Finished!!!

It's been exactly one month since I last posted, too long. I have worked on these 6 pieces for just about 6 weeks, a little at a time, each and every day. It was so much fun. I did the 5 12 x 12 pieces all at the same time. I began with the drawings, painted the acrylic, and then as inspired, collaged, using pages torn from magazines mostly. I am very happy with the results, but the process was really a blast.

The butterfly, is 20 x 24, and quite elaborate. It has much more collage than the others, as a matter of fact, the antennas and the background are the only painted areas. I modeled it after my previous butterfly I did for the Junior League show two years ago, but also changed a lot.

The original intent with these pieces was to add quotes, which I had already chosen for all of them. However, when I was mostly done, it seemed like they were done, and didn't need quotes.

I am very content with the process of meditation and art making and have been easily going from day to day. I think that what I am experiencing from it is a better sense of myself in relationship to the world. I am comfortable with who I am, and I feel that I am looking less outside myself for affirmation as I am more comfortable within myself. When I make art, it becomes a tangible expression of Stephanie, which is an outcome of the meditation practice.

When I feel stressed by an event or situation, I often take a few breaths and reconnect with the present moment, which seems to calm me instantly and allows me to pause and move forward on. When I am in spin class, and the exercise is difficult, I count breaths, and try and be moment by moment in what I have to do.

In the meanwhile, I did a yoga and artmaking workshop with Joy Abrams and Myra. It was fun but I thought that the collage making part didn't connect with the meditation as I would have liked for it to have had. There was a lot of talking, and judgment of each other's work. Is positive judgment equally something to avoid as negative judgment?

In just over a month I will have my meditation retreat at IMS. I am really looking forward to it. I feel like the meditations I have done with Sharon Salzberg and other IMS teachers have been very helpful. I love doing lovingkindness meditation. I smile a big smile when I am doing it. One of the teachers said that in the present moment your thoughts don't have to connect with the past, the future and you don't have to write a story about it. SO GOOD. No stories!!!!

I am discovering all kinds of articles and information about meditation and kids. Courses and other things that are very cool. I think it's that I am into it and therefore attracting it. I really want to work on my self image more, so that I don't have to make up stories to hold myself back from joy. Not easy and I think we all do it. But worthwhile to PRACTICE.