Craft For Health

Treasure Hunting Is Like my Art and Helps Me Reveal Hidden Feelings

 

 

I am a painter. And when I can find a moment alone, that’s when I go searching for precious things that seem desperately lost to me. I like to envision the soul as something that is hidden behind layers of thin sheer veils. Every time I stroke the canvas, gentle fingertips pull back another veil. The thicker the canvas surface becomes, the closer I am to revealing something hidden inside.

  

Gone 

 Oil on Canvas. 36” by 48” copyright Christy Boyer. 

Sometimes I think I know what I am painting about, or searching for, but then something unexpected happens. For the last couple of years, I have been slowly working on a series of paintings inspired from the book, Joan of Arc: Her Story by by Régine Pernoud, Marie-Véronique Clin, and Jeremy duQuesnay Adams. The latest painting in the series is entitled, Joan Marries Fire. As I worked, I kept in mind Joan’s young body burned, her indescribable pain, her ascension into heaven, her final gown of peace. I thought of myself as well: what parts represented the fire, the freedom from pain, or the white dress in my own life.

  

 

 

But then, something unexpected happened. Many who knew me thought that “Joan” was meant to be my son, Clay. Now, let me tell you about Clay. First, he is 13 and he is beautiful. Secondly, he cannot walk, or run, or talk, or hold his head up, and his communication with the outside world is limited. Well, I was floored at these assumptions. I even felt as if I had failed. No! It was supposed to be Joan! I thought to myself.

  

 

I looked at the painting some more. My dream Joan was there, yes. I was there, yes. Oh! Yes, Clay was there too.  I saw him now; his head so often extended and turned to the side, his pale ghostly skin, his limp whispering hands. How did I not see it before? Through his life you could say he has been married to fire. I am almost sure he longs for freedom from his broken body. I wonder if he dreams of a gown of comfort to caress his twisted bones, like the one Joan wears in the painting.

  

Joan Marries Fire. Oil on Canvas. 36” by 48” copyright Christy Boyer.

  

 

 

I Know I'll be Okay Doing Something Art Wise

I am a working and exhibiting artist. I graduated from Otis College of Fine Arts in 1989. Right after graduation, I came down with an unknown disease that caused me to be comotose for a week in intensive care. When I was released, I had no memory of my graduation, the fact that I went to Otis, or that in fact I was a working artist with a studio in downtown L.A.

Shortly afterwords my then husband of 20 yrs. left saying he no longer wanted to be married. When I got my strength back I expressed my feelings of anguish and sadness by painting. Some of the paintings were very difficult to look at. Some, what most of my viewers called "interesting." Throughout the following yrs. I continued painting, and exhibiting my work at various venues. I discovered Zen Meditation and Yoga and my paintings subsequently became much quieter, until today I could be called a minimalist.

Then came my ultimate challenge, last Jan. 2nd. I discovered a lump in my right breast. So far this yr. I have undergone, a lumpectomy, 7

1/2 weeks of daily radiation "therapy??????" I have a intervenous infusion of every 3 weeks for a year (6 more to go) of a drug called Herceptin, and am on a estrogen blocker. All of this causes arthritic like pain in all of my joints, especially my hands, shoulders and elbows. Not good for a painter. The estrogen blocker also causes insomnia, and hot flashes. I went off the blocker for a week and beginning last night am trying a new one. Hopefully my hands especially, will be better.

I began to weave a basket, hopefully calling it "The Miracle Basket"

From all the information, schedules, apointment slips and everything related to my diagnosis. This was 3 weeks ago. I had to stop as my hands were extremely painful and swollen, and I couldn't push the needle through the paper. But, I am working in my studio with watercolors and encaustic, soon oil paint. The pain has subsided and I am affirming that the new estrogen blocker won't have similar effects.

Art, the making of it, the creating, the physicality of doing it has saved my life. As long as I can think about and do something art wise, I will be OK.  

www.joyartist.com

My Art Brings Me Comfort by Laurie

I love making beautiful things, whether it is sewing or painting. I have invested a good part of my life learning to paint in all kinds of mediums. 

I keep my art supplies close at hand, they bring me comfort.  Learning new techniques brings me the greatest joy.

 When I share them on my blog I receive such nice responses.  Selling my artwork is exhilarating. 

My name is Laurie and here's my blog address: http://lauriescharmingdesigns.blogspot.com/

Art can be Pulled Apart, Ripped Up and Started Over Again

Because most of our lives are almost totally out of our control, I believe that everyone should have something that can be done alone, almost anywhere, and with our own hands. 

