The Collaborative Muse Statement
Once upon a time there were 18 mortals bogged down by the usual “busy-ness” of life. Every so often, they noticed a niggling, tickling feeling deep inside, pushing to escape. One day they each decided to explore what this feeling might be and went in search of a guide. They were delighted to find a fun, creative woman named Janet at Musings and Mud Coaching Studio, who helped them find the maps that each of them held inside, ready to lead them on their journeys into self-discovery.
They found themselves at a magnificent door. Beyond this door was a magical box filled with tools to help them reveal what had been hiding inside them for so long. The mortals played with these tools and revealed unique truths, talents, and their creative spirits.
This play also led to even greater discoveries, such as if they chiselled away at self doubt, fear and criticism they were left with wonderful masterpieces.
They realised they were each their own Muse, which means they did not need outside gods to inspire them; they had this spark inside all along! In joy and wonder, they grabbed hold of their inspirations and the 18 mortals emerged into the universe to share their new found knowledge with other possibly bogged down mortals at the first annual Muse A-Fair.
From painting to jewellery, to glass works and photography, sculptures to wood works, to creative writing to Reiki, clay to soap, to paper mosaics and duct tape creations, music to nature, to books and funcrafting…there is so much to explore at The Muse-A-Fair, where 18 mortals-turned-Muses are eager to share their creations, talents, and masterpieces!
Alexa Larksong Collage/Assemblage collage/assemblageColcollage/assemblage
Larksong is a collage/assemblage artist, with occasional excursions into writing and photography and she creates art from the heart of her imagination.
She works with discarded forms, salvaged goodies and images from many sources to create new works to enjoy, use or gift.
Butterflies are a recurring theme, as well as books altered to amuse and inspire, and art journals for your own creative pleasure. Everything is made with love and care and may include the occasional, unintentional cat hair.
Byron Steele Industrial Assemblage
aka: Marvin Strange
I don't want to make good art.
I want to take preconceived ideas
of good art
and
step all over them.
In a year, Byron has written a novel, reconnected to his sculptural self , hosted a successful art show in collaboration with Scarlet, and has been published in U.K.'s Bizarre Magazine.
Chelsea-Mae Smith Various Visual Art Projects
Chelsea-Mae has always been an artist. Although she is now attending TRU to learn the history and semantics of the art world, there has always been something inside her which speaks of a greater truth than the glossy pages of her textbook.
Art is a way of living.
Chelsea will be presenting some of her most passionate pieces and mysterious work. Ranging from ceramics to homemade books and even personally designed gift wrap to suit your wares, she is overjoyed to be sharing some of her most magical and muse inspired masterpieces.
Coreena McBurnie The Written Word
When Coreena was nine months old her mom gave her a picture book which showed a baby getting out of its crib. That was it, she never stayed in her crib again and a love affair with books, a source of information and entertainment, was born. Over the last few years, she has allowed her Muse to emerge and has learned to recognize the creative process in her everyday life, to feel empowered by it, and to take time for it. One of the ways she does this is through writing. For three years, she has not only participated in the National Novel Writing Month, she has been instrumental in helping many young people participate as well. Coreena will showcase Nanowrimo and provide a space for unfettered, enthusiastic, fun, fly by the seat of your pants writing. You can visit Coreena at her blog: Books & Other Creative Adventures.
Diane Hale Glass, clay and soap
Diane has loved making things ever since she was a kid and honours her need to experience various mediums to function – which now include glass, clay and soapmaking. She has recently retired from 30 years as a horticulturalist and is dedicating her time to her passions of nature, travelling, daydreaming, and spending time in her glass and soap studios.
