Words from Jane
Archetypes are universal patterns of behavior that all human beings share. We recognize archetypes in other people, and in ourselves, when we refer to someone as a princess, a knight in shining armor, a gambler, or an earth mother. There are hundreds of archetypal patterns and they are evolving as human beings evolve.
Artists are inspired by archetypes in two ways. First, an artist may work with an archetype as a subject of the artwork created. Writers and filmmakers use archetypal patterns when they develop characters for stories and films. Artists craft visual stories by using archetypes as their subjects or theme. You will find many examples of this approach to using archetypes as symbolic content in the pieces featured in this exhibition.
Artists also use archetypes from a personal perspective to explore the psychological dynamics of creating and the creative process. In this exhibit you will see that many artists reference The Child as being present when work is going well. Learning to recognize and confront The Saboteur is another example of working with archetypal energy in order to take work to a deeper and more meaningful level. Recognizing a love of many techniques and materials reflects a deep-seated Dilettante – just waiting to be embraced. A joy and not a liability.
It’s been proposed that each of us has a set of twelve personal archetypes. As you peruse the pieces shared here, I invite you to notice the work that touches you and pulls you in. It might be a sign that the archetype is active in you – and wouldn’t that be a neat discovery?
The world is a big and potentially overwhelming place. Working with archetypes offers the opportunity to ground, center, and know who you really are. I congratulate each of the artists exhibiting here because they have risen to that sacred challenge.
Adriana "Gigi "Mederos
My piece, Mothership, is a bit of a hybrid. It melds the Mother Archetype with a space of nurturing and creation. A place where ideas are launched and/or manifested into the physical realm.
In childhood, the first time I heard the word Mothership in a sci-fi movie, I immediately imagined a spaceship with breasts and female reproductive organs. My Mothership is gestating and will give birth to tiny pods. These, in turn, will grow into baby-ships and eventually Mothers themselves.
I use my old writing drafts, journals, notes and sketches to make paper sculptures.The resulting work has a hieroglyphic quality, due to the palimpsest effect of the layering of paper ... and the echoes left by the disconnected words whole and partial.
In Spanish Dar a Luz (To bring to light) means to give birth. That’s exactly what we do when we express in whatever medium we choose - Bring to light our creative ideas.
Alison Bainbridge
This piece is a gesture of healing toward my Wounded Child who has always been a lonely child looking for companionship and acceptance and the Magical Child that guards the inner magic and wonder expressed through my art. As a Gemini, it became obvious that a pair of teddy bears, a toy connected to childhood comfort, would unite the two elements of me. I know both will remain with me and play a role in my journey, both creatively and in life. The Wounded Child needed the security of a companion to face the world and deal with the wounds she carries. The Magical Child knows where the magic of life resides and can bring that light and joy to the ordinary and fantastical in equal measure.
The bears are all hand sewn using the same pattern yet both look a little different. They wear a neckerchief made from the fabric of their companion bear that binds them together and reassures the Wounded Child she is never alone and can always find security in the Magical Child’s presence. She now knows she will be safe, accepted and never alone and the Magical Child can show her how to play and see the wonder the world holds. They are my twins. We all walk together.
Anita Centeno
The Saboteur - easily the archetypal influence that frequents my art practice. It lurks in my mind creating fear and outrageous possibilities for havoc and disruption. In this piece Art, Not Art I symbolically convey the fear tactics that the shadow side of my Saboteur dispenses – he’s very creative. Snakes, owls, a fuse, matchsticks, a nail, an iron gate, somebody’s arm, a cowboy packing a gun, rocks, ancestral relics, a shoe upside down and backwards – you name it, my Saboteur throws it all in. Despite the evidence I see, I work regularly to overpower the fearmongering and bring the Saboteur to the light side. Yes, these fearful things exist in the real world, but they are things that will not overpower or have control over my art making. I will not be intimidated. The Saboteur is my friend, he’s just trying to protect me. Yes, there are always techniques and processes to improve my work, that is part of the art journey. Nevertheless, expressing my ideas through art is who I am, who I identify as. With everything I create in my art practice I gain more confidence, strengthen my voice, and share what I have to say. It is my art.
Ann M Lee
In Happy Dancing I have tried to capture the feelings of hope and optimism that have been instilled in me since childhood. Leaves are symbols of hope and persistence for me, and I often include images of leaves—either real or imagined— in my work. Here I began with a mélange of botanical gelatin prints on a fabric sample that had two layers of sheer fabric held together with embroidered leaves and vines. I cut away the centers of some leaves to let the background color show through and added hand embroidery and couching for more depth and texture.
