Blog Posts
Truth Teller Tribe Returns
July 6, 2021
During my 40 some years of being an artist and teacher, Tribes of Truth Tellers have manifested themselves in many ways.
I taught Sculpture for many years in public schools and tall, cylindrical sculptural forms showed up in paper maché and clay forms. It was so fascinating to see the variety of expressions that resulted when a challenge was put forth to 30 students and they found 30 ways to express it. I worked along with them in order to teach technique. As always happens, we all inspired each other to make our sculptures unique.
The Tribe has also shown up in layered textural acrylic paintings and in collaged, cut, and layered painted paper forms. These two new ones are acrylics painted on paper with a forest in mind. However, the Tribe inserted itself into my consciousness, so I cut them free from each other and re-assembled them on painted wooden panels. I also cut a tree from another painting to add to the mystery.
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There they were in all their glory, telling me Truths I hadn't known before. As it turns out, the story they tell each viewer is specifically tailored to each individual.
Oh, So Many Choices
May 26, 2021
I have used collage as a technique in some of my paintings for many years. I also keep every scrap of paper left over in case I need it later on in another painting. Needless to say, I have hundreds, maybe thousands of colorful scraps in my flat files.
It struck me that I actually could never need to paint on another clean white sheet of paper again. Of course, that is an impossible thought because I love those clean white sheets and watching the images appear in the layers of color and texture applied. But I did decide to dive into an exploration of only using already existing scraps to collage together new creations.
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With three different sizes of cradle board surfaces to collage onto which gave me some structure as well as variety. I started by letting my intuition guide me to select scraps as anchors or focal points to build onto.
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This is where the plot thickens. Every piece I added affected every other decision and the possibilities were so immense that my mind boggled. Since pieces were still loose, I took photos so when it was time to glue, I'd have a map. Well, there was still so much fluidity that the glued results were never exactly according to plan.
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Being used to following circuitous threads, I am pleased with the results.
Northwest Watercolor Acceptance
September 30, 2020
"We are thrilled to inform you that your painting has been accepted into the Northwest Watercolor Society's 80th Annual International Open Exhibition! Our first ever online International Open Exhibition has been extremely successful with 324 entrants submitting 674 total paintings, from 38 states and 12 countries. Juror Ron Stocke has selected your painting as one of 75 to be featured in this prestigious exhibition. Well done!"
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Zoom Inspired!
August 3, 2020
My friend and fellow Artist, Pam Hounschild and I have been teaching a Water Media Textures Workshop via Zoom. Pam is a more linear thinker than I am which was essential in pulling this off. Our first online class was through the Mendocino Art Center in Mendocino, CA. We will teach the class again October 5, 8, 12, 15 with them also. In the meantime we are also teaching September 14, 17, 21, and 24 at the Emerald Art Center in Springfield, OR.
Its a quite different experience for all of us to not be in the same space but we are finding our way and everyone had fun and produced some great pieces.
Leading up to this new zoom life, I had decided I was tired of cutting mats, handling heavy glass and framing my work: too labor intensive and the glass made it difficult to view the work because of the glare. So I have been working smaller and experimenting with adhering images on paper to wood substrates and layering on acrylic medium to seal them and applying a final couple of layers of UV varnish to make them lightfast. I really like the immediacy of images and the detail preserved.
Here are some examples of the current works:
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More Tangents, More Fun
June 29, 2020
These three Paintings are part of a series exploring a new painting surface as well as new ways to use the layered painting process . They are on wrapped canvas instead of watercolor paper which alters the way of the interactions of surface and paint. It also nudged me to follow the process with exciting new curiosity and awe; keeping the excitement fresh.
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Various Tangents
June 29, 2020
These 3 images are part of an experimental tangent of the serendipitous following of random threads layered onto paper: layered onto underpainting or by creating a new and vibrant base for further exploration.
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New Small Works
June 26, 2020
These images are just completed. I'm attempting to move away from cutting mats, dealing with heavy glass and framing my work. I'm too old to deal with it. These are lightweight! I like the immediacy of the images. All are acrylic on paper adhered to wood panels.They are sealed and UV treated for easy care. I'm all for easy these days and am loving the exploration.
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Online Painting Workshop
May 19, 2020
Please join us for our First online painting workshop Titled "Expressive Watermedia Textures." This will surely be a fun adventure!
Shift to the Left
March 7, 2020
My creative life has taken a much needed turn to the left. For the last 15 years I have had the delight of playing a major role in grand-mothering. That girl is now in high school and although we are still very close, she is busy finding her way exploring her new life.
All of this time I have had my Artwork in Art & Soul Gallery in Ashland Or. and for 7 years was one of the owners with 3 other women. It was fun to be a part of it all on that level but kept me busy enough that I struggled with getting and staying in my creative groove and following the threads which is the reason to do it. It kept me in my right brain which is not my home. A little more than a year ago, we sold the gallery. I still show there and it's a lot less stress.
Now, I am finally focusing again on my teaching and creating. The shift has opened up new directions in my expressions. I've always been a texture freak but right now I am using physical instead of just visual. It creates an entirely new puzzle to solve and I'm having a blast following the new threads.
My biggest challenge now is with the technical expertise it takes to get the images and information out there. I've always referred to it as my "button impairment" but I think it is mostly being two generations too old and being dominantly left brained. So with focused attention and the grace of friends, I'll function more comfortably soon.
I've recently joined forces with a wonderful Artist friend Pam Haunschild to teach workshops in other locations. Our theme is "Using textures to create Expressive Water-media paintings". We will be teaching at the Emerald Art Center in Springfield OR (Eugene) May 9th and 10th.
We will be at the Mendocino Art Center in Mendocino, CA June 20th and 21st.
The information is also on my website and posted on our Facebook pages at, Eve Margo Withrow and Pamela Haunschild. I'll also be teaching more often here in my home studio so stay tuned.
Yupo Curiosity
January 22, 2018
I've just finished some new work to hang the beginning of February at Art & Soul Gallery in Ashland, Oregon. My curiosity took me into the land of Yupo: A non-porous plastic like painting surface. I've always loved the spontaneity of working with flow, knowing that here is a potential for more layers. This trick on Yupo just melts the layer before because of the slick surface. Oh My! This may be a short lived adventure but I feel that old familiar tickle asking me "What If?". Hmmmmmm...
