Cultivating a Daily Creative Practice:

Day 344 Mandala by pao

6 Mondays, 7-9 pm
May 9, 16, 23 (off Memorial Day), June 6, 13, & 20
with Pat Otto
Fee: $125, 12 CEUs available

Choosing to do a simple creative thing every day is soul work that takes us on a personal journey of self-discovery and expression. Workshop facilitator, Pat Otto will share her experience with Mandala-a-Day YR2010 and guide participants in cultivating their own unique daily creative practice.  A variety of approaches to creative expression as well as possible formats for our daily project will be explored in this workshop.  Encouraged to pay attention to our soul whispers and creative inklings - letting them move lightly into our daily project - our creative spirit will be set free to play.

We will discover how small steps taken day-by-day add up to something much larger than their individual parts, with tangible results and unexpected outcomes.   With meetings scheduled weekly, participants will be able to experience and develop their hands-on practice while receiving support, encouragement, and inspiration from the group.  There is no need for art experience.   Click on Daily Creative Practice to see what's been happening!

To Register: contact Pat Otto via email at pat.otto@att.net.  Fee: $125.  12 CEUs are available for a $15 charge.

Location: Blue Lotus Art Studio, 912 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60202.  Visit Pat's website at www.patottoart.com
 

Please Bring:  Please bring something to write/ create in, and a cell phone that takes pictures or a camera.  Some art materials will be available.

Archetypal Stages of the Great Round Mandala -

Ashes from Stage 6 Dragon Fight

Spring 2011 (Stages 4, 5, & 6)
6 alternate Thursdays: Apr. 14, 28, May 10, 28, June 9 & 23
 choose either:
1:30-3:30 pm  -or-  6:30-8:30 pm
with Pat Otto
Fee for 3-month session: $125* 12 CEUs

Come join our sacred circle - giving yourself all the time and space you need - allowing your creative spirit to bring forth imagery that is full of meaning. The Great Round of Mandala as developed by Joan Kellogg (Mandala: the Path of Beauty, 1984) offers us an archetypal source and structure for our art-making and for self-actualization.

Mandalas, or circle forms, have been used for centuries in spiritual traditions around the world as a focus for meditation, healing and creative expression. As we give ourselves permission to become creatively involved, our experiences deepen, giving our art-making - our creations - an opportunity to evolve, to grow and to make manifest. With the intention of creating mandalas as symbolic reflections of our own personal development in the Great Round - a cyclical pattern of wholeness is generated.

We will devote 2 Thursdays a month for each stage, starting at Stage 0: Clear Light. And move through archetypal stages of the cyclical patterns of personal growth: the Void, Bliss, Labyrinth, Beginning, Target, Dragon Fight, Squaring the Circle, Functioning Ego, Crystallization, Gates of Death, Fragmentation, and Transcendent Ecstasy.*

The Archetypal Stages of the Great Round of Mandala workshop is for those who wish to move through its cycle of life exploring each stage using art-making as a vehicle for creative expression and reflection of one’s inner and outer worlds. To see artwork from previous workshops, click Gallery.

To Register: contact Pat Otto via email at pat.otto@att.net. Workshop is limited to 7 participants, with priority given to current workshop participants, therefore pre-registration/ payment is required. Groups fill quickly and in advance. Waiting lists are available. Fee for 3-month quarter: $125. 12 CEUs are available per quarter for a $15 fee.

*Workshops are divided into 4 quarters of 3 months each: Winter, Spring Summer and Fall.
Winter 2011: Jan. 6, 20, Feb. 3, 17, Mar. 3 & 17 (Stages 0-1, 2 & 3).
Spring 2011: Apr. 14, 28, May 12, 26, Jun. 9, 23 (Stages 4, 5 & 6).
Summer 2011: Jul. 7, 21, Aug. 4, 13, Sep. 1, 14 (Stages 7, 8 & 9).
Fall 2011: Oct. 6, 20, Nov. 3, 17, Dec.1, 15 (Stages 10, 11 & 12).
Be advised tuition is refundable only if or when a workshop is canceled due to lack of initial enrollment.

 
Location: Blue Lotus Art Studio, 912 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60202,  http://bluelotusartstudio.blogspot.com 
Visit Pat’s website at www.patottoart.com

 
Please Bring: Journal/ Sketchbook and your favorite pen. Some art materials will be available.

Creative Drawing - Spring 2011

March 7-April 12, 2011 

6 sessions:

Tuesdays 10 am-12 pm -OR-

Mondays 6:30-8:30 pm

with Pat Otto

$125,  12 ceus offered

Do you ever wish you had stronger technical skills to bring to your creative process?   This is the class for you! Art therapist and drawing instructor Pat Otto provides a structure for the creative impulse to build upon and grow, teaching a greater vocabulary for self-expression by guiding participants through exercises on the basic fundamentals of  art (such  as  line, value, form, shape, composition). Non-traditional, meditative drawing tasks are given to stimulate the  imagination as well as demonstrate the basic concepts. For beginners and those with experience in the creative arts.  

