Discover the Power of Group Art Practice: Join Us in Our Sacred Container
As painters, we often find ourselves alone, immersed in the solitary act of painting- unless, of course, we are collaborating on a project with others. Over decades of teaching and mentoring in groups, I've witnessed something profound: we navigate the waves of highs and lows together, reminding ourselves that we are not alone in this journey we've embarked on- our art practice. And it's called that for a reason. It's not a linear, step-by-step progression but rather a spiral, delving into deeper terrains every time we take a new risk or expose ourselves to vulnerability, whether in a live setting or an online shared container.
Paint Big 2024
I believe our acts of creation are pathways to higher consciousness. The more conscious we remain while creating, the more we are gifted with the opportunity to move through many limiting beliefs together. This opens us up to self-doubt and the internal voices that say our work is not good enough, or that we should be more advanced in our art practice than simply loving and experiencing where we are at the moment. We all experience this. My thirty years of painting have not been a stepping stone to arriving at a place of knowing exactly what I'm doing forever. It's about the spiral, the essence of the art process, so each time we experience a breakthrough, we are building and weaving a more intimate relationship with our process—a relationship indeed.
Extraordinary shared experiences can emerge in a group. Learned techniques, shared materials, and finished products are all part of the art process. However, what I'm expressing here is that discussing the formal qualities of work is just the gateway to opening ourselves to the clarity of what we strive to communicate. And, may I dare say, an activation into a deeper understanding of the stirrings of our soul?
There's something very special about the shared container that keeps drawing me back to a deeper understanding and the witnessing of vulnerability intersecting with bravery. Putting our work out there for others to see, especially the incomplete, in-process work, is the vulnerable part; the bravery lies in knowing this and practicing it anyway. I'm not talking about posting on social media for likes—I'm suggesting a return to self and trust in what you make and why.
It's an act of letting our process work us from the inside out. Whether you take a live workshop with me or join our last Friday Zoom share, I intend to create a safe container for sharing our process and growth. The goal is not so much to achieve a finished product but to find ways of having a deeper understanding of how and why you make your work and ultimately feel grounded in our experimental risks and commitment to our art practices.
Come join us…