Centering Meditation
Before each painting session, I encourage you to begin by quieting and centering. I have used the practice below, personally and in my classes, to set the space in both the environment and in the heart.
Part 1 ~ Ceremony, intention & Opening
Review
* Connect with your canvas.... place hands on your canvas and make a prayer for guidance and support
* Set your intention for this work and write or make marks to represent this intention on your canvas
* Open the spiritual/energetic field of your painting, choose three paint colours and a couple mark-making tools to begin. Bring to your awareness the intention for your painting, begin covering the canvas with marks and strokes, following your intuitive impulse as you go. Remember, most of this layer will be covered up so it is helpful to practice both non-attachment and non-judgement
* Glaze first layers with a watery paint to bring your painting into a cohesive colour palette. Use any paint that does not have white in it
Part 2 ~ Discovering Your Imagery
Review
* Call in your vision through the imagery meditation provided for this week. This will offer you a starting place for your painting to begin to evolve
* In your sketchbook or journal, sketch a preliminary image inspired by your meditation, making note of colours, energies, qualities, symbols, and beings that were present. Play with a second sketch, considering the composition of the image on your canvas. For a lesson on how to sketch a face, click here
* Using a small, synthetic round brush, and a paint colour that contrasts with your background, paint your preliminary outline on your canvas. It will look something like a blank colouring book image
* Don’t worry if you make mistakes as you paint it onto your canvas. If it is still wet, you can use a wet cloth to wipe off the line, or if it has dried, we will be able to paint over unnecessary lines in the layers ahead (i.e., the lines across my eyes and face outline)
