Starting a year ago this month, I embarked on a Sketchbook Meditation and Exploration journey with a group of artists from around the world. This supportive community gathers regularly online to work in our sketchbooks, experiment with techniques and approaches, share ideas and experiences as well as converse about important issues that face artists. Throughout the year, we work in our sketchbooks and discuss topics such as battling the inner critic, handling creative block, working through anxiety and self-doubt and interrupting the patterns that bind. My Rediscovering Your Creative Self Podcast, an audio series that focuses on developing a relationship with the creative spirit that resides within and making daily lifestyle changes that enhance creativity to build a more creative and playful mindset, serves as the topic of discussion.

For the artists that started on and continue to go on this journey with me, I thank you for your willingness to push yourselves, tackling your fears, silencing the inner critic and strengthening your creative muscles. Your energy, playful mindset and passion for artmaking inspire me.

After witnessing the breadth of work being done by the artists in this group, I knew that our collective experience needed to be shared. This is the first in a series of articles on the Sketchbook Meditation and Exploration experience as witnessed through the journey of each creative soul. Today, I am featuring artist and meditation practitioner Lucia K Wolfer. 

 

“My sketchbook has been a steppingstone for me to stay motivated when it comes to developing bigger projects. In addition, writing about my art on a daily basis has allowed me to go deeper within myself to answer the important questions about my creative direction, crystalizing my artistic path.”

 

Title: Art Journals and Dried Flowers   Book Size (width x length): 9 in x 6 in  Materials: Dried plants in glass vase, art journals, meditation bells and holder for bells

 

How has the Sketchbook Meditation + Exploration experience helped you along your journey as an artist?

Lucia: I am an eclectic person and curious about many things. My self-expression with mixed media materials fits my personality beautifully. It allows me the most freedom of expression in the visual arts. The daily practice of experimenting in my sketchbook keeps me playing, exploring and experimenting with words and images. Daily practice keeps me focused and motivated to do my art, regardless of how long the session is. My sketchbook has been a steppingstone for me to stay motivated for developing bigger projects, such as making art journals and paintings.

My sketchbook experience has also led to bookmaking and bookbinding. This journey has included making bookmarks, washi tape, stickers and getting back into sewing. It reawakened my desire to create more music, using my keyboard and guitar. This journey renewed my interest in using my versatile digital camera rather than using my iPhone for photography. Finally, it has led to creating videos and starting a YouTube channel.

 

Throughout your creative practice, art and meditation work in tandem. How did that journey begin for you and how has it evolved?

Lucia: I have been very interested in art since I was six years old and started journaling at age 13. My meditation practice began at age 30 as a way to deal with stress, stemming from great struggles and challenges during my adult life. Art, meditation and journaling is all about the relationship that I have with myself. Everyday, I listen in silence to my heart, soul, intuition and gut as well as my mind and body.

Through meditation, one relaxes and can put away their fears to freely take more risks in art, in self-expression and in life. It is an invitation to experiment, explore and play: an opportunity to just be ourselves, fearlessly.

 

“My daily journaling and meditation facilitate access to my true, authentic self which is where I want to stay both in writing and in my art. For me, meditation, creativity, journaling and healing are the language of my soul and each informs the other.”

 

Title: Art Journal with Singing Bowl   Book Size (width x length): 9 in x 6 in  Materials: Quartz “Singing Bowl”, mallet, candle, art journal

In my books, I like to put inspiring and meditative quotes, coloring pages and Zendala art, which are intuitive and meditative mandalas created by me, and my personal art. In the picture featured below is a close-up of an art journal with the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi written on an inside page. Wabi means imperfection and Sabi means impermanence.

For me, meditating, creating and journaling bring forth healing. In my Heartworks by Lucia Art Journals, I always incorporate those key elements, providing a safe space for people to express themselves on their inward Journey to the Self.

In addition to meditation, one of my favorite healing techniques is to create vibrations using singing bowls. The red bowl (pictured above) is tuned to the vibrations of the first or root chakra, which is one of the energy centers of the body.

Title: Art Journals with Candle   Book Size (width x length): 9 in x 6 in  Materials: candle with embedded bamboo sticks, eleven art journals, various types and weights of paper  Surface(s): Chipboards, fruit and vegetable dyed paper, ephemera and original designs

After becoming a certified meditation teacher, I became inspired by mandalas which are circular and represent unity, wholeness, infinity and eternity. The writing on the artwork (featured below) means mandala and is written in Sanskrit, an ancient language from India. The symbol in the middle is OM signifies absolute infinity and the eternal source of creation.