Hope Mikal Canvas Painting, jewellery and journals
As a child, I knew I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. I grow more and more everyday, as I expand artistically. My passion is acrylic paints on canvas, while I enjoy branching out and trying new techniques. My ideal creative space is a live demonstration where I am surrounded by others and their positive energy. I create mostly in my home studio with my art loving cat, Rembrandt. Writing and ...doodling are two of my favourite hobbies, I also enjoy being outdoors and spending time with loved ones. My pieces have been described as ‘refreshing,’ ‘happy,’ and ‘sensual.’ I’ve even heard my work is a mixture of Rainbow Brite, the 80’s cartoon character and Mary Engelbreit, who is known worldwide as an arts related Martha Stewart. In early 2011, I became a certified Creative Muse Leader. You’re wondering what that is, I know; to sum it up, I am an advocate for the creative soul. I host workshops and groups where anyone can find or enhance their ‘artsy bones.’ I believe every person is creative in his/her own way, also I love helping others flourish in their creative passions. My artwork can be viewed year round at The Art We Are, 246 Victoria Street in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Janet Whitehead Pottery, paint, written works
Janet has always been an advocate for the creative soul – both hers and others. Her traditional (albeit mystical) creative expressions are pottery, paint and the written word. Less traditional but one of her key passions, is her expertise, training and ability to help others to find their way to live their most inspired creative life. She does this through coaching and workshops teaching others how to sneak past their blocks and barriers to acknowledge and act on their soulful and creative dreams. Janet will be displaying both her traditional works and her tools that guide others to be their most inspired selves. Janet is in awe with the growing community of kindred spirits, playfully and creatively supporting each other.
Kelly McKay Cooking, Photography, Writing and Illustrating
Kelly's first passion is cooking. After a few years of working in a deli she was not content, always searching for something more out of life. One day she picked up a magazine in a coffee shop, where she found Musings and Mud. Kelly got involved into courses which changed her life. She discovered what creativity is and how she has been a creative being all her life without knowing it. At last she started to express her self via black and white photography with nature as the subject, along with the writing and illustrating of her first children's story.
Linda McRae Photography, published book.
Linda is a professional photographer who in one brief year has evolved from doubting herself as a creative being to becoming an inspired, fun, enthusiastic, and confident artist building a successful business of both action and art photography. She is not new to being an artist ~ her works have been shown across Canada and she has a published book. She is new to giving herself permission to more fully be the inspired and motivated person she is.
Her entertaining Journey to Musedom blog post can be found here:
http://literalexpressions.com/viewsbylinda-blog/?p=212
Melanie Van Mol The Written Word
At the age of 37, I am currently writing my first novel in the fantasy genre. I am putting it aside for the month of November to write a different novel for NaNoWriMo. I write best when I hang out at The Art We Are with my computer. The people coming and going helps me to focus and the atmosphere is so inspiring. Although I would love to spend all my time creating, the procrastination and monthly bills insist that I continue with teaching young minds in my hometown of Kamloops.
Marilyn Puff Storyteller, Massage
Marilyn Puff is a storyteller and calls herself a "generalist" when it comes to her artform. Currently she is Gramma to six in their blended family and loves offering experiential art. She drums and sings especially for the grandchildren, dances with them, creates stories, embroiders on the quilts she sews and writes articles for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who love to know more about letting little people shine. This year at Muse Afair she has helped to create opportunities for fun in the Family Creative Play Corner. She is also offering her relaxation and rejuvination arts to those who close their eyes and curl up on her
Pat Owen Stone Divination
Pat has a deep connection with the Earth and Nature. A collector of stones she uses these stones in a divination process. This process can help bring clarity to questions surrounding "next steps" in life situations. Mind mapping comes into play helping to define the precise question for the process and the client.
A lover of deep rhythms Pat loves to explore singing, playing the drums, wooden flute and keyboard. Lately, Pat has been playing with painting, sketching and finding out how/where she fits in the art world.
Rachel Kilback Eclectic visual art, sculpture
Rachel does whatever she wants, whenever she wants. Her art has been called 'recklessly creative'. Her pieces are filled with feelings of pain, suffering and frustration but you will also find instances of grace. Nature features prominently in her work as she uses found items from the bush to look at regeneration and aberrations.
