Stepping Into A New Dream

When I decided to scale back my card business a few months ago to make room for new creative projects, I had no idea how quickly and powerfully that space would be filled! It was challenging to let go of something I had built that had brought me satisfaction, confidence, and a sense of identity. 

Two experiences over the last month have left me knowing that I've stepped powerfully onto a new path, into a new dream.

Photo by Anya Hankin

At the end of June I travelled to Portland, Oregon to attend an Intuitive Painting worksop with renowned artist Flora Blowey.  I have followed Flora via her blog for years and was inspired by her creativity and how she empowers people to be brave and bold and trust themselves artistically and in life!

Flora, Pearl dog and I in front of her paintings

The minute I walked into Flora's colorful, light-filled studio, I felt like I had stepped into a place I had been dreaming of. Flora demonstrated techniques she has developed over 20 years of painting, and also shared many wise insights about how to stay free and open while painting. One of my favorites was: 

"Make bold commitments while staying open to change." ~Flora Bowley

My Paintings are the three on the left

Close Up 

Hummingbird Spirit in Progress

In Progress

It was thrilling to play on such a large (36"x36") canvas after five years of painting small (8"x8") for greeting cards. I loved using my whole body to dance across the canvas. One day during the workshop Flora invited a Kora (African 21-stringed harp) player, Will Dudley, to come and serenade us as we painted. I let the music flow right through me onto the canvas. I also had a chance to receive some feedback from Flora about my paintings and a great tip about turning the canvas in all directions to see what orientation "sings" compositionally. Flora demonstrated a variety of techniques using fluid acrylics to produce washes of color, stamping and etching. If you are interested, Flora has a great book, Brave Intuitive Painting, and she also offers an online e-course, Brave Intuitive You.

Photo by Zipporah Lomax

Photo by Zipporah Lomax

I fell in love with Portland and painting large-scale, and just bought an easel so I can paint BIG in my home studio! I appreciate how generously Flora shared herself and how wonderful and supportive her studio assistants Katie and Anya were~ I'm looking forward to attending the level 2 workshop soon!

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Classroom Under the Cedars at Mosswood Hollow

I just returned from a Dream Teacher Training in rural Washington State with Robert Moss, world-renowned dream teacher and author. It was an in-depth study of Active Dreaming techniques that Robert developed, including Lightning Dreamwork, which is a quick process of dream sharing with a partner or group that helps you get to the essential message and energy of a dream and apply it to your life. We also practiced Dream Re-entry and Tracking. Dream Re-entry is a technique used to go back into a dream using shamanic drumming to learn more about a dream and explore within the dreamscape. With Dream Tracking, a partner (or a group of dreamers) enters the dreamer's dream (with permission and the aid of drumming) to explore and support the dreamer. These techniques are simple and potent. Robert has published many books on these techniques, and one of my favorites is Dreaming the Soul Back Home. He also has an e-course beginning 8/5/15 called Dreaming into the Dreamtime: Tapping the Power of Seven World Traditions for Transformation. 

At the Faerie Gate with wonderful new friends

The training was fast-paced, far-reaching, and challenged me in deep and powerful ways. From the start, Robert encouraged us to act as teachers, leading Active Dreaming techniques for the group and discussing our dreams and telling stories as if we were sharing them with the public. Robert stressed the importance of telling good engaging stories! I had an opportunity to lead the group in Lightning Dreamwork as if they were workshop participants in an art and dreaming workshop. Although I was nervous, I trusted myself and stepped into the role of teacher, which felt natural, like what I was born to do. 

Newly Graduated Dream Teachers

My name, Tenaya, means "to dream", "dreamer of wisdom", or "he who dreams" in the native language of the Ahwahnechee of Yosemite. My whole life I have felt like I needed to live into it, to honor my name as a path in life, and I feel like I have taken a definitive step onto this path. As a dream teacher I will lead workshops that bring together the practices of Active Dreaming and Expressive Arts to bring the potent energy and imagery of dreams into tangible form to inspire and empower waking life. 

