Carol Wiebe

I wrote about potholes the other day. Today I am contemplating pothole auras. Am I being facetious? Partly. But I have read that everything has an aura, even inanimate objects. So why not a pothole? There is something jarring about describing mundane things using spiritual language (if you think of an aura as spiritual). We like to think there is a vast difference between that which is profane and that which is sacred. But which is which? Pothole Auras By means of all created

. This is my latest painting. It has a lot of texture–extreme texture, in fact. The sides, which are not visible on this image, are textured as well. I am not going to talk about this piece today, except to quote the phrase by Nietzche, That which does not kill us makes us stronger. Sacred Scars The actual painting is on a wooden substrate that looks like a wrapped canvas.  It is 10″ by 8.” There is no frame. I actually like it better that way ~ the starkness suits the subjec

Rooted in Intuition: Paintings and Sculptures by Diane Marie Kramer opens on January 21, 2011. Diane Marie Kramer (used with permission) Both a sculptor and a painter, Diane’s approach to her work (as she says in the brochure for this exhibition) is instinctive ~ capturing the “essence of things and beings.” Securely rooted in intuition, these works reflect her desire to “give voice to the invisible reality.” As artistic shaman, she is able to cross “the boundary of the known

Deborah Koff-Chapin is an artist whose work always moves me, on a profound level. I would so enjoy seeing her work “up close and personal.” Even better would be an opportunity to watch her paint an Interpretive Drawing Session. Deborah says: Through the immediacy of Touch Drawing, I am able to visually portray the content and feeling-tone of a lecture, poetry reading, meeting or musical performance. I create 8-12 drawings per hour. I love the collaborative nature of the ex

There is a particular artist whose aesthetic never fails to move me . . . deeply. She is a shaman of the heart, visionary artist Elena Ray. Shaman's Bowl~by Elena Ray (used with permission) So you can understand that when Elena Ray points, I do not hesitate to look. Her recommendation led me to the work of  Shinichi Maruyama. Born in Japan, Maruyama graduated from Chiba University in 1991. He now lives in New York, where he created, and has become known for, his latest two ph

Most of us are familiar with the Tibetan art of sand painting. Dul-tson-kyil-kho is an ancient tradition practiced by Lamas to reconsecrate the Earth, and everything upon it. Created in the form of a mandala, each sand painting is painstakingly and reverently constructed with fine colored sand. Traditionally most sand mandalas are destroyed shortly after their completion. This is done as a metaphor of the impermanence of life. The sands are swept up and placed in an urn; to f

People often talk of the blues when they are feeling down. So I picked a vibrant, exultant color that I think represents feeling up: yellow. I really like what Tammy had to say on her website: “No resolutions this year, but journaling on things I am grateful for, things I am claiming, and things I would like to accomplish.” Tammy says her word for the year is “sacred.” I joyfully concur. 1–I want to teach classes about art and creativity, which have been part of my life for d