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August Featured Artist
July 31, 2017
"Following the Circuitous Thread"
Mixed Media Paintings by Eve Margo Withrow
August 2017
Art and Soul Gallery
Ashland, OR
"I'm always curious to explore the edge that lies outside the box. From that perspective, I reflect on the essential feeling ingredients of an experience or place. Many of my favorite and most exciting works are the result of finding imaginative solutions to things run amok. I play and adventure with my expressions. Following threads here and there, I enter the flow of my creative process; head and heart awake and dancing."
Eve is an international award winning professional Artist and is part owner of Art and Soul Gallery in Ashland, Oregon.
Please join us on Friday August 4 from 5-8 pm for a festive evening of Fine Art, Music by Rick Millward, Conversation and some refreshing nibbles!
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July Intuitive Painting Class
June 12, 2017
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Are you ready to explore the edges of your creativity; Play with and follow the threads of visual expression; laugh with the joy available when you trust your intuition to guide you?
Experience and experiment with a variety of non-threatening painting processes. Artists who want to create with renewed enthusiasm as well as inexperienced artists will be delighted.
Join me for a playful afternoon of Intuitive Painting on Sunday, July 9th from 12pm to 4pm. Classes are small and comfortable. Price is $50 including materials.
Sea Grass
August 30, 2016
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This deep pool reminds me of my first snorkeling experience off the Big Island, Hawaii in Captain Cook Bay. I had never witnessed the aliveness of a coral reef with it's vibrant forms and color, not to mention the depths of it's caverns. It was staggering and life changing. I eventually learned to scuba dive but that expansive, first experience has repeatedly been reflected in my most recent Paper Sculptures. I introduce "Sea Grass".
The New Work
July 25, 2015
My creative journey has always involved responding to an essential ingredient of an experience and following the threads of that flow to a magical finale. I trusted the collaboration with an authentic source within and beyond myself. A huge curiosity about this journey has kept my enthusiasm at a fevered pitch for many years.
Recently, the intensity has waned a bit and neither the process nor the outcome has been as compelling. I wondered if it was simply related to the aging/wisdom journey of slowing down but instead of settling into it, I felt like I was always waiting for an echo, a nudge, and an inspiration.
Going back to clay was not an option. My hands are no longer strong enough and too arthritic to do the building and my body is no longer strong enough to do the hauling and firing. Plus, the gallery I am part owner of only shows paintings: only work that hangs on the wall. I had no ideas where to go next.
Drawn to the depths of my own presence to ponder I turned again to nature's state of enlivened being. The seed pod, the ocean coral, the flower; all fully embody a direct experience of being. With this curiosity about the feeling experience of "being the thing" I began to realize that I am closer to knowing the "ME of ME".
Now is the new beginnings of a new direction in my Artwork. Sculpture and painting have merged. I have become an inventor, an engineer and a researcher as I explore new techniques and forms to represent deeper states of being. No doubt there will be many twists and turns; some more successful than others. The being is in the awareness of each moment on the journey.
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The Day Of The Mother
June 6, 2015
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I am standing on my deck surveying new growth in the gardens. All the bulbs are in riotous full bloom and the perennials just on the verge of opening to their color. In the garden where an Apple tree had been removed and replaced with a new peach tree, I check to see if the transplanted flowers have survived the winter and if the wildflower seeds I have spread earlier this spring are sprouting. They are! All of them are delicate yet vigorous and I am thrilled.
As I soak up the joy of this glorious day, I am struck by a thought, "My Mother would love this garden." Her ashes have resided in a red velvet bag in my dresser drawer for eighteen years. I intended to make a glaze out of them to adorn a hand-made vessel but learned that the process is too toxic and too complicated for me to accomplish. I then planned to spread them in a magnificent place in nature but I either didn't have her ashes with me or didn't feel the spot did her justice. Her standards were always high and I felt I rarely met them.
Not this time. I run for the red velvet bag, carefully untie the cording and take her on a tour of the garden, placing a little bit of her at every plant and tree. "Remember how much you loved the blue Columbine when we vacationed In the Rocky Mountains?" as I add her to the earth where blue columbine are blooming.
After eighteen years of looking "out there" for the right place for my mother, I finally have found the perfect spot: Right here with me. It is a final For-Giving.
It's Another Birthday Party at Eve's Studio
June 2, 2015
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Here is how it works: The birthday gal or guy invite their friends to my home/studio. They all bring the food and wine. I provide a fun creative project. Everyone has a blast creating, laughing, eating and flowing in the enthusiasm of a shared creative adventure. All go home with their own creative expression and a joyful memory to cherish.
You should give it a try!
Solstice Angels
December 24, 2014
Introducing a band of Angels who appeared through my creative process last week. The first on sold within and hour of being completed. The connection between my friend and the Angel was immediate and sweet. I love it when that happens! Here's wishing you all a blessed holiday and new year.
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Intuitive Painting
August 31, 2014
Are you ready to explore the edges of your creativity; Play with and follow he threads of visual expression; laugh with the joy available when you trust your intuition to guide you?
Experience and experiment with a variety of non-threatening painting processes. Artists who want to create with renewed enthusiasm as well as inexperienced artists will be delighted.
Classes held on the First Sunday of each Month in Eve's studio from 1-4 pm. Classes are small and comfortable. All materials included in the price of $45. Contact me through my website for more information.
Enneagram Study Group
August 31, 2014
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Ongoing Monthly Enneagram Study Group
Are you ready to explore the edges and depths of your personality; to understand why you do the things you do: to learn why others in your life do what they do? Studying the nine personality types can help you bring positive change into your life. Moreover, it can give you powerful assistance in integrating the personal and spiritual aspects of your life.
As a certified teacher of the Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition, I am facilitating this monthly study group to give us a living experience of what it feels like-and looks like-to be a particular personality "type". We will cover wings, sub-types, stress and heart points, defense mechanisms, and transformational tasks. By dialoguing with each other in a small group, in a casual, supportive setting we can gain the tools and wisdom to live meaningful and joyful lives.
Third Sunday of each month from 1-4pm at my home and studio in Medford.
Cost is $15 per session.