Robert and I under the cedars

I will have a chance to study with Robert again in November at Esalen, and next July for Teacher Training Level 2 and Level 3 after that.

I'm so grateful to be walking this path~ I give thanks to my dad (who made this possible financially) and who showed up powerfully in a journey last week~ He encouraged me whole-heartedly on this path~ Feeling his love and support from beyond~  

Opening to a New Path

Me & Dad, 1980

My dear friends~ After 5 years (and over 5,000 handmade cards!) I am shifting gears creatively and opening to a new path. I will no longer be selling my cards at retail outlets, but I welcome custom orders via my website~

I've been longing to spread my wings and work on larger projects and paintings, as well as take classes and workshops in creativity and dreamwork. I'll be studying with renowned dream teacher Robert Moss and painter Flora Bowley in the coming months.

It's exciting and bittersweet to make this change, but after my father's passing in February, I did a lot of soul searching, and found I wanted to step onto a new, wider path of possibility and growth. 

I look forward to sharing what I find along the 

way! 

Blessings and love~ 

Tenaya 

Rites of Spring

Greetings & Happy Spring Equinox ~ 

One-of-a-kind Easter Egg cards

It's been a quite a while since I posted, and I've moved through some major rites of passage in the last few months. On February 1st I lost my beloved dad, Gerry, who passed away after an 8-year decline from Early-Onset Dementia. I inherited so many vital parts of my being from him~ A love of nature, art, music, dance and a strong desire to travel. On his birthday last year I wrote a poem that expressed my greatest wish for him~ That he could be free to roam all the places he loved, free from suffering, and to know how much he was loved~

A Gift For My Father

By Tenaya Wieczorek 10/25/14

As you near the end

This long and winding road

Your feet already off the ground

Held aloft on currents of sky

Drifting slowly upward

For eight long years

As you’ve slipped away

Still a slender thread

Holds soul to body

Soon to release

And you’ll be free to travel

To all of the places

You’ve been too trapped to go

And waiting for you on the other side

The family you’ve loved

And a parade of animals

To guide you home

We still here

Will circle around you

Holding you in our hearts

Offering up our memories of your great life

We will raise our voices and tell of your kind and gentle spirit

Stories of how you’ve touched us all

And brought us closer together~

The beauty and heartbreak of this

Gerry, your spirit is now free

And we send you to the beyond by way of

Yosemite, Great Falls, La Honda~ and all the places

You loved to roam

And when we find ourselves in nature’s green and open spaces

We will know the wonder and joy you felt

And you’ll be with us again

Gerry in Yosemite, 2006

This loss has been bearable, due in part to my new sweetie, Jennifer. We connected while dancing in October and she has brought joy, love and support to my life, especially during such a painful loss.

Jennifer & Me on Valentine's Day

Dream Speak Design cards are going strong, but I've been feeling some inner nudges to stretch my wings and explore  new creative expressions, so I just signed up for a 4-day painting workshop with the inspiring artist Flora Bowley in Portland, Oregon in June. I'm over-the-moon excited to visit Portland and splash around on a big canvas with only my intuition to guide me.

Here's some one-of-a-kind Easter cards I painted yesterday for family and friends & Easter/Spring cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods and Riley Street Art, or from me directly. 

Thank you for your support & wishing you all the best during this time of BLOOMING!

Honoring Tom Sassano and Cancer Zodiac Card

Greetings and Happy Summer! The hills have turned golden here in California and they have made their way onto my new Summer Dreams greeting card~

Summer Dreams With Golden Eagle for Tom Sassano

This card is dedicated to my dear friend, Tom Sassano, who passed away from cancer in May. He was a gifted artist, dancer, and a vibrant caring man. A week after he passed I saw a golden eagle outside my window at work, perched in a nearby oak tree, gleaming gold in the morning sun. It felt like a visitation and inspired this card. Here's a picture of Tom and I in front of one of his paintings a few weeks before he died.