Anna Gordy
The role of the Mother is broad, but a large portion of mothering is to gently teach our children about the expectations of the world. For Mothers of daughters, it can be bittersweet as we know too well that the expectations for our girls are paradoxical and sometimes sinister. We want to protect our girls and prepare them for what is surely to come. We must discern what to tell them to preserve their innocence and when to share the rest.
I’ll Tell You When You’re Older 2024
Doll 17” tall, Quilt 31” x 38”
Doll and Quilt, cotton, wool, bamboo, acrylic NFS
@annakgordy (Instagram)
Barbara Corso Ide
My Nature Child archetype influences a significant portion of my iPhone photography, especially during neighborhood walks or adventures in other countries. I select images for digital manipulation and use a variety of computer software and iPad applications to reveal what the photograph is saying to me. The images in “Iris: Bud to Bloom” reflect moments in Tuscany after a rain shower, blooms from our backyard, and decorative displays in neighborhood landscapes. The Iris is the state flower of Tennessee, and there are several varieties blooming in April and May. The metamorphosis of the Iris flower as it unfurls from the very tight bloom to a display of delicate petals, known as “standards” and “falls,” is beyond comprehension. And that is the ultimate gift to a Nature Child! Process: I’m currently exploring different substrates that can go through my home printer creating elements that are featured in my art quilts. Primary influences: CST Jane Dunnewold (Backgrounds and Textures) and Wen Redmond (Embrace the Journey: Fibre Arts Take Two).
Carol LaBorie
I created The Truthsayer with vibrantly dyed silk fiber, a medium chosen for its luminosity and fluidity when sculpted over a mold into a vessel form. To me this flamelike shape symbolizes the transformative process of refining misinformation into truth. The Truthsayer archetype resides in the 5th House of my Kairos chart— representing creativity, joy, and self-expression. She helps me discern, clarify, and speak the truth.
The vessel’s form captures the dual nature of truth: both a beacon and a crucible. It invites viewers to consider how truth emerges through a process akin to a refiner’s fire, burning away falsehoods to reveal clarity. The Light side of the Truthsayer inspires me to commit to nuance, compassion, and the delicate art of standing firm without force. This is not without challenges; the Shadow side of the Truthsayer is judgmental and inflexible. I must remain vigilant to not slip into the Shadow.
In The Truthsayer, I explore the courage required to cut through the noise and uphold integrity. This sculpture celebrates truth as a dynamic, living force— one that transforms and uplifts when approached with humility and care. Through this vessel, I share my journey of discovering and expressing truth through art.
Cassy LaVigne
I am a quiltmaker, fiber and mixed media artist who enjoys creating with a variety of materials and techniques. I cannot remember a time when I did not have cloth, thread and art supplies to create with.
This small piece took ten months to complete with “what if” questions to ponder and ideas to simmer before choosing the next step. Along the way I began to consider how the Heroine and Seeker archetypes might be working together as a team to manifest an image that would make sense to me. While choosing my personal archetypes the Seeker was easy and the Heroine rejected. Yet she kept showing up. In the process of adding the final hand stitching with red thread I reflected on my life journey so far. I do have the Heroine who has been a companion through some rough paths yet also guides me to many places of ease. The Seeker and the Heroine have been teaching me to trust the journey and to trust my creative process.
It was a joy to play with pieces of my gel plate prints on fabric, add some hand applique shapes, and do the final hand embroidery. My Dilettante had fun!
Christine Barker
I have chosen to create small torsos inspired by Emily Young’s sculptures to represent my archetypes.
This year I made the artist. She sits in my sixth house, that of occupation and health, a place of Earth energy in my circle, influenced by the second chakra where we give birth to life and ideas, and interestingly, more often associated with water – the element of my Artist’s complementary archetype across the wheel. What better way to illustrate being grounded and fluid at the same time, than to place a graceful torso, splashed with orange and white, gold threads filling any cracks of confidence, stitched into a collaged landscape that could be real hills and rivers, overlaid with a digitally altered flower photo, whose swirls suggested inner aspects of thoughts and emotions.
From the earth comes stone that can be sculpted. This place where I live was once a shallow sea filled with free swimming mollusks called ammonites whose shells later fossilized into Ammolite gemstones.
The cream satin, fragments of my mother’s wedding dress, a shell-like piece for me.
The colourful gemstone, that we both like, conjures the joy I feel as my artist plays each piece out in stitch.
Deborah Green
I am a creative who has worked in several fields, I have recently returned to art for creative expression. Exploring the Engineer archetype tugged on fundamental threads of who I have been and am now, connection to family and the past. I researched my genetic roots, understood and connected with my ancestor's lives through this shared gift. The materials, images and stories I gathered into a simple homage to my family’s Engineer. Shaping the family through the centuries, their achievements and the lives of those who enjoyed the use of what was designed and created. They were the enablers of frontiers across the world, our Engineer is stamped, wrought and bolted into their work. They laid the structural foundation for my opportunities and the fabric of who I am as a person and Artist.
