Hannah Albert: Inspired

ArtaWhirl 2011@ Casket Arts in NE Minneapolis

Please join us in studio 418 for ArtaWhirl, marking my first full year of art-making in the Twin Cities' historic Casket Arts Building. This NE Minneapolis open studio event is the largest in the United States!

days and hours open:

Friday May 20th         5:00pm - 10:00pm

Saturday May 21st    12:00pm - 8:00pm

Sunday May 22nd     12:00pm - 5:00pm

 

The Casket Arts Building is located several blocks north of Broadway between Madison and Jefferson, at 681 17th Ave NE. Parking is free on-street or in one of the lots around the building.

 

Rachel Rolseth's beautiful new paintings feature portraits based on phases of the moon; see some of her work here.

My latest work features larger mixed media paintings I call dreamscapes and many brand new small collages influenced by Japanese wood block prints (see below.)

Both of us will offer orignal art under $100 and prints for $20 and up.

Special guest Tessa Anttila will offer hand-crafted aromatic body butters and salves to be available in limited quantities.

Snacks and beverages will be accompanied by guest-curated music tracks for this unique event.

                

             ~~~FEAST YOUR SENSES~~~

 

mixed media on panel, 8"x8", Hannah Albert

 

  mixed media on panel, 8"x 8", Hannah Albert

 

 
mixed media on panel, 8"x 8", Hannah Albert

Make your plans now for this once-a-year event - not to be missed! The Casket Arts Building is a historic landmark, and I'm so excited for the opportunity to open this beautiful studio space to you.

DREAMSCAPES: new paintings at One Yoga

I have a new show up at One Yoga from now until May 1st.

The older, figurative work was created by sewing on the canvas before stretching it; then layering acrylic and oils. The abstracted figures evoke mystery, sensuality, and emotion. The newer landscape work features pouring and layering of acrylic and oil paints. Some of the newest work is directly influenced by Chinese and Japanese landscape paintings and woodblock prints.

 

detail, "purple dreamscape", 2011 mm on canvas, 42x 36, Hannah Albert

"My paintings are like portals where the dream world descends through time and space. Image-making has always drawn me into an altered state of consciousness where I feel closest to Divine presence. In my work, the human body and landscape are evolving through the alchemy of earth, air, fire, and water. I invite you, the viewer, to connect with your internal sacred landscape.

Geometry, symbols, and organic shapes are intuitively formed through drawing, pouring, collaging, and painting. By engaging with formal techniques that I can't fully control, chance plays with intention, echoing the natural world, and exposing an underlying order."

 

Please join me for the reception scheduled for Saturday, April 16th, from 6:30- 8:30 pm.

mixed media dream landscapes at One Yoga

A fuzzy snapshot taken of a 12' high painting it is: sensual and etherial, figurative and landscape, tangible and dreamlike all at once. This Chinese landscape image is catalyzing my next wave of paintings. You can see it in Minneapolis at the MIA on the 2nd floor, near my favorite Quan Yin statue.

 

I couldn't wait to get back into the studio after seeing this and talking with my new friend Joseph Naughton (really, look at his work) about the phenomenon of becoming a channel for Spirit while in the act of painting. What evolved from that was reworking an old image (mixed media on canvas) into this:

 

 

new work, new shows

Many more new things are in the works using the pouring techniques I developed last year. Coming up next, my show at the Om Collective studio comes down and a new one goes up at One Yoga on March 27th. The opening reception is penciled in for Saturday April 16th, 6:30-8:30, which I invite you to join. Then, mark your calendars for May 20th - 22nd, this year's Art-a-Whirl, so you can see all the new eye candy.

So, what are you doing that's crazy wonderful with all of that spring creativity?

7 reasons to be inspired right now

1. new creations: I was commissioned at the start of this year to create a painting for local Minneapolitans ~ here's the near-finished work:

 

(I live in a city whose citizens sound like an amazing French pastry: Minneapolitans. how good is that?)

what are you creating anew in your life?