In his final days Tom dwelled in a state of grace, transcendence and deep truth, and I was grateful to spend some very moving moments with him at his studio. His community gathered around him for a living memorial before he passed, and it was one of the most powerful experiences I have been through~ To see someone facing death with such dignity, acceptance, and curiosity. If you are interested in meeting Tom  and hearing his wise words about his transition I encourage you to watch this video that was complied of his memorial and interviews they conducted with him.

Here's the link: http://vimeo.com/93323255

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I am continuing my Zodiac card series with a Cancer card, set in Dubrovnik, Croatia, land of my ancestors. I created a treasure box of sea shells~ Here they are in progress~

And here's the finished card~

Gifts From the Deep, Dubrovnik~Cancer Zodiac Card

Cards are available at Good Earth and also from me directly. I am now offering 8 1/2" x 11" prints of any of my images for $28. They are printed on professional-quality photo paper, and hand detailed and signed by me. They come with a nice white border so they are ready to pop in a frame~ and they make a great gift! Striking detail is visible in this larger format. Contact me for details. 

Wishing you a wonderful and sunny summer, blessed with gratitude for each shining moment.

~Tenaya

Spring Dreams and Aries Rhyton

Spring has come to California, and the bright green of new life is everywhere I look. This is the morning view from my studio window~

Inspired by the energy of innocence, growth, and wonder, I created my newest dreamcatcher card (I'm making one for each season) titled, "Spring Dreams"

To me, springtime reflects the process of regeneration and transformation, and also connects me to a sense of awe, beauty and gratitude for all that life is. I feel like this is the root of where the inspiration for my cards comes from~ From noticing the small beauties of the world.

I just discovered a wonderful video by time-lapse photography pioneer Louie Schwartzberg about gratitude that encapsulates these thoughts perfectly:

My full line of Easter/Spring cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods and Riley Street Art Supply in San Rafael. You can view them all here.

I am continuing the Zodiac card series with "Aries Rhyton". A Rhyton is an ancient ceremonial drinking vessel. Read about Rhytons here.

May the brilliant, life-giving energy of Spring infuse every moment with gratitude and awe!

Love,

Tenaya

Panama Magic

I just had the good fortune to travel to Panama to celebrate my grandma's 80th birthday. It has been her life-long dream to see the Panama Canal, and we had an epic journey through the locks and across Gatun Lake, as well as a day in the old part of Panama City (Casco Antiguo), and a day in a traditional indigenous Embera village on the Chagres River.

 Here I am in Casco Antiguo photo by UpDog Photography

On the Panama Canal (That's my grandma next to me)

I was surprised that such a brief trip could have such a profound effect on me. Being immersed in another culture, and being able to visit an indigenous village broadened my perspective on my life, and has caused me to reflect on what I really want in life, and what will truly bring me fulfillment and happiness.

Chagres River Waterfall

To reach the Embera village I took an exhilarating ride on the Chagres River, where I swam in a waterfall (fully clothed)! The river is surrounded by lush rainforest, and I could hear the warm hum of insects pulsing from it's green depths.

Riding in a traditional Embera Dugout Canoe

The Embera people sustain their way of life by welcoming visitors into their community and sharing their culture through music, dance, and a demonstration of traditional crafts. We were served a delicious meal of fresh-caught fish, lightly battered and fried, with fried plantains and a lime wedge~ Served in a banana leaf with a hibiscus flower!

Standing on a little rise above the village, I was filled with a tremendous sense of longing, overwhelmed by the beauty of this place and these people. I dream of returning~~~

In the jungle I saw a Blue Morpho Butterfly and it inspired my newest greeting card, which features motifs inspired by traditional Embera designs. Cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax and Riley Street Art in San Rafael. You can also email me directly with your order.   

Wishing you a Happy Spring!

