wall in the guest room of our house – we brought it to the studio and hung it with the wings – just look! It is a mythical guardian creature! I hope it doesn’t scare me to death when I walk in tomorrow morning – but I think it is more protector than predator. Just keep that in mind if you’re coming to the Mala workshop tomorrow.

Deer skull and hawk's wings

Deer skull and hawk’s wings

 

Sunday Pass-along: A Manifesto

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pod1I am sitting here at my desk trying to remember what the heck my Evernote password is (and what I was even going to look for in Evernote) when I came across this link I’d saved to a Blog called Inspired Home Office by Jen Hofmann.

This is her most popular post – read it and you’ll see why. Here’s the link:
A Manifesto for Cluttered Creatives – and here’s my favorite excerpt (the whole thing is great):

 

I have a right to a sacred space
that is free from intrusions
that is free from guilt
that completely supports my spirit
that is truly sacred space
powerful as an ancient circle of standing stones

Right on!