Military Creative Expressions in Colorado Springs

Posted on: June 15th, 2011

Here is a link to an article about an art therapy program in Colorado Springs with wounded vets. Program instructor Kim Nguyen, is an art therapist who developed PTSD as a child in war-torn Vietnam. She developed this program to work with vets who have PTSD and a variety of other issues. I think it’s interesting an adult child of Vietnam is now helping our soldiers.

When I read the article I remembered Gretchen Miller’s AMAZING work with vets, the Combat Paper Project. Be sure and check out her work too.

Boston MFA Dale Chihuly and my Boston visit

Posted on: June 13th, 2011

Chihuly

Ikebana

All I can really say is Wow. I visited friends in Boston this past weekend and stopped by the Dale Chihuly installation and exhibit, Through the Looking Glass, at the Boston MFA.

Chihuly is a glass artist with a huge shop and team in Washington state. He designs and installs large scale installations made solely of blown glass, most placed on metal armatures. None of the ojbects are lit, but when you are in their presence, you would think so. The scale of these pieces is remarkable.

Boston was great. The weather was cool and sometimes rainy, but I was able to enjoy lobster rolls, great chowder and smell Peonies. It does not get better than that. I have included a few other photos of my visit.

Vintage and Antique sewing machines in a retail window.

Peonies at the John and Abigail Adams home in Quincy, MA.

Blueberry bush in Milton, MA at the home of my friend parents.

It would not be Boston without afternoon tea.

Valerie at the George HW Bush , birth marker

My hostess Valerie was born and raised in the Boston area. I never knew til recently that George H.W. Bush, was born in her parents home on June 12, 1924. Here she is in front of the marker. I was there on June 11th!

Be well,
Laura

Lisa Kokin: An artist and self-help books

Posted on: June 6th, 2011

Pancea

Through my linked in groups via The Art Therapy Alliance I found out about Lisa Kokin. Lisa is a mixed media artist in California who had an exhibit where she took self help books and transformed them into art. Her pieces in a recent exhibit are beautiful. I have long been fascinated with altered books, their use and the transformative power of reworking material in art and society.
We are always looking for ways to transform ourselves, our experiences and our lives. I think Lisa Kokin found a use for all those self-help books that promise to make us better.