Genetic Engineering
November 2024
19.7” x 35cm
Multimedia - paper, fabric, earth pigment, digital NFS
Doreen Vetter
Growing up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, I spent my days exploring the woods near my home. My earliest memories are of the hours I spent in nature and those memories involved gurgling streams, the Appalachian Mountains, and night skies filled with stars. My Nature Child informs my play, and my art. Inspiration is everywhere.
This project was inspired by the Victim and the Saboteur working in tandem when I broke my wrist on my dominant hand. The shadow side of the Victim focused on poor, pitiful me and my new limitations until friend Saboteur stepped in and asked what I could do with my left hand to ease this time.
My work in the fiber arts requires the use of both hands. Slow stitched with my left hand, this contemplative piece illustrates words that I wrote in my thirties with scenes that have inspired me since my youth. The process and completed artwork brought peace to my heart during a challenging time and reminded me of the promise of each new day’s unfolding.
Elizabeth Ferry Pekins
I chose the Child archetype...the Nature Child. Growing up in New Orleans, flowers, grass and lush vegetation were abundant. I would pick flowers from the sweet olive trees and pull apart magnolia blossoms to make pretend soup. I would play with mud and rocks and sticks and add in flowers to make everything pretty. As an adult, I live in Texas, and we have been in drought for an extended period of time. Even though our garden contains native drought tolerant plants, they are brown and withered. I am grateful for a childhood where I played in lush, fragrant, green gardens.
Ellen Nepustil
Cordelia visits me in my dreams. She swims easily through the waves, diving for food and treasures. A Nature Child, she is creative yet penurious with her finds. After eating the shellfish, she saves the shells for jewelry and hair bands. She collects sand dollars to trade and barter with. What more does one really need when surrounded by water and treasures? Cordelia has allowed me to explore and embrace many of my archetypes. She is my inner child manifested as a mermaid with long wavy hair. Her sea shell and sand dollar obsession aligns with my Miser. Attaching the sand dollars required the Engineer as they break quite easily.
Gini Ewers
There are three themes that guide my art making that came together in this piece.
Archetypes - The study of archetypes has enriched my art and my understanding of myself. Exploring the light and shadow sides of archetypes helps me appreciate the light and shadow sides within myself. Archetypes can feel like companions on the various paths of our lives, especially when the paths are not clear. Heeding the lessons of the archetypes, especially the Saboteur, resulted in more spontaneous and joyous creating.
My Personal Geology - We are each made up of so many layers; our families, education, places we have lived, experiences and people who have touched us. Those layers, like the strata in geological formations, build up over time.
Connection - The many ways people experience connection is of interest to me. Some connections are tenuous and fragile - holding on by a thread. And some are deep and rich, giving you a feeling of being enfolded in caring arms.
Glorianne K Garza
Expressing myself with cloth has taken me on a journey of self-discovery with nature, symbols and universal themes often conveyed in my work. My Storyteller is always present with my Artist, helping me to express myself. In this piece, I tapped into what I loved most as a child and what has remained a common thread throughout my life. Using blue, the calming color of the ocean and sky, inspires me. I painted the silk background fabric and sprinkled it with Hawaiian salt. I hand-colored photographs I printed of myself on silk organza. I see contentment in my 3-year-old self, sitting at the ocean, amongst the sand and shells. The watchful presence is also me, masked as Zorro, the defender of justice or in this case the protector of innocence; always near. I printed her on tissue paper and set her on butterfly wings cut from a napkin I had saved. The story continued to reveal itself. I used child’s play to try out new tools, thermofax screens with gold leaf and sand, dendridic and gelli printed fabric, and clean up cloths. Treasures from my collection were sewed on to complete my narrative. It is machine and hand stitched.
Janis Updike Walker
In fairy tales, women magically spun golden strands. These Alchemists transformed common yarns into priceless threads. When I discover beautiful antique fabrics, tattered and stained with age, I wonder why these remnants were prized and saved? What history these pieces hold? I question how I can hand- embroidery fresh life into the cloth?
What new story will I tell? The Japanese art, “kintsugi,” enters as I mend deteriorating fibers using cast-off gilded lace and braids. Gold patches don’t erase the imperfections of age but preserve their beauty by creating renewed works of art.
This mixed media embroidery collage was sewn by hand using torn and damaged Victorian era crewel work window curtain. Sections were cut away to create a new motif then stitched onto black velvet and satin. Other remnants of metallic gold and black trim, lace and braid were appliqued over the antique lace. The resulting garment is displayed on a black and gold vintage mannequin.
