Rosie Huart

Confirmed dates for 2011 Connecting Art & Spirit Retreat at Maria Stein.  The dates are May 13, 14 and 15, 2011.

Connecting Art & Spirit

an art workshop and retreat

Maria Stein Spiritual Center

Maria Stein, Ohio

April 30-May 2, 2010

The theme of grace was the weekend's creativity practice as we explored

the creative expression of grace through visual art.  Participants each had a blank

book in which to incorporate text and images.  The Book of Grace is a derivative

of the Book of Hours.  I directed the participants through meditation, reflection,

creative writing, painting and sharing.  It truly was a weekend filled with grace.

As a result, next year's connecting art and spirituality retreat is in the making.

Book of Hours

I made a copy of this book for each participant.  It is a

reminder of the hours in a day and a time to offer silent prayers. 

Permission was granted for printing by www.gratefulness.org. 

An example in the Book of Hours is Vigils:  The Night Watch—

before the day's noises begin, when it is still perfectly quiet.  "In the stillness

before my day begins, I open my heart to the gift of this hour; gratefully

I listen to the silence."

The prayers in the Book of Hours are:

Vigils: The Night Watch

Lauds: Coming of the Light

Prime:  A Deliberate Beginning

Terce:  The Joy of Living

Sext:  Commitment and Fervor

None:  The Shadows Lengthen

Vespers:  Lighting the Lamps

Compline:  Completing the Circle

A 2-day handmade paper workshop was held at Town & Country

Fine Art Center on Marcy 27-28, 2010.  Nine participants made

paper from cotton and flax.  Pulp painting, casting, layering

and embellishing played a major part in this fun filled weekend. 

In the week long workshop at the 2009 Calligraphy Conference one of the exercises was to section a sheet of black Arches text wove into 6 different grids.  The paper was then enhanced with different marks by utilizing a variety of writing instruments.  It was made into a decorative box to hold our Book of Days.

A participant's sheet of Arches black text wove paper with grid is marked for Box of Days.

This sheet of paper was divided into 6 grids and designed to be a box for an accordian book titled Book of Days.  Each day we incorporated thoughts to remember, quotes or personal notes.

Several artists from Ohio and Michigan gathered in Roseville, Michigan, for a weeklong workshop in May lead by renowned Louisville calligrapher and artist, Steven Skaggs.  Several exercises in the class connected the spirituality and art of each artist.

This is the background preparation ready for Jeannette Green's next step.

Millie Jarka's piece exhibits ways to manipulate pen strokes.

Renee Jarmolowicz's exercise in emotional contrast.

Rosie Huart's demonstration of emotional contrast.

Prayer beads were made from fabric, beads and waxed linen thread along with our own personal projects.  Throughout the weekend we gathered around a beautiful plant garden to share thoughts and ideas that stirred our spirit. There is a labyrith on the property, beautiful gardens and running water over a rock garden.

Recently Rosie taught a class to people who have experienced life altering illnesses.  They were asked who they are and what brought them here.  Several people voiced their belief how art plays a role in therapy and healing.  Rosie demonstrated how to make 'prayer tags with affirmations.'  It was a very powerful experience.  The Red Paper Series was born in 2003 after a gallery member lost her life to cancer.  In 1917 an American author, Theodore Dreiser stated, "Art is the stored honey of the soul, gathered on wings of misery and travail.  Trish McKinney, president of the art center is quoted, "The heart of this program are the artists who give their many talents to the community --- the soul of this program are the participants.  The true gift comes from the connections between the two."