2. new friends ~ I've made it a practice to go out and introduce myself to new people every week. new blood --> new relationships = bigger heart = greater insight = clearer intention --> weaving community --> raising the vibration.

When was the last time you made a new friend?

3. all those cool 2011 dates: 1.1.11, 1.11.11, 11.1.11, 11.11.11;

in numerology the number "11" is about intuition, sensitivity, inner knowing - making this a huge theme for the year. I suggest as the age of aquarius (and the Mayan year of revelation 2012) approaches, that you ponder the brilliance that lies beyond your mind.

4. life is speeding up and the world is getting smaller. I think that forces greater accountability through more immediate consequences.

how have you noticed this affecting your life?

5. a friend of mine that was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer after going to the doctor with a stomach ache....is alive and vibrant after 5 years. they gave her 6 months. she says "tell any of your friends with an illness that anything is possible."

do you have an illness that is speaking to you through your body?

6. make magic wednesdays:

instructions: create a ritual, invite your friends, laugh, cry, burn something, eat and drink. repeat weekly. invite new people.

do you have a ritual or practice you'd like to share?

7. here's an inspiring glimmer of light and hope from Haiti.

would you like to share something hopeful?

 

One of my teachers prays over a glass of water each morning, filling the water, and then his body as he drinks, with intention. What are you filling yourself with each day?

I wish you abundant love, health, prosperity, and peace in the new year.

 

Inside the Cave of Gorgeous Abundance

I've recently completed a 2'x 6' tall painting commissioned by a friend that stretched me to grow in unpredictable ways. I call it "Inside the Cave" for obvious (and not so obvious) reasons. My friend is a caver who loves bats and orchids, among other things. She likes turquoise and orange, and she's a huge fan of Danger Girl comics.

 

When she asked me to create a painting that illustrated her life in three stages it  activated my homeopathic thought process, which adores the identification of patterns and themes.

At the planning meeting she described events and symbols of her playful childhood, a middle period that was more tumultuous, and the current life in which she feels comfortable in her skin and grounded. She talked about colors and styles she loves and her vision for the project. Then with a sparkle in her eye she told me she knew I would make something amazing.

I'm so grateful for the seed she planted. It helped carry me through a year of some sensitive transitions: of creative plenty and material sacrifice, spiritual journeying and geographical challenges; artistic second-guessing and the treasuretrove of new relationships. It represented a gift, a challenge, trust, and faith all in one fell swoop.

There are those people in our lives who send us into the cave where darkness can be thick and discoveries rich, where mystery shimmers and shadows entice. The cave can be a yin symbol for women and men, where we enter a state of receptivity, adaptability, uncertainty, and vulnerability, or the sacred space of replenishment.

 

Where discoveries fly at us like bats, startling us with their swift clarity. Where gorgeous and rare orchids dwell, adapted to unusual environments that force them to learn new survival strategies. The vulnerabilities we allow ourselves bring a richness that enhances our capacity for joy and playfulness, even when the process required to get there can feel hella uncomfortable. I'm guessing this has been a year when most of us have been feeling vulnerable in some arena. I've noticed that resistance to those tender moments may show up in my life as negative feedback, isolation, or an inability to allow feelings to come to the surface.

Beautiful environments are created from both violent and subtle shifts in nature, as are our lives shaped by these forces. Fire and water, wind and earth are reflected in our bodies, the shape of our lives, and the flow of relationships. Homeopathy is a science that identifies -and then unlocks- those patterns of passion and play, of minerals and poisons that shape us and sometimes limit our freedom to optimally express ourselves.

Activating and expressing our creative selves is arguably one of the most important things we can attempt in this life. I feel immensely lucky to be able to refine and share visions that hold potential for expanding people's hearts and minds, connecting us in our collective journey, and beautifying the ride. I wish for you that the inwardly-directed energy of winter sweetens your surrender and bonds you with your true essence.

Lately I've been writing down evidence of abundance and lists of gratitude, be that for significant relationships, material comforts, opportunities for growth, and insights gained. The importance of keeping positive thoughts and focusing on what's already going well has been easier at some times than others. It's a slippery slope to join the stream of negativity - coming from the wildness "out there" or within.

