Goal:

This workshop offers a journey within our selves with the intention of discovering a concept that will lead to the creation of a meaningful piece of art. What is created can then become a symbol for something that deeply matters to us. With time and attention, we will explore what is within ourselves that wants to be honored, healed, empowered, celebrated or simply attended to. What matters most is the personal connection from which we draw the inspiration for our creative piece.

Process:

For assistance with inner exploration we will use creative process, guided visualization, dialogue and journaling. We will also look at images to inspire us and will welcome our dreams and passions as collaborators. Involvement, focused attention, and personal responsibility will all assist us in connecting with and gaining from the overall experience.

Requirements:

Artistic training is not necessary. However, intention, commitment and care are needed to create a piece of art that is more than technique and is connected to our core. Self-exploration takes courage, and I see myself as guide and partner for navigating this journey in a safe and supportive environment. In this way I will help you in discovering where it is you wish to travel within yourself, and in finding creative possibilities which honor that choice.

Participating in creative work enriches our lives by opening portals in ways that are powerful and fulfilling. It also serves to integrate parts of ourselves by honoring and respecting who we are and who we are growing to be.

Three, 3-4 hour group sessions on alternate Saturdays (or a different day can be arranged), plus one private 1-2 hour brainstorming session; 10 participants maximum.

$250 (negotiable on an individual basis)

Contact Judith for the dates of the next Workshop.
 

Judith is available for teaching group and private sessions in her Lexington, Massachusetts, studio. These creative sessions can be either technique or concept based, with each session collaboratively tailored to meet the personal needs of the participant(s). The sessions are designed to challenge the individual perspectives and perceptions of each person's creative abilities, in a nurturing and creative environment.

Examples of technique-based creative sessions:

• Learning how to draw from observation; utilizing “drawing from the right side of the brain” techniques

• Learning hand-building (pinch, slab and coil) and glaze techniques with clay, oxidation firing

• Using fiber and/or fabrics for a wall-piece or ritual garment: finger weaving (Osage braiding), patchwork and appliqué, embroidery and bead embellishment

• Using found and natural objects for a creative piece

Examples of concept-based creative sessions:

• Creating a piece that is representative or symbolic of personal transition, transformation, or life process

• Creating a piece that honors, empowers, or heals something within us that needs attention

• Discovering a concept that we are passionate about and then choosing appropriate materials

"Through my life of teaching and creating art, I have come to believe that creativity offers a portal into the magic and deepening of life. If we focus our intention, we can learn to honor our selves, the creative process, and the artwork we create."

Although I was trained as a painter, the joy I receive from creating has led me to utilize many different materials: fibers and textiles, clay, graphite and pastels, and mixed media with found objects. Each material offers very different responses and possibilities for my creative process and for the resulting finished piece of work. My art has been exhibited in studio tours and galleries, and is in corporate and private collections.

Since my childhood in Manhattan I’ve created art. After earning a BFA from Boston University, with a major in painting and a minor in education, I taught art in the Gloucester Public Schools for 28 years. There my primary focus was on high school courses in ceramics, drawing, and portfolio preparation for those applying to art school.

Retiring from public education in 1999 gave me the chance to concentrate on my art, work with private clients and delve into graduate studies at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in California and Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I received a Masters with a specialization in Art and Self-Transformation. I am particularly interested in working with individuals and groups who wish to delve more deeply into their life process and create a piece of art that honors that journey.