Vedic Art

Sun in Aquarius, Moon in Libra.

Recently a dear friend forwarded me an email about a Vedic Art course being held this year in Perth. I had never heard of Vedic Art before then but the email described a painting and art making process about connecting to your heart, to the creator spirit within to make art.


Vedic Art - seventeen principles that guide you to create your life and art from your heart

Vedic Art is shared through an oral tradition given from teacher to student. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the well known guru and teacher of meditation, received these teachings from his guru Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Guru Dev). In the sixties Swedish artist Curt Kallman studied with Maharishi. Quietly, Maharishi tested Curt, and after seven years of testing, he decided to share with Curt the teachings of Vedic Art. For the next fourteen years Curt Kallman integrated these teachings into his art and life. Then in 1988 he started to share these teachings in Scandinavia. 
The seventeen principles are a map that activates your creative life force through practical and meditative tasks. Vedic art calls forth your creativity from deep down in your subconscious with the result that you become more confident about yourself and your capabilities. Veda is neither a religion nor a philosophical tendency, but rather combines life and art. The first results are manifested in your painting, then in your life and finally in society.
Vedic Art is available for everyone, and is beneficial whether or not you have artistic experience. We use painting and drawing to awaken the intuitive creator within. There is no right or wrong in this workshop; the focus is on the creative process. Students at all levels work side by side with the underlying idea that comments are not made about each other’s work. This creates a safe, non-judgmental environment. Together we make a peaceful atmosphere where our creativity flourishes, our hearts open, and above all we have fun!

These are Curt Kallman’s own words about Vedic Art:

"Vedic Art does not teach anyone how to paint. No - Vedic Art is a way to remember how to paint. And not only to remember how art can be created. From the very beginning, when we hear about the seventeen Vedic Principles of Art, we begin to remember the whole story of life. From where we come, and where we are going. Vedic Art contains a navigation map. Use the compass You have in Your brain and find the way to the chamber of peace in Your heart. Then – when You dip Your brush in light, space and bliss, eternity will be pictured. When you enter into Your work of art - in Your self referral dialogue – You will find the code of how life can be lived and how a piece of art can open doors in heaven and on earth."

Well this all resonated with me so much! My own art practice has long been a way to connect within and express my heart and the workshops i teach are even called "Art for Your Heart" classes, i could feel a pull within - i had to find out more!

Straight away i emailed the facilitator who was from Sweden and she just happened to be here in Perth at this moment and could hold a workshop for a couple of days, so the following week, just like that, i was off to learn about Vedic Art! I love the swift flow that can occur when things are meant to be!


The workshop was held in a beautiful home by the river of one of the other participants and it really set the scene for the art journey we were about to go on; a white picket fence, big trees, lanterns, a big wrap around verandah, high ceilings, all natural materials, gorgeous textiles, beautiful art on the walls, a big open kitchen, a handmade art studio cottage, lots of happy indoor plants, big windows, a cute cat and squeaky guinea pig and a lovely garden with lots of dreamy nooks to sit in. The bohemian home of my dreaming! 


Our teacher was a beautiful Swedish lady named Gunilla - you can visit her website here. She read to us about the principles as we immersed ourselves in each one.


It was interesting to find out that the principles we explore in Vedic Art are the traditional principles of art and design that i have learnt at art school and then taught students of my own in high school and TAFE courses but with a lot more heart!


Line, close your eyes and let the line guide you...
Line, shape, colour, texture, rhythm and scale were explored not with the head but with the heart, by tuning in, going within, finding the place of peace, the love within and exploring and expressing from here, without judgement, criticism or any comment of our own work or the work of the other participants. An inner acceptance of our intuitions guidance and following each process, the judge steps aside - we were free! Trust , trust , trust each process, each nudge of colour, of the inner whispering to 'try this', 'what if', 'what about ...' I trusted all my creative nudgings and to my delight the more i did, the more AMAZING i felt :)


Texture!

Red, blue and dripping water and GLITTER!!!

I screwed up my screwed up my work! SO good to let go!

Play!

By the time i got home after the first day i felt like i had been in ceremony all day. I felt like i did when i did my reiki attunements, that light headed, light bodied, peacefulness. As the evening went on i began to feel a bit weird, my head was full of fog, like i was drunk or tired but awake and full to the brim with peace, it was very strange, i had dinner to help with grounding and then went for a walk around the back lane ways and enjoyed the gardens and flowers and i went to bed early to awake the next day refreshed and excited about my second day of Vedic Art. It was like an active meditation and it was a beautiful thing to sit together in silence and paint. We had the option of sitting by ourselves in the garden to encourage silence and no comments or judgements or criticism but we were naturally drawn together around the table and together as the creative spirit swirled around us we smooshed colour and glitter all over our pages. Oh how i felt sooooo amazing to create in this way with my noisy critic all shushed, i was filled to the very brim with love and play!

An experience

A wish

Past present future

There are 17 Vedic Art principles and we only covered 6 in the two days and now i am enjoying playing with them in my personal practise and looking forward to continuing playing, discovering and unfolding the Vedic Art path. I have fallen in love with it! There are no schools in Australia (yet!) to teach me so i will have to wait patiently or fly off to Sweden or Ireland.. he he .. yay! 


I think this will be something i would really love to do, to learn to be a Vedic Art teacher and add the principles to the 'Art for your Heart' classes i currently teach. In fact they will fit in seamlessly and really i feel it is already something that is within me but now i am finding expression for it, words to describe the phenomenon that happens when we connect to our hearts, express ourselves and get creative.


In the mean time i will keep painting with a heart full of love and look forward to Gunillas return hopefully later in the year! 


Brightest Blessings

xx

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