{"id":1287,"date":"2015-08-06T13:48:31","date_gmt":"2015-08-06T13:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/?p=1287"},"modified":"2015-08-06T15:16:29","modified_gmt":"2015-08-06T15:16:29","slug":"five-and-a-half-years-in-the-high-security-lock-up-ward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/five-and-a-half-years-in-the-high-security-lock-up-ward\/","title":{"rendered":"Five and a Half Years in the High Security Lock-Up Ward"},"content":{"rendered":"

My experience of being in the lock-up ward (1991-1995) taught me much about how I might support others in celebrating strengths which often involves learning to turn wounds to wisdom. I’ll share the story of how I came to be in lock-down…an\u00a0amazing time… in a future post. <\/span><\/h4>\n

It was during those years\u00a0that I dropped down deeper and came to know my Inner Teacher archetype\u2026.She and I have been deepening our relationship\u00a0ever since.<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"Retablo1_Bartimole\"<\/a>\u00a0Retablo, Karin Bartimole<\/a>, 1997<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you will go out and let stories happen to you, and that you will work them, water them with your blood and tears and your laugher till they bloom, till you yourself burst into bloom. Then you will see what medicines they make, and where and when to apply them. That is the work. The only work.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Clarissa Pinkola Estes<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

On the first Thursday of each month I\u2019ll post a brief review of one of my teaching methods from some of my favorite workshops and studios.<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

This month:<\/span><\/h4>\n

CONTEMPORARY RETABLO PAINTING<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

I design teaching studios as a way of sharing what sets my hair on fire<\/a>. Over the years my community-outreach studios have grown to be one of my favorite parts of the Art\/Life. <\/span><\/h4>\n

Currently we gather in small live groups as well as in my on-line e-Studios: ‘Tools for Change’, ‘Ages & Stages’, ‘Free to Be Effective’ and ‘Emerge & See’. These are intimate circles of curious connection to ‘what next, what now, what matters’. It\u2019s endlessly\u00a0inspiring and moving to experience\u00a0the depth of connection that takes place when we create together… whether in the same room or half way round the world from one another in the virtual studio.<\/span><\/h4>\n
\"Goldstar2\"<\/a>A Recent Gathering, Drozda, 2015<\/span><\/h6>\n

Retablo appeals to me for many reasons not the least of which is the charm of creating a pictorial story…a representation to bring well-being and good wishes to a difficult situation. Fall off that horse and have someone paint you getting back on, leaping over fences. Suffer a setback and hire an\u00a0artist to\u00a0depict your\u00a0breakthrough\u2026these would be the traditional roots of Retablo…a Mexican folk art style that I felt\u00a0ripe and ready for bringing into a contemporary setting.<\/span><\/h4>\n

A Retablo painting contains the pictorial ‘power image’. and includes a story. The story may be told through the picture on its own\u00a0and\/or with an accompanying narrative text. Here is a wordless Retablo that we\u2019re all familiar with:<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"retablo3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mexican oil paint on tin retablo of ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe’ 19thc.El Paso Museum of Art<\/span><\/h6>\n

\u00a0Here is the Virgin of Guadalupe again… this time incorporated into a traditional Retablo with story:<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"Retablo1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In traditional\u00a0Retablo the core concept depicts a personal challenge\u00a0\u2026often interpreted\u00a0as needing a miracle to resolve. Think of falling into an extended illness and then eventually being able to get up again. A\u00a0Retablo painting may explore the unwanted circumstance as well as what is desired in its stead.<\/span><\/h4>\n

In the lock up ward I fell into a well of deep curiosity. I wondered about individual and collective tales\u2026how do we end up where we are? What makes or breaks us? How do we put ourselves into lock-down?<\/span><\/h4>\n

\u00a0discovery brings\u00a0empowerment<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

I had over twenty rooms to wander, plus a padded cell…as needed. I was in a space meant to contain women. Out of sight and out of mind.\u00a0<\/span>While in the lock-up ward I made art and I made discoveries.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"RioChamaMama_Drozda_1991\"<\/a>\u00a0 Rio Chama Mama, Drozda, Acrylic\/wood, 1996<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

What’s Up With You?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Explore a challenging experience in your life.\u00a0See how moving through it taught you about your own strength and ability to gain insight from the event.<\/strong>\u00a0That experience is going to hold much more meaning once you ferret out the visual language and \u00a0‘design’. Thinking and remembering are fine yet power rises when we have the courage to express rather than depress what ails us<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

In Buddhist practice we’re given encouragement to face the demon…rather than ignore or pretend it doesn’t exist.<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"mediablend_Keri2_2011\"<\/a>Exploring Personal Power, Keri, Student Work, 2011<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Retablos are made of a mix of materials. Traditionally these would include found pieces of wood, cardboard, canvas or tin as a substrate plus any sort of pigments and mark-making tools. For a contemporary narrative we might use wood boards that serve as \u2018canvas\u2019, gesso, sandpaper, acrylic paint, matte medium, permanent marking pens, found objects and leather strips for hanging the piece so that it has an earthy and handmade quality.<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"Student<\/a><\/p>\n

Exploring Family, Gwen,\u00a0Student Work, 2009<\/span><\/h6>\n

Creation of a Retablo invites in added and lasting importance as it documents personal understanding of the key life experience.<\/span><\/h4>\n
\u00a0\"retablo_Swain\"<\/a>Gertrude Stein Homage, Carolyn LLoyd Swain<\/a>, 1996<\/span><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

What’s Your Story? Leave your comment\/tell your story…then go out and share it with the world…<\/span><\/h4>\n

This is the growing time of the natural year, the most active time… and what a grand life full of rich story is ours to explore…<\/span><\/h4>\n

Thanks so much for being here<\/span><\/h4>\n

~See you next week~<\/span><\/h4>\n

I am a working He<\/em>artist <\/em>with more than thirty years of practice in supporting the creative best in each of us to come forth and shine.
\n<\/em><\/span>I invite\u00a0you to connect with\u00a0the uplift of \u2018Luna See\u2019 and Lifecycle<\/a>; <\/span>time <\/span>management tools for aligning with natural creative rhythms.
\n<\/span><\/h4>\n

Travel with me into a realm of calm and\u00a0renewed heart-centered emphasis.\"Droz_Pups_2013\"<\/a><\/span>Through our shared journey with my monthly newsletter\u2018Luna See\u2019 and my creative consult \u2018Lifecycle\u2019 you will discover and expand your ability to experience,<\/span>
\nexpress, create and contribute your deepest and wisest<\/em> <\/strong>most\u00a0authentic gifts to this unspeakably beautiful world.<\/span><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My experience of being in the lock-up ward (1991-1995) taught me much about how I might support others in celebrating strengths which often involves learning to turn wounds to wisdom. I’ll share the story of how I came to be in lock-down…an\u00a0amazing time… in a future post. It was during those years\u00a0that I dropped down […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[36,2,3,32],"tags":[37,22,10,38,42,41],"class_list":["post-1287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artlife","category-natural-time-management","category-slow-time","category-starting-over","tag-artlife","tag-donna-iona-drozda","tag-natural-time","tag-natural-time-management","tag-retablo-painting","tag-tutorial"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6htPT-kL","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1287"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1287\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1331,"href":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1287\/revisions\/1331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.donnaionadrozda.com\/lifecycle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}