Title: Original Mandala, Books and Paper   Book Size (width x length): 9 in x 6 in  Materials: 16” x 20” cradled clayboard, iridescent acrylic paint, white acrylic paint pens, ink, meditation bells, candle, plant dyed papers. chipboards for book covers, embroidery thread, curved needle for binding. Surface(s): 16” x 20” clayboard, dyed paper, chipboard, illustration board.

 

Where does your inspiration come from and what sources do you seek to enlighten your mind and entice your senses?

Lucia: I find inspiration in almost anything: a sunset, a woven pattern, nature’s designs, colors and textures, a story or the process of sharing with inspiring people. It also comes from my multicultural background and extensive worldwide travel. I grew up in three countries and was constantly stimulated by the five senses, experiencing new foods, music, visuals, language and textures.

Inspiration ignites from my creative experimentation, exploration, play and daily artistic practice. I ask, “What If?” and “Why Not?” as a gateway to infinite possibilities and adventures into the unknown. For me, a huge part of creativity is just playing and watching the possibilities unfold.

Title: Sketchbooks with Candle   Book Size (width x length): 9 in x 12 in(book with beads) and 8.5 in x 11 in  Materials: Original art, acrylic paint, embroidery floss, beads, sketchbooks (two commercial, one hand-made), candle   Surface(s): chipboard, mixed media paper, wooden carved pieces

 

What draws you to work on a particular book or series? Is there a thread that connects the different books that you create?

Lucia: For me, the basic thread that connects every art journal is four-fold. The combination of stress-reduction opportunities, spaces for visual and written expression and the intention of imparting healing qualities for the creator. My art journals are not only stand-alone, beautiful and sculptural works of art but they are also functional. Sewn with either a Coptic stitch, 3-hole stitch or chain stitch, my books are constructed to lay flat, easily accommodating the practices of drawing, writing and coloring with a strong structural support.

The sketchbook with the beaded spine (featured above standing) was my first attempt at creating personalized books that incorporated my mixed-media sketches. I wanted to try creating an entire book rather than filling a store-bought book with my art. The two books (featured on the right) are commercial sketchbooks that I purchased and decorated the covers with an abstract piece of art. My art journals contain various types and weights of paper on which to write, color, draw, paint, glue, cut or sew. Moving forward, I also want to incorporate pockets for memorabilia and ephemera in some of my art journals. The possibilities are creatively endless.

Title: Dried Flowers with Booklets   Book Size (width x length): 9 in x 6 in  Materials: 64-page accordion booklets, scrapbook sheet of paper, embroidery floss for sewing 3-hole stitches, bone folder, needle, vase with dried flowers   Surface(s): one 12 x 12 scrapbook paper

 

Title: White Flowers and Books  Book Size (width x length): 9 in x 6 in  Materials: blue ceramic vase, dried flowers, chipboards, acrylic paint, fruit and vegetable dyed papers, carving utensils, embroidery floss, original art on covers  Surface(s): chipboard, plant dyed papers, copy paper

 

Many of your books have unique ways in which they open, close and present themselves. Some are even architecturally unique, serving a function as part of the expression of the work. Talk about how the overall design and the experience it creates is an important part in your journey as a signature bookmaker and artist.

Lucia: I like having an element surprise or incorporating the unexpected or the unknown into a book’s architecture and construction. It is like a 3-D puzzle waiting to be solved. The opening of an unusual book engages the mind and can be a positive experience. The questions “How does this box or book open? Or the statement, “It inspires me and gives me an idea” adds interest to the experience. The construction may invite questions as to how it was made, as in the case of my 64-page booklets in the Fantasy Garden display (seen below). It is not just about the contents of the booklet but the mystery and uniqueness in opening it which engages the participant. The design beckons one to go from inside the book to exploring possibilities on the outside of the book.

Title: Original Washi Tape   Materials: painter’s tape, clear plastic film strips, PVA glue, acrylic paints, matte medium

To decorate my books in a signature way, I create my own bindery tape by painting on strips of various materials, from masking, painter’s, packing, electrical, duct and medical micropore paper tapes. In addition to bindery, I use hand-painted tape onto any ripped, torn or damaged paper surface for the purposes of mending it in a unique and inspiring way. I am interested in the Japanese concept of Kintsugi, an art form of repairing broken items with lacquer mixed with powdered gold or silver. The idea is that flaws and imperfections are positive things and that the imperfections should be enhanced rather than hidden.