WSO Fall Watercolor Show
August 31, 2014
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My painting "Crystal Moon-Magnetic Earth" was accepted into the Watercolor Society of Oregon, Fall Exhibition. It will be a part of a traveling show starting in Medford at the Rogue Gallery October 3 - November 15th. The show ail then travel to the Umpqua Valley Art Assoc. in Roseburg, OR in November: Siuslaw Public Library in Florence, OR in December: Lincoln City Cultural Arts Center, Jan.9 - Feb.10: and the Dalles Art Center in The Dalles, OR the month of March. Eighty Oregon Artists are represented. It will be a great show!
Featured Artist / Art and Soul
July 6, 2014
Ashland's Friday Art Walk, Music, Refreshments
Featuring Artist: Eve Margo Withrow
Art and Soul Gallery, July 11, 5-8pm
247 East Main, Ashland, OR
"Whole Hearted" Water media Paintings by Eve Margo Withrow
"Eve is an international award winning professional Artist creating quality one-of-a-kind paintings using mixed water media and collaged materials. They are magical surrealistic impressions reflecting the essential feeling ingredients of an experience or place. "Many of my favorite and most exciting works re the result of finding creative solutions to things run amok a few times over. I play and adventure with my expressions, following threads here and there, thus entering the flow of my creative process; head and heart awake and in balance."
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Into The Light
January 1, 2014
Are you ready to explore the edges of your creativity; the depths of your personality; or illuminate the various aspects of Self? Then join me for some laughter, joy, and play as we step into the light of the new year.
Now that I have completed my certification in the Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition, I am facilitating a monthly study group. The purpose of the group is to give us a living experience of what it feels like-and looks like-to be a particular personality "type". We dialogue with panelists each month with the intention of gaining understanding and insight into "their" world; Thus shedding light on its influences both in ourselves and in the people in our lives. Private typing interviews are available.
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Opening the Eight gates of Wisdom - Eve Withrow and Alexis McKenna
Most of us already know that we are not going to "retire" or assume any of the traditional roles that our society assigns to "elders". So what is it that we are going to do- or be-or become- as we enter the last quarter of our lives?
This is the central question we will be exploring with guided imagery, music, and art in this 9 week course. We will use Angeles Arrien's book The Second Half of Life to guide us in moving through what she calls the 8 gates of wisdom.
Each of the gates assists us in illuminating particular aspects of ourselves. The Silver Gate, for example, challenges us to invite new experiences into our lives. The Clay Gate urges us to care for, and enjoy, our bodies even as we come to terms with some of their limitations. And so on...
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Doorways to the Soul - Adventures in Creativity
No worries. No previous experience necessary. All class sessions are designed to encourage participants to stretch to surpass their own expectations and experience the joy and magic of self-inquiry and expression. The atmosphere is characterized by encouragement, discovery and playfulness.
We will meet the first Sunday of each month to explore a variety of new media, new techniques and new aspects of our own creative genius. Focus for the Feb 2nd. class will be on the Mandala . You can check my website and Calendar for more future class content. The next meeting is Feb.2nd from 1-4 pm. Cost: $45, inclusive.
Other Items of Interest
The Enneagram Study Group and "Opening the eight gates of Wisdom" classes are currently full. However, put your name on the waiting list and new sections of these classes will begin as soon as there is enough enrollment.
Ten of my paintings are currently being shown at the Avalon Bar and Grill in Talent. I am sharing the show with a student of mine, Joan VanDruff. Joan says her creative juices were "stirred" by her experiences in my classes. The show is up through mid- March. We will have an official "opening" on Wednesday, January 15th at 5pm. Please join us!
The Unscrambling
September 8, 2013
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I'm trying my hand and head at a program I have on my new computer. Buying a computer was not a planned event but while wrestling with how to get the books for Art and Soul Gallery in the cloud I was told that my six-year-old Mac is OLD. So old that it will soon not be able to do the every day jobs it is used to doing because it's ability to process new information is diminished. In addition, a major part of it's memory is scrambled. I can identify completely. So with my warrior energy intact, I took the leap and am now experiencing a little scrambled brain myself, trying to understand and integrate all this new information. I press onward.
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Next Friday evening, yes Friday the 13th, the Talent Public Arts Committee is it's annual Art and Music Festival from 5-8 pm. throughout town. There will be many businesses open, art around town, music, etc. Also, the Friday Evening Market will be in full swing.
The opening for a group Art show at the Talent City Hall at 110 E.Main St. will be hosted by the participating artists, which includes myself. I hope you'll come out and join in the festivities and say hello.
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Join me next Sat. evening for an Enneagram Party!
The Enneagram is a dynamic and powerful personality system that describes nine distinct patterns of thinking, feeling and moving. Each pattern is based on an explicit perceptual filter, which determines the focus of our attention and how we direct our energy. The Enneagram can help bring positive change into our lives and help change the way we relate to yourself and others.
Rumor has it that one of the best ways to witness the Enneagram in action is to relax and party with other conscious students of life. If you are curious about the Enneagram and aren't sure of your personality type, please come and talk to others who may be either just beginning their journey or are seasoned in their understanding of the Enneagram.
I will offer a 10-session monthly study group on the third Sunday of each month beginning September 22nd from 1pm-5pm. If you are interested in some, or all of the journey let me know or talk to me at the party.
I am thrilled to offer a new class co-facilitated with my dear friend Alexis McKenna.
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The Journey Home
In the turbulence of modern times, it's easy to feel lost and powerless. The world, as we know it, seems to be disappearing before our very eyes. The "new world" has yet to emerge.
We are living in chaos; and we don't yet know that chaos is a friend. It's a creative energy as well as a destructive one. The challenge is to learn how to embrace the chaos and allow it to change us. This can be most easily done through traveling inward- into the interior symbolic landscape- rich with possibility and meaning.
It is here that each of us can tap into those aspects of self that are inherently nourishing and sustaining. It is here that we can touch into that core essence- that resonance-that is uniquely ours. It is here that we access the immortal and the eternal. It is here that we are "home" - regardless of what is, or is not, happening in the world around us.
Join us in a journey "home."
What: A 4 week, "rich media" exploration (limited to 6 participants). We will use story, music, art, guided imagery, and other mystical practices, ancient and modern, to begin the journey of coming "home." During the first 3 weeks, we will actively explore our inner worlds, memorialize our explorations in a variety of different media and materials, and share our discoveries with each other. In our final week, we will bring together all the materials we have previously created, and look for emerging themes and patterns - both individual and collective.
