Art as Therapy.... Meditative Nature Art: Stone Cairns

Hi Friends,
Wanted to share this art therapy column ATA Girl Diane Steinbach wrote for another blog; Treasuringgrace.blogspot.com.

Her topic is the making of Stone Cairns, and it sounds like the perfect spring weekend project to get your head clear and find some peace in the chaos.
Check it out...

Making Whole: Healing Through Art: Stone Cairns

 Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on art to heal.

A stone cairn is basically an elegant stack of stones, not held together by any mortar or cement. Found in ancient civilizations all over the globe, they are currently found in desert communities, hiking trails and used not only as an art form, but as navigational and ceremonial markers.

From larger stones at the base, to smaller stones on the top, the rocks towers can be placed in a single placement, or in groups, and in any location. Depending on the stone colors and shapes and the way the stones are stacked, the cairns convey an emotion or feeling to the viewer. For some reason, most people feel a connection to the cairns... do you? 

Collect stones from local beaches, woods or anywhere you can find them. Pick out an indoor or outdoor area where you can safely construct your cairn. Feel free to use superglue or epoxy to hold your cairn together especially if you have pets or children around who may bump or topple your cairn.

Stack the stones into a cairn. Make one or a grouping of cairns.

Process:

The act of creating the cairns is a meditative process that connects us to the earth in a healing and peaceful way.

Read more here:  http://treasuringgrace.blogspot.com/2013/06/making-whole-healing-through-art-stone.html

Guerilla Art: How Art Therapy and Guerilla Art Can Set You Free!

Hi Friends, we just wanted to share this bi-monthly column by one of our ATA Girls on the Treasuring Grace blog to share the inspiration. Its about an art therapy process that involves giving away your artwork... kind of Guerilla Art.... meant to help artists release their emotional baggage along with the canvas...
Check it out. What do you think?

Making Whole: Healing Through Art: Found Hope (Love,Courage, Peace,...) Guerilla Art

by Diane Steinbach

Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on art to heal. 

We have talked about Guerrilla art here before. Basically it is the concept of bringing art into the community in an unexpected way. Usually it involves big, bold artistic statements, but in this case, it is more about a generous sharing of handmade art and a simple message to a stranger that is a gift to the art maker and the surprised recipient.

Making art is a deeply personal expression for most of us, and because of this, the act of giving it away, to a stranger...indeed, to leave it behind is both terrifying and liberating.  This art therapy process challenges the artist to consider a concept on a personal, emotional level, and then share it with a stranger.  By creating something meaningful, then lovingly gifting it away, the artist can work through issues of loss in other areas of their lives.

You'll need:  Small art canvases between the sizes of 4x6 to 8x10" on hard board, acrylic paints, brushes, water, Pens, high quality writing paper, dry glue sticks

Choose a word that reflects something that is important to you:  Hope, Courage, Love, Peace, Faith, Joy, Friendship, Mercy, Forgiveness etc.

On the small canvas, paint an abstract expression of that word using color, line and movement. Use the entire canvas area, covering it entirely.  Let it dry.

Once dry, paint the word your chose boldly somewhere on the canvas, over the painting.  Allow to dry.

Pick up the paper and pen.  Cut the paper down to the size of the canvas.  Write the word "Found" followed by the word you chose to represent on the front of the canvas.  (so, you'd have "Found Love, or Found Forgiveness, Found Courage etc.

Read the rest at : http://treasuringgrace.blogspot.com/2013/05/making-whole-healing-through-art-found.html

Steampunk Egg: Get it in Gear

Today's story starts a few years ago, when I asked my sister (Diane) to travel to an "egg show" with me.  I was teaching classes and needed someone to "man" my booth in the convention hall.  She graciously agreed and was instantly immersed in a whole new world of art.

The first year was kind of rocky - but at the end she said she had a good time.  The second year, after I pleaded and begged for her to go with me again, she agreed.  We also did some inspirational thinking and came up with a new kind of egg for her to create.  Something never before seen.  I cut an ostridge egg for her and she took off.  She covered it with a 2 part paint that made it look like it rusted, and put different sizes and dimensions of spikes through it (also rusted). Finally she wrapped the some bright gold wire around some spikes and added gold wire springs to the whole creation.  What a stir it created - everyone stopped at the table to talk to her.  She definitely made an impression with her first ever egg creation.

On the ride home, we started talking about other designs she could do.  She tossed an idea out that I loved.  Unfortunately - I've been a VERY bad sister and haven't sent her the eggs I promised, all cut and ready for her to decorate.  Imagine my surprise when last week a surprise turned up in the mail (it was my b-day).  She took the idea and ran with it anyway - creating something so absolutely COOL that I took it to work and it sits on my desk.   Read on for more on this incredible design.  Guess I'll really have to send her those egg boxes I cut for her now!

BTW - Diane - you are the best sister EVER --- I LOVE my egg.  ~ Dani

The SteamPunk Egg  ~ by Diane

My sisters birthday was coming up and since she is an "Egger" ( A person that decorates real bird eggs with beads and dioramas etc) I thought I would put my somewhat less traditional touch on a somewhat less traditional egg and send it to her as a gift.

"Steampunk" refers to a blend of Victorian/Science Fiction kind of Time Machine-esque fashion, accessories and costumes that feature the victorian colors and styles along with a science fictiony gears, gadgets and doodads. Easier to understand once you see examples of it, than to describe it, lovers of the movement enjoy the complex nature of "invention."

With this in mind, I began to create an egg that was to look like a copper metal machine, straight out of some kind of science fiction movie.

First I painted a wooden egg with a copper metallic paint and then went over it with black acrylic paint highlights to create hatch-doorways with rivets and a look of riveted plates of metal over the egg shape.  A quick coat of Modge Podge adds shine.

Then, using gel superglue, a tweezers and watch-part gears, faces and other miscellaneous "steampunk" bits, I began building my "machine." This was not easy for a person who wears bifocals. I dropped numerous tiny bits on the floor, or they'd shoot out of my tweezers and across the room to places unknown, but eventually, after a few days of building up a layers of gears, I was satisfied with the look.


Want one for yourself? Email me at dianesteinbach@yahoo.com and place your custom order. (each egg may vary slightly as they are handmade)$35 plus shipping.