Written by Cat Bennett, artist, author, creative coach, and facilitator of Creative Spirit's winter workshop, paint/cut/paste. LEARN MORE and REGISTER Here!
"I think art workshops are a kind of sacred time in which we leave our daily concerns..."
The Dalai Lama has said that the highest state we can achieve is that of joy.
It’s higher than happiness and he shares that meditative practices help us let
go of all that takes us away from this state to bring us back into the full beauty
of being fully present as we are. Painted paper collage is pure joy! If you’ve ever
been in the presence of Matisse’s great cut-outs, or even seen them in books,
you will know this to be true. And there is joy in the making too!
"It is essentially drawing with scissors..."
What I especially love about doing this form of art with people is that everyone
succeeds. It is essentially drawing with scissors and so the forms can be simple
and bold or as intricate as we like. It’s a playful and colorful art, one that can be
spontaneous and relatively quick. Or we can take the techniques and develop it
into more intricate work as Mrs. Delany did back in the 18th century with her
incredible cut paper flowers.
"We each have our own individual spirit and it shines through when we work in simple and playful ways."
I love doing this art in a group setting. First we have a meditative time painting
our own papers (and getting some ideas about color) then we begin to create designs with shared prompts. We each have our own individual spirit and it shines through when we work in simple and playful ways. We get ideas from each other and learn more about who we are and what we can do. I think art workshops are a kind of sacred time in which we leave our daily concerns behind to engage in a simple
meditative art.
There are so many forms of art now and the very nature and purpose of art is
always evolving. Painted paper collage is a way to make art in which we both
experience and give joy.