The creation of my books is also an experience and appreciation in repurposing found objects, like containers of various shapes and sizes with distinctive packing materials. I love recycling them into a useful new life. Containers can have mystery with surprises in each of them. I view art journals as containers of personal information where I can experiment, expressing my authentic and unique self in a visual as well as written form. Journals are a safe space in which anyone can express themselves with endless freedom and in just about any manner, using a wide array of materials.

 

“Books and boxes are containers for personalized information, hopes, dreams and sacred insights and spaces. They are the physical embodiment of ideas, feelings, inspirations, expressions, thoughts and ideations, offering surprises upon opening them.”

 

Title: Fantasy Garden   Materials: Upcycled boxes, dried plants, pinecones, three 64-page accordion-style booklets, colored and graphite pencils, bird, real nest, feathers. Surface(s): packaging materials and cylindrical boxes, painted with iridescent copper paint.

 

Elements of the natural world often decorate your work. You use fruits and vegetables, extracting the dyes to color the pages of your books. Can you talk to us about your practice and how it has given you a deeper appreciation for what nature has to offer?

Lucia: I am a nature lover and have spent most of my childhood outside, exploring the woods. The rich smell of the soil has always been a primal love of mine. The forest floors were where I spent hours sitting on decaying logs, observing plants, insects and other animals, smelling flowers and pinecones, listening to the birds and the chattering of monkeys in the jungles. A beautiful other world. Nature has been a lifelong passion. In fact, Mother Nature became my refuge from the world, my place where I could rest, a spiritual place and a retreat where I could completely relax and feel destressed.

After my last child left, I put everything in storage, bought a camper and lived within the natural world for four years in the forested mountains as well as and on my property in California. I was on a true sojourn to Self. As a teacher on a very flexible schedule, I worked the entire time, but also had plenty of time off. I will always be grateful that I had that time to reflect deeply. The Forest Floor collage (featured below) reminds me of that journey. It brings me peace.

Title: Forest Floor  Size (width x length): 56 in x 42 in  Materials: leaves, feathers, sticks, pinecones, acorn, painted box top and bottom in acrylics, three 64-page booklets, colored and graphite pencils, bird, real nest, matte medium Surface(s): wall hanging: frames, wooden board

 

Describe your artistic working environment. How does your environment affect your ideation, process and approach. 

Lucia: My artistic environment is in the southwest wing of my home and includes both my studio as well as my meditation retreat room. There is an adjoining bathroom, which serves as the water source for my painting materials.

My working studio is a place where I play, explore and experiment with all forms of mixed media. It is ready for activity with most materials out in the open and ready to go, providing easy access and inspiration on a daily basis.

My meditation retreat is a respite from the distractions of the external world. I meditate in this space at least once a day. I have singing bowls, tuned to the healing vibrations from each of the seven primary chakras as well as a ritual drum for sound healing. Close by, I have my guitar and keyboard along with my photography equipment and boxes of memorabilia. The meditation retreat space is an essential place where I can have my daily dose of digital detoxing and Just Be. It houses most of my art books and occasionally I enjoy the scents of essential oils and incense wafting their way throughout the room.

Title: Journals with Mortar and Pestle   Book Size (width x length): 9 in x 6 in   Materials: brass mortar and pestle, two art journals, carved leather art piece on front of cover   Surface(s): hand-painted chipboard, recycled and repurposed book

 

Title: Eat Your Art Supplies   Materials: beets, onions, pomegranate, blueberries, avocados and pits, tea bags, dyed paper  Technique(s): boil plants, allow papers to soak in extract, let dry.  Surface(s): various bowls, table cloth

You are an experimental mixed-media artist, using various materials, processes and techniques, your books are truly signature and unique. Can you talk about the materials you use, the techniques you employ and how your mixed-media approach enhances the work as well as your creative process? 

When creating my art journals, dyeing papers with fruits and vegetables is one of most relaxing parts of the process. Coloring my sheets of paper with the juices from cooked fruits and vegetables, I realized that one cannot only paint with words but can paint with foods, spices, plants and almost anything else that nature has to offer. There is so much to explore when it comes to paper dyeing.