When: Saturdays, 1-4pm, Oct. 5, 12, 19, and 26
The Facilitators:
Alexis McKenna, PhD., is an experienced counselor and educator, a natural mystic, and an innovative thinker. Her special areas of interest are symbol systems, music-generated imagery, metaphor, and story
Eve Withrow, MA, is an international award-winning professional Artist creating quality one-of-a-kind paintings. An experienced teacher, she skillfully assists others in awakening to their innate creativity in non-threatening, hands on ways.
New Work - New Moon
July 10, 2013
In my last post, I talked about the experience of lying on the grass; looking up at the full Solstice moon and my curiosity in painting from that perspective. As it happened, I have had over a week of nearly uninterrupted time to play with this inspiration. Since my usual process using liquid acrylic sticks to any added papers I wondered about using watercolor instead. I poured paint through various types of papers for texture and even hand painting back into a few of the images.
As with any explorative art process, there is a circuitous learning curve and valuable surprises about what works. I experience a sinking feeling of confusion when I realize that things have run amok. The fact is, what is disappointing at the time just means I'm not finished yet. If the next session is vaguely in the future the thread of creative ingenuity is broken.
This uninterrupted time to be invited repeatedly back into the process in the moment has been superbly entertaining. The organic movement from intuitive response to engaged problem solving and experimentation allows the body/mind/spirit to be relaxed and integrated while in the wholehearted flow of creativity.
The results are still out. Some paintings may never be framed or shown. Some may get another layer or two of paint in a future creative encounter. But taking the time to be curious and say "I wonder..." is flat out fun!
Here are some of the fallout images from the week's adventures.
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Summer Solstice
June 29, 2013
Last week, under the huge Solstice Moon, my Grand daughter and her best friend wrapped themselves in Indian blanket beds on the lawn in the back yard. The friend's mom and I sat in lawn chairs. We were taking a "moon bath" in the cool silky light and telling stories about past times under radiant night skies.
The next day, I found myself lying in the shade of the same crab apple tree, watching the clouds dramatically changing the attitude of the sky by seconds. More than an hour passed as I allowed the stress in my body to soak into the earth and inspiration and wonder to soak into my body.
Now, I am immersed in expressing the essence of those experiences through painting. It is amazing to me still how letting go of the literalness of life and embracing pure possibility opens a far deeper and more fascinating personal voyage.
This is the first in the "sky image" series. Numbers two and three are still in process. I never know how many paintings will show up in response to any given experience.
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I also never know who sees my website but lately, I have had some interesting responses from all over the world. A woman from Okinawa, Japan contacted me recently and said that she is a painter/photographer, is in the process of moving to Panama and wants to come through here on her way to learn from me. She hopes to learn my painting techniques, gain some insight on other classes I teach and of course, visit a friend in Ashland.
So on Sunday, July 21st from 10am until 4pm I will be teaching my Intuitive Painting processes. Chrisse specifically wants to explore this with a group….you learn so much more when others are working out the same processes you are. The class will be kept small to ensure the most attention and best result for all involved. The cost for the day is $90 including materials. You'll need to bring a lunch and wear your grubbys.
Let me know soon if you are interested.
Go lay on the grass! It's inspiring!
Soul Card Workshop
June 14, 2013
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Create images from the depths of your soul. Use them to nourish and evoke your own insight and creativity. Let them be mirrors through which to reflect upon your own soul.
Soul cards are created on 5"X8" cardstock from magazine images and possibly pictures from your own past combined in a collage piece. These collective images are sometimes like surrealistic dreamscapes bubbling up from the subconscious… showing us to ourselves.
Join me on Wednesday, June 19th
Great Article About Eve's Artwork
June 14, 2013
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In The Plaza Gallery
By Dick Warren
Hold on to your hats! The Plaza Gallery is showing the work of Eve Withrow, perhaps the most dynamic, exciting painter in the Valley.
The exhibit is not for an afternoon's rest, but more like a roller coaster or windstorm. The wonder is that Eve has a secure hand on everything and the threat of chaos is carefully controlled. Using water media, a delicate medium, and collage, she somehow manages to create images in color and line in particular, at their strongest and most expressive.
The paintings are anything but delicate. The fact that finally they are secured within their frames is testament to her statement that her art is to "finally remind us of the benevolent patterns of the Universe". The compositions somehow hold together in their frames.
Eve is familiar to many at the Manor. She has been painting and teaching in the Valley for some time. Her work is highly regarded all over the West where she has exhibited constantly. Eve is a director of the successful Art and Soul Gallery in Ashland, and has been in the Members Gallery at the Rogue Gallery and Art Center in Medford for many years.
Eve will talk about her work at a reception on Wednesday, June 5 at 5:00 p.m.
It's Official
May 26, 2013
It's official. I am now part owner/director of Art and Soul Gallery in Ashland! I am honored to be a part of a group with so much talent and integrity in leadership. We have several new artists added to the already outstanding group showing at the gallery. The energy there is vibrant and sales are spectacular. Stop in and see for yourself. The address is 247 East Main St. and the hours are 10 to 6 Tuesday through Sunday.
Yesterday I taught "Intuitive Painting" in the studio of a fellow artist in Eagle Point. This is my second class in this wonderful venue. I am always astounded at what creative solutions the participants come up with when they get out of their own way and let the creative juices flow. It was so much fun and the results magnificent!
The month of June, I will be showing 20 of my large paintings at the Rogue Valley Manor Gallery. There is a "meet the artist" reception on Wednesday, June 5th from 5-6pm.
The weekend of June 7-9 I will be showing my garden "sparklers", fountains, and sculpture at the Art for the Home and Garden show in Ashland. This show is in the home and gardens of two artists a block apart. The settings are gorgeous, the artwork superb. It is a very fun show to attend.
The monthly 'Intuitive Painting" class is Saturday, June 1st is here in my home studio. This class is an exploration of techniques and possibilities to loosen your painting style and enjoy the freedom of playful, authentic expression. Call now to reserve your place. Class is from 1-4 pm. And cost is $45. All materials provided. If you'd like to bring a piece or two of your own that you don't know what to do with next, please do. We will find it.
On Saturday June 22nd I will be teaching "Intuitive Painting" in Grants Pass at Major Art and Framing. The class is from 10am to 4pm. We will be exploring many textural techniques and I will show my own techniques for you to experience. The paint needs time to dry between layers. This is why we will meet all day. The studio space is large and open so there is lots of room to explore our creative souls. Let me know soon if you are interested in joining in the fun. Cost is $90 including all materials. You may bring some of your own paintings if you'd like to explore possibilities for completing them. This class is great for beginners and more experienced artists alike.
