Altered Book and Summary Entry for Class

The images above are from an altered book that I have been creating. Systematically- I have been committed to working on one page, one day a week for (at least) one hour. This book has come to completion as the semester’s end has arrived. This blog was revived, after its initial creation in 2008, due to a special topics course I am finishing on technology. After researching blogging I have come to understand that my blog has served in part as a digital portfolio that reflects and documents my thought process regarding the direction and aesthetic of my dissertation. I plan to continue to document this process in this blog form as a commitment to reflexivity and transparency in research. I truly wish to thank Gene and Lisa and my colleagues, technology does not necessarily come naturally to me- having this course and the time devoted to exploring the relationship between my research and potential technological tools has helped to widen my vision and expand what is possible. Many, many thanks.

Youtube link to presentation of Ellen Dissanayake's work

http://youtu.be/H-0UzBO6Rpo

This video was unavailable to be embedded or simply added to a blog, here is the url. I am writing my second paper for the Creative Imagination class and watched this video for inspriation and relaxation.

Two More Bundles

Here are two more bundles, created today while discussing my research direction and what is most important. It was great to be in the studio with my colleagues and I think I have found a way to keep on track- looking forward to January to revise my pilot study and literature review- I also think I have a strong idea of who I'd like to have as the third person for my committee, which is a relief. I 'm also realizing again how important it is to meet with my cohort to review where I am both personally and professionally with the research design. After reading Dissanayake's "Homo- Asestheticus" and Modell 's work in " Imagination and the Meaningful Brain" I'm compelled to bring other components into the mix; adding neuroscience and art as a biological behavior with children's art making, metaphor, and attachment. The conversation widens and expands !

"Recognizing art as a biological need can give us not only a way to better understand art, but by understanding art as a natural part of us, we can understand ourselves to be part of nature" (Dissanayake, 1995, p.34)

Dissanayake, E. (1995). Homo aestheticus. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press.

Bundles with Natural Found Objects and Fiber

I created these bundles with a vigor, quickly and whilethinking with my hands. It was a very kinesthetic experience, it was so enjoyable to wrap and to swaddle these materials. I think this is a part of continuing my materials exploration in finding the just right materials to offer my research participants, it keeps me connected to the work in a spontaneous yet aesthetic way.

Artist/Therapist International Post Card Exchange

As a way to re-enter my blogging for research I'm going to begin with art that I created as a part of an exchange with other art therapists around the globe, this was organized by Art Therapy Without Borders. I created a total of 23 postcards, I worked on them, in part, while I was at the AATA conference in Sacramento the first week of November. I stayed with the materials as I created these small works and let the materials lead me, I enjoyed the mixing of media, especially the graph paper, white watercolor crayon and pencil. There are some forms that relate to nests, pods, weaving and connecting, protection and communication, these are all concepts I am exploring in my pilot study and contributes to the final qualitative research design.

PhD Meeting and Art Making

This Sunday I met with my PhD group, that has not met for a while. Meeting again, sharing our thought process, our evolving ideas, obstacles, and moments of clarity was immensely helpful, I feel a little more accepting of "simmering" or percolating for the moment, knowing I have 3 more classes to complete to fully find a form for my research. Above are two images, the lower image I created while I was with my colleagues and friends and the above is the same piece after working on it a bit more in my studio. I don't know what else to say other than when I began to add the darker elements the white areas became more known. I have been reading Husserl this week so his statement that there is "presence in absence" is alive for me.

Nested Textures

I began to review photographs that I have taken recently. Realizing that I am attracted to texture and in particular the texture of these nested barnacles and soft, slippery, mushy mossy rocks. The colors interest me and invite me in deeper. The barnacles remind me of colonies, stacked houses, close knit families and inseparable friendships, of interconnection, and the strength and fragility of relationships.

