Required: 13-Step 2-Day Workshop
FLIER:
WORKSHOP OUTLINE:
COLOR of WOMAN METHODTM 13 Steps – TEACHING NOTES FOR
BEAUTY AND NOT THE BEAST, exploring and claiming our Inner Beauty
DAY ONE: OPEN WITH MY SHORT STORY “BEAUTY” then discuss beauty and what it means to each of us. Read definitions and then write our own.
Definitions:
Cambridge Dictionary: beauty noun [ C/U ] US /ˈbju·t̬i/
an attractive quality that gives pleasure to those who experience it or think
about it, or a person who has this attractive quality:
[ U ] The Grand Canyon’s natural beauty attracts tourists from all over.
[ C ] At 37 she was known as a great beauty.
Beauty can also mean an attractive appearance:
[ U ] Women’s magazines feature articles about diets and beauty tips. From Merriam Webster:
Full Definition of beauty
plural beauties
1.
2. 3.
1 : the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit : loveliness
2 : a beautiful person or thing; especially : a beautiful woman 3 : a particularly graceful, ornamental, or excellent quality
4 : a brilliant, extreme, or egregious example or instance <that mistake was a beauty>
Oxford Dictionary:
The Latin word bellus, ‘beautiful’, is the root of beauty, and also of a beau (late 17th century), and belle (early 17th century). The idea that beauty is in the eye of the beholder is very old indeed, appearing in the works of the ancient Greek poet
Theocritus (fl.3rd century bc). In English the proverb as we know it today is recorded from the 18th century. The warning that beauty is only skin-deep is known from the early 17th century
From the Urban Dictionary:
Beauty is a thing seldom seen. It is held by all within the soul it lies, waiting to come out to the surface, but it can only be found if someone is sharing your soul with you. Beauty is suppressed by the evils of the world. Only love can bring beauty out. Once seen, beauty never hides again. Not even hatred can deny beauty of its true design. Beauty, although possessed by all by few and fewer yet will ever see one of the most beautiful sights - the beauty held by you.
It doesn't mean you're gay or no longer badass if you like that definition.
1.Visioning:IntentionandEncounter
* Guided mediation using the heart as a doorway into your inner realm to
meet the Muse of Beauty.
* Journal ... write down and sketch from information gathered in the encounter with ‘Muse of Beauty
* Journal about this question Lifestory: What is the story you have been telling about your Beauty?
* Write the intention on your canvas TAKE A PICTURE
2.Inviting:EnvironmentPortal and IntentionStrokes Pick 3 colors.
Paint the background colors onto the painting with an understanding of it being a portal for your muse to emerge through. Add strokes and patterns of intention based on whatever theme you are working with.
Lifestory: What is the primary story that needs your attention?
TAKE A PICTURE
3. Sourcing:FormSketchandPaintOutline With charcoal, paint or pencil begin to outline your composition inspired by but not limited by your initial vision. Bring paint to the outline of your muse as well as whatever you currently know about the composition environment.
Lifestory: What do you long to bring into your life?
TAKE A PICTURE
4.Listening:BlockColorsandPreserveGlow Add initial colors into the shapes created by the form outlines, leaving background color around some of the lines to create a glow from the initial portal.
Lifestory: What does your aliveness look like? What makes you feel alive?
TAKE A PICTURE
5. Encountering:FaceFeaturesandFreeLayers Bring your attention to the lines in the face, opening the sensory gates of the eyes, nostrils, mouth and ears. Then bring your second layer of color blocking in loose layers, including around the features. Lifestory: Will you confront what isn’t working anymore? There are things that aren’t okay. What’s no longer not okay???
TAKE A PICTURE
6. Connecting:PatternandSymbols Bring your content into the painting over the loose color layers that are drawn from your original story using patterns and symbols that represent the rest of your composition and design – in other words, bring beauty. This step completes the composition so far and includes what ‘wants’ to be included. Lifestory: What gives you pleasure?
Where were the moments you were having fun? In your happy place?
Take them back into their vision and find a symbol.
Bold lines. EX: 3 things that came into my life that made huge shifts. i.e.