Karen Colett Frank
My home is on Florida’s Gulf Coast, but I’m lucky enough to spend each Autumn in Vermont. Wind Dance is inspired by the yellow leaves remaining on trees later into Fall. I imagined those leaves as French knots, developing the piece around that idea.
Typically my work is a combination of both machine and hand stitching. I chose to focus on hand stitching this year. Wind Dance is entirely hand stitched and feels the appropriate conclusion to this year of Creative Strength Training.
This year I also became more fully aware of the dance I do with the shadow Saboteur on each piece I create. My process is to start with a general concept, then work intuitively. It’s never long before shadow Saboteur questions if I know what I’m doing. The questions continue: What am I going to do next? How am I going to do that? What if it doesn’t work?
We’ve done this dance before. I know the steps. I invite friend Saboteur to join in and choose to keep going. She reminds me that it has always worked out in the end. And then we waltz through to the end of the dance.
Dancing Inukshuk
9.5 “ x 10.5”
Acrylic paint and photograph
Katharine Dean
I make art that is full of color and motion. I collect found papers and assemble them into books and wall pieces, and invite energy to come from below to the surface and spill over as an invitation to the viewer to participate in the story.
Kay Nicosia
I was inspired to present this image as a tribute to the archetype, Teacher. I imagined the woman in the picture taking time to teach the young girl what is happening today - issues that some people are so upset about and some people are so happy about.
I am a mixed media artist interested in creating art that is a combination of different mediums. In this piece I used a mixture of cold wax and oil paint over a photograph. The image was printed on Arches 140 pound paper and then the oil paint and cold wax were applied. The piece is titled “I wish things were different."
Kerstin Engström
My artistic path started with watercolor. It expanded with calligraphy and bookmaking. In calligraphy I turned towards contemporary ways of writing. My writing contains words, but it is not always legible.
I have for many years tried to find out my archetype tribe. Now I feel rather secure about my choices. So sure that I was prepared to write them down. But I was only prepared to write them down in a way that was partly legible. You never know if you would like to change your mind.
A trained eye from someone familiar with archetypes might figure out who they are in this piece. They are in a small part covered with gold. The pattern from the writing underneath the gold makes the gold less shiny. The archetype tribe is also visible with the gold.
It is a tribe full of emotions – sometimes almost invisible – and with a golden lining.
Kristin Rohr
This piece was created by the Artist archetype. Working in her sketchbook she was inspired by a poem, “Wild Pansy” by Lisa Bellamy, as well as a profusion of purple pansies outside her door in spring.
A portrait of several blossoms was painted alongside a brief statement of their history. Their story is her story. “I germinated.”
Laura Murray
My artistic aspirations are similar to the StarTrek mission: “Going where no one has gone”. Characterized by vibrant colors, textures. energy and complexity, my textile work seeks innovation through experiments with fabric, surface design techniques and photography. Recently, explorations with digital art software opened up an entirely new world.
My archetype Nature Child finds inspiration in trees, rocks, and gardens. The Alchemist is delighted to use the double exposure ability of Snapseed software while teaming up with the Artist in search of photograph combinations that result in an entirely new and surprising image. The vortex exerts a swirling force on surrounding objects that pull me toward intriguing new possibilities, urged on by the Alchemist.
Lindsay Webster
Who is an artist?
Am I?
The Artist inspires my clothes, the colors I like, how I arrange my spaces, the jewelry I love. The shadow side shows up with too many art supplies, too many shiny objects, too much stuff.
Sometimes I allow the Artist to guide me, creating artwork that reflects me, my colors, designs, choices, and methods. But I have struggled to claim the Artist as one of my twelve. The Saboteur and the Judge poke me, compel me to compare, to look at what I have created and ask: “Is this really ART?”
Today I shoo away the Saboteur, the Judge. Today I claim the Artist.
The Woodpecker inspired by the Artist is a gel print representing me claiming the Artist. The Woodpecker traits are: persistence, adaptation, new beginnings, overcoming challenges, an independent spirit, repetition, determination, and the willingness to dig deep.
I seek to apply these traits toward gaining mastery in my artistic endeavors of printmaking and dyeing.
Gel print on created background NFS
The Woodpecker inspired by The Artist
Lucy Berry Snyder
I grew up in a military family with roots in the Midwest. We moved many times and with each move my mom created a beautifully decorated home for us. She was a great sewist and needleworker, and I always say that I learned everything I needed to know from her, since I too, became a military wife and mother.