Deep thanks to my family of origin and all the friends who have supported me on both sides of this Minneapolis journey. It has been an outstanding year of adventure that continues to surprize and nourish me in so many ways.

Sparkly sparkle to you this holiday season ~ I look forward to seeing you next year!

 

Caché @Casket Arts Nov 19 & 20: more sneak peaks

Sukkot, Water Paintings, a flood; an auspicious night

I recently busted out a 3-hour show for which I spent weeks preparing and $$$s. I sold absolutely nothing at the event, several paintings got warped due to humid and rainy conditions, and I sat under my tent in wet clothes because my sunroof leaked on the drive over. Thank you, Minneapolis rainstorms. I had no problems with the roof of my car for years in Seattle where it rains ALL the time, but here...<rolls eyes.>

Niza, however, made my night - in the midst of a rather damp situation. She introduced herself and reminded me it was the second holiest night of the year (for us Jews) - Sukkot. This holiday is about harvesting the fruit of your efforts and giving thanks, among other things. Celebrations traditionally take place in a tent and involve Water Drawing. As a bad Jew, I have to confess I wasn't aware of the synchronicity until later.

The Water Drawing Celebrations
			"When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, one of the special Sukkot observances was to pour water on the Altar. The drawing of water for this purpose was preceded by all-night celebrations in the Temple courtyard; on the 15 steps leading to the azarah (inner courtyard) stood Levites while playing a variety of musical instruments, sages danced and juggled burning torches, and huge oil-burning lamps illuminated the entire city. The singing and dancing went on until daybreak, when a procession would make its way to the Shiloach Spring which flowed in a valley below the Temple to "draw water with joy." "One who did not see the joy of the water-drawing celebrations," declared the sages of the Talmud, "has not seen joy in his life."

(Did you know? Apparently it was the Jews who started one of the earliest Burning-Man-style festivals.)

In the midst of the rain, Niza said to me "Your art makes me feel like I'm in the temple of God." 

See for yourself; welcome to my first Etsy offering.

giving up the story

Just as the map is not the territory,

the story of your life

is not your life. 

ink study, summer 2010

map making

You could say that an artist is like a map maker. Every artist presents his or her attitudes, opinions, and perception about the world within and at large - describing a particular territory. Conceptual, visionary, topical, or emotive, they're all autobiographical; how can anyone be removed from his or her own perspective?

Looking back over the years of images, like a photo album they tell a story. Like magenta shag carpet reminds me of my room at the age of 9, seeing a high-school drawing of my mom's car in the snow brings back a flood of travel memories. I've created my own meme of prayers, heartbreaks, discoveries, and victories within the objects I've made. 

The power of making images lies in the ability to constantly create The New. Like a new wardrobe, a new haircut, a new house...though better because it comes from within. Because I make them myself I have the satisfaction of being my own boss, critic, and curator.  I show myself that I am the creator of my world. Still, these objects are fragments of the totality of my meme; there's simply no way to dream, activate, or observe it all. They are only parts of what I've seen, where I've been.

 

a leap into the unknown, guided by self-knowledge

we love a good story

For most of the last 12 years (when not making art) I've made my living listening to people's stories, as a Homeopath. Stories animate our lives, filling in the cracks of boredom and adding texture to quiet space. They make us laugh, they make us cry. They help us make sense of things that we'd otherwise prefer to light on fire. The stories we tell are little i.d. flashcards that remind us where we came from and how we got to now.

A Homeopath is fascinated by the individuality of The Story, as if the patient is being interviewed for a broadway musical about him/herself. I love being a witness, a documentarian, and helping people grow beyond the limitations of their minds. As a Homeopath, I need to perceive exactly how uniquely each person is asking for help. A moment comes when the "crack in the cosmic egg" sends up a tiny poof of smoke. If I blink, I miss it:  the magic moment when life's potential to turn on a dime flashes in front of my eyes. That moment is what I live for - in my work, and in my art-making.