Beauty---my brother and my mother’s comments, Jack saying I’ve let
myself go and no longer attractive to him(jagged line)Then three jagged
lines that represent the lessons. Then the scars on the face to represent
scars you went through.. Then symbols of happiness...hearts, flowers,
trefoil
Pause: The next steps need to continue to be ‘loose’ keeping in mind there is a glaze coming up so not to be too attached to color or how it is now. Before going forward first step back and sit with the painting and listen to what is being said and pay attention to what you see. USE SYMBOLS TO PUT WHAT YOU NO LONGER WISH TO CARRY UPON THE CANVAS. Allow the canvas to be a container so you no longer feel the sting.
TAKE A PICTURE
7. Deepening:ShadowsandDefiningLines. SPEND A LOT OF TIME
STEP BACK and look at the paintings. What isn’t popping out? Shadows help things that belong in the background to recede.
Ask about the darks – then bring darks into the spaces that move back or that need definition and contrast to show up. Don’t forget to preserve the glow in places that contribute. Darks put things back that are supposed to go behind.
Lifestory: What is hidden in your underworld? Regarding Beauty...What is out of your control? Advertising, etc.
You can’t blame yourself for what’s out of your control.
TAKE A PICTURE
8. Dawning:HighlightsandAccents.
With lights and brights bring strokes highlighting shape and accents to the overall design. Lights bring attention to what you want to pull forward and have stand out. Lifestory: What are you seeing? What’s different for you based on what you’re doing right now? How are you feeling? IMPORTANT TO SAY THIS OUTLOUD...2 min.
Can create little accents with a smaller brush...but we’ve not glazed yet. Bring in a light or a bright. Introduces FLAt BRUSH with strokes of light.
TAKE A PICTURE
9. Integrating:MediumsandRiskyGlazes.
In all the places where you didn’t have a light or a dark, there should be the last color layer, bring another color, perhaps the light color and dark color you used into the in between spaces to integrate lights and darks – alternating between preserving glow and blending. Next, choose your glaze colors/ and density and rub it on with courage! Have a wet paper towel nearby. Lifestory: What needs to integrated? Regarding Beauty...What’s gotten out of balance for you?
Half a face glaze is fun.
Pause: Let the painting sit in the shadows for a while before proceeding. Listen to what comes up and how it feels to put her back and perhaps even ‘lose’ something you liked.
TAKE A PICTURE
END OF DAY ONE...
DAY TWO
Opening with my short story “Foretellings”
10. Awakening: Color Palette and Conversation.
Choose the palette you want to focus on as primary for the rest of the painting since the glaze changed it – as you add layers of color back over, leave the glow lines around each color shape as it helps bring the color forward. As you are contributing color listen more deeply as she will begin to speak most fully on this step being brought out from the shadows. Listen, and write from her perspective about her journey. Lifestory: What journey is calling to you? What would be amazing to happen in your life? This is very magical.
Choose one color and bring in a bright. THEN...give the pen to the being in the painting and have her write her story for you. Have give you a teaching.
TAKE A PICTURE
11. Nurturing: Adornment Detail and Overall Design Integration
Bring loving attention to the places that want to be called forward and nurtured through a smaller brush with dots, lines, dashes, swishes. Reflect on the overall design from at least 6 feet away and ask her: What is now needed to bring you into completion?
Be bold. And then little tiny details. Little stars or dots on fabrics.
Bring attention to the original environment with big loose glow.
Lifestory: What do you need to receive? What am I giving my Beloveds in this particular workshop?
TAKE A PICTURE
12. Illuminating: Magic Lights and Calling Back Glow and Movement...
Notice what isn’t showing up that needs to and bring another layer of darks, and lights that pop the glow back up. This is brings life and magic into the painting and lights it up. Review steps 4-12 to take the painting deeper or just go wild on your own. Lifestory: What are you grateful for?
