Spiritual Art Classes
CLASSES ARE AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS. THERE ARE NO CURRENT SCHEDULES. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, CONTACT ME TO DISCUSS TIMES THAT WILL WORK FOR YOU.
I'M NOT SO MUCH INTERESTED IN YOUR BACKGROUND IN ART AS YOUR WILLINGNESS TO EXPRESS YOUR CREATIVITY. I SPECIFICALLY USE ABSTRACT ART AS PREFERRED FORMAT, DUE TO IT HAVING LITTLE TO HOLD ONTO IN REGARDS TO CULTURAL BELIEFS; MAINLY VISUAL ONES. IN GETTING OUT OF THE KNOWN, WE GET INTO THE UNKNOWN, WHERE SPIRIT AND OUR SOUL RESIDE. EXPRESSING ONESELF THROUGH COLOR AND MOVEMENT STRETCHES THE CULTURAL BOUNDARIES THAT DICTATE WHO WE ARE.
THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY OF DOING ABSTRACT ARTWORK. DOING ART EMBRACES WHAT WORKS ALONG WITH WHAT DOESN'T WORK. IF WE AREN'T WILLING TO EXPLORE WHAT DOESN'T WORK, WE WILL NEVER FIND WHAT DOES WORK.
ABSTRACTS MOVE BEYOND THE KNOWN, THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE EXTERNAL WORLD PER SAY, RATHER IT IS AN EXPRESSION OF THE INNER DOMAIN OF SOUL AND SPIRIT. ABSTRACTS ARE A FULLER EXPRESSION OF LANGUAGE, BECAUSE A GREAT DEAL OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS CANNOT BE PUT INTO WORDS, IT CAN ONLY BE FELT, SENSED, AND EXPERIENCED. CREATIVITY MAKES LANGUAGE LOOK PRIMITIVE. I'M ALSO A BELIEVER THAT DOING ART MIRRORS DOING LIFE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING "ART & FEAR," BY DAVID BAYLES & TED ORLAND. AFTER READING THE BOOK MYSELF, IT OCCURRED TO ME TO PUT A SLASH THROUGH ART AND WRITE LIFE ABOVE IT.
THERE IS A PLACE FOR ART CREATED OF PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS. BUT, MUCH OF OUR LIVES ARE SPENT FOCUSING ON THE EXTERNAL MATERIAL WORLD AND VERY LITTLE OF OUR INNER WORLDS ARE UNTOUCHED. WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO AVOID THIS SPACE, THINKING ITS A VOID, WHEN IN FACT IT IS A WONDROUS REALM OF POSSIBILITIES, IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY, GUIDANCE, FREEDOM, EXPRESSION, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, AND TRUE POWER. LEARNING TO TRULY EXPRESS YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF IS WHAT SHINES THROUGH WHEN DOING ABSTRACTS. IT'S NOT FOR EVERY ONE, BUT IF YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ART IN GENERAL, FEEL YOU DON'T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES OR "CAN'T DO IT," OR CONSIDER YOURSELF BOXED IN OR CONFINED WITH REALISTIC ART, THEN PERHAPS YOU MIGHT FIND ABSTRACTS OF INTEREST.
I HAVE FOUND THEM TO OFFER MORE POSSIBILITIES THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED. FOR THE MOST PART, I HAVE TAUGHT MYSELF, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TAKING A HANDFUL OF BASIC CLASSES IN PAINTING, PRINT-MAKING, MASK-MAKING. THE REST I FIGURED OUT ON MY OWN THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR AND WITH LEARNING FROM OTHER ARTISTS. THIS TRIAL AND ERROR PROCESS IS ESSENTIAL IN FINDING OUR DEEPER SOUL SELF, BECAUSE CULTURE PRESSURES SEVERELY LIMIT THE AUTHENTIC SELF. WE ARE TAUGHT THAT ERRORS ARE IRRELEVANT TO THE SYSTEM, WHICH TELLS US HOW TO BE. THIS IS NOT SPIRIT; SPIRIT DOES NOT TAKE EXTERNAL CUES OR ORDERS ON HOW TO BE. I'VE BEEN PAINTING SINCE 1990 AND IT HAS BEEN WELL WORTH THE TIME, EFFORT, AND MONEY SPENT DOING ABSTRACTS.
CLASSES ARE SIMPLE, YOU SHOW UP, LEARN SOME TECHNIQUES, USE YOUR OWN, IMPROVISE, PLAY WITH POSSIBILITIES, IMAGINE, FEEL, LEARN TO ALLOW CREATIVITY TO MOVE YOU IN MOVING THE BRUSH, LEARN TO LET GO TO THE CREATIVE MUSE WITHIN AND BEGIN TO RELISH IN THE POWER OF EXPRESSING YOU. THE PROCESS ALLOWS YOU TO FIND YOUR OWN WAY AND IT WILL ALLOW YOU TO CLEAR OUT ALL THE OLD LIMITING BELIEFS AND PATTERNS ABOUT WHAT ART IS, WHAT AN ARTIST IS, AND WHAT CREATIVITY IS. YOU WILL BEGIN A JOURNEY TO KNOW YOUR MOST DEEPEST TREASURE; YOU...IT'S A NEVER ENDING PROCESS, AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY THAT FREES YOU TO FLY. JUST IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES. I AM OPEN TO TEACHING ANYONE INTERESTED FROM THE AGES OF 10 ON UP. BUT, WILL CONSIDER WORKING WITH YOUNGER AGES, IF THEY ARE TRULY INTERESTED IN ART. I DON'T BELIEVE CHILDREN SHOULD BE FORCED TO DO ART, IN MOST CASES THIS DONE BY PARENTS WHO WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO DO WHAT THEY ARE UNWILLING TO RISK DOING. IT'S CALLED LIVING YOUR LIFE THROUGH YOUR CHILD'S LIFE.
FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL OR PHONE.
SHERMAN
THE WAY OF LIGHT
301 W. HOLLY STREET U-1
BELLINGHAM, WA 98225-4360
PHONE: 360.734.0278
THE.WAY.OF.LIGHT@GMAIL.COM
8/06/08