As the “Free Spirit” in our family I tried many different forms of needlework and enjoyed any new techniques and tools that came on the market. In 1985 I discovered quilting and the rest is history! Since then, I have explored traditional piecing, which brought me to do even more creative work designing wall hangings for churches. In recent years, however, I have returned to the handwork and embroidery of my youth. Working “small” has satisfied my need to manage aging issues, but mostly it feeds my creative spirit.
I designed this small 8” x 10” art quilt as one of twelve in a series based on archetypes. I used my edited photographic images, commercial fabric, and hand painting to create this mixed media piece, and it will eventually be part of an accordion book.
My First Companions--My Lifetime Companion
2024
10” x 8”
Mixed Media Textile NFS
Lyn Bainbridge
The Seeker has always been a significant archetype for me but it has taken several years to find an image for her. I have always been fascinated by psychology and the study of religion. Both journey into the depths of the psyche and it occurred to me that the free-diver descending into the ocean abyss without oxygen and tethered by the thinnest thread was the perfect symbol.
In this piece thinned acrylics were painted onto dark blue cotton then overstitched. The diver was a copyright-free image stitched in loose satin stitch in a range of greys to try to mimic the shimmer of fish scales since the diver is part of the ocean in which she dives. I then couched down the gold thread that leads her into the depths and back to the surface with her discoveries.
I considered adding more detail but it seemed unnecessary. My Seeker dives into the dark depths in search of imagery, dreams and symbols. Or perhaps she jumps into the fairytale well to find the strange land of Baba Yaga to uncover the riches hidden within. She is not a wanderer in the world but an explorer of the unconscious and searches in the deep.
Marilyn Pitman Waite
A path of trauma at age six - a Rebel is born. A rejection of mother’s values…racism and anti-semitism – an Advocate was born. Words, memories and images used to combat those idea – an Artist was born. The Seeker aligned herself with these archetypes. They joined her to seek truth and justice, and advocate for the powerless on her life’s journey. The path was circuitous as she sought answers. After many years and many learning experiences, major difficult issues melted away. Allies were found, and intuitive muscles strengthened as a new mystical way beckoned her.
A brief story of my Archetypal Journey.
Homage to Rumi, “I’ll Meet You
Mary Anders Morris
When I was a child, my mother gave me an empty heart-shaped box covered in red satiny material and topped with a shiny red bow. The fancy box, a Valentine’s Day gift from my father to my mother, still held the faint scent of the expensive chocolates it had previously contained. I promptly filled it with my treasured collection of Betsy McCall’s paper dolls and their paper wardrobes, including those pieces I had designed, drawn, colored, and cut out myself.
As an adult wanting to honor my Artist Child, I decided to create a “new” fancy box to house some of my current treasures: my sashiko threads and needles. Using basic boro and sashiko stitches and patterns, I pieced together cheerful cotton fabric remnants for the sides, decorated a top square with a playful handembroidered bow, and then completely encased a simple cardboard box. I am certain that the joy I experienced creating this sunshiny box will be rekindled every time I open it and use my special tools to undertake new projects
A Box of One’s Own 2024
4.25” x 8.5” x 8.5”
Mixed Media Textile (cardboard, cotton fabric, cotton batting, embroidery thread, sashiko thread) NFS
Nan Travers
Engineer Passing Through the Night represents the archetype in me that is always working overtime trying to solve problems and coming up with new ways of doing things, even in my sleep. To me, the Engineer is less about precision and having everything work just right, but rather about finding ways to realize my imaginations and dreams.
The four images in this photo-collage were all taken late at night. I love the lighting at night. It changes the way everything is seen; the regular and mundane in sunlight becomes mysterious and unknown at night. These images bring together the unlikely to create a possibility. Just like an engineer can take different ideas and parts and create them into something new, whether realistic or not.
The photo-collage was accomplished using PicMonkey, Preview, and Powerpoint, not a usual combination of programs but they work. There are two night-sky images with the city lights below that were taken from an airplane. They were pieced together to provide a broader view of the world below. The tree is from my backyard; I illuminated it with a flashlight. The boat was hand-drawn, painted, photographed, and sized to the tree.
Nancy Tully
A number of years ago in a workshop I created a “mosaic” fabric. It was a throwback to a childhood practice in which I scribbled in black crayon on a blank piece of paper and then filled the spaces with vivid colors. I made countless of these “mosaics”, and I made them with absolute abandon. There is much about that process that continues to resonate with me - freedom of movement, serendipitous shapes and happy accidents to name a few. More importantly, as I created my Vessel of Innocence, I recalled that sense of timeless abandon when in the throes of creativity. There was no one looking over my shoulder or questioning what I was making - there was only my childlike wonder and the enduring question of what if?