ATC Artist Trading Cards

Above are a series of four ATC or Artist Trading Cards that I created for a swap with other artists/art therapists. I enjoyed creating them and allowed the materials I chose to guide the process. Creating these was also a reminder of how important the process of art making is to my practice and to who I am. As for my research I am truly feeling stuck. Stuck. I'm not sure how I want to continue which sends me into a space where I begin to think about all the different directions and paths I could possibly take, unfocused. I'm going to create some art around my research topic and hope that it rejuvenates me as these ATCs did.

The above image is from http://www.luzinterruptus.com/
It 's a beautification/installation project by Luzinterruptus in Madrid titled Urban Nest, the link was forwarded to me and is initally from the website Dudecraft, just to keep the resources clear http://www.dudecraft.com/2010/08/urban-nests.html

I will likely comment more on this project soon, however for just now here's the image, link and info.

Follow Up: Qualifying Meeting

A group of students offered homemade play dough during their presentation, I naturally made this pinch pot nest. Next we were asked to create a contour drawing, an artform I am fond of. Above are the images. A welcome presentation returning to class after my qualifying meeting with my committee members. The meeting went well and I truly enjoyed having individual attention specifically and directly offering me feedback on my literature review and pilot study. With some minor revisions I have "passed" my qualifying papers! Which is fantastic! Now the question is what direction to continue in for my dissertation, I fortunately have some time to take space and allow my thoughts and responses to percolate. I need to edit the pilot a bit as there were many components and make the study more functional. I think the term attachment, both philosophical and psychological can be difficult to understand, so I want to bring in language that can be more meaningful and more directly understood. One aspect that seems to continue to peak my curiosity is how a variety of art materials and the nest metaphor allow children to express themselves and afford an opportunity for multiple languages, particularly around their experience of being cared for. The other piece I am certain of is having participants from a wide range of ethinic backgrounds.

Qualifying Paper Meeting

I am teaching an intensive class this week, and today during lunch I will have my qualifying meeting. My own excitement and nervousness about this meeting, along with the each student's anxiety about thier presentations for today and tomorrow is truly challenging our abilities to be present. Now as I write they are meeting in groups to clarify what they will say to me and the class. I have reviewed my pilot study and literature review and am planning for what I will say to my professors...parallel process extreme! Everybody's back in class.....more soon-

City Nest Farm Nest

Over the weekend I noticed two different nests in separate contexts. One nest was a part of a window display in Boston, the other was at our local farm.

We found this nest while picking blackberries, it was so exciting to see it, to discover it. What a great home created by this bird, protected by thorned blackberries and yet with a food source right there! Often I think this metaphor may be too narrow for my research and that I should broaden the scope to include nature sculpture or holding environments......then , as when I found the nest, I was reminded of how powerful the image is and how important it is to be in flux, to broad - too narrow....this is qualitative research!

The Conversation(s)

I'm still working on my website, and as I add pages, contacts, art and resources I'm reminded of Karen's provocation in my Creative Imagination class...who are we having these conversations with about Expressive Therapy? The options are endless, however to not overwhelm us, Karen presented these communities: Philosophy, Education, Psychology, Arts, Humanities, and later I added Medical. Because my pilot study involved children, metaphor, artmaking, storytelling, attachment psychology and strength based components....I think, at this moment, the communities I need to connect with are early childhood, education, arts and psychology. Fortunately I will be meeting with my doctoral commitee next week for some simplifying ...

Research Tools

In class we've decided to analyze research tools for expressive therapy data representation. We are looking at Prezi, Websites created in Yola, Blogs, and Voicethread. I'm looking forward to spending more time examining these tools more closely. After this course I think there will be an expressive therapy research digital explosion!

Even though I created this blog in 2008, this is my first post...I am excited to begin this blog as a reflective journal into my research process. Above is a Context Map that I created in class. A quick sketch reorienting me to my research question that examines the creation of nature based sculpture, namely a bird's nest, by children to further understand their expereince of care, nurturance and protection.