How to envision a new reality: Tips from the ancient dreamers

Kathy Crabbe, Take me to your playground, 2012, acrylic and charcoal on canvas, 48 x 48”. While reading the Seth Material (printed below) please be aware that this is channeled information received by Jane Roberts from Seth, “an energy personality essence no longer focused in physical form”. Many people find this kind of writing transports them creatively into other worlds and dimensions.

The text below about the ancient dreamers clicked with me instantly so I'd like to share with you how it relates to my work. When I began my current series of paintings, Journey into Intimacy I too radically slowed my pace of living; editing and simplifying, putting my painting and drawing at the forefront. My inner compass has always been guided by my dreams and I feel a natural affinity with the ancient cave painters, and with vedic scribes and medieval monks; creators of the illuminated manuscripts. I also believe that we can heal and create our reality using our thoughts, dreams and visions as a starting point. But now, with my current work I am expanding that personal vision, just as the ancient dreamers and cave painters did, into the external world. My dreams are my paintings and, like the ancient dreamers, invite you to step into a new world and envision a new reality.

My first painting on canvas from the Journey into Intimacy series is titled "Take me to your playground" (see above) which quite literally is an invitation, but an invitation to what sort of playground is unclear, leaving room for imagination - that part is up to you. Please feel free to share your thoughts, comments and visions below.

Notes from the Seth Material by Jane Roberts

There is a great underlying unity in all of man's so-called early cultures - cave drawings and religions - because they were all fed by that common source, as man tried to transpose inner knowledge into physical actuality.

The body learned to maintain its stability, its strength and agility, to achieve a state of balance in complementary response to the weather and elements, to dream computations that the conscious mind alone could not hold. The body learned to heal itself in sleep in its dreams - and at certain levels in that state even now each portion of consciousness contributes to the health and stability of all other portions. Far from the claw-and-dagger universe, you have one whose very foundation is based upon the loving cooperation of all of its parts.

These ancient dreams were shared to some extent by each consciousness that was embarked upon the earthly venture, so that creatures and environment together formed great environmental realities. Valleys and mountains, and their inhabitants, together dreamed themselves into being and coexistence.

The species - from your viewpoint - lived at a much slower pace in those terms. The blood, for example did not need to course so quickly through the veins, the heart did not need to beat so fast.

Gravity itself did not carry its all pervasive sway, so that the air was more buoyant. Man was aware of its support in a luxurious, intimate fashion. He was aware of himself in a different way, so that, for example, his identification with the self did not stop where his skin stopped: He could follow it outward into the space about his form, and feel it merge with the atmosphere with a primal sense-experience that you have forgotten.

In a fashion those ancient dreams, through their immense creativity, dreamed all of life's creatures in all of their pasts, presents, and futures - that is, their dreams opened up the doors of space and time to entities that otherwise would not have been released into actualization, even as, for example, the units of consciousness were once released from the mind of All That Is.

Dreams, "Evolution," and Value Fulfillment Vol. 1, A Seth Book by Jane Roberts

Press Enterprise Artist Spotlight: CRABBE FOCUSES ON MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

Press Enterprise Artist Spotlight: CRABBE FOCUSES ON MIND, BODY, SPIRITCRABBE FOCUSES ON MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

BY DANIEL FOSTER AND JILL JONES THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Published: 08 May 2012 03:43 PM

Artist Kathy Crabbe has chosen to address issues of the mind, body and spirit in her artwork. She uses an intuitive, spontaneous and process oriented approach to her work in a variety of mediums.

Crabbe studied art in Canada where she shaped many of her artistic themes as she studied the female form and women’s studies. She moved to Laguna Beach California and exhibited at the Sawdust Art Festival for seven years. Her work has continued to evolve and embody more humor and playfulness during those years. Living in Southern California also injected a brighter color palette into her work.

In 2000 she moved to Temecula where she now lives and works while she displays her artwork throughout the Southern California region. Throughout During her time in California she has also expanded her studies in printmaking and other media, taking courses and workshops from well known local artists such as Dixon Fish, Helen Shafer Garcia, Amber George and Leslie A. Brown.

In 2008 she started working on a series entitled “Journey into Intimacy” which consists of mixed-media paintings using charcoal, pastels and acrylics applied to smooth surfaces, using both conventional and unorthodox tools and methods. She has been known to use garden rakes, sponges, house painting brushes, fingers and other body parts as she layers and scrapes the surface.

In the “Journey Into Intimacy” series, patterns and symbols are repeated and serve to evoke deep emotions and reverence for the spirituality of nature. “I depict an inner landscape of the senses. Part dream, part yearning and part sacred symbol, the work stems from a holistic perception of the world. Emotions are spiritualized into divine patterns pre-existing in nature — the circle, a seed pod,” states Crabbe.

“Crabbe’s mixed-media paintings and prints are a journey into the forgotten parts of the self; those places, both emotional and physical, that are rejected, neglected, or under-valued in our corporatized and sanitized culture. These neglected places exude a dark kind of beauty and complexity as they form themselves in her work. This work is a foray into sweetness, light and danger all at once. It is deep intimacy — a deliberate mirror and an intent of reclamation. I look forward to following this series,” said Tangerine Bolen, executive director at Revolution Truth.

Crabbe’s BodyPrint Healing series of printmaking includes etchings and monoprints in which she again uses a variety of techniques and methods this time to explore transformative healing through the work.

“Instead of falling victim to pain and suffering, these feelings can instead be transferred onto paper, objectified, transformed and healed,” Crabbe said.