Noelle Evans
In Search of Order is part of a larger series exploring the archetypes that most closely resonate with me. It represents my Engineer archetype, which is closely associated with my Artist archetype. The Engineer is a builder, keeping track of the details and ensuring that whatever is being constructed will stand on its own. The Engineer can also be overly controlling and particular about details that don’t actually matter to the overall success of the work. My desire to be “in control” and have my world orderly is periodically shaken in both small and large ways that remind me that no matter how hard I try, I can never be in control of my world and that striving for it is futile, frustrating, and in the end, a waste of energy. Working on this piece taught me that resilience and adaptability are far more useful and constructive to my well-being and to my art.
In Search of Order March 2024
18” x 18” 15x15”
Quilt comprised of cotton fabric, cotton batting, and polyester thread, mounted on a painted 18x18” stretched canvas painted black. NFS n3vans@2evans.com
Pam Farley
“Look at those interesting lines and shapes,” were my grandfather’s words whenever we were walking in the woods, looking at exposed tree roots, outside Halifax, England, my birthplace. I was six at the time.
Since joining CST I have learned about the northern European archetype, Green Man. My grandfather was a Green Man, a true man of nature. Thank you, Grandad, for gifting me my Nature Child archetype!
When I was eight, my aunt gave me a Pinocchio marionette. I loved that little guy, even when his strings tangled. Seventy plus years later I told my husband about that long-lost marionette. He had not heard this tale. To our surprise, we decided to make a marionette together!
There were a few bumps along the road when his strong and logical Engineer archetype and my equally strong and intuitive Artist archetype did not always play well together, but it all worked out.
So, in my grandfather’s memory, Green-Green, our marionette, was born. Saturdays he’s dancing with children in our neighborhood park, to the music of my husband’s accordion. My Healer/Teacher archetype loves engaging children, answering questions, observing reactions and helping much younger versions of me bring Green-Green to life.
Pamela Cole
Love is my Superpower.
Who hurt you so badly?
What damaged you so deeply?
The world is too harsh for you. Your tender heart was mauled. Others don’t know. Your love, tender and deep, frightened them. They don’t understand.
Now you lay in my arms bleeding. I kiss your wounds and take your woes. I struggle to carry even a fraction of your pain.
Patience has an infinite depth, existing with no end. Unconditional.
“I’m doing the best I can," you say. “I know dear. I know.”
I rock you in my arms and hum that lullaby I sang to you as a baby. Your face softens and the tears dry, fortified to go back into a world that doesn’t understand you.
‘A rose grows where a mother’s tears fall’ is inscribed on the back of the antique locket you gave me. You looked in my eyes deeply when you gave it to me. I said, “I know.”
YouTube link to Love is my Superpower iMovie https://youtu.be/UomUyI-6Fwk?si=TyfZwyKUCiOrdZw0
Love is my Superpower 2024
26” x 26” x 9”
Silk Habotai, Acrylic, Tempura, Plastic, Soap Erasure, Paper Mâché NFS
Pat Grady
This self-portrait was created in a workshop where we stained, stamped, and stenciled tissue paper to create a collage background. I then traced a drawing of myself and used acrylic paint to bring my face out of the background. As a new member of CST in 2024 I have struggled with the concept of Archetypes. I realize there are many facets that make me the person and artist I am today. Like this artwork, I am hoping in the future to bring my Archetypes out of the background into the light so I will have a better understanding of myself and how to use what I have learned to become a better person and artist.
Paula Dean
Blue, in all its serene shades, captures the essence of calm and clarity. It symbolizes both the tranquil moments that ground us and the boundless horizons that beckon us to explore. This piece embraces the calm of blue, reflecting the peaceful pauses where we catch our breath, find solace, and contemplate dreams.
Within this blue horizon lies an undercurrent of adventure — the deep ocean filled with mysteries, the vast sky urging us all to chase beyond the horizon. It is in these moments of exploration that our true essence is revealed. Life’s journeys are not merely about reaching destinations but about the vibrant experiences and adventures that shape us along the way.
I urge you to embrace the balance of serenity and excitement. Life is fleeting; don’t let the chance to live your dreams pass you by.
Penny Beer
Portrait of Winifred Edgarton 1883
Winifred Edgerton was the first Woman to earn a PH.D in Mathematics in the USA in 1883. Having graduated with honors from Wellesley the year before, she wished to continue her study of astronomy and had to convince each Columbia University Trustee of her proficiency in mathematics. Finally accepted, she was given the textbook, but not allowed to attend classes. Also, to have access to the telescopes, she was required to serve as laboratory assistant and clean observatory equipment. Male students indignant over her acceptance asked the professor to give her the most difficult textbook of the time: Watson’s Celestial Mechanics - a text she studied at Wellesley! Presenting an original thesis she finally received her PhD in Mathematics in 1886.