Blue Morpho Butterfly on the Chagres River, Panama With Embera-Inspired Motifs

Love in Latte Foam

Just in time for Valentine's Day~ Here are two new hot-off-the-press cards for your sweetie! 

Love in Latte Foam

This one was inspired by my grandpa Popi, who always loved a good play on words. Here we are dancing circa 1995~

My other grandpa Dziadzi (pronounced ja-jee) had an antique Victrola that he would play for me. I loved hearing the scratchy sound of long ago voices. This "Kitty Victrola Love Song" card is dedicated to him and my Nana Aggie. {If you're lucky, you may have come across a fellow named Bill who brings his portable Victrola to Good Earth Natural Foods. He sets up on a picnic table and serenades the folks passing by. Meeting him brought back memories of Dziadzi, so this card is also dedicated to Bill.}

Kitty Victrola Love Song

Me and Dziadzi 1986

Cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods and also on my new spinner card display at Riley Street Art Supply in San Rafael.

All Valentine's Day cards from years past are still available at both stores. You can view them here. 

This month is the 4 year anniversary of Dream Speak Design~ Thank you for all of your support! Exciting things are in store for the coming year~

All the best in 2014~

Tenaya

Holiday Llama with Luminarias

Hello and Happy December! I've just finished four brand new holiday cards and can't wait to share them with you~ 

Inspired by the peaceful hush of first snowfall is Winter Dreams, a dreamcatcher in a snowy landscape with holly, mistletoe, pine boughs, and little gold bells~

Winter Dreams

One of my favorite holiday decorations when I was growing up was a German wooden Santa Smoker. A cone of lit incense went inside Santa's torso, then fragrant smoke would gently waft out his mouth. Here's a photo of my childhood decoration...

And the card it inspired~

German Wooden Santa Smoker

And for the pure whimsy of it, a winter picnic of smitten snowmen ready to eat snowball cake~

Winter Picnic Snow Globe

Growing up in northern Virginia, my neighborhood had an enchanting tradition. On Christmas Eve, each house lined their part of the street with luminarias~ Paper bag lanterns filled with sand at the bottom and a candle inside. They lit the wintery streets with hundreds of flickering flames~ 

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ALuminarias.jpg

Here's a holiday Llama carrying a Christmas tree up a luminaria-lit hillside~

Holiday Llama with Luminarias

This year I also created a Hanukkah card based on an image of an ancient menorah that reminded me of a Tree of Life~

Cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax and also at Riley Street Art Supply in San Rafael. All holiday cards from years past are also available (Sacred Reindeer, St. Lucia's Light, etc.) View them here.

Wishing you a bright and beautiful holiday season!

~Tenaya

Snail Slime Graffiti

Happy Halloween in Snail Slime

Greetings and happy Autumn! Here's a brand-new Halloween card design, inspired by a vision I had of a sweet little snail making slime-art on a fence. :-)

This is my favorite time of year~ The colors, the change of season, and delicious seasonal produce. I just ate my first persimmon of the season (with many more to come!)

The Glory of Autumn @ Good Earth

Lily the Kitty Witch Serves Pumpkin Cake and Absinthe

And here's Lily the Kitty Witch hosting a Halloween party. To create the background I used japanese Sumi ink on a wet background to create the smokey, spooky effect. 

Both of these cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax or from me directly.

The zodiac cards series continues with Virgo and Libra~

Virgo Zodiac Card

Libra Zodiac Card

This Libra Zodiac card was inspired by the Egyptian myth,  "Anubis' Scale of Truth", where one's heart is weighed against a feather to see if you will be granted entry to the afterlife. I'll be working on Scorpio next.

Part 2 of Lilla Rogers' Make Art That Sells class started up again this week, and we're designing Christmas cards~ I've got some unusual holiday imagery I'm dreaming up! 

Wishing you all the best for this season of coziness, hot chai, and pumpkin cake!

~Tenaya