Stephanie's Studio

Friday Natural Healing Corner: Dying, Death and Mourning In many quarters of the globe, the word death seems to burn the lips, particularly here in the West.  To utter death, we move our lips in such a way that bitter feelings, gruesome thoughts and the pain of finality is wrenched from the depths of the soul.  This dance with death begins clumsily yet with practice it can become increasingly more graceful.  Those of us involved with Hoodoo deal with various realms, including the "other-side" on a daily basis.  A gift of Hoodoo is that within its domain lies a plethora of jobs, tricks, rituals and incantations, inspired by the wisdom of indigenous and rural people.  Death, dying, grief and its attending depression and depletion are processes without an easy solution.  Using elements of Hoodoo can help you come to terms with the inevitable.  Hoodoo conjuration keeps you in touch with the spirit realm affording opportunities to glimpse and interact ...

A little over a year ago, when I attended last year's Illinois Art Education Association's annual conference, I purchased a sketchbook. The idea was to pass the sketchbook around to people in other states and countries to see what the sketchbook could become through collaboration. I fully intended to participate in the project but I did it a bit differently. I had not been too active in my studio in 2010 and thought the sketchbook would give me just the right kick in the butt to get working, without the pressure of producing something big. I decided to fill the sketchbook from cover to cover and to even create art on the covers. This image, "Persephone's Landscape" is a collage from the inside back cover of the little black sketchbook which measures about 5" x 8 1/2". I'd say I've worked in this particular sketchbook for at least six months straight and I've made about 40 images. I've worked some and reworked others while a few were cut o...