Heart Mending by Jeanette Amlie
I am sharing a little process slideshow of the creation of my mixed-media, work on paper called Heart Mending. She began with drawing with marker on a page from an art history book I got for free at the local used bookstore. Then acrylic paint and charcoal pencil filled her in and I cut her out. She was then glued onto a piece of 11"x14" watercolor paper that I painted using a brayer and acrylic paints. The final touches were added with black and white ink to complete her.
It is always a transformational process to even make something like this. In this occassion I had an idea of integrating parts, but I then just let the process unfold without trying to control it. I was profoundly amazed at how hard it was to cut her up! The intention was integration, not deconstruction, but she had to go through that part of the process in order to be put back together. This provided yet another opportunity for me to heal. Not until the white energy threads began to emerge from the heart (which I had no prior intention or awareness of) did I begin to feel this palpable relief in my own body. This is what embodied creativity is all about for me!
It is always a transformational process to even make something like this. In this occassion I had an idea of integrating parts, but I then just let the process unfold without trying to control it. I was profoundly amazed at how hard it was to cut her up! The intention was integration, not deconstruction, but she had to go through that part of the process in order to be put back together. This provided yet another opportunity for me to heal. Not until the white energy threads began to emerge from the heart (which I had no prior intention or awareness of) did I begin to feel this palpable relief in my own body. This is what embodied creativity is all about for me!