Have you ever been listened to so well that you learned something surprising about yourself? Felt safe enough to tell your secrets, only to realize your story was only part of the truth?

I've been told a true healer holds up the mirror, shows you the beauty within, brings you closer to yourself....and shines light on the shadows of your story. Then you get to choose what to do with the information. As it turns out, nobody can rewrite the story except you. It's not that the embers of the fire have no value, but freshly chopped wood, arranged just so, are what puts the heat out. Sometimes you outgrow your story and have to send it up in flames.

I invite you to sneak outside your comfort zone, stack fresh logs on the fire, and pray with your heart open. You just might crack yourself wide open.

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My next Art retreat, Stoking the Fire, will incorporate visualization, art-making, writing, and music. The date is October 30th from 9:30- 3:00 and I expect this to fill up quickly so please email to enroll. 

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Flying Into the Great Unknown

"Put on your power necklace and go kick a**."

Such were the instructions from my bff after I confided that I was feeling wholly overwhelmed at times by the abundance of change in my life. Last month was a humdinger for me: a new home I'm still unpacking, new housemate, new fledgling friendships, a 2-year relationship dissolving, and a continuing re-seeding of my art and medicine career. Ripe with potential, a fresh start, new blood, a brave and bold new world.  At times I feel like a baby bird that's fallen out of the nest; I see there's a big sky over my head and I don't know quite how to fly yet.

Interestingly --- right before the shifts all started, I found a stunned baby bird in my studio. I had no idea what it meant at the time.

the power necklace: Haida thunderbird

I've been trying for several weeks to manifest a decent piece of writing; it took a while longer to squeeze this one out of the tube. I'm just as fragile and gobsmacked as you are at times by what life shows me. 

Today's tarot card was the Sage of Cups: Regenerator. "As a regenerator and revitalizer, you are emotionally creative. Like the life-giving rain, you can transform a barren situation into a garden of emotional delight and abundance. Your inner fountain of youth creates new emotional life and beauty. You are a healer. Like bubbly, playful water, you bring happiness and joy through the restorative power of laughter. Your energy is a medicinal spring that heals the physically sick and the troubled."

You've gotta love the synchronicity of the message above with the new painting I've been working on the last couple weeks. Emerging through my laisse faire ("let it be") method of pouring wet ink and acrylic pigment onto wet canvas, I let it dry, then use oil paint to develop it further. This one also has some collage on it.

above, a mixed media work in progress, Fall 2010, Hannah Albert

So much of life involves jumping into the unknown, so why is it so hard? I've developed techniques in art-making that make it easier to surrender; in fact, it's the one place in life I find it easiest to do so. In fact I think art-making - or any creative work - by it's very nature returns us to the bindi point of infinite possibility on an ongoing basis. During art workshops I use a simple visualization process that helps people who are afraid of making "bad" art - to help them let go of their inhibitions. 

I think it goes against human nature to jump off cliffs. We like to be sure of a thing before we go for it. Or at least we like the illusion of being right/ smart/ good/ wise. Rational. Practical. Responsible. Civilized. Some people realize over decades.. after the house fills up with stuff and unhappiness seeps in, that there's more to life. Others go to Burning Man to learn how completely unnatural it is to be programmed for normalcy. Still others look down their noses at risk-takers, hiding behind sheer terror. The ego is a mighty mask-maker isn't it?

In another brilliant moment of synchronicity (which shows up frequently as a sign of being surrendered into the flow of life) here's what I just found the BurningMan theme for 2011: Rites of Passage

"There are moments of crisis and frisson in our lives which inform us that we've somehow crossed an inner threshold and are changed. Thus moving from one state of being into an unknown other is not a facile transformation; it obliges us to face our innermost insecurities, and it requires faith, a willingness to leap off the ladder of ordered existence. Our theme this year invites participants to join with others in creating rites of passage."

------......../////////<<<<>>>>>\\\\\\\\\........------

"The challenge is to stay empty so spirit can fill us up," a friend said to me years ago. When we totally let go, then we become filled with the next amazing gift. It really never fails. When was the last time you let go, albeit unhappily, of something near and dear, only for something 100x better showing up on your doorstep? This is something we can practice in all arenas of life.

