My recent projects and activities have included:
Creative Deepening Classes - In 1998 I developed a series of five 90-minute classes in creativity for adults which were presented at the Solomon R.G. Hilton Bahá'í School Summer 1998 session. The school was held on the Oakwood School campus in Poughkeepsie, New York. I have called the series "Creative Deepening" because I have tried to focus on ways that the individual can enhance personal and community deepenings. I will be ultimately be posting an overview of the classes here at Creative Inspirations! so that other folks can use in their community or as an online correspondence course. In August, 1999, I was Devotions Coordinator at the school and I developed a Personal Prayer Journal and Program entitled "Nine Days of Devotion" which was dedicated to the recent Baha'i martyrs in Iran (since 1978).
Day of Glory (a capella settings of sacred text on cassette) - I am still working on the production of a recording of selections from my current repertoire. I am trying to raise funds to pay for the studio time and duplication but it is a very long process. The final tape will include four tablets (Tablet of Ahmad, Carmel, and both visitation tablets,) and selected prayers and Hidden Words. I usually perform these pieces a capella, but I have been known to sing them on top of another piece of appropriate instrumental music. I especially love to sing these tablets in an environment of dim lights or without any light at all. I once sang the Tablet of Visitation of Bahá'u'lláh in total darkness along with a slide presentation of Bahá'í Holy Places-- it was really exciting and very moving.
Morning Birds - I am also still in the process of writing a collection of songs to commemorate the lives of ten Bahá'í women who were executed in Shiraz, Iran, in 1983. Their remarkable lives were described in an excellent book, Olya's Story by Olya Roohizadegan. One of the completed pieces, Mona's Song, written about Mona Mahmudnizhad, an 18-year old woman murdered because she taught Bahá'í Sunday School, is included in a CD produced by The Solomon R.G. Hilton Bahá'í School called The Laughter of Angels. Check out the Special Ideas Website, they have the CD and a lot of other great stuff - if you don't see it listed online write and ask for it. I intend to complete at least one song for each of the women, in addition to some general pieces about martyrdom. I anticipate recording these pieces and playing them as part of a multi-media event which will include a performance of dance, slides and a presentation of other art by various artists that was inspired by these women.
Collage - I am always creating collages for friends and family. I really enjoy this medium. And, because my kids need a lot of my time and attention right now, I am glad to have found something creative that I can do in stages, during caputured moments of quiet time. I have also begun exploring the idea of 3-dimensional collages, and have been creating my own boxes out of corregated, covering them with a thin layer of papier mache and then creating themed collages on them. I also enjoy meditating on a piece of sacred text and then creating collages inspired by the words and thems, I have a selection of collages based on The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh up on the Gallery of Captured Light. These were scanned in from a book I have been creating for my own personal deepening. When I have more time I will probably begin making small sculptures covered with collages. Take a look at Fork in the Road. It's a collage I did for my husband last year. It represents his artistic life and our family. Another one of my pieces, Letter to Abdu'l-Bahá, is a collage I describe in a Food for the Spirit past projects page.
Printmaking - My newest artistic adventure is printmaking! For the past couple of years, I have begun learning several new printmaking techniques including eraser carving. I am planning an entire new Printmaking "wing" here at Creative Inspirations! so look for that in what will be the expanded Gallery section.
Spirit of the Roses Quilt - This quilt was completed in time for the second Bahá'í World Congress held in New York City at the Javits Convention Center in 1992. The quilt was created by 19 Bahá'ís scattered around America in response to a request from the National Spiritual Assembly (NSA) of the Bahá'ís of the United States to "redeem the roses." A gift of 195 roses from the families of those Bahá'ís martyred in Iran (symbolizing those precious lives sacrificed) was given to the NSA in 1986. Each of the roses represented a Bahá'í killed in Iran from 1979 up until that point. This quilt was our way of acknowledging that gift and it also contained 195 roses. In 2005, it was sent to the Baha'i World Center in Israel.
Gallery of Captured Light - This site is a showcase for my husband Derrick's oil paintings and other artwork. I have a couple of pages of collages there as well. One section is devoted to my collages based on the Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh.
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