The Mural!

At long last, the complete mural. I would like to send a big hug and thank you to all of the creative and inspiring women who participated in this project; I have enjoyed this process so much! Now we just need a new home to in which to hang it (smile).

Ta da...

Participants in order from the middle piece to top left corner and around clockwise:

• Renita Christle Gerard
• Vicky York
• Crystal Burgoyne
• Amy Watson
• Sally Peters
• Alissa Hartman
• Mychelle Moritz
• Melissa Cole
• Lena Wood

I would love to do another one as soon as we are settled in our new space. Is anyone interested in joining in? Any suggestions for a theme?

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 8

The 8th piece highlighted in this project was created by Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC of Luna Lactation. Melissa is a mother, a nurturer, and a healer. She is passionate about all things birth, baby and breastfeeding; she is a very knowledgable, caring, and highly recommended lactation consultant. Some of her other interests include: natural living, textile/fiber arts, gardening, Japanese culture, herbs, holistic medicine and life learning.

Melissa's piece was created with felted wool.

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 7

Everything moves at a snail's pace now that I have two active children to keep me busy, but things always get finished eventually!

Now for the last 3 pieces of the Art Tree Project before the whole mural is unveiled. This piece is my humble offering to the project. I wanted to create something that goes with the Nurture theme and that fits with our style. It is my first attempt at paper cutting with actual paper.

Grandmother

I crave the nurturance of my grandmother so much these days. To be snuggled on the lap of her and embraced by our roots sounds like the most comforting thing I can imagine.

Posted by Mychelle Moritz, ATR-BC, LPC

Mychelle is an art therapist and licensed professional counselor with a special place in her heart for supporting women throughout the transformative journey of motherhood. She is the mama of two active children and enjoys watching their creative antics.

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 6

The 6th painting in the mural was created by artist, landscape designer, and expecting mama: Alissa Hartman. Alissa creates indoors and out. Her beautiful artwork is currently gracing the stairwell at Nurture and is for sale; stop by and see her work. Outside, Alissa creates magic in landscapes throughout Portland through her business, Seed Landscape Designs.

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 5

Where were we? Oh yes, the fifth piece!

The fifth piece to be featured (by the way, these are not being featured in any particular order) was created by Sally Peters. Sally is the founder and director of Speak Artloud, an (amazing) innovative social-profit organization that uses the arts to empower women and improve communities. On the Speak Artloud blog, Sally writes about her connection to art:

I do not consider myself an artist (I know, I know – we are all artists) but I do know that having art in my life makes me a better person.

Art helps me to better understand the world, others and myself, and art helps me feel connected to something larger and completely individual and unique all at once.

I do like drawing with pastels and making collages, I can get lost looking at art books and visiting museums feels like a sacred activity. I also really enjoy movies, theater and music.

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 4

On to the next three pieces from the mural!

This fourth piece was created by Amy Watson founder and director of Whole Mama~Whole Child. Amy is a joyfully married mama of three young children; a chiropractor for moms, babies, and kids; and a free-spirited gypsy at heart.

The Last Leaf

(I took this picture at an angle because it has a glossy finish. I wish my photographs of these paintings were better, then you could see the beautiful flecks of gold in this painting. You will just have to see the mural in person when it is up!)

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 3

Collaborative projects bring several people together, and as the coordinator of this project I have the honor of connecting with each artist personally. I made a few new friends and was able to see friends whom I had not seen in awhile. Although I have had contact with Crystal Burgoyne via Nurture forums, I did not have the pleasure of meeting her in person until this project provided a reason for getting together.

Crystal Burgoyne is a mother of two young children and a multimedia artist. I would like to add that she balances, with such grace, motherhood and her passion for creating art; she is an inspiration to me as I work to find a balance between the two in my own life.

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 2

The second piece featured from the mural was created by Vicky York. Vicky is a veteran provider of new mother/infant care as a lactation consultant and postpartum doula. She was the first postpartum doula in Oregon! She has served more than 600 clients as a postpartum doula in Portland, Oregon, since 1992. Vicky is also a sculpture artist who creates figures, baskets, rattles, lights, wall hangings, and more using sea kelp. You can see some of her work here. Vicky had, by far, the most challenging medium to work with for this project!

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 1

Inspired by the film screening of Who Does She Think She Is?, nine women collaborated on a 9-piece mural. Each of the nine women are quite busy, yet determined to create more time in their lives for art. Each woman who participated in this project committed to complete one piece of artwork, using media of their choice, with the only guideline of staying true to the minimal, central outline in order to preserve cohesion among the pieces.

The mural is a patchwork of beauty simultaneously symbolizing community and individuality. Each piece is strikingly different yet together they form an integrated portrait of strength. A tree was chosen as the theme for this mural because of the rich metaphor that trees hold: family, roots, growth, fruit, life, seasons, strength, nature, shelter....

Over the next two weeks, I will be sharing each piece one at a time with you, culminating with the mural assembled in all of its glory (please forgive my lack of photography skills).

I struggled with the decision of which piece to feature first, determining where on the tree to start. I have decided to start with the heart of the tree, the center piece, and then work my way around from there.

The center piece was created by Renita Christle Gerard:

I create because I have to. Something within me isn't happy unless I'm creating something be it a special meal, a painting, singing a gift for a friend.

I love trees and the spaces between the branches as well as the textures of the bark. The bark picks up colors as the light changes so trees are a ever fascinating subject.