Inter; a prefix, “between,” “among,” “in the midst of,” “mutually,” “reciprocally,” “together."
Woven; to form by combining various elements into a connected whole.
"Meet Cori Martinez, owner of Asha Urban Baths and Asha Yoga in Sacramento. Cori is both gentle and wise. Cori is wife, mother, teacher, and gifted story teller. Shortly after we met, I learned that Cori also possessed an impish sense of humor––which identified her as someone I immediately wanted to cozy up to.
Cori's businesses are growing The bathhouse at 2417 27th Street is expanding and the yoga studio has moved to 2910 Franklin Blvd.
When Cori showed me her new yoga space, I couldn't help myself. "Wow, "I said, "Sure could use some art on them thar blank walls."
"What a great idea!" Cori said. So , I invited her for a Studio Play-Date.
We decided that fiber would be our medium of choice: it made us think of birds building nests and spiders crafting webs and safety nets and dreamcatchers. Then, like Penelope and Arachne, we went to work.
I'd suggest that Cori add "artist" to her impressive list of accomplishments.
Recently, Cecilia Sandoval––Studio Manager Extrordinaire––offered me an opportunity I couldn't refuse.
"You know," she said, "Our students and teachers just love doing poses next to you paintings in the main studio. How would you feel about painting something for that big empty wall in the aerial room?"
"Can it reflect our logo colors?"
"Um ... sure, if you want to use gold leaf ..."
Talk about a no brainer!
I wish I could take credit for the name, but I can't. As I was slapping paint and gold leaf on top of these two 3x5' and 4x5' canvases and debating whether the Buddha's eyes should be open or closed, my Muse chimed in. She does that a lot.
"How 'bout making one eye open and one shut, sort of a yin/yang thing. And I've got the perfect name..."
Amanda Marsh and Christina Tung hanging out with Peek-a-Buddha.
Ever since I first saw the Wonderful Wizard of Oz at age four, I've coveted ruby red slippers.
Was it because footwear had the power to take a little girl wherever she needed to go or that they sparkled so bewitchingly? A longing for glitter and magic permanently hardwired my psyche.
When I was old enough to read the book for myself, I was shocked to learn that Dorothy's slippers were not red at all, but silver!
Thus, film trivia taught me a valuable lesson on the importance placed on appearances––not to mention disregarding truth to favor a particular agenda.
For a long time now, I've wanted ruby sequined high top sneakers.
... I now appreciate why Judith Leiber's evening bags are so darned expensive.
They turned out magically, don't you think?
And, of course, I made a ruby red pair too!
Easter Breakfast: Gumballs With Cheerios?
April Fools! What you're seeing is actually a bowl of pearls on a hand forged chain. If you're curious to know how this breakfast of champions was created, read on.
To make 'Cheerios' I used 10, 12, and 16 gage gold fill wire. I wrapped the wire on a mandril to form a coil and placed the coil in a vice. Then I used my foredom (think dremel tool on steroids) equipped with a wafer thin aluminum oxide cut off-disc to slice the coil into rings. One can also use a jewelers saw to do this––which is what patient and precise artisans would use––but I'm not patient. Or precise. I like power tools!
You'll note, in this photo, broken bits of cut-off disc strewn about my work bench. One of the drawbacks of being neither patient nor precise.
Here are 'Cheerios" (a.k.a. jump rings) cut and ready for soldering––but first they need to be filed and fitted together so that all joints are straight and clean.Time spent cutting, shaping, and prepping: 5 hrs.
These are 'Cheerios' after soldering––not so pretty and, I'll admit, my soldering skills don't look all that pretty either, but don't judge until you see the finished product. Time spent soldering : 2 hours.
Next, I hammer each ring on a tiny vice to give it texture. This is where I learn if my solder joint is any good. Hand eye coordination is a plus; smashed thumbs happen.Time spent hammering : 4 hours.
​Here are the 'Cheerios' fresh out of the tumbler, clean, textured and shiny again! No ugly solder joints here!
​1 to 2 hours per strand.
Three completed strands: 20 mm white semi baroque pearls, 26" length, 20 mm cream, bronze, and pink 20 mm baroque pearls, 42" length and 46" length.
I hope you enjoy a pleasant Sunday. No fooling.
​My grandmother was born in an era where a woman’s physical beauty determined her value. Throughout her long life, Grandma remained secure in her worth. Even in her nineties, she was beautiful.
My grandmother adored pearls. She used to say that some women had skin so fine that they could restore the luster to pearls by wearing them against to their bodies. I always believed that Grandma was one such woman.
Her prized strand––she's wearing them in this photo, taken when she was 75––was 16 inches long on a silk cord. They were 14 millimeter cream-colored (with overtones of pink) semi-round South Sea pearls. She’d let me play with them when I was little but I wasn't allowed to wear them. Even on my wedding day, Grandma’s pearls were not for borrowing. When Grandmother died, at the age of ninety-eight––still with flawlessly translucent skin––the pearls passed to my mother.