"It is a spiritual law that when we are ready to transform, transformation will come to us. We are all conduits for a great creative energy that seeks expression in us and through us. When we yearn to be different, it is not just our restless ego. It is our accurate response to the creative energy within us that is seeking a new venue for expression... Just as we get restless to make something new, so too our creator may be restless to make something new from us. As we let go of our ego's demands to be totally in charge, we slip gently and quietly into a series of changes that we may set in motion through our own hand but experience as the hand of the Great Creator working through us."    

                                                           Julia Cameron

To empty out all of our expectations, let go of fear, and pony up to the unknown takes guts. It takes some quiet alone time. But what's the alternative, really? You can start here.  Then go see the Oatmeal for laughs.

***Thank you mystery voters - for nominating me for best "art therapy" blog of 2010! **Coming soon: new Fall Art Workshops

 

5 steps to creating an "Art of Life" journal

Last night I couldn't sleep, my head swimming with a gazillion ideas. I decided to acquiesce to the creative flow - who am I to judge? - and work in one of my collage journals. I tore out half of what was in it, cutting, gluing, and reshaping the pages to reflect my current vision. Maybe you've heard of vision boards? Mike Dooley, creator of "Notes from the Universe," is a huge proponent. Well my version is the great-grandchild-avatar style (avatar = embodiment: a new personification of a familiar idea.)

We're so bombarded with images all day long, it's a slippery slope to a.) becoming endlessly distracted or b.) forgetting what's really important to you. I started making Art of Life journals years ago to clarify my focus and create reminders to make my heart sing. No matter what spiritual path you might find yourself on, here's a way to deepen your commitment to yourself. There's nothing like a heart-made drawing or collage to help you manifest your own truth. 

Here is what I wrote at the front of my journal:

1. Most problems are illusions

2. Identifying with flaws and mistakes creates limitation

3. You have complete freedom to let go of anything

4. Staying vertical and grounded makes the ride less bumpy

5. Your heart is big enough for all of it

6. You are creating with the power of now

7. Choose happiness over misery

8. Trust yourself to handle whatever comes up

9. A tiny shift between the ears can create a lot of pleasure

above: journal page, Hannah Albert, Mantra Art

In the midst of packing for my new apartment move and a week's vacation, preparing my art studio for a new mate, integrating all my computer data into a new laptop, and prepping for three art shows - among other things - I was starting to feel the ground shaking. In revisiting many practices I've learned to help with transition, I remembered how relaxing cutting and pasting can be. Since I'm a visual person, keeping a collage journal has been a great way to marinate a lot of lessons into one place.

above: journal page, Hannah Albert, Mantra Art

Start your own; it's easy

1. Buy a small empty book. Moleskin works well, but my favorite are the black hardcover sketch journals; very durable.

2. Gather your materials into a box or shelf someplace. Write, cut, glue, spill things on it, reglue, and write over it again. In years gone by I've even turned it upside down and started again from the end, adding another layer. (It's amazing what you learn by revisiting what you wrote/ drew a year ago. )

3. Make notes, write your goals down, collect images that make you happy. Spend time with this: in the beginning you might use it daily, later weekly. You don't need rules when it's your best friend and confidant.

4. Save tickets/ receipts for events and objects that have made an impact on you. Write about the experience.

5. Revisit your journal from time to time and notice when things don't fit you any more. Make comments on your comments, rip stuff out, sketch, and glue more stuff in. It's like shopping for a new wardrobe without leaving the house, and you don't have to stand under those horrible fluorescent lights. 

Lastly I'll leave you with today's note from Mike: it seemed like the perfect starting message for an Art of Life journal.

"Expect miracles. Don't attach to unimportant details. Don't insist "how" your dreams will come true. Prepare to be amazed. Feel the joy when you daydream. Take baby steps in the dark. Every single day physically do something about your dreams. And most important, saunter."

 

above: journal page, Hannah Albert, Mantra Art