in the company of the muses

Inks, collage, acrylic, pen on sketchbook paper

Fishy wishy, sticky wickets, tangled thickets

I am a Pisces. Like all sun signs it is a blessing and a curse, which is what I got to contemplate in this piece.  I cut the fishies out of some new collage papers I have – and of course immediately they wanted to go in opposite directions!  It’s just so much more interesting that way – to view things from both sides and to constantly change directions so as not to miss what’s going on. . .but of course, one can get pretty tangled up and stuck in sticky wickets of confusion.  What to do?!  I prefer it that way, and to see what happens spontaneously rather than planning everything out.

And when the Muses come for their monthly meeting I love to see what happens when we start to play with our soul sketching.  Sometimes, like my piece here, the art becomes a mirror for us to get a new insight about ourselves.  And other times a visual prayer or blessing emerges and has a reassuring and soothing effect on some part of us that needs it.

Connie Smith Seigel writes in her book Spirit of Drawing:  “Drawing [insert painting here too] not only expresses our feelings and perceptions.  It can change them as well.  When drawing arises directly from inner sensation, it can be a remarkable agent for healing.“

Here are some of the other Muses’ soul sketches.

by Bettina

by Marilyn

by Isabelle

by Arianna

I’m starting another Muse group to do this expressive painting on Monday evenings.  If you live in the Sebastopol, CA area and are interested, let me know!