Kuan Yin Compassion Healing Art Shrine

Every piece of Art that I create has special meaning for me. I suppose that I just couldn't create something because I felt that it was "marketable" or the current trend. I create from my heart and my gut, subjects that I am engaged with. There is always a personal reason for each of my works and I trust that each creation will find the home that it is meant for...that it's meaning which is special to me also becomes important for someone else on their journey.

Kuan Yin Compassion Healing Art Shrine by Jeanne Fry

One evening this week while I was journaling, I was inspired to create more shrines. It has been a long time since I had created any and it was time once again. Immediately I knew that Kuan Yin needed to be the focus in the first one. Kuan Yin, the goddess of Compassion has always held a tender place in my heart. This healing shrine needed to embody compassion, to be a reminder not only to offer compassion to others, but to the Self. So many times we put ourselves at the bottom of our priority lists.  We play catch-up with our needs, giving ourselves a little tenderness when it is usually long over due, and then it's not usually enough. How can we expect others to treat us with compassion when we don't give it to ourselves?

And so the assemblage began, with complete and focused love. As soft music played and the smell of jasmine in the air, I worked...colors of turquoise and peach, soft rose and periwinkle started to cover the shrine.Various phrases were painted on the insides, charms were hung, paper flowers attached...all within a meditative mood. The wooden statue of Kuan Yin was secured to the shrine with soft pale yellow silk fabric flowing around her.

My hope is for whatever sweet soul comes to collect this healing shrine, they too will be reminded to nurture and protect their spirit, and to show compassion and love to Themselves and Others.

This shrine has been SOLD.



An Artist's Personal Journey

As an Artist, you become known for your style, your theme, your techniques, and the way you put yourself out there to the world.

I've always focused on symbolism, drawing strength from nature, animal totems, and uplifting themes. But what happens when the artist is having problems connecting with their own style? When the fire that burns within, that makes you pick up your brush, is diminishing? I'm not referring to a slump or block, but more of a distraction that is coming between you and the canvas.

Sometimes I think we need to take a pause, a moment, when the Art is for Us. Our own personal journey can step into plain view  and demand our attention, and we can either work with it or resist.

After spending the past 4 years in a battle with my health, fatigue, and daily pain... it has caught up with me. Faced as if we are  in a stand-off, I choose to continue the fight. And with all that is left inside of me, I allow my Art to become my "warrior". With the paintbrush, I will gather my strength and face the enemy of pain by bringing it to light. And so, I am using my art to release, to peel back the layers, to express what my voice does not.

For those of you that know me or my art, you are welcome to follow me on this journey, as my art takes a little side road...to Healing.

Today's painting ~  #1  "Inside this Shell"

"Inside this Shell"  Original on Watercolor Paper 9 x 12  by Jeanne Fry

The original of the "Inside this Shell" painting is not available, but prints are available in my Fine Art America Studio

 

http://www.consciousartstudios.com/

 

 



The Symbolism of Wings and Using Art to Heal

The events in my life and the evolving of my spirit as I move through life's lessons, often produce themselves in my artwork. Colors, subject matter, and symbolism are reflected in my creations, and while it does so I remain flexible with it.

Maybe it is the coming of winter, or just the current passage I am transitioning through with my disability, that is causing my focus at present to be on Wings and Flight. The representation of freedom is what is dominate; the freedom from feeling "stuck", the freedom from pain, the freedom from my inner critic nagging at me.

For those of you that are familiar with the archetypes that are representative of our character, I pay particular attention to the archetypes present in my life. One of my archetypes is the "Wounded Healer".  Carl Jung did a great deal of writing about this archetype. The Wounded Healer is the person who has gone through a great suffering and because of that suffering has now become a source of inspiration to others. There is a shadow side and a light side to each archetype. I think that being aware of those sides allows you to find a balance and use it to create a positive influence in your life.

As a child I experienced a profound event that forever changed my life; physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Looking back on the course of my life, my mission was to help inspire others through support, conversation, or art. At the time I didn't realize "why", but it felt natural to me. It shaped who I was. As an adult, I understand.

So, as I move through the course of my life, I have found that when I share my processes, it not only helps me, but helps others as well.

The current phase in my life presents a challenge with mobility, I believe which is causing this great attraction to Wings and Flight.

I began a recent series, without conscious intention actually, on wings integrated into my paintings. The first painting was of an Owl Butterfly found in the rain forests of South America.

Owl Butterfly ~ Original Painting by Jeanne Fry

The markings on the butterfly resemble eyes, nature's way of distracting predators and providing balance.

The second painting  is called "She Flies with the Owls". Meant to be symbolic of learning the wisdom of the owl, it's intuition, sight, and walking in both worlds.

She Flies with the Owls ~ Original Painting by Jeanne Fry

She Flies with the Owls ~ Original Painting by Jeanne Fry

The Original Paintings are no longer available, but they are available art Art Prints in my Fine Art America Shop here

Jean Fry Fine Art America Shop

Why am I an Artist? How Art Makes Us Feel

Why am I an Artist? Well, that could be a pretty complex question, but simply..because of how it makes me feel. Not only how it affects me, but how I see it affects others as well.

I have always believed that Art was Healing. The colors, the subject matter, the shapes, the composition, what it says, and what it doesn't say all lend to the effect on us. As a child at the age of four I received by first piece of Art, a painting of "Faith, Hope, and Charity", the three women...or were they angels..muses? Doesn't matter. I was given this painting in the pediatric ward at the hospital after my surgery, and I still have it to this day. The symbolism is what is important to me, and I realize that the symbolism is what I carry with me to this day, in my own Art and in my own Life.

Cleansing ~ Purity by Jeanne Fry

Much research has been done on the effects of Art in our lives, showing that art has an effect on our  nervous system and brain neurotransmitters. It can help to change our perception and attitude and that color and shape have a therapeutic influence.

Friedrich Schelling, a German philosopher, felt that geometrical forms could influence our emotions (ie. a curved line symbolizing flexibility, a wavy line symbolizing life, and a elliptic horizontal line symbolizing tenderness).

Music has been a large part of my life since the age of four as well, when I began piano studies. Today it's healing force is still strong in my daily life. Dr. Rubinstein, a Russian psychologist, noticed that "minor" chords helped in relaxing muscles, while "major" chords excited them. Instrumental music activates the right cerebral hemisphere of the brain. Today I work on music endeavours with my husband, mostly instrumental music of Native Flute and Piano, but also Guided Imagery Meditations laid over the the Native Flute music. We personally believe that the body has the ability to heal itself when it is in a relaxed state, therefore our focus is to bring that into our music.

I am a strong supporter of the Arts in all modalities, not only for it's pure beauty and intelligence, but for it's physiological effects our mind and body, the freedom it affords the artist, and it's function to use our voice with not only our vocal chords but with our heart and hands.

I began creating a series of painting that I find "Healing', who's intention is to integrate the mind and body as a whole. Three of the paintings are complete, with more in the process.

"Healing" an Original Painting by Jeanne Fry

"Introspection" an Original Painting by Jeanne Fry

"Cleansing ~ Purity" an Original Painting by Jeanne Fry

I created these paintings to be at an affordable price to those that find the symbolism important in their lives.

To see my available paintings, please visit my Artfire Studio

Our music offerings are collected by many massage therapists and yoga practitioners for their relaxing attributes.

Guided Meditation and Native Flute CD by John and Jeanne Fry

Instrumental Native Flute CD by John Fry "Tribal Journey"

Our Music available in our Artfire Studio