Bring the essence of the colors back out. Bring back the glow. Coming in between some of the shapes add something that looks alive and moving through. Suggest movement...a vine, a bird, light. Stars, hearts
TAKE A PICTURE
13.Annointing: Message, Sparkle, Sign & Title
Step back and sit with your painting, hand her the pen, asking her what she would like you to know... or let her write a letter to you – basically you are calling her message from her. Then pull the title from that writing – sign it, and add glitter if you choose – and varnish if you are complete – and paint the sides. Finishing touches. Lifestory: What is your claim? What are you claiming based on the experience? What are you taking away with you?
Annoint with glitter or water or title....Pick the title out of what she wrote for you. This is about a 15 minute step. Let them play with the painting a bit.
What are the qualities presenting themselves in the painting. “She who...” “The woman that...” “Our Lady of...”
Share your paintings.
PICTURES:
I gifted them with a sketchbook/journal, pen and a rose quartz heart. I wanted to honor them and to get them to focus on their own inner beauty so I made three altars, one for each of them and one for the room. In the picture, the arrangements are all together, but I spread them out more before they arrived.
TESTIMONIALS:
I had the great pleasure of taking a class with Cammy this weekend. Our journey was to learn from, and about, our Inner Beauty. Cammy included a theme of "shifting", and though I didn't fully understand how that would play into our class, I experienced a profound shift myself. I have come away with a new direction and focus, for which I am truly grateful!—Becky Oosting
Cammy chaperoned us on a journey of self-exploration and then invited us to converse with our muse of inner beauty. The stories Cammy wrote and shared with us at the start of each day opened the doors of possibility. Discovering barriers and gifts became an integral part of the journaling and painting. My wonderful ‘guide’ hangs opposite my desk, ready when I need a dose of appreciation.
Warm regards, Sally McDonough
WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE:
The main thing I learned is that my actual role is a guide and space holder for my Beloveds to establish a true connection with their inner guidance, their inner wisdom, their muse. What an amazing, exhilarating and humbling experience to witness the actual moment when each of my two Beloveds connected. Enormously fulfilling.
I also learned my teaching notes are guidelines. During the actual class, and when I connected with my two students, I trusted my inner guidance and let some of the things I planned to do with them go. For example, the scars on the face...they were working so hard on their images of beauty, I didn’t have the heart to ask them to mark their muses’ faces. We used lines and marks on the canvas, instead.
And I learned to Go With The Flow...One of the workshop participants could not make it because of a family emergency. Since the other two and myself were all spending the night, I decided to conver the workshop into a quasi-retreat. We carried on with the theme of Beauty after that day’s session was over. We visited horses. We made beautiful food and appreciated the garden and the lakeside setting,. We admired the sunset, watched the moon rise and looked for shooting stars. The conversation that night was very interesting. I could tell they were shifting and the process was working on them as the night got later and we were all more comfortable with one another. I didn’t contribute much, just allowed them to share their feelings and asked questions.
Also, as an experiment, I sent my two out on a journey rather than a guided mediation. I set the timer for five minutes and played a shamanic drumming recording. Before the journey, I laid some guidelines: Follow a path to their heart, the doorway to their inner landscape. Then, find their muse. Let their muse take them into their landscape and to never go there without their muse as a guide. Whatever
happens, ask their muse what it means. I had them ask two questions of their muse pertinent to my Muse of Beauty workshop and to exchange gifts. The result? They loved it. They loved the freedom. But they had trouble remembering what the two questions were. We decided the best way to do it would be to have 2-3 minute journeys, one for each question and I would drum, rather than use a recording.
(NOTE: These two have been to a prior workshop and were introduced to their muse. If I were working with a new group of Beloveds, I would take them on a guided meditation to make sure they were safe and their experience was positive.)
Also, if it were an online and recorded class, I’d also use the guided meditation process but allow for space where I didn’t speak to allow for the freedom. I think journeying would be used more for in-person workshops so I can keep an eye on them just in case.
(ANOTHER NOTE: I am currently working with three betas on a 6-week online program and am using different visioning methods for each of the workshops. This way, when I survey them, I can tell which works best for the majority of would be beloveds....that’s my plan anyhoo.)
I don’t know whether to include my two short stories in this document ,so I’m including them as attachments. Day One was Beauty and Day Two was Foretellings
Click here for BEAUTY Click here for FORETELLINGS