Shortly after Grandma’s passing, Mom gave the pearls to me. It made sense. Like my Grandmother, I love dressing-up and unlike my mother, I hate hiking and biking. I do enjoy a good book, however.
Also unlike Grandmother, I’m uneasy with attention, which is a problem if one is an artist. So much about making art is a willingness to be seen.
Do I hope that something more got passed down with those 14 mm luminescent orbs? If one believes that personal objects can absorb an owner’s essence, I would say yes.
​I believe in alchemy. That’s what artists do. We transform, with heart and skill, a base material into something more.
​With that in mind, I took Grandma’s pearls apart. I soldered up a bunch of gold jump rings. I found some watermelon tourmalines––because watermelon tourmaline is reputed to balance energies caused by conflict and confusion. Then, I assembled them all together again by crafting a handmade chain.
Here’s hoping that some of Grandma’s self-confidence is still inside those pearls.
Shared with permission of the author. Click the button to read Bruno's story.
Somewhere along my path, I was introduced to the concept of "finding-one’s edge". Roughly defined, it’s that space between pushing through one’s boundaries of comfort and safety without creating undue stress or harm. Wouldn't that be enlightened space from which to make art?
While working on this Edge Series, I discovered that the process of painting is much like the practice of yoga. The artist has a canvas. The yogi has a mat, When they come to those places, they invite intention.
All things begin with an intention.
Before I began this series of paintings, I thought I had clear idea of what they would be but, as I worked, they became something else. In the end, the result is different from my original concept––a reminder not to become too attached to outcomes, perhaps?
Carmichael Yoga offers yoga on land (mat) and air (aerial yoga hammocks)! The studio is huge and spacious (a rare sighting for yoga studios) with floor to ceiling glass windows that bring in natural light and make for a truly lovely practice. Carmichael Yoga offers a diverse variety of yoga styles that welcome all bodies and all levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners. It is one of the very few studios in Northern California that offers aerial yoga using silk fabrics/hammocks suspended from the ceiling. Aerial Yoga is a great practice for balance, core strength and inversions. It gives the best decompression for the spine, without placing weight on the joints or muscles!
Mooladara, the root chakra, is associated with the color red and it defines our relation to Earth. It impacts our vitality, passion and survival instincts. The red chakra colors are also indicative of our need for logic and order, physical strength and sexuality as well as the fight or flight response when faced with danger. The sense of smell in the human body is connected to the Root Chakra. The gland to which the root chakra is attached is the Gonads.
​ The sacral chakra is associated with the color orange. Swadishthana chakra relates to the water element in the human body. The chakra colors orange impact sexuality, reproductive function, joy, desire and even creativity, compassion for others etc. The sense of Taste is associated with the Sacral Chakra. Glands and organs impacted by this chakra include the lymphatic system, female reproductive organs, large intestine, pelvis, bladder etc.
​Mani Pura, the solar plexus chakra, is the personal power chakra that is responsible for one’s individual and professional success. The color yellow is associated with fire, energy, charge etc. This element of fire, when balanced and harmonious allows one to feel more confident, cheerful and energetic along with a right amount of respect for self and others. Our sense of sight is associated with the solar plexus chakra. The glands or organs associated with Solar plexus chakra are Adrenal glands.
Anahata, the heart chakra is associated with the color Green. This chakra influences our relationships and has the Air element. A weak heart chakra is responsible for sabotaging the relationships through distrust, anger and envy etc. Sense of touch is impacted by the heart chakra and the glands connected to it are Thymus and lymph.
Ajna, the Third Eye; literally translates to “centre of knowing or monitoring”. This chakra is associated with chakra colors Indigo and is connected to the Pineal or pituitary gland. Those with a well balanced brow chakra can have telepathic abilities, charismatic personality and they often do not have any fear of death. The element of electricity or telepathy along with the chakra colors of Indigo are associated with our sense of Thought.
The Crown Chakra, known as Sahasrara, is associated with the colors of violet or purple. The crown chakra is associated with the pituitary gland, nervous system, and the brain and head region with its element of light. In its balanced state, this chakra can render individuals the ability to perform miracles, transcend the laws of nature, and have a heightened awareness of death and immortality.
White is sometimes shown to denote the Higher Crown and connection to the soul's purpose. White represents purity and balance. It contains all the colors and is sometimes referred to as 'the many colored lotus'.
Descriptions of chakra colors and their meanings were found on Color Meanings.com.
Spring in Here! And The Vernal Equinox Open Studio Event is only days away!
from 11:00 a.m. till 5 p.m.
I hope you can drop by. And tell a friend!