Archive | November, 2023

Explore Mindful Coloring with a Tree Mandala

21 Nov

A mandala for you to color- attending to the life sustaining connection we hold with the land we live on. This coloring page was inspired by the Art of the Land show that I was in this past weekend. Art of the Land is a local art show, a fundraiser for The Land Conservancy of McHenry County.

My recent drawings have explored trees and forests and the deep mysterious and healing space that exists in these mind forests of mine. I haven’t lost my adoration for mandalas either, and I suppose, that is why this particular tree picture is circular. It also becomes a meditation when drawn in a sacred container – as you color, you can attend to your emotions, the colors you choose, the music you color along to…branches and neurons swiftly flow together and create a space of solitude that can hold everything at once. I’m a firm believer that the practice of ‘doing’ art heals us in many ways… download and enjoy!

TREE MANDALA

tree-mandala-arche-color1-6DOWNLOAD

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The Healing Power of Expression in Natural Spaces

9 Nov
Work in progress by Janet Balboa


So far, no one or thing is showing up in this forest. I see more architectural movements- like openings that are more-than-tree. And always the white tree, the white light, and a beckoning. But a hesitation, too. I feel like I’m standing just a bit beyond this particular place. I feel myself stopping and really sensing out what’s around me. Im actually feel my body paying attention.
I can feel/smell the air here, and I sense green, mossy, wet. The other Forests felt more arid. How weird is this? The experiencing of it?

Yet,
the more you practice, the more you listen, the more whatever is moving around in the ethers, senses your devotion to your practice, and settles in again for the longhaul.


Art takes time. SO much time. It takes time to retrain your senses, time to build strong and sustaining relationships between head, heart, and hands. It takes time to replace those old voices with new perceptions, hard won with the grief of actually letting go of people, places, things, and the notion of who you thought you were. It takes time to catch your breath. Reassure oneself that whatever lies ahead is essentially ‘just‘ your life. So journal, write, sing, draw, create – whatever self expression brings you to life. I imagine that Life Itself desires to be fully lived, fully expressed by Humans, who are crazy good at: create, express, make new magic for the world; repeat.

It’s really not about The Work, it’s about forging a life-sustaining relationship between your essential radiance and the world around you.

The magic will happen. The unicorn will appear. But first, making an opening for The Practice of becoming yourself kinda makes sense.

Journey Through Enchanting Interior Spaces

1 Nov
Regarding Entry
janet balboa


Latest in my Exploration of those Deep interior spaces that sustain my practice.
Does Gaia dream? I think she does. In fact, I am convinced. She does. And we are her dream- contained in her wildest places, our own deeply enchanting interior landscapes – – as full of wanderings, adventure, love, leavings and comings home as they ever were…
And hey!
This will be available as a limited edition print along with the other Forests in this series.