“Kathy’s artwork caught my eye as soon as she arrived at the Mt. San Jacinto College Art Gallery to submit her work for the show I was curating. I was pleased that she brought with her both an etching and a print, representative of a range of her work. The monochrome color palette was both soothing and inviting, and I was beckoned to look more closely at the images to see what they had to say to me. The pieces, both part of the BodyPrint Healing Series, had a lot to say about the healing and release that can be experienced when making art. I was more than pleased to include “V Etch” and “V 1” in Your Face Here: The Modern Self-Portrait and I look forward to seeing Kathy’s art on display in the future,” said Leslie Paprocki, curator, Your Face Here: The Modern Self-Portrait.

Crabbe exhibits extensively throughout Southern California. She is a member of the Plein Air Artists of Riverside (PAAR) and the Printmakers Network at the Riverside Art Museum (PNET) as well as a member of the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony in Temecula.

Crabbe will have work in several upcoming shows including a one day solo show at the Sun City Library on Sunday, May 27, 2012, Art and Earth: My Art, My World at the Murrieta Public Library, Tuesday, May 1 through Saturday, June 30 with an opening reception on Saturday May 5 from 2 to 4 p.m., and she will have an additional solo exhibit at San Marcos Library from Sunday, May 6 to Tuesday, June 24, 2012.

For more information visit the artist’s website at http://KathrynVCrabbe.com Article Source

We'Moon facing "The Other Side"

Sorry to keep ya'll in the dark for so long with my whereabouts! I've been busy working on a new website for my new art, the Journey Into Intimacy series. I'm also preparing to send off sixteen samples of my artwork to one of my absolute favorite books, the We'Moon Datebook which I've been published in three times previously. The 2013 themes for submission are "The Other Side": irrevocable, reincarnation, initiation, phoenix rises, overthrow, doorways, the unexpected, the dead zone, on the other hand, spirit world, power helpers, smoothing the rough edges, shape shift, backside, over the edge, destruction, illumination, parting the veil, crossing over, the Big Sleep, re-awakening, hereafter, cycle/spiral, promise, facing the unknown. Here are a few of the pieces I'm submitting:

Scorpio Goddess, 16 x 20 inches, watercolor on board, 2000.

Cuddle Your Demon, 14 x 14 inches, Drypoint etching, 2009

Perdida, 8 x 10 inches, watercolor on paper, 2001

Pluto, 48 x 48 inches, acrylic on masonite, 2010

More about We'Moon ~ Gaia Rhythms for Womyn: We'Moon is a full color astrological moon calendar, datebook, and daily guide to natural rhythms. We'Moon features art & writing by and about womyn- a goddess-inspired, earth-centered creation from the growing edge of global womyn's culture. More info here on their website.

Discipline, Balance & Strength: Capricorn Collages

I'm finally back in the collage-swing-of-things along with a VERY lively group of Divine Feminine Moon Musing students for the Capricorn 2011 Term of my 4 week eClass...a very impressive bunch! I encourage all my students to create at least one collage during the class, but if they're feeling extra motivated I also encourage them to create 3 separate collages for each phase of the moon. I'd slacked off a bit with my moon collage creations, but set the intention of committing to the collage process starting in January of 2011  (that Cappie New Moon does indeed help with discipline, don'tcha think?)

Moon Collage by Kathy Crabbe Jan. 2011

Moon Collage by Kathy Crabbe Jan. 2011

Here's my own collage created for the New Moon in Capricorn, Full Moon in Cancer and the Waning Moon in Scorpio.

The background is taken from one of my newest paintings which is part of my Journey Into Intimacy Series.

I incorporated three of my Lefty Oracle Cards which I had chosen for each of the moon phases (Skell, Sharmin' and Guess).

The Yin Yang symbol in the upper right and the Black Mermaid (from my Laguna Beach Mermaid Series) in the lower right represent the balancing act I'm doing between life/art/work which is also represented by the half goat, half fish symbolizing the zodiac sign of Capricorn.

The circle of copper ribbon that I've sewed onto the collage represents the dedication and focus that is required to develop my Creative Soul Circle.

Divine Feminine Moon Musing Student Collages

New Moon Collage by Annalee Jackofsky

New Moon Collage by Annalee Jackofsky

Annalee JackofskyMoon Name: Athena Watersong Website: www.homegrownstringband.com

For my new moon collage I chose pictures that showed how I wanted to be empowered by the moon, along with quotes and song lyrics that I felt expressed the inspiration I was looking to find in the next month.

Full Moon in Cancer Collage by Annalee Jackofsky

Full Moon in Cancer Collage by Annalee Jackofsky

In my full moon collage I expressed the seeds of intention I had planted through words and pictures. I included a picture of the cycle of the moon to show how I had changed throughout the month. I also added pictures of my power animals, and the names of the two goddesses that have guided me this month along with their strengths that I wish to find in myself.

Capricorn New Moon Collage by Rona Bennett

Capricorn New Moon Collage by Rona Bennett

Rona BennetMoon Name: Moonbow

Awaken Your Divine Feminine Soul: Register here for the next eClass.

Being in Love

In Process. Acrylic & pastel on masonite, 48 x 48 inches. © 2011 by Kathy Crabbe Sometimes being creative simply means being in love...with yourself, and then sharing that love with the world.

My Ideal Morning

  1. Get up early. Pet dog.
  2. Walk around property. Listen to the birds.
  3. Start painting and rock out to tunes.

Journey Into Intimacy Series

2010 Abstracts

2009 Abstracts

art-in-process blog posts