Dream Art

“Time is a Circle That is a Window That is a Circle,” an early stage of a painting inspired by a dream, by Tristy Taylor

I grew up in a house saturated with art and craft, along with dreamwork. I learned from a very early age that dreams and art making go hand-in-hand. There is a long history of artists and makers taking inspiration from their dreams, including many indigenous and aboriginal traditions. From the pre-Raphaelites, to the Impressionists, to the “Manifesto of Surrealism”, artists have been weaving together their dreams and reality. Salvador Dalί In his 1948 book 50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship, explained in detail how he used the hypnogogic and hypnopompic states to invigorate his work. Modern poets, painters, sculptors, musicians, and film-makers have also spoken of the value of dreams for their artistic inspiration. Even those who are not seen as “creative,” like famed dream analyst Carl Jung, created vibrant, colorful drawings and paintings in their dream journals.

Leonora Carrington

Along with her stunning artwork, Leonora Carrington wrote one of my favorite books, The Hearing Trumpet, which deals with aging and the female body. It follows the story of older women who seeks to destroy the institutions of world. She’s given a hearing trumpet, “grandly curved like a buffalo’s horn,” and this hearing trumpet helps her hear her family’s plot to put her in a retirement home. In the book, stories build within stories within stories so similar to the layers of a dream. It’s really Leonora Carrington writing her own personal myth, and that’s something we all can do as well, in working with our dreams and our waking life experiences. It’s also believed to be one of the first books to tackle the notion of gender identity in the twentieth century. It includes greek myths, Celtic legends, and classic fairy tales.

She actually started writing The Hearing Trumpet when she was in the asylum her father committed her to when she was a young woman, and she used her writing to establish her personal map of mystical symbols and co-opted tales “to stay alive in the hellscape I was living in.”

A dream sketch of a visit from my dead husband as a Mystical Merman

Sometimes on waking, I don’t want to write a whole, long dream segment down, so I do a sketch instead. These simple drawings can bring enormous insight, all on their own!

Merman Mandala
This mandala came from the dreamwork I did with the dream (and quick sketch) I made around the dream I had about my dead husband showing up as a Mystical Merman.

JOIN ME FOR THE LAST DREAM ART CIRCLE IN 2022!

Dream Art in 2022: An 8-Week Online Dream Circle
Sunday Afternoons over Zoom, 3pm to 5:30 pm PT
October 2nd to November 20th, 2022

In this circle, we will “work” our dreams together, with a focus on Dream Art. There is a long history of artists and makers taking inspiration from their dreams, including many indigenous and aboriginal traditions. From the pre-Raphaelites, to the Impressionists, to the “Manifesto of Surrealism,” artists have been weaving together their dreams and reality. Salvador Dalί In his 1948 book 50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship, explained in detail how he used the hypnogogic and hypnopompic states to invigorate his work. Modern poets, painters, sculptors, musicians, and film-makers have also spoken of the value of dreams for their artistic inspiration. Even those who are not seen as “creative,” like famed dream analyst Carl Jung, created vibrant, colorful drawings and paintings in their dream journals.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN ARTIST TO BE IN THIS CIRCLE. You do have to be willing to create and share artwork, inspired by your dreams and dreamwork.

All mediums and creative skills are welcome. Some examples of dream art are mandalas, collages, and mask making. The only limit is your imagination and the ways you might scare yourself!

The Details: The group will have no more than 12 people. Fee is $540 per person, which can be paid in two installments of $270, or $495 if paid in full before first class. A $50 non-refundable deposit no later than September 15, 2022 will hold your space. This deposit will be subtracted from your payment for the class. Payments can be made via PayPal or Zelle.

Reach out and reserve your spot!