3D journal making

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Jo Myers-Walker
Journal makers working at table filled with art supplies

Six journal makers joined in

These photos are from a recent journal-making workshop in a private home, where we used an artful meditation process to create 8-page pop-up journals on “Painting the Inward Journey.” We focused on our Treasure, Daring the dark (Sister Moon), Creativity meditation (with Brother Sun), and our Transformation into the light.

Even though I was leading the journal making, what a gift they all were to me as I learned how to celebrate our oneness. I could feel the Spirit move through these delightful people.

3D page from a journal

A page out of a meditation journal

Journal makers working with 3D elements

Getting into the 3D!

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San Rufino

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Jo Myers-Walker
Cathedral of San Rufino, watercolor painting by Jo Myers-Walker

Cathedral of San Rufino in Assisi

Another scene from the trip to Assisi — this painting shows us outside the Cathedral of San Rufino, where Francis and Clare and several other Brothers were baptized. This was the only baptismal font in Assisi until 1924. I was baptized while we were there, as were all the Pilgrims in our group; it was very meaningful for me as sort of a new beginning in my spiritual life.

Clare’s family may have lived next door to the cathedral, on the left. She worshiped there and heard Francis preach, and on Palm Sunday of 1212 she was inspired to leave home and journey to Porziuncola where she dedicated herself to a religious life.

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Packing up the Christmas tree

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Jo Myers-Walker

My Christmas tree this year was made from painted slumped acrylic, shown below left with some of the crèche figures. St. Francis is credited with starting the tradition of the Nativity scene in Europe, portraying the birth of Jesus Christ using living people and animals for the first time in western Christianity. In 1223 he had the people of Greccio, Italy come up the mountain to a cave, carrying torches to light the way, to see the manger scene illustrating Jesus’s birth while Francis preached.

Below right, the evergreen tree is going back into the Christmas bag to come out next time with more animals I hope.

Slumped-acrylic Christmas tree and Nativity scene

Christmas tree and crèche before Jesus arrived (I gave some of the animals to my grandchildren)

Acrylic figures loading tree into bag for storage

The crèche figures lend a hand in packing up the Christmas tree into the bag
   

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Opening in Maquoketa

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Jo Myers-Walker
Jo Myers-Walker and Louise O'Donnell

With Louise O’Donnell
at the Maquoketa Art Experience

It was a cold wintry night on December 13th for the Artist Opening of my show with Louise O’Donnell at the Maquoketa Art Experience. Thanks to David Voy for this photo — you can visit David’s blog for more photos and a video walk-through of the exhibit (update: January 11 was the last day of the exhibit).

Artist Rose Frantzen, a cousin of Louise, came to the opening and afterward we visited her studio in a high-ceilinged old building with artwork all around. She was working on a beautiful large canvas, and I was so inspired to go home and start work on a full sheet!

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December 2013 Newsletter

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Jo Myers-Walker
Mount La Verna

Mount La Verna
(click image to download PDF newsletter)

Click the link below to view or download:
In this edition:
  • Thoughts on moving to Iowa City, and my Franciscan “journey” — the spiritual one, and a pilgrimage to Assisi
  • Photos and paintings around Assisi
  • This year’s Christmas painting
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Tau easel

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Jo Myers-Walker
Olivewood easel from Assisi

Easel with tau symbol

This is my easel I bought in Assisi, made of olive wood with a beautiful grain. Note the tau (T-shape) in the middle — the “Tau Cross,” named after the Greek letter, was adopted by St. Francis as a personal symbol. So when I paint, Francis is helping me out.

(You can find out more at the Wikipedia article for Tau Cross.)

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A narrow path

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Jo Myers-Walker
One of the narrow streets of Assisi, Italy

A street in Assisi

Earlier this month I got back from a Franciscan Pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy, and one of my hotels was around the corner from this street. We did a great deal of walking to historic sites in the area. Originally built in ancient Roman times, the streets are very narrow by today’s standards but you still had to watch for little cars! When the roads were first built the street level was 7 feet lower that it is now. In several churches they had clear floors so you could see down to the original foundation.

I’ll share more pictures of Assisi and thoughts about my Franciscan “journey” in an upcoming newsletter.

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Doorway to the past

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Jo Myers-Walker
Chapel attached to the Newman Center in Iowa City

Chapel door

Walking past this little chapel building, I felt an energy and started a quest to find out more about it. It’s currently attached to the Newman Center on its west side (shown in this picture), but it’s had many names, and played an important role in the history of Franciscans in Iowa. I’ll report more when I’ve completed more research!

What buildings do you walk by, that have stories in their past?

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Paper dolls

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Jo Myers-Walker

For a lesson at The Center, I showed the class how I cut out paper figures and put them on a painting to see where I want to place people and begin the story. The painting below left will show a restaurant on the ped mall which reminded me of Europe with people eating outside. I’m just starting to paint a waiter and a couple drinking wine. There’s always somebody passing by; the figure in front is a “paper doll” to help me decide how the passerby fits into the picture.

At a workshop earlier this year for people facing health challenges (and their loved ones), I asked the group to paint figures representing themselves and cut them out to put into their own adventures. On another sheet they created their own special environment, then showed the group their paper selves and loved ones placed into the painted world. One man painted himself proposing to his wife! In challenging times, the most important thing is relationships, people whose love is a part of your world.

Unfinished painting of a restaurant on the ped mall

Using a paper doll to decide on figure placement

Watercolor characters

More figures awaiting their role in a painting

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Streetscape

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Jo Myers-Walker
Alley en route to frozen yogurt shop, watercolor painting by Jo Myers-Walker

Busy alleyway, downtown Iowa City

In this painting I’m coming out into the alley, on my way to Orange Leaf to get yogurt. Even the alleys are full of people — in this scene are a young student with a flaring blue skirt, a gentleman with a cane, and other students walking in the background. I decided this is what I should paint, trying to capture the things I enjoy about Iowa City (especially the food!).

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