Good News Busy Times
May 5, 2013
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The good news is that I have been offered a treasure. At least that's how I see it. As of May 21st, I will be one of the six Owner/Directors of Art and Soul Gallery in Ashland, Or. Among my functions will be Treasurer...get it? I remember being a child and wishing to grow up and own an Art gallery. Now I do. I have shown my paintings there for a few years and I've always been impressed with the integrity and professionalism of the directors and the high quality of the artwork shown. It is also a very friendly and supportive environment for the artists and the public. I could not wish for more. Now I only hope that my left-brain still functions effectively!
This week I was notified that I had three paintings accepted into the Members Gallery at Rogue Gallery and Art Center. They will hang for three months and allow me the opportunity to show at the Members Annual Exhibition next Fall.
The Rogue Valley Manor Gallery will be the home of 20 of my larger paintings for the month of June. There is a brief reception from 4:30-6 pm on June 5th. This is a newly remodeled gallery area so the work should look great.
The weekend of June 7, 8 and 9 is the annual Art for the Garden, Art for the Home show in Ashland. I will be selling beaded garden "sparklers, clay fountains and sculpture. I'll be sending out the details as the time gets closer.
Upcoming Classes:
Saturday, June 1st. The monthly Intuitive Painting class will be held here at my studio in Medford on Saturday, May 4th. from 10am - 4pm. We will be doing the painting process I use in my work. It takes time for drying between layers so we will be rotating about 3 paintings that day. Warm weather will certainly help that along. I will provide all materials but if you have a painting you feel needs more inspired work, do bring it. Also bring a lunch and wear grubbies. Cost for the day is $90. Space is limited.
Saturday June 22nd: The same Intuitive Painting class offered on the 1st will be offered in Grants Pass at Major Art and Framing, 1951 Redwood Ave. Grants Pass OR. There is more studio space here than in my home studio so do join us.
Poems
May 3, 2013
I decided to do what I ask others to do in my classes: to go the edge of their comfort zone and surrender to creative flow - moment by moment - again and again.
A friend of mine put together a creative challenge of "A Poem A Day For The Month Of May". This is done through a group page on Facebook so we can all see each other's poems and comment if we want - not critique. They provide a prompt, which we can follow or not. I was scared.
A couple of years ago, I received some negative criticism over some writing I had done that I had gotten pretty invested in. Because this came from someone I trusted and respected, I let it completely deflate my confidence in my abilities to express through the written word. This extended to writing these blogs, newsletters, emails and Facebook postings. The cold stone reminder in my gut that my flaws were exposed nagged at me incessantly.
This experience was a big reason for me do dig deeply into the Enneagram - To see the inner workings of myself clearly so that I could get out of that painful box - and to learn about my family and friends so that I never take things so personally again.
It has been a wonderful learning tool and I will finish teaching my first class on Sunday. It felt like a practice class, which it was and I learned so much from the willing participants. I used some visual art experiential techniques because I so believe that having an actual experience solidifies the learning. One student said, "I feels a lot like Shiva Sana at the end of a yoga work out." Perfect-Integration.
So I have been bringing my coffee to my chair every morning for three mornings and allowing whatever would come and written a poem a day for three days. These are not intended to be perfect; just honest expressions of the moment in time. The same as I ask of my students. No judgment from myself or anyone else. Twenty-eight poems left. Risk worth taking. I love it!
Manifesting Angels Workshop
April 15, 2013
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Recently, I worked with a group of about a dozen girls who are part of the Children's Advocacy Center's teen mentoring program. The generous and creative Anna Loeffler provides various frequent programs for the girls with the understanding that personal expression in the visual arts is a safe yet powerful way for the girls to speak their truth and in turn learn about themselves in a symbolic and profound way.
Our focus that day was Manifesting Angels. What is it that you want to manifest in your life at this time? And, of course, in order to have the help of an Angel, you must only ask and they will gladly lend a hand. I explained to them that in order to manifest or bring noticeable change into being, their job is to first have the thought, then the feeling that it already exists and finally to take action.
Once they thought and felt what they wanted, they worked intuitively to find images from magazines, which supported those. They cut background shapes from sheets of foam core and then cut and glued their images onto the shape. There were lots of embellishments available also: feathers, beads, yarn, clay faces, sequins, etc. They took full advantage.
They worked with enthusiasm and focus. I was very touched with the way they lent support to one another who was temporarily "stuck". There was a loyalty and respect present that was admirable.
It is a powerful reminder that with compassionate guidance and support the wounded and disenfranchised among our youth can find their strength and humanity. I so respect the work Anna does.
As you can see, the results were fabulous!
Certified
February 22, 2013
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As of last week, I am now proudly certified as a teacher of The ENNEAGRAM STUDIES IN THE NARRATIVE TRADITION. Briefly, the Enneagram is a powerful and dynamic psychological and spiritual system that describes nine distinct and fundamentally different patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting. The nine habitual patterns of attention greatly affect every aspect of our lives.
My study of this system has helped build awareness, compassion and acceptance of others and myself through understanding how each of our personalities actually operates. It also offers a concrete focus of attention to get out of our individual "box" that constrains us. I plan to integrate a creative expression component to some of the classes.
Classes will begin soon and am still wondering about the class format: One or two day overviews? Nine weekly classes.? Nine monthly classes? Evenings? Weekends? Please let me know your preferences.
THE ROGUE VALLEY BIENNIAL-2013 at the Grants Pass Museum of Art at 229 SW G st. runs from March 1-April 26th. I have a piece of Sculpture in this show. The museum is open Tuesdays-Saturdays from noon-4pm. The Artists will be present on First Friday March 1 and April 5 and for the Opening Reception on March 14th from 6-8pm. It would be great to see you there.
JOSEPHINE COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION will hold it's Monthly meeting on March 7th and I will be the guest Artist demonstrating my unique painting techniques.
Doorways to the Soul classes are designed to inspire you to playfully tap into your authentic creative self. They flow in a supportive, organic and heart centered atmosphere where the focus is on the process instead of product. By using a combination of spontaneous methods and reflective insights, you will awaken the ability to render your true feelings into Art. It is pure alchemy of heart and hand, which equals nothing short of magic.