During Women’s history month this year I was inspired to start a series on under-represented women in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM). I wanted to paint the portraits of these women and tell their story. My inner rebel wished to promote those who made great achievement yet were relatively unknown. I know what it is to be the only woman on an all male team.
Sharla Jean Hoskin
This work reflects the Artist and the Researcher. The Artist created the screen print as an exploration of layers, shape, and color. The work is acrylic ink on paper. I balance the planning required for printing with intuitive layering of images in the studio. Color experimentation is always an essential requirement for my Artist to create vanishing or revealing edges, movement in the composition, and meaning. I do not generally work with recognizable images, a concept, or a story. The image and concept in this print is unique for me, but it follows the lead of my Researcher exploring the metaphor of divine light in art.
The theme was inspired by an immersive installation in 2023 by fiber artist Anne Lindberg at the Textile Museum in Washington DC. Her inspiration was a 1971 article, What Colour is Divine Light? by Patrik Reuterswärd. (https://museum.gwu.edu/anne-lindberg-what-color-divine-light).
I researched this article and used White, Blue, and Yellow as the colors of Divine Light. In addition, I connected the combination with other studies in color science, art, architecture, color psychology, photography, and spiritual meaning. The Blue and Yellow reference skylight and sunlight color and the wrought iron Gate is an entrance for the creative spirit.
Sheryl L Miller
As I looked back over years of my artwork thinking about archetypes I suddenly discovered a Storyteller archetype had always been speaking clearly. I was subconsciously telling my own stories bit by bit in every piece I made. Frustrations, joys, love, grief, humor – all appeared in my work. Even my first attempt at sewing for my beloved Barbie has now become part of my art story.
Barbie’s Lime Green Cape (Excerpts) Christmas 1962.
My sister and I got Barbie dolls for Christmas. I learned to sew at age nine by making clothes for my Barbie.
My love for bright colors surfaced and the first thing I made for her was a lime green cape. Isn’t that a wardrobe basic for every classy lady to complement a black and white striped bathing suit?
Quite late in Barbie’s life her head became separated from her body and refused to pop back on. So I carefully placed her into her red plastic wardrobe case and closed the lid. She quietly rested there for many years but is now lost somewhere in the mists of time. Yet she will live forever in my memory, always wearing her lime green cape.
Sonja Lee - Austin
I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be a motherso much responsibility, so much baggage, so many stereotypes: soccer mom, earth mother, helicopter mom, working mother, stay-athome mom… I couldn’t imagine not knowing what it was like to be a mom, so I decided why not. I got pregnant, told my family, and celebrated being a mother-to-be. I did not know then that miscarriages in the first 3 to 5 weeks of pregnancy are common; the rate could be as high as one in four women. Around maybe 5 weeks, I had what my medical record documented as diagnosis code 003.9 for “spontaneous abortion,” more commonly known as a miscarriage. I wasn’t completely sure what happened until the test at the doctor’s office came back as “not pregnant.” I had already started to embrace the archetype of mother and tried to figure out how she would fit for me. Since the time was not right, I sent her away. The circle of life goes on and as chemist Antoine Lavoisier said, “In nature nothing is created, nothing is lost, everything changes.” Over a year later I became a mother after all and welcomed the mother archetype back.
Susan Gilleland
For me, joining CST was originally about joining my sister and my niece to spend time making art. My life’s passion has consistently involved teaching. For years I said that I was more comfortable encouraging children to make art, than in doing my own art. I decided it was time for me to prioritize making my own art.
In CST I found myself not only doing more art just for me, but also getting involved in discussions about archetypes. I am told that the Child is one of the universal archetypes, but then there are many Child archetypes and I am still contemplating which one seems to be my best companion. This fabric piece represents my contemplations about the Child.
The flowers are all plants that were part of my childhood memories. I dug through old photos to choose those that provide clear memories of the best parts of growing up. I wrote down phrases that came to mind thinking about what was important to me in my early life. Then I put everything together in this collage and stitched in some words that were part of growing up. The process of thinking, remembering, writing, cutting, arranging, and stitching was a pleasing segment in my journey towards self understanding.
Susan Smith
Leaves, trees and the sunlight as it filters through them, the sounds they make when the wind whispers thru the branches, sounding like nature's wind chimes. It inspires my Artist and my Nature Child to examine how I can keep their beauty with me through the long days of winter. My Student looked for ways to transform the textiles I love with the beauty of nature.
