“Through reflecting on the concrete reality of our immediate experience, and through giving voice to our perceptions, intuitions, and “felt-sense” of things, we create ourselves anew”. – Marlene A. Schiwy from: Taking Things Personally: Women, Journal Writing, and Self-Creation As the new year gets underway, I find myself wondering what to do with the collection … More Creating the Self Anew: The Art of Journalling
Some of the people who have attended my Art for Wellbeing classes over the years have a unique and idiosyncratic style. Over terms of weekly attendance, they determinedly pursue their vision to the exclusion of all suggestions and themes offered by me, or influences of others attending. In doing so, an important collection of work … More Bodies of Work
Diwali celebrations at Wales Millennium Centre this evening, a vibrant celebration of the Festival of Lights and Indian culture in Wales. My card making workshop with leaves, stencils and stamps using water-based ink was enjoyed by the children after their performances, and by visitors passing through.
It was wonderful to see the work of Frances Richards on display again at the Glynn Vivian Gallery in Swansea this weekend. I became aware of her work after the retrospective I visited back in 2019 – see here. This time, just one painting: Metamorphosis, 1967 was the inspiration for three of the works commissioned … More Transformations
“At least one third of GP appointments are, in part, due to isolation. Through social prescribing and community resilience programmes, creative arts can have a significant impact on reducing isolation and enabling wellbeing in communities.” – Dr Jane Povey GP, Director, Creative Inspiration Shropshire Community Interest Company; All-Party Parliamentary on Arts, Health and Wellbeing Inquiry … More The Art of Growing Strong
In the Odyssey, Homer describes Crete as a rich land, filled with people of different races who speak several languages. As the island is located in the eastern Mediterranean at a crossroad of three continents, the cultural influences are many. In Rethymno town on the north coast of Crete, this wonderful museum housed in a 17th century Venetian mansion … More By a Thread: Weaving the Stories of an Island
There is so much healing to be done. Globally, ancestrally, ecologically: healing from the wounds of patriarchy, imperialist and colonial iniquities – the list is long, and the legacy is profound. It effects all of us on so many levels, and it keeps on resurfacing in different forms. The healing work is ongoing, often being … More Seeing Beyond: Reclaiming the Sacred Ground
Six online somatic sessions as a beginning to the creation of a new performance work by Zosia Jo of Joon Dance. This follows on from Zosia’s amazing 2019/20 solo research project, Fabulous Animal. the closer to the ground/sea level you are/the slower time goes mapping the landscape of the body and emotions as a drawing practice/ visualising … More Expansion
This is Ninel. She is six years old. She has recently escaped with her family from the war that is ravaging her home country, Ukraine, and now she is here in Wales. She does not speak any Welsh or English yet, but she comes to the after-school art class, and she paints and makes things … More Hope
Some wonderful mandalas made in the workshop at Cardiff central library today for Refugee Week. I gave participants a choice of A4 or A3 circle templates to create their mandala within. Working with paint, pens, collage or stamps, visitors created individual healing images to take home with them.
Sarah J Featherstone 