Intuitive Painting
Experience and experiment with a variety of non-threatening painting processes. Artists who want to create with renewed enthusiasm as well as inexperienced artists will be delighted. Saturday, March, 3rd, from 1-4pm. $45. Materials included.
Manifesting Angels
Celebrate this Vernal Equinox time of welcoming the light back into our days. This is a time of bringing our dreams into reality. Manifesting change in our lives requires feeling, thought, word and action. Do you want prosperity, love, joy, health...? Come and create your personal manifesting angel and your heart's desire. Saturday March 16th from1-4 pm. $45. Materials included.
Mandala
The sacred circle of the mandala provides a window to the soul. It reflects the essence of who we really are, our authentic self. The creation of a personal mandala can help balance and heal body, mind and spirit while manifesting creative energy and optimism. Saturday, March 23rd from 1-4 pm. $45, materials included.
New Directions
February 6, 2013
For the past few years, I have become increasingly interested in the study of the Enneagram as a path to positive change in integrating the personal and spiritual aspects of my life. In this past year my focus has been on Enneagram Studies in the Narrative Tradition, which incorporates learning about the Enneagram through people speaking from their own experiences of mind, heart and body. It is this direct experience that facilitates deep understanding and change.
As a facilitator of creative emergence over the last 40 years, my approach has always been that change takes place when we can get out of our own way and let that essential creative part of our being express itself. I have not only experienced the freedom and joy of this process for myself but in hundreds of my students. I believe that we cannot manifest change in our lives unless we ultimately take an action beyond thought and feeling in support of that change.
Next week, I will be getting my certification as a teacher of the Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition.
The potential for personal growth in the marriage of "Art and the Enneagram" is an exhilarating prospect.
Watch for information about classes coming soon!
Life Masks
Create and embellish a life mask from your own face and allow it to communicate the innumerable messages secreted within. This process will require one session to create the mask structure and a second session to paint and embellish them.
Sunday, February, 17th, from 1-4 pm.
Sunday, February 24th, from 1-4 pm.
$90 for both sessions. Most materials included.
Previously advertised Intuitive Painting is offered the first Sunday of each month.
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Hooray!
November 26, 2012
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I have had four paintings selected for the "10th Annual Color: Bold/Subtle Juried Online International Art Exhibition" at the Upstream People Gallery.
The exhibition will debut worldwide on December 1, 2012 at www.UpstreampeopleGallery.com. This show will be featured for one month and then moved to the "Archive" section of the web site. The exhibition will run for a complete 12 months. The gallery enjoys a phenomenal global viewership with multi-million views since inception.
You may remember that I won an award at this gallery in 2010 with my "Alaska" series I did after my life-changing trip in Alaska. Those paintings can be seen on my website.
A reminder: I am teaching Intuitive Painting the first Sunday of the month here at my home studio. The next class is Sunday, December 2nd from 1-4pm. The cost is $45 including most materials. The painting processes are different each session.
I will also be teaching the second of four "Doorways to the Soul" classes on Sunday, December 16th from 1-4pm. Cost is $45 including materials. " Manifesting Angels" is the theme. This is a great chance to focus on what you care to MANIFEST in your life. It is a fun and powerful experience.
My Enneagram studies have been intense. I have completed more than 20 typing interviews and am now ready to interview panels of 4 or 5 people of the same Enneagram type. If you know your Enneagram type and would like to be a part of these panels, please let me know.
This is all preparation for my certification in February as a teacher of the Enneagram. Traveling the amazing bridge between personality and spiritual essence is a lifetime journey into the self. The Enneagram has clarified my path thus far and I am excited about the potential for future personal growth for my students and myself. Perhaps you will choose to share the journey with me.
Doorways to the Soul
October 27, 2012
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More New Classes!
Doorways To The Soul
Offered by Eve Margo Withrow
Professional Artist and Veteran Teacher
Doorways to the Soul classes are designed to inspire you to playfully tap into your authentic creative self. They flow in a supportive, organic and heart centered atmosphere where the focus is on the process instead of product. By using a combination of spontaneous methods and reflective insights, you will awaken the ability to render your true feelings into Art. It is pure alchemy of heart and hand, which equals nothing short of magic.
Mandala
The sacred circle of the mandala provides a window to the soul. It reflects the essence of who we really are, our authentic self. The creation of a personal mandala can help balance and heal body, mind and spirit while manifesting creative energy and optimism.
Sunday, November 18th from 1-4 pm. $45, materials included.
Manifesting Angels
Manifesting change in our lives requires feeling, thought, word and action. Do you want prosperity, love, joy, health...? Come and create your personal manifesting angel and your heart's desire.
Sunday, December 16th, from 1-4 pm. $45. Materials included.
The Shrine
Remember and reconnect to what is sacred in your life by creating a reliquary to honor them. We will build architectural altars from cigar boxes and collage them with images that enhance, enliven and deepen our lives. Bring pictures of people, places or things you care to include to personalize your creation.
Sunday, January 20th, from 1-5 pm. $45. Most materials included.
Life Masks
Create and embellish a life mask from your own face and allow it to communicate the innumerable messages secreted within. This process will require one session to create the mask structure and a second session to paint and embellish them.
Sunday, February 17th, from 1-4 pm.
Sunday, February 24th, from 1-4 pm.
$90 for both sessions. Most materials included.
Previously advertised Intuitive Painting is offered the first Sunday of each month through April.
The Exhale
October 21, 2021
It has come to me in recent months that working very hard to accomplish my goals really hasn't worked so very well. Like a good Enneatype 8, I have been doggedly determined to be a major positive influence in the world. I've pushed for school reform, fought for the underdog and insisted that my students and friends dig deep to find what is truly authentic within and express it creatively. I've taught myself thousands of techniques so that I'd have an arsenal of possibilities to offer not only in my own creative processes but for those of my students. I have frequently threatened to explode from frustration and information overload while navigating the traumatically trying technological minefield.
Being a conscientious Enneagram student has enabled an awareness of the personality patterns and pitfalls within. I've been so busy taking a deep breath in order to force my way through life that I've forgotten to focus on the exhale. The spaces between the actions, when finally alert to them, offer a deep satisfaction in the now that has escaped me most of my life. This newfound awareness of others and myself has allowed a new acceptance and joy. In this exhale, my classes are thriving with wonderful people; my paintings are selling; I'm getting an even bigger kick out of my Grand daughter and I had a fabulous time creating 5 new collages this weekend.
