Titled 'Connecting Circles of Care' - this reflective eco-art piece was created a few days after the CATA conference in September through the lens of gratitude. Tapping into my felt-sense, I reflected upon our gathering in community to co-learn, create and share stories and wisdom from a place of allyship, inclusion and care.

This post shares words, quotes and my response signpost art that capture thoughts and reflections related to natural and urban studios (as I listened to these wonderful presenters from the World Art Therapy Conference: Pamela Whitaker, Carla van Laar, Kit Kline with host Carmen Oprea). I have woven in quotes to capture the intentions of some of the wonderful developing projects with links for further information and resources.

Peace, harmony and co-existence are so needed in these ruptured post-pandemic times, for change, shifts of direction and growth to truly occur, and for the global ‘we’ to move forward and heal.

For this post I am digging through the archives (so so many years ago), when I took a studio sculpture course at Camosun College in Victoria.

An Invitation for you to step outdoors and gather freshly fallen leaves to create eco-art. In this transformative season partner with time and the elements of nature as co-creators!

Sharing my response sketches and reflective jottings from Day 2 of the Canadian Art Therapy Association’s 2022 Symposium Relationship & Reciprocity. Feeling such a sense of deep gratitude post this 7 hour immersive experience of stories and art in community with others, gently held and guided by indigenous facilitators | art therapy peers | heARTtivists.
Poster Image Credit: CATA-ACAT with Artwork: Earth Guardian by Jean E. Tait

Sharing my reflections and eco-art creation to celebrate all of the recent art therapy graduates from the Toronto Art Therapy Institute.

Inspiration…. In this post offerings of spring… eco-art and garden florals enjoyed and shared.

Sharing in this post offerings of golden autumn moments, experienced and captured with reverence and gratitude through the camera lens.

Sharing my 2021 eco-art journey, a personal and reflective nature inspired project to honour the relationships and various connections in my life, and a way to establish a mindful, creative and sustainable daily practice in pandemic times. And, a much needed and beautiful excuse to spend hours outdoors in my garden sanctuary engaging with natural elements!

…an unplanned companion post to Brianna’s Ghosted-Feelings post that reinforces the importance of identifying and naming thoughts and feelings.

This post shares a few sketched moments when feelings were intense and I used quick marks, listed words, and simple materials to capture my wandering thoughts.

Doodling Part 2… Just add more lines and fun colours!

Doodling like the ‘three-line’ doodle and this ‘stained-glass effect’ doodle are structured doodles that can aid with relaxation through straight forward prompts and repetition of line, form and colour.

Do you doodle? … Doodling is a way to relax and unwind and studies show that doodling can actually help you focus.

Spring is here! Sharing a creative prompt and pandemic story. This is an invitation to engage with art, nature and a little line drawing. Flowers can generate ideas for playful drawing, especially when exploring lines, shapes and patterns.

This is really open - your story to share….something about creativity, interests, art as therapy, the self-care piece, health, the role of art in the Pandemic, connecting with others with your art, connecting with nature, supporting the self etc. …A meaningful story to you!.

Sharing a current listing of blog stories so you can select the topics and stories of interest. Enjoy!

Throughout the pandemic I have created hope-themed art to share with others and reflect upon myself as an artist and art therapist. With this piece, I wanted to to show how hope surrounds and and rises above the chaos of the world, as we band together to get to the other side of the pandemic chaos and storm. We are all part of the mechanisms of change and hope.

“We want stories. In stories we connect, in stories we learn, in stories we are human … We are together, we are the same, we are connected beyond race and class and gender.” — Isabel Allende