I was a refugee of the business world. At age 62 my job disintegrated and was I floating around being unemployed with no thoughts of my happily ever after ... ever showing up. Then an online painting class caught my attention, I had always wanted to learn to paint but either I didn't have the time or I didn't have the money. The class was with Shiloh Sophia McCloud and thus started my adventure into the world of painting.
Art is transformational and the greatest gift I have ever given myself. When my husband died when I was 65 I had some tools to help me work through and process my loss and grief that I would not otherwise have had access to. He had been my biggest supporter and was so proud of me and my painting, I would consult with him on ideas and colors … we were a great team. I still watch to see if I see his fingerprints in any of my canvases along with watching for the endless crow feathers I receive as love messages from him to remind me he's still around.
I have had the opportunity to paint with Sue Hoya Sellars who is Shiloh Sophia McCloud's teacher and mentor as well. It is all one and the same family. I joined Cosmic Cowgirls which is the love child of Shiloh and became a member of a tribe of amazing women who have helped me navigate some of life's biggest challenges and heartbreaks. Shiloh's dream is to end isolation among women and she certainly did it for me.
In March 2013, just prior to my husband's passing, Shiloh was invited to the United Nations to give a presentation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women Conference in New York City. She took a slide show of 41 artists from her Color of Woman graduates to present and three of my paintings were included. It was so exciting to be included and feel a part of such an amazing event.
Since then I have been navigating through loss and grief and working my way back to life and art has been a great companion. Shiloh taught incorporating writing into and along with your art because by joining the two you are engaging both sides of your brain and increasing the creativity. It takes you to greater depths and enhances both processes.
So the new stories have yet to form as my new life is being midwifed into being … it will be an amazing journey and I hope you sign up and come and hang out if you are so inclined. This is not a place for despair … quite the contrary … it is a place for hope. There is a line I love "When faced with the unknown hope is as reasonable as despair." From Martha Whitmore Hickman's book Healing After Loss, Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief.