Take pleasure in the exhale.
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Forward Movement
September 3, 2012
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The Creative Life
It has been a time of exciting forward movement. Last Monday, I gave a demonstration of my painting and collage techniques to a large gathering of members of the Southern Oregon Society of Artists. My nerves calmed as soon as I began painting. The accompanying dialogue came easily as I shared the experience of being willing to adventure into new creative territory and follow threads of possibility, unattached to the outcome. After all, some of my best paintings are the result of things run amok a few times over. I've simply been willing to re-visit the situation with renewed curiosity. The audience began relaxing, laughing and asking questions. I invited them to come close and explore the many textures available in my pile of potential collage ingredients. They were eager to ask how particular patterns were created and to try their hand at assembling pieces into a collage. The atmosphere was alive, open and everyone was having fun. The images shown here are the result of what began that evening.
Someone asked when I could teach my specific techniques realizing that my current Intuitive Painting classes aren't long enough for that particular process. You bet! Thank you! How about Saturday, September 22nd from 11 am to 4 pm? Cost is $90 including materials.
Another woman asked if I would teach a class in collage: They would bring paintings they felt weren't successful and I would help to explore other perspectives and create new possibilities. What a fabulous Idea! Thank you! How about Saturday October 6th from 11 am to 4 pm? Cost is $90 including materials.
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New Directions
My commitment to the study of the Enneagram has deepened with the recent completion of two more classes. I have decided to continue the training and become certified to teach. The next step is to conduct 20 taped interviews and two panels of like types interviews to be evaluated by a mentor/coach. This is a powerful and dynamic personality system that describes nine distinct and fundamentally different patterns of thinking, feeling and acting. Discovering your Enneagram personality type can help you learn how to bring positive change into your life. It can help change the way you relate to yourself and others. It can give you powerful assistance in integrating the personal and spiritual aspects of your life. One of the things I love about this particular school of study is that it is done in the narrative tradition: Meaning that the participants learn by talking about their own experience of type and witnessing others as well.
I'm on the edge of a learning curve getting my equipment ready and preparing to do the interviews. It's big stuff like "Will my camera actually take a 50 minute video?" and "How do I send the videos to my coach over the Internet or do I just figure out how to put them on a disc and snail mail them?" Many of the people I have asked these seemingly complicated questions of, smile and shake their heads, understanding that I have not moved smoothly into this age of technology.
Just as importantly, I am writing the script for the interviews so that the questions may actually elicit key information in figuring out an individual's type. Of course, when the interview is over, only the interviewee can make the final determination concerning their type. I'll just offer a couple of possibilities for them to explore.
Within a week, I should be ready to begin the interviews. I have talked to many of you about being a part of the interview process. There may be others of you who are curious to know their type. Whether we have talked previously or not please contact me to set up a time.
I'll attend another intensive workshop next February and then be certified and ready to integrate it into the creative flow of my life.
Newsletter August, 2012
August 8, 2012
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Last weekend was the First Friday Artwalk at the Galleries in Ashland. We had a big crowd at Art and Soul, many of whom were there in support of our August Featured Artist, Judy Richardson. After my shift was over, I was having dinner with friends and I received a phone call that one of my paintings had sold. There was the usual mixed bag of emotion from elation for the sale and grief that I'd not see that beloved painting again. The artworks are like old friends. I love them and thankfully others love them. That's the second sale in a couple of weeks so I feel great about that success.
Sunday, Aug. 12th is the one session Cigar Box Shrine class. Last Sunday, a group explored this process as part of a Birthday celebration for a friend. She brought her friends; they brought dinner and personal items of embellishment. We spent the afternoon creating sacred reliquaries in honor of the self. It was inspiring and so very much fun. Give me a call. There is still room in this week's class.
You might think about having your own creativity party here in my studio in the future: An anniversary? A date? A birthday? The possibilities are many both for the activity and the focus. Let me know and we will plan a magical and powerful experience for you and your guests.
The First of six Intuitive Painting classes was held the end of July. The next one is Sunday August 26th and there is still space in the class if you are interested in joining us. Since each class is a stand-alone process it works fine to have new participants.
Do you like to get your hands dirty? A six-session clay class is beginning on Thursday, September 6th from 6:30-9:30. It is designed for the beginner as well at the experienced student. Because of limited space, class size is limited to 5 and you will want to come to all six sessions to complete your work.
In all of my classes, the point is not to tame our essential wildness but to tap into it and allow an authentic expression of our true self. This leads to a feeling of aliveness and excitement about life. It is available to all of us.
On August 27th, I will be the guest presenter for the Southern Oregon Society of Artists. I will be demonstrating my painting and collage techniques from 7-9pm at the Medford Library, 205 South Central Ave. I'm looking forward to sharing my creative processes. When other Artists incorporate them, the results are unique to each artist.
Creativity-Diving Headfirst Into the Unknown
June 24, 2012
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Yesterday, I sat in a roomful of strangers at the wake of a man I have never met. As a friend of his daughter Renee, I had helped sort and pack his belongings after his death. We talked about the people and stories in the family photos. She told me about the birth and growth of this stunningly beautiful ranch from open field with a small pond to a lushly landscaped family compound with two magnificent homes, three ponds with babbling stream, a flock of geese, hives of bees, and outdoor sculpture. At every turn, both inside and outside of these homes, cleverness and vision abound. It was inspiring to see what creative minds with time and means to incubate an idea can manifest. It was an honor to be in his home hearing his family and friends share stories of his life.
When I returned home, I started playing around with techniques I want to use in my upcoming Intuitive Painting class. I found myself personally engaged with the sometimes-frustrating side of the creative process; the unknown. My gut tightened and my inner critic raised her horrible head. "This looks terrible. I don't know what to do next. What if this doesn't turn out well?"
From my years of experience with this place, I know to just keep going. It's been when things ran amok that the magic was revealed. So I add another layer, I rub areas through to the underneath layer. I try applying paint with a roller, a sponge, a Popsicle stick. Each layer reveals a new perspective, a new sense of curiosity. Fear gives way to excitement and I remember why I love to teach. It's about supporting students at all stages of the creative process and encouraging them to become familiar with the sides of themselves that crave contact with the unknown. It takes courage to live life as awake human beings. But if we approach it with curiosity about what is here now and then follow when our intuition speaks, I believe we will manifest our own vision of magnificence one creative endeavor at a time.
