Creative Projects of Participants During Online Meditation Courses

The six online week-long meditation courses admit up to nine participants per session. Each participant is required to take-up some creative project and work on it every day.

Recent participants are given an outline of a theme that combines three aspects – breath / air, Covid-19 / lock-down, and, anything else they want to include.

Some of the recent projects of the participants are mentioned below.

WINDSWEPT MANDALAS
Patreese Martin
Seattle, USA

Education: University of Pennsylvania, Master of Architecture; University of Washington, Bachelor of Architecture cum laude; University of Washington Rome, Italy, 1980 Architecture and Urban Design Italian Studies Program
Accreditations: AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Professional Afilliations: American Institute of Architects; Society for College and University Planning; USGBC member; AIA Seattle Board of Directors: Past board member; AIA Education Committee: past chair

Patreese practices mindfulness and short meditations. She thinks that attending this course helps her return to a place of focus to overcome self-doubt. She considers herself not to be a professional artist but she draws and does watercolor painting. She would like to incorporate more of this in her daily life.

About her creative project: In her own words, “Since I must stay at home because of the Covid-19 pandemic I spend more time in my yard, and notice the changes in the leaves, flowers and birds much more that I previously did. I took items from my garden and arranged them on the pavement. The arrangements were temporary, as the breeze soon blew the leaves and flowers into the wind. The breezes are like our breath. I hope the pandemic is temporary too. But the beauty of nature endures through every season.”

GODDESS IDEAS
Jennifer Stottle Taylor
Tennessee, USA

Jennifer is a well-known plein air artist living in the USA. Her professional memberships include – OPA, PSA, AIS, AWA, APAA, Chestnut member. She has exhibited at scores of events. Some of the important ones are –

2020 Huntsville International Airport Exhibit – April – May 30
2020 AAEA (American Academy of Equine Arts) at Aiken, SC March 23- May 1
2020 “I See France” -Cultural Center of Cape Cod, South Yarmouth, MA January 29-February 23, 2020 (juried)

She has been awarded over a dozen prizes. Some of these are –

2020 Selected for Director’s Award at AAEA exhibit, Aiken, SC
2018 Best Painting by Board Vote, Southeastern Plein Air Inviational, Gadsden, AL
2018 2nd Place from American Impressions Society Wet Wall Competition, Cincinnati, Ohio

Over the years, Jennifer has been featured by a variety of magazines and publications. Some examples are –

2019 Featured Artist American Art Collector, July 2019
2018 Destig Magazine, Top 20 Artist, UK – Current
2018 Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine – Front Cover & Interiors Spread

Jennifer’s art-works are / have been exhibited at several art-galleries like – Beverly McNeil Gallery, Birmingham, Alabama, Little Green Store, Huntsville, Alabama, Steamboat Springs Art Museum, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, etc.

Jennifer also teaches art – to professional painters as well as hobbyists.

About her creative project: In Jennifer’s own words – “I am working on painting myself, or my Inner Goddess, so I photo-shopped all these symbols together for a trial. This represents my calm inner self when practicing Yoga-breathing, and I would not have discovered this had COVID not kept me in lock-down. It also represents the idea of my stronger, wiser higher self.

I can not decide on a color or textures, so that is why the four ideas.

White horse – my past and present. I grew up riding horses, they are my catalyst for change.
White is spirit and purity. Horse is freedom, power, wisdom, travel, movement.
Red & gold Indian Dress represents immediate past of Haridwar, India and the colors there
The flame – my inner passion for God, life, love, and art
The paint brush for my art
Lotus flower – present moment and future – purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth
Wings – are my hawk symbolism – my spirit guide – native American meaning of discerning, the ability to use intuition and higher vision in order to complete tasks or make important decisions
Celtic tree with roots – represent my personal ancestral roots from Scotland and symbolizes blessings from my ancestors
Moon / circle behind my head is a feminine quality of eternity and timelessness
OM – sound of God and used with my breath also symbolizing my higher connection to all

ME MEDITATING WITH TWO GUIDES AND SIX CORONAS!
Sullivan Brown
Los Angeles, USA

Sullivan is a Bachelor of Arts in Animation and Digital Arts from School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California.

Sully is an illustrator and animation production designer for television at Los Angeles, California. He has also acted in feature films – e.g. ‘We Go Way Back’ directed by Lynn Shelton, and ‘Brand Upon the Brain!’ directed by Guy Madden, that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.

Sully is an Eagle Scout and was President of his High School during senior year. He comes from a family that is known for path-breaking initiatives. His mother is a senior architect with a leading firm in the US that has led world renowned projects. His father and grandfather are Harvard graduates. His aunt scaled Mt. Everest. She is mentioned in the book – ‘Into Thin Air’ and the movie by the same name.

THOUGHTS ON BREATH, COVID, AND MY OTHER IDEAS
Jerry Taylor
Tennessee, USA

Jerry is a song-writer and musician.

About his creative project: Jerry has written a poem. This may become a song eventually.

Home with art memories on the walls,
that feels and calls,
Taking time to heal,
Spirits

Electronic eyes,
Digital eyes,
Isolation.
Feeling the Land,
Trees,
Wind.

More freedom of LIFE,
Sharing,
Giving
Waiting.

Morning meditation.
Blessed,

GOD

Me and You
Love
Peace
Music

The practice of life.

DA VINCI, CORONA, AND RAMCHARITMANAS
Tarun Kumar

I started making this art-work few weeks ago during the Corona Lock-down on the day of the 501^st death anniversary of Leonardo Da Vinci. The central big bat wing is inspired with a sketch made by Da Vinci. The text is from ‘Ramcharitmanas’, the Hindi language scripture translated from Sanskrit by Goswami Tulsidas. It refers to bats and three broad classes of ailments that encompass all diseases. Shakespeare was a contemporary of Tulsidas.

UPCYCLED SHINING WIND

Sarah Parr, based in the USA, is a ceramic artist and teaches her art to all.

Sarah has a collection of conchs.

Project: About her project during virtual programme at AZIMVTH, Sarah says – “My project was created using primarily found material. The metallic silver gold and pick comes from discarded snack bags, foil balloons and other litter. I used discarded paper to create the shapes that are covered with the metallic material. My goal was to create something beautiful using the garbage I have found in the woods behind my house.”

The following video shows her final project.

Sarah says,

“What a beautiful gift this meditation course has been. I feel as though the fates brought me here. Each day before meditation I would go outside to gather flowers from my neighborhood. These flower arrangements made my meditation space extra special and sacred. The meditation itself was a wonderful challenge for my mind, and filled each day with spaciousness, intention and gratitude.”

SIX COURSES

The list of the courses is given below.