Using the lessons I’ve learned, the Magical Child gets to play with inks and paint, making leaf prints. Printing the veins and cracks in the leaves to show the beauty in everything around me. The joy I find in highlighting the details and textures with machine quilting. As a child I loved hand stitching, the tactile joy of the threads, each stitch bringing peace and thoughtfulness to my soul. Then the Teacher appeared telling anyone who would listen how I made “The Beginning”. Understanding my archetypes has made me reach deeper into creativity and the artist that wants to share the things my mind envisions. All the things I love are in this piece, I can look at it with pride.
Susie Monday
The Goddess: She Who Brings Fire is the latest in a series of art quilts I’ve made that are inspired by The Goddess— this one by the heat, energy and creative disruption of fire and its arrival to humans as both comfort and distraction. Creative energy as well as physical transformation of fire are often explained in our cultural history as being the gifts of the gods. I made this piece using vintage weavings, embroideries and fabrics from Mexico and Guatemala; for me, a way of preserving the fabrics and honoring their makers. The fabrics are assembled in such a way that they can be disassembled and returned to their original (found) state.
Suzana Baar
I am an Expressive Art Therapist and Artist. As a little girl I was very lively and loud. I played, laughed and told stories out loud. Real and made-up. Later I told them to my son Luka, to the children at the Waldorf school where I taught and now I tell them to Sara and Ana, my granddaughters. But I also tell them, quietly, to myself and to others through my art. I call this creation of mine Whisper of the Soul.
In the paper diorama I created, I showed my interpretation of the Storyteller archetype. It is a fairy who lives in a book of fairy tales and tells a story called My Family in My Early Childhood. This painting was created as an independent work of art and you can see it in detail. In it, in the outline of my head, we are connected as a family: my father, sister, mother and I, and below, each for himself. The rainbow rays connect us to the community.
Look and listen to my fairy and you will hear her Whisper of the Soul.
Theresa Maguire Ely
While studying my pagan and Celtic lore, I learned the heritage of my Irish roots. In pre-Christian times, the Celts were cognizant of seasonal changes (equinoxes and solstices) and embraced these events. Festivals were tied to the earth’s cycles - plantings, midsummer, harvest, and rebirth. As Christianity came to Ireland, these festivals were supplanted by saints’ days at approximately the same time in the calendar cycle. In this way, people transitioned away from pagan celebrations to Christian festivals.
Based on this newfound knowledge, I began creating Transformation art. An earlier piece, Green Man, celebrates our close tie to nature, its cycles and rebirth. The Green Man, guardian of the metaphysical gate, opened a gateway for me.
My father’s family, the Maguires, were leaders in County Fermanagh Ireland from the 800-1600s. The Maguires were proud and benevolent rulers in Ireland prior to the invasion and conquest by the English in the 1640s.
While creating this art, I embraced four of my newfound archetypes - Mystic, Wounded Healer, Priestess and Warrior. I realized that the pain held in my body was my ancestors’ pain and by diving into understanding my history I was able to transform and heal myself.
Yvonne Bilan-Wallace
In the mid 1970’s I was told by my high school guidance counsellor that a “smart girl” could aspire to be a nurse or teacher. Furthermore, the science studies I was interested in was a bad choice for a woman. I was also told by my computer teacher that girls can’t program and wanted to know who did my homework.
The Rebel decided they were the ones with attitude problems and gave stupid advice. It led to an amazing 30+ year career in science. I knew Nature Girl, the Curious Child, Student and Alchemist where constant companions. I always loudly denied any interest in the Teacher. Maybe it was the Rebel in me was still remembering the offensive “guidance” teachers offered me early in my life. Of course, I loved being a “teacher” for my children and even their classmates. But that wasn’t being a real teacher I justified. Lately I have to finally admit my Teacher has been secretly active for years. It was important for me to see my interns discover their joy and find their way. As I developed as an artist, I found new joy sharing my knowledge and encouraging others to find themselves in learning.
My digital art submission is one of the images I worked on for the CST digital group. The blended imagery of woods, frost and cloudy skies all represent my archetypes I have identified with. In honour of my latest revelation, I added the teacher. Maybe the Teacher is a late bloomer, as I finally feel it’s okay to be both a “smart girl” and a teacher.
(image created with Photoshop Elements, my personal photographs except the teacher (free imagery from rawpixel.com)
Zoie E Holzknecht
Why do so many of us turn to the poets during difficult times? I think it’s to remind ourselves that there is still preciousness, and even a kind of companionship, hiding among those rubble heaped moments of life. It’s to allow ourselves to soften enough to remember that the storms come not to wash away, but to reveal what had been hiding in complacency. Poets show us the world underneath all of our masks.
The best poems shock us into a new world, a new way of seeing what’s happening to us. The poet names your unnamable emotions. And when that lightning strikes, don’t turn away. In that flash the distance between you and the poet disappears. The poet’s words become your own words. And words carry power. Embrace yourself, fiercely.