Summer and Fall Classes 2012
June 14, 2012
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Intuitive Painting
Experience and experiment with a variety of creative, supportive processes. Artists who want to create with renewed enthusiasm as well as inexperienced artists will be delighted. Each class will feature a stand-alone project. Class size is limited to 6.
Sundays, 1-4 pm: July 22, August 26, September 16 and 30, and October 14 and 28
Cost: any 4 of the series $120.00 or all 6 for $160. Materials fee: $10.
Play with Clay
This is a class to designed to teach basic hand building techniques to the beginner and provide assistance to more experienced students. Class size is limited to 5.
Thursdays, 6:30-9:30 pm: September 6, 13, 20, 27, October 4 and 11
Cost: $280
Materials included: basic pottery tool set and 25 lb of clay (clay and firing).
The Shrine
Remember and reconnect to what is sacred in your life by creating a reliquary to honor them. We will collage and embellish cigar box altars with images that enhance, enliven and deepen our lives. Bring pictures or items you care to include to personalize your creation. General construction and decorating materials will be provided.
One session, Sunday, August 12, 1 pm- 4 pm.
Cost: $30
Midsummer's Dream
June 13, 2012
It's my June shift at Art and Soul Gallery today. I'm again surrounded by the creative expressions of 30 painters as I listen to a melodic multi-cultural CD a new friend gave me recently. A lunchtime lull in patron traffic allows me to soak up the spaces between the places. I am graced with gratitude.
I've had lots of active places in my life as an Artist lately and have one more show to do next weekend. This last festival requires setting up a display tent with internal walls. A helpful neighbor fetched them from the garage rafters yesterday. Paintings, and sculptures are packed and stacked with display bins, pedestals, a table and tool bag.
More hearty volunteers will arrive Friday afternoon to help haul it al to the Briscoe School grounds in Ashland and help with assembly. By Saturday morning at 10 a.m., I will be dressed in my glad-rag attire, perched on my tall canvas chair in front of my display of creative efforts amongst thirty other tents and two music venue stages.
The weather, my smile and my heart will be warm. Will you be among the one thousand expected warm bodies enjoying the celebration?
Art for the Garden, Art for the Home
June 4, 2012
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Yes, it is another show I'll be doing next weekend. These are two lovely homes and gardens and they will be filled with the Artwork of over 20 Artists. The homes are walking distance apart and the views are stunning, which makes for a delightful way to spend some time. I'll be showing mostly sculpture with a bin of small paintings. Don't miss it! See you there.
Open Studios Response
June 4, 2012
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Aside from feeling like I need a few more hours of sleep to recover from all the excitement of the preparation and execution of the VAST experience, I conclude that it was a successful endeavor. Wonderful friends were here to help talk to people in the clay studio, yard, painting studio and living/gallery areas during busy times and to share in fun and interesting conversations between us when times were slow. One dear friend responded to all the questions about classes by getting the information into a flyer that I could hand out. You'll see the schedule below. There was never a dull moment. Everyone is as fascinated as I am about the creative process and that alone provides enough juice for me to go on for a long time.
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2012 Summer and Fall Classes at Eve Margo Withrow's Studio
Intuitive Painting
Experience and experiment with a variety of creative, supportive processes. Artists who want to create with renewed enthusiasm as well as inexperienced artists will be delighted. Each class will feature a stand-alone project.
Sundays, 1-4 pm: July 22, August 26, September 16 and 30, and October 14 and 2
Cost: any 4 of the series $120.00 or all 6 for $160. Materials fee: $10.
Play with Clay
This is a class to designed to teach basic hand building techniques to the beginner and provide assistance to more experienced students.
Thursdays, 6:30-9:30 pm: September 6, 13, 20, 27, October 4 and 11
Cost: $280.
Materials included: basic pottery tool set and 25 lb of clay (clay and firing)
Open Studio Nears
May 28, 2012
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There are only five more days until the VISUAL ARTIST'S STUDIO TOUR. My attention has been all over the place: from planting new flowers on the deck to weeding the gardens and cleaning the clay studio. I have unpacked sculptures from the shed, plumbed fountains, made signs, wrangled cobwebs from the living room walls, hung paintings and made long lists of tasks yet to be accomplished. It's fun to see it all come together. I'll get there.
Chatting with people about the creative process is a favorite activity of mine. I do hope to see many of you next Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 4pm. It will be a wonderful time!
Visual Artist's Studio Tour
May 21, 2012
The Rogue Gallery and Art Center is sponsoring the Visual Artist's Studio Tour June 2nd and 3rd from 10am to 4pm and I am busily getting ready. Twenty Artists, including myself, are inviting the public into our personal studios to see where the creative process takes place and how it is done.
I'll be showing clay sculpture, paintings and wire and bead garden art. Also,I'll be working on new collages all day. I hope you'll stop by and see me.
This unique, educational, inspirational and fun event is FREE.
New Website Launch - Mother's Day 2012
May 12, 2012
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As Artists and individuals, we experience times of longing to break loose into the spacious freedom of our essential selves. Sometimes, we may actually love what is and still feel stuck in the background of our lives as we crave to transform and surprise our hearts. Perhaps we sense a new direction but lack the courage or clarity to follow the internal urge to move forward.
My own path of self-inquiry has led me to study the Enneagram. This is a dynamic process of discovery about our essential selves and the unconscious motivations from which we operate, leading to the integration of the personal and spiritual aspects of life. I find it potent, fascinating and enlightening.
Within this community, I found a gifted life coach who so lovingly and clearly helped me return to the connectedness and vitality of myself. In return, I am giving her a celebration of her life in the form of a birthday party and creative encounter with her best friends.
A treacherous relationship with technology led me to surrender my embarrassingly outdated website to an extremely competent and creative woman. She has not only breathed new life into my web presence, but also gently encouraged me to take on some tasks that would have scared me off in the past. Other brilliant teachers have urged me, in spite of my reluctance, into the realm of social media. I don't yet feel comfortable at any of this: But I feel supported.
Now that the garden is thriving, the dead branches cut from the trees and the undergrowth cleared away so all can breathe freely, I am ready to launch. I doubt you'll notice bold differences on the surface but I now feel exuberant again and yet enjoy the freedom of my soul relaxing a little more. Please join me on this adventure.
