Painting as Process
Being in the continuum
Process painting workshops offer an opportunity for heart-centered inquiry using painting as a tool. They are based on the premise that a part of us is wiser than we are. A major and essential task in one’s spiritual development is to bring one’s conscious self-concept into perspective and explore what it means to be human in the grand scheme of things. This approach to expression awakens you to self-revelation by way of compassionate inward inquiry. Free of critique, judgment, and aesthetic preference we tap into our visceral intelligence as an endless source of inspiration and insight.
You can participate in the painting sessions regardless of your skill or profession.
There is no prior art experience required.
The 'process' in the painting
Just as we are in constant flux, so are the paintings. When you give up the rigidity of seeing paintings as objects to be hung on the wall, they become continually evolving manifestations of a larger dimension. And we discover that we’re more interested in the emerging conversation than the finished piece.
Painting as a practice of truthful inquiry, in its essence, is a pathway to a more profound connection to our inner guidance and unique creative spirit.
There is a thread you follow,
It goes among things that change.
But it doesn’t change,
People wonder what you are pursuing,
You have to explain about the thread,
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
From The Way It Is,
William Stafford
Who is it for?
This work is for anyone willing to get in touch with their own thirst to initiate a dialogue with their mind, body, and spirit. Your time painting is a homecoming to a silence present within you where you can access a visual language that is authentic, revelatory, and trustworthy.
If you are an artist and feel overly influenced by our performance-oriented culture, this is a place where you can claim greater freedom and be truer to yourself. On the other hand, if you’ve never painted before – or in a long time – this will open you to a compassionate understanding of how your body speaks visually. You will find new pathways to integrate your passions and vulnerabilities.
In the link below, read more about the familiar struggles that first-time painters often experience:
How is this different from art therapy or expressive arts?
There is a common ground underneath every exploratory approach using the tools of art. However, certain definitive factors differentiate this work from mainstream art therapy and other expressive art practices. Our exploration is explicitly non-directive in nature. The purpose is not therapy driven. The painter enters this space honoring the full spectrum of where they are energetically, and trusting the process to lead to what needs to be met within them. Your facilitator will join you in drawing attention to the inner guidance that is unique and precise for each person, a process not limited by any therapeutic agenda on the part of the facilitator.
