Art February Fridays with Hope! Self Care, Self Love and Self Expression

In these darker Winter months, it's really important that we allow ourselves moments to "go inside,” be still, and reflect on our souls and subconscious. Sometimes it can be hard to find this inner space in our daily rhythms, and these sessions will provide students with a moment to themselves for inner reflection. For each activity in this workshop, Hope has chosen some simple activities with deeper and more meaningful themes and intentions behind them. The group will begin and end each session with a brief guided meditation. These classes will be reflective, and the activities are not made for creating masterpieces of art, rather as tools for introspection. Everyone gets to relax and sink into the process of creating! The students will walk away with artwork that reminds, inspires, portrays, reflects and calls us to action.

Class Description:

Week 1 (February 2, Imbolc): Finding Light In The Darkness

This activity is a reminder that we are not alone and that we can manifest light to pierce the dark and painful spots in our lives. It’s also a reminder that there is a dance between light and dark and it’s always in motion; there is no “there” or the right place that we can or should ever get to. This exercise is meant to center our minds and bodies and to act as a visual aid for hope.

Week 2 (February 9): Emotion circle & Inner dialogue

This exercise is a pathway to accessing unmet and unrecognized needs and desires in yourself. It is a visual representation of "you" and your emotions and we will have a written dialogue with our paintings ("ourselves") to find answers and see where we need to lean in and give back to ourselves.

Week 3 (February 16): Manifesting Joy With A Spiral

Spirals are a natural and universal symbol for newness and recreation and coming to life and bringing forth. This activity is a visual inspiration and reminder that we can manifest the lives we want.

Week 4 (February 23): Birds Nest

This is an intention-setting activity. Students will leave with a visual inspiration piece for engaging in their futures. This is the perfect activity for the last class as we start looking toward the spring season and the days are getting longer and we are entering the growing season.

About the Facilitator: Hope is a self-taught, multi-media artist. She focuses primarily on two mediums: creating abstract watercolor & ink combinations, and using trash to make nature scenes on wood (3D art). She is originally from Colorado, and now she and her partner Jacob live on Vashon Island. They have one child who is almost 4 and she says he is the best art she will ever make. Although Hope is not formally trained in art therapy, she is passionate about understanding and using its power in her own art, as well as helping others embrace the importance of art as a therapeutic tool. She adores Yupo paper, hammocks, backpacking on the Washington coast, antique photography, boudoir photo sessions, her morning coffee, reading novels, and sleeping.

Hope’s Website: https://www.hopeblack.photo/abouthope