You can also eat the beets, onions, pomegranates, blueberries and avocados after extracting the juices by boiling these plants. My favorite dishes from this group of fruits and vegetable are beet salad, guacamole and blueberries with yogurt and honey. I dye papers using tea bags also, but I don’t recommend that you drink it.

The basic materials that I use consist of a pan and heat source in which to extract juices of various fruits and vegetables for dyeing papers, different types and weights of paper, awl, ruler, curved needle, embroidery floss, chipboard for book covers, fabric, acrylic paints, a vast array of pens, matte medium, gesso, bees wax for waxing floss, PVA glue to adhere artworks and ephemera to the various parts of the art journals, beads and other decorative items of choice. A mortar and pestle (featured above) is used to grind or smash many of the foods. I keep my materials eco-friendly, sustainable and recyclable. Although these are the materials that I work with, anybody designing their own art journal is free to personalize it however they choose.

Title: Preparation of Fruits and Vegetables Dye  Materials: Cooking pans, stove, avocado pits, spinach, rose petals, yellow onion skins, black beans. beets and blueberries.

When preparing the dye, you need to boil all fruits and vegetable for 30 minutes. Pour the strained liquid into a tray, submerging the paper one sheet at a time. Let the papers soak for one-half hour to an hour, depending on the desired color saturation. Allow the sheets of paper to dry flat overnight. A few things to note are that the black beans must soak overnight before cooking them. The black avocado pits need to boil for one hour before they split open and release the pink pit inside.

Title: Envelopes in Tea   Materials: envelopes, tea, glass tray  Surface(s): Glass table over patterned rug

When boiling black tea bags, do it for approximately 15 minutes. In the envelopes (featured above), I allowed them to soak in the cooled liquid for 30 to 60 minutes. Black tea produces a beige- colored paper with a subtle design. I soak the papers in coffee for 30 minutes. Dyeing with coffee is a good alternative to dyeing papers with tea. They turn out darker and not as evenly colored, however. I like earthy colors they make.

Title: Papers Soaking in Coffee   Materials: glass tray, coffee, 20 lb. copy paper, tile

When it come to hand-dyed paper, I love the gentle curvilinear lines produced at the edges. Just looking at this has a calming effect! Every color emits its own wavelength and frequency. In color theory, pinks, blues and yellows influence emotions and wellbeing and are associated with calming as well as healing properties. Beige, made from tea, is soothing and promotes calm and grounding.

As time move on, I will expand my selection of paper colors which are currently made from various fruits, vegetables and teas to include spices and other natural substances. I also want to explore producing interesting visual textures like spraying the paper with vinegar and adding coarse salt to create unique contrasting colors patterns as it interacts with the wet freshly-dyed surface. I also want to learn how to pound certain flowers and plants into the papers, experiencing the whole process of making papers from pulp.

 

Title: Fruits and Vegetable Dyed Paper   Materials: heavy weight copy paper, variety of fruits and vegetables, tea, pans, stove Technique(s): boil plants, allow papers to soak in extract, let dry overnight

 

Your art journals and books are truly a source of healing in a uncertain, often chaotic world.

Lucia: My art journals seem to inspire others and that is a great reward for me. A lady from my community bought two books from me at the last Arts & Crafts show. They are her Books of Gratitude. Every day, she and her husband write one thing on each page about what they are grateful for. She also uses my dyed paper to add a writing place in her handmade cards. This warms my heart. Another two young girls bought my starter journals, consisting of one signature each, because they wanted to learn how to write better. Having previously been an elementary school teacher, this made me happy to know that I could contribute in some small way to their growth of self-expression.

“My role as a creator includes that of healer and communicator.”

 

Art is a silent conversation, a universal language between the artist and the viewer. This interaction is healing. This is where the real value of my art is, to me, personally. The internal value for me is limitless and healing in so many ways. The external value for me is that I would be helping other people along their own path of rediscovering their true, authentic and unique selves. I am happily willing to share ways of doing that. People have asked me to show them how to make art journals and I am now considering creating two workshops per year in my local community that blend together mixed-media art, journaling and meditation.

Most of all, I intend to enjoy this journey and have fun!

 

JOIN THE SKETCHBOOK MEDITATION + EXPLORATION COMMUNITY!

Every first Tuesday of the month, our Sketchbook Meditation + Exploration events are online from 11:00am to 12:30pmEST. Be a part of the journey with us!

 

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