TESTIMONIAL

SEASONS OF THE SOUL
hand signed lithograph
image size: 7" x 29" approx
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

       Click HERE to view SEASONS OF THE SOUL video   



A couple of months ago I posted the SEASONS OF THE SOUL STORY.  I also invited anyone who might have a personal story relating to the artwork to please post in the comments section. I want to share one of the stories I received that touched me deeply...


" I found the Seasons of the Soul print in Womencrafts store (located in Provincetown, Mass.) shortly after I began treatment for stage 1 breast cancer.  I got the chills when I saw it as I could relate to the seasons as the stages I had been going through dealing with cancer.  I hung up the print in my bedroom and looked at it every day to track what I was experiencing emotionally.  I could not wait to get to the end of treatment and into the light.  Before I could finish my treatment I was diagnosed yet again with a second cancer.  This time stage 3 colon cancer.  I turned to the print as I tried to come to grips with the new diagnosis and starting all over again.  I had been almost at the end and then I was thrown back to the season of confusion.  the print inspired me to continue on through all the seasons once again with the of reaching moving out!  Yes, moving out of illness and into wellness.  My only goal.  I am happy to report I am now cancer free.  Your print continues to inspire me on so many levels.  I brought the print to my art therapy class recently to share with my group and everyone loved it. My therapist googled you and found the blog.  I am so happy to be able to thank you for your art work and what a healing effect it has on me.  Thank you, Stephanie, from the bottom of my heart!" 

                  
I was deeply touched by this heartfelt testimonial...  I will always treasure this and when I get discouraged, I will have this to remind me of my true purpose.                    

Morning Light

This time of year the rising sun shines directly in my kitchen window.  There is something really magical about the morning light.

Open Hearts

"Open Hearts" is a series of numbered original mixed media works.    The ragged edge squares are approximately 6"x 6" and mounted on a black mat background.  The finished framed "Hearts" are approximately 9"x 9".

OPEN HEARTS: The Series Continues

In the wake of the tragedy of 9/11, I found myself desperate to find something meaningful to work on... When I first envisioned the Open Hearts as a numbered series, I intended to make them as a tribute to all those who died that day. One thing I remember so vividly is the repetition of numbers of people who died... Thousands of people... and the numbers kept changing as more information came in. Each one was a unique individual. So I decided that each of the Hearts that I made would be different. And my original intention was to make a series that numbered the same as the number who died... I think it was almost 3,000 people.

I made Hearts throughout the next couple of years... I found that they were very meaningful for people. I think making all those Open Hearts changed me in some ways. It also helped me to remember to keep an open heart.

In the past year, I have picked up where I left off with the series. I may never make it to the actual number of people who were lost to us that day... I think the important thing is they are part of who I am and they mean a lot to people.

Soul Map to Freedom

This is the fourth in a series of works that I started about 2000. The original inspiration stemmed from a photo of an ancient map that had rotted along the the edges of the folds.

One of the initial challenges was how to create the deteriorated look along the edges of the squares. I was able to come up with an acceptable solution using heavy watercolor paper with hand torn edges and acrylic molding paste.

Over the years, my technique has evolved yet the unique process that I go through to complete one of these is like no other type of art I have ever created. The first stage involves the preparation which can take weeks or months. I am making the blank squares and I am thinking about how many I might need. When making the 28 square version, I generally have 50 or more finished squares that I arrange and rearrange over a period of time until I come up with the one that clicks.

What is really interesting about this process is that instead of me having a preconceived vision of what it will look like prior to creating it, this type of work has to reveal itself to me over a period of time as I am going through the process of making the art and living my life. I don't know what it is going to look like but I have to open my heart and mind so it will come to me.

Soul Map to Freedom came together for me with a question. I was at a friend's home and he had his XM radio tuned to a Jamaican radio station. There was an advice program on hosted by a woman with a rich melodic voice. At the end of her program she signs off with a "thought for the day" and it was, "If you are not fully free then you must ask yourself, Why?"

Eye of the Cave

This is a mixed media wall sculpture inspired by a photo I made while standing inside a little cave looking out at the ocean while I was on a trip to the Pacific Northwest.

Running Free

It feels good to be back painting again. I had to change my perspective in order to realize how important making art is to me. I used to think that in order to be successful that my art had to support me financially. The problem I have with that kind of thinking is, it causes me to focus more on the money than the love of painting... every day!

This is a watercolor. Wild horses are one of my favorite subjects.

Sunrise on the Serengeti

Here is a shot of a recent commissioned work I did for a friend, Guillermo Maldonado who grew up beside an exotic game refuge in Mexico. It is watercolor and mixed media. I hope that some day I can make a trek to Africa and see an actual sunrise on the savannah. There are ecotours that take you up in a hot air balloon at sunrise. Can you imagine?!