Those continuing the course will move into drawing light and energy on black paper based on the skills they have acquired. Color theory will be introduced, with forays into sacred geometry as a format for exploration and illumination.   Independendent study projects are encouraged as participants develop and draw upon their own creative inklings.
*To see artwork from previous classes, click Gallery and scroll down to Creative Drawing.

To Register: contact Pat Otto via email at pat.otto@att.net. Please note pre-registration/ payment is requested to hold your place as class size is limited to 8. There is a $15 fee for CEUs. Visit Pat’s website at www.patottoart.com

Location: Blue Lotus Art Studio, 912 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60202   http://bluelotusartstudio.blogspot.com

Please bring to first session:

• for intro class: Graphite Drawing Pencils: 2B, 4B, 6B, HB, 2H, 4H and 6H; Drawing or Sketching Paper Pad (18 x 24 inches); Eraser (Art Gum, Kneaded, Pink Pearl or plastic); and a Pencil Sharpener

• for continuing class: Prismacolor Pencils: #938 White (2), #905 Aquamarine, #930 Magenta, #916 Canary Yellow, #913 Spring Green, #918 Orange, #932 Violet and #935 Black; Black Paper: Strathmore Artagain Black paper pad, or Strathmore Charcoal Paper pad, or Canson Mi-tentes Black Charcoal Paper

Lighting the Dark:

Creating Talismans Through Stories and Art

with Joanne Ramseyer, LCPC, ATR-BC

Saturday February 26, 1-4 pm

$45 by 2/18, $55 after, CEUs: 3

Traditional folk, fairy tales, myths and poems are rich in symbolic content, embody timeless wisdom and foster faith in the power of transformation and healing. Many stories involve the use of talismans to carry the bearer through terrible ordeals and suffering. Using a rendition of the Russian folktale, "Baba Yaga and Vasalisa the Brave," this experiential workshop will explore the psychological dimensions of the story through discussion, expressive art making and story writing activities. Workshop participants will create their own talisman, doll, shrine, or other symbolic image to accompany them through the journey of "entering a dark forest and finding a fire to light the way back." This workshop will benefit those who wish to cope with the darkness of the winter months through the pleasure of creative work in community, or clinicians and educators who would like to learn expressive arts methods for working with stories and art in their settings. Art/writing experience is not necessary. Dress for mess! Fee includes all materials but bring any special charms, or embellishments you would like to incorporate into your art piece.

To register: contact C.G. Jung Center at 847-475-4848, x221 or www.cgjungcenter.org There is a $15 processing fee for CEUs.

Location: Blue Lotus Art Studio, 912 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60202

Joanne Ramseyer, ATR-BC, LCPC, is an artist, educator and art therapist and the Director of Blue Lotus Art Studio. She has extensive experience facilitating expressive arts activities for all ages. Joanne is an Adjunct Faculty Member of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Northwestern University. She has taught classes and workshops on many topics including the creative process and artistic development; art, nature and spirituality; exploring fairy tales and myths through art and story writing; group art therapy and the role of women’s creativity in trauma recovery.

Creativity Class for Women

Supporting Wellness and Emotional Balance through
Expressive Art and Writing

with Joanne Ramseyer, MA, LCPC, ATR

Winter Session: 6 Sundays, 2:30-4:30 pm or 6 Wednesday, 6-8 pm on alternate weeks, January 9 - March 23, 2011

$125.00, 12 ceus offered

Women readily nurture others in their many roles but often feel too depleted or guilty to consistently nurture their own creative interests, strengths and supportive connections. In this class, expressive art and writing activities, along with exploration of mindfulness techniques, will be taught as tools for supporting women’s emotional, relational and physical well-being. These tools will be used to strengthen understanding of the transformative metaphors of the creative process and explore obstacles that block women’s use of creativity as an on-going resource for restoring emotional balance and wellness. Visual imagery and themes related to personal and professional roles will also be explored to increase awareness of individual and cultural messages that impact women’s self-esteem and identity. A wide range of expressive art materials and methods will be taught to those who wish to increase their comfort level using creative arts techniques as a source of self-discovery in their personal or professional lives. Class members will be encouraged to share readings and other resources related to creative expression and wellness topics. Please dress for mess!

Fee includes a large selection of art materials. Please note: there are no make-up sessions for classes missed. Contact Joanne at 847-845-4853 or email joannejram@yahoo.com to register.
BLUE LOTUS ART STUDIO, 912 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL

Joanne Ramseyer, ATR, LCPC, is an artist, educator and art therapist with extensive experience facilitating expressive arts activities for all ages. Joanne is on the adjunct faculty of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Northwestern University and is the Director of Blue Lotus Art Studio in Evanston, IL. Joanne has taught classes and workshops on many topics, including the creative process and artistic development; art, nature and spirituality; exploring fairy tales and myths through art and story writing; group art therapy and the role of women’s creativity in trauma recovery.