 

Whether you paint, draw, sculpt, scrapbook, knit, macrame, crochet, or tat, your work is your own, and you have control.  If you don't like the work, pull it apart, rip it up, and start over.  Gardening is a particular subset of this activity category because it isn't portable.  It is similar,  however, because if you don't like the red one, you can pull it out and plant a pink one.  Unlike an illness, a chronic condition or a cranky in-law, none of which can be unwound or plucked out, your craft, art or garden is yours.

There are some limits, however. It would be wonderful if everyone had at least one portable version of his or her work, and I strongly recommend projects that can be picked up and put down without creating an artistic disaster.  Sadly, this eliminates 10x10-foot murals, lampworked beads, and potato sculpture, but every good idea has limitations.

I have had something in my hands since I was a small child, beginning with un-lamented Paint by Numbers in the 1950s.  I made lanyards at summer camp, and I have done embroidery, macrame, seed art, soft sculpture, cheerfully incompetent quilting, batik, and  needlepoint (Blue Ribbons in the Minnesota State Fair).  I am now a painter of nanoscapes, which are the source of an apparently unending amount of pleasure.  My first nanoscapes were painted on 3x5 cards.  Now many of them are much larger (22x33), but I always travel with brusher, paper and paint on palettes that fit into a makeup bag. Have paint, will travel.

Did any of this work cure an ailment? Probably not.  However, having work to do every day that gives me pleasure every day has certainly helped to keep me on an even keel throughout what most people consider trying times (death of my Dad, loss of a long-time job).

My name is Susan Gainen and you can see more of my work at www.susangainen-nanoscapes.com 

 

Designing and Creating Linocuts is My Happy Passion by Karyna

 

I absolutely enjoy every chance I get to create any of my designs and crafts. I especially love the smell of certain inks and the feeling I receive from a successful finished print, in this case my linoleum block prints, also known as linocuts. This is my therapy.

 

I've found my linocuts not only relieve stress from my job but other life tensions. More importantly they're enjoyable to make even when everything is just right. No matter how time consuming some may be to create, especially due to dot patterns I paint on a few, the process is relaxing. They're calming when I have the bad habit of always being on the go - something I'm working on. Linocuts have turned into a passion, even serving as the catalyst for starting my shop, Paper Squid. I'm so glad I discovered this form of printmaking.

  

 

When not creating block prints and other craft, I work at an advertising agency as a full-time graphic designer. Though happy and grateful for what I do, it's ironically this very thing, (with demanding corporate clients and many late nights) which has produced my desire to step away from that world and create for myself. Using my two hands, not just the computer, creating because I want to, not because I have to are important. In this process I've found a new appreciation for design and the art of handmade craft and how special it can be.

 

Creating craft &/or art of any sort should be tried by everyone, at least I believe so. No experience or specific skills necessary. Start a daily journal with funny observational entries in the form of stick figures, (I actually did this once). Create scrapbooks, try knitting, write daily handwritten notes to friends and family while actually mailing them out; anything! It's wonderful therapy and just plain enjoyable to do.

  

 

Linocuts are a great escape for me from the high stress of the everyday and I absolutely love creating them.  My name is Karyna E. Amador and you can see more of my work at http://papersquid.blogspot.comand http://papersquid.etsy.com

I Grieved the Loss of My identity as a Potter by Sue Duda

With a Bachelors Degree in Art, specializing in pottery, I began my career as an artist in 1976.  I created functional and decorative pottery, ambitiously for 22 years.

Inspired by the ocean, scuba diving and snorkeling adventures, I began to draw fish in the 1980’s.  I still created pottery while my collection of colored pencil drawings and acrylic watercolor paintings grew, to the point of naming my artwork “Ocean Dudes by Duda”. 

During my pottery years, I didn’t know I had Rheumatoid Arthritis! I consumed Ibuprofen 24/7 to cope with pain.  I accepted pain as part of my life, as I worked slumped over a potter’s wheel and mixed all my clay and glazes from scratch, lifting 50 pounds of clay or lifting heavy kiln shelves.  Drawing was easier on my back, wrists and hands, than my work as a stoneware potter. Although I grieved the loss of my identity as a potter, eventually I realized I did not have to give up being creative. I just needed to be creative in a different way. Drawing enabled me to experience the cheerfulness of color, without pain.

 

Genealogy Made Visiable Through My Artwork by Michelle Leddell

Michelle recently shared this piece of art with us she created while recouping from cancer. 

 She calls is her Mandala to My Siblings

 

 

• My recent genealogy research helped to strengthen the love, value, influence, and support from my living sister and four brothers. 

• The inner white circle with glitter represents Janice, our sister who lived only two days. 

• The next five circles surrounding Janice Marie, signify my siblings’ creativity, musical talents, environmental passions, dedication to education, and love of food.

• My sisters and brothers, and their families, bring me strength and inspiration as I bask in the golden circle of love.