A Quiet Year

Sharing a few photos from a recent Creative Circle workshop that I taught at the Eagle Rock Shambhala Meditation Center.  The theme was Threads of Aspiration.  Participants had the option of working with cloth or paper to share their aspiration.  It was a delightful creative afternoon.

The flags are on the move once again after a long quiet spell.  Stay tuned for photos once they return.

Wishing everyone a peace filled Holiday Season!

Integration

Zabriskie Point, CA 2006

We are revisiting the first set of flags.  Here we come to the last addition to the group, with the piece by Sharon Kagan and Karen Michaels from November 2006.  As you may remember, the idea for this project grew out of a creativity workshop with Sharon.  Among inked lines of knitting are these words of inspiration: Yes, integration, peace, sanctuary, vitality, quiet, faith, death, rebirth, glow, and more.

Sharon said, "The journey with the flags was incredible...  I chose to use my “knitting” motif as a symbol of the unity of all things.  The writing began with the word “YES”.  And then we wrote all the things we were saying yes to.  It became a conversation with the flags…"

Here is a bit of history if you are just joining us.  This set of twelve prayer flags began in July 2005.  Each participant chose a personal theme for their flag.  It is the initial set created for the Bhavana Project, which is an ongoing community art work intending to share wishes and aspirations with the wider world.  New participants are always welcome!

Butterflies

We are again revisiting the first set of prayer flags.  Here is Helene Zimmerman's lovely contribution, shown on display at a friend's wedding.

The wording reads: "Remember what it's like to walk among the butterflies."

Here is a bit of history if you are just joining us.  This set of twelve prayer flags began in July 2005.  Each participant chose a personal theme for their flag.  It is the initial set created for the Bhavana Project, which is an ongoing community art work intending to share wishes and aspirations with the wider world.  New participants are always welcome!

Family Fun

We are revisiting the first set of flags.  Here is Gina Gambill's May 2006 addition, which was a collaboration with her family.  All the family names are written on the back in crossword puzzle style.

Here is a bit of history if you are just joining us.  This set of twelve prayer flags began in July 2005.  Each participant chose a personal theme for their flag.  It is the initial set created for the Bhavana Project, which is an ongoing community art work intending to share wishes and aspirations with the wider world.  New participants are always welcome!

Familiarity

We are revisiting the first set of flags.  Here is artist Mary Cochran's beautifully appliqued addition from May 2006.  The quote from E. Dendel on the back side reads:  "Familiarity often blinds us to the marvels of the commonplace."

Mary said, "Looking back I am in awe of the things it has triggered and brought to my attention. I am still almost daily being shown how deeply rooted a very important influence in my life has been."

Here is a bit of history if you are just joining us.  This set of twelve prayer flags began in July 2005.  Each participant chose a personal theme for their flag.  It is the initial set created for the Bhavana Project, which is an ongoing community art work intending to share wishes and aspirations with the wider world.  New participants are always welcome!

Wholeness

As we again revisit the first set of flags, here is Virginia Wise Abrams' collaboration from March 2006.  She was influenced by Native American button blankets, given as remembrance at a death among certain tribes.  Her thread color choices represented the energy chakras.  Buttons and chakras symbolize wholeness.

Here is a bit of history if you are just joining us.  This set of twelve prayer flags began in July 2005.  Each participant chose a personal theme for their flag.  It is the initial set created for the Bhavana Project, which is an ongoing community art work intending to share wishes and aspirations with the wider world.  New participants are always welcome!

Play

More from the first set of prayer flags with Sara Cloud's addition from December 2005.  Sara chose Play for her flag, embellished with ink and beads.  Sara so enjoyed the process that she participated in later sets as well.

Here is a bit of history if you are just joining us.  This set of twelve prayer flags began in July 2005.  Each participant chose a personal theme for their flag.  It is the initial set created for the Bhavana Project, which is an ongoing community art work intending to share wishes and aspirations with the wider world.  New participants are always welcome!

Love is...

The current set of prayer flags have returned, which is always fun for me.  Jean Brantley, a local fiber artist, created an energetic and colorful addition to the 8th flag with her words:  "Love is the answer."

 

Thank you, Jean, for participating!

The Bhavana Project is an ongoing community art work intending to share wishes and aspirations with the wider world.  This is the 4th set of prayer flags since the project began in July 2005.  Each participant chose a personal theme for their flag.  New participants are always welcome!



 
 

Courage

Prayer Flags, Blewett Pass, WA 2005

We are revisiting the first set from October 2005, with the sixth prayer flag made by Chris Dormaier, a yoga teacher from Washington.

 
Chris shared these words: "It was really interesting for me. At first I was intimidated by the depth of the messages that were already done, and then I realized that that was exactly what I was going to put on mine was the thing I was feeling- FEAR.  We live in such a fear based society right now that we must be vigilant about not letting it get to us.  So Courage is the word I chose.  We must be courageous every day and not worry about what might happen if..."

A bit of history if you are just joining us.  This set of twelve prayer flags began in July 2005.  Each participant chose a personal theme for their flag.  It is the first set created for the Bhavana Project, which is an ongoing community art work intending to share wishes and aspirations with the wider world.  New participants are always welcome!