Rio Abajo Rio ... River Beneath the River

This is a portion of a new painting that I began along with a live streamed class at 4am on a Sunday morning a week or so ago. ... it's part of the new method I'm learning that includes some visioning and questing along the way ... 
I'm getting all kinds of juicy information coming through.. it's hard to know whether to share it here.. there is a chance some may think I'm a bit bonkers.. but I'm learning to care less* about that.  For now I'd like to share some words by an author I highly respect.. as these words were in part a crucial inspiration behind this work.

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*of course I care what people think.. but not to the extent that I'm going to dim myself down 
to the point of oblivion, I value bravery and courage of ones convictions.

"Each woman has potential access to Rio Abajo Rio, this river beneath the river. She arrives there through deep meditation, dance, writing, painting, prayer making, singing, drumming, active imagination, or any activity which requires an intense altered consciousness. A woman arrives in this world-between worlds through yearning and by seeking something she can see just out of the corner of her eye. She arrives there by deeply creative acts, through intentional solitude, and by practice of any of the arts. And even with these well-crafted practices, much of what occurs in this ineffable world remains forever mysterious to us, for it breaks physical laws and rational laws as we know them."  -  Clarissa Pinkola Estes  "Women Who Run With The Wolves".

I got a clear vision of a phoenix telling the woman/muse something of great importance during the visioning for this painting... but went ahead and sketched in this rather demure looking parrot... and didn't feel very satisfied with it I have to say... and 'clear as day' I got the message "I showed you a phoenix.. we are going to need a PHOENIX here please" ... so I sketched in the phoenix.. and layered some paint on her... and immediately felt stronger, more empowered... and enlivened by that simple change/addition ... this method is challenging me.. and sometimes I'm accompanied by some anxiety as well... but the depths it's capable of touching are worth all of it.

"we are going to need a Phoenix here "

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I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely lady named Stacey of Rubykite Interiors last week who asked to feature me on her blog, you can read that here : Sunshine Coast Design Post 

DD in Studio - photo by Stacey Mitchell

You'll see another painting on the easel .. "My Lady of Alchemy" ... I'll feature her on another post... omygosh I am soooo thrilled with her it's not funny!


bye for now, I just wanted to pop in and put a little more context around that painting with the rather large bird on a woman's shoulder.. 


love Denise xo