Art is a necessary tool for our well being
A deep breath and release in the midst of all
Hello dear friends and curious readers,
I’m fresh on the heels of a ten day trip “back home”, still sitting in bed with coffee in hand if I’m being honest, feeling the effects of hundreds of miles of driving each way, and between all the various friends and family and other stops made. There’s always a bittersweet feeling on my first day back. It is a mix of gratitude for the time I had, coupled with a longing for more, right alongside my excitement to get back to the studio.
While I was away, my host and dear friend, Amanda Jolley, taught 3 encaustic workshops in the studio over two consecutive weekends. The creative energy is still palpable; evidence of the participants work and demo samples are scattered here and there throughout the studio. All whetting my appetite to begin working again, yes, and most assuredly increasing my excitement for my own upcoming workshop here at Studio Joy.
To say that art and creativity are necessary tools for our mental and physical well being even during the best of times would be an understatement. Art, and the making of, are tools to help us make those vital connections—to each other and to the deeper knowing we each carry inside. That deeper knowing—our own intuitive voice, the core most authentic part of ourselves—is there to inform us each step of the way through whatever we are facing.
Whether simply viewing art in a museum or gallery, or participating in a full workshop among a community of artists, art is the respite we need to take a deep breath in the midst of all the noise and chaos happening in the world around us.
Research shows that the benefits of making art is on par with silent meditation. It’s not about checking out, it’s about checking in with yourself, allowing your nervous system a place to reset, regulate, and recover from the day-in and day-out onslaught of news and demands for our attention.
Art making helps us develop our inner-resilience and find creative solutions, to the issues we are facing.
And let’s face it, it is also just plain fun! I hope you’ll consider joining me for my upcoming workshop Art and Assemblage here in Kansas City,
This class is filling up, which makes me tip toe happy! As of this morning, there are only 5 seats available, so be sure to jump in now if you’ve been considering it.
With gratitude,
Crystal Marie
Plaster and Paint focuses on the use of plaster on traditional and alternative substrates as a foundation for painting and 2D mixed media works.
Learn the difference between 3 different types of plaster products readily available, with easy to follow instruction on how to create both smooth and textured surfaces for painting in acrylics, oil based mediums, and/or encaustic wax (with plenty of options for sealing and protecting your work that don’t require the use of encaustic medium if you prefer not to use it).
Plaster and Paint gives a comprehensive overview of options; a veritable smorgasbord of methods for creating uniquely beautiful works of art in any style.
This self-paced prerecorded course offers a full SIX HOURS of instruction covered in 30 lesson videos.