Sarah Steele Photography
aka: Scarlet
For years Sarah had focussed her viewfinder only on faces, trying to freeze small moments to preserve for a lifetime of memories. One day, she was following her children through an abundant garden, filled with flowers and trees, ancient iron and stone pieces scattered throughout, the sea murmuring softly from just beyond the tall, rusted gate. She was concentrating hard on capturing their fun, determined to always have their smiles and joy filled eyes to gaze upon, when she heard whispers on the breeze...."open your eyes....you're missing it..." the soft sighs said. When she gave her attention to this strange, bodiless voice, she realized she was being led not to her children's sides, but to the garden itself. A marvel of brilliant hues, outlines and silhouettes of radiance, waiting to be explored. Light. Colour. Texture. Shape. Her eyes were opened wide to capturing the essence of nature.
Photographing people, especially little ones, is still her first passion. A more recent passion of photographing industrial sculptures led Sarah to her alter ego of Scarlet and to showing her works in an art exhibition with her cohort Marvin Strange.
September Kuromi Pencil drawings, sculpture and paint
September has been drawing horses since she was 3 and amazing her family by age 5. Somehow by age 19 she moved on to other things, travel, university, a career in IT... and drawing became doodling. But now with 3 kids and a fresh outlook on life, her desire to create has come back with enthusiasm. She does commissions of horse, people and other pets – but she can capture pretty much anything from a frog to a ferrari.
Sherry Robinson Visual nature art and photography
Sherry holds a vision to inspire people to reconnect to nature or deepen their connection to nature. She passionately explores landscapes and acts of nature through contemplative photography, meditative observation, and creative and artistic play with natural objects. Nature is her muse At Christmas time, Sherry creatively decorates using natural objects. In fact, her creations, photography and articles are viewed worldwide on her Blog at http://noticequietnature.blogspot.com.
Susanne Wood and nature artworks
Susanne's creations include magickal brooms, smudge sticks and paintings. She intends to ignite, with her creations , the creative imagination that is in all, and the ability for all to see, feel, use and be magickal. Through coaching and coursework with Musings and Mud, Susanne has been able to bring her once hidden passions, skills and philosophies out of the broom closet and into the world.
Tyler Kilback Photography
As a photographer Tyler is inspired by the infinite detail he finds in the flora and fauna of British Columbia’s backcountry. The immensity and complexity of the natural world continues to influence his photos. He has an intense fear of doing nature an injustice with his photographs which continually forces him down new avenues of technique and creativity.
Tyler uses an array of image manipulation tools to bring the surreal to the foreground in his works.
When he views his photo’s he gets a sense of both wonder and bewilderment. Tyler would like to be able to share at least some part of that with everyone who views his photos
Una Connor Jewellery, Painting.
A creative being from birth una intentionally creates her art with a distinct personality, with positive energy and emotions. Art, and the creative process has become a journey through healing and she believes everyone has an inner artist waiting to be released and nurtured. She has recently self-published a book of visual energy healing.
Una has expertise in domestic engineering, children’s literacy tutoring, children’s arts and crafts, sculpturing ,pottery, home decor, accessory fashion, ( she likes to amp things up) costume and jewelry production. She loves to create custom designs and personal projects for individual clientele.
She says “I want people to love their art”.
During the creative process she works in her studio with mixed mediums across the board, from traditional drawing and painting, to sculptures of findings from nature, sometimes with both, a diverse assortment of found, collected, gifted, and sometimes even the bizarre. If you look close you will see the details and stories behind each piece. She often combines these mixes with her jewelry designs offering unique pieces to be cherished.
Her latest artistic endeavor has been with an African Djembe and percussion ensemble, performing throughout the Kamloops community. She also dabbles in alternative forms of experimental and performance arts, dance and yoga.
“What could be next?”
Una’s involvement with The Creative Muse Group and the Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard Workshops, Hosted by Janet Whitehead, has helped her to honor and legitimize her true self creator of art, love, inspiration.
