Reflections

This week’s Sacred Artist Interview is with Naomi Teplow.  I first discovered her work while looking for pieces for the Presence journal (I love how this work gives me an excuse to find artists I love and contact them).  She designs Ketubahs (Jewish marriage contracts) and other illuminated manuscripts, so after last week’s Abbey Bookshelf you can understand why I love her work so much.  I find Hebrew script to be especially beautiful.  I am grateful to Naomi for participating: Are you rooted in a particular faith tradition? I’m a Jewish Israeli from a secular Kibbutz, and though I’m not religious,

I first encountered Laurie Mika‘s work when I saw one of her mosaic classes offered.  While paper arts and photography are my primary art forms, I sometimes like to extend myself into the world of mosaics, where broken pieces are transformed into something of beauty.  Her class was full, as most of them are, but I visited her website and was entranced by her work of creating her own tiles out of polymer clay. This edition of the Sacred Artist Interview also serves as an edition of the Abbey Bookshelf, because Laurie has also published the wonderful Mixed Media Mosaics: Techniques and Projects

I first encountered Marilyn Russell virtually when we were each asked to write an article on spirituality and artistic expression for the UCLA Spirituality in Higher Education Newsletter.  Marilyn’s article was on “The Empowering of Art & Spirituality.” Read her article to gain even more insight into her vision as an artist.  (you can read my article here). She is a member of the Ojibwe tribe, an artist, a scholar and the Library Director at Haskell Indian Nations University. In her article she shares this beautiful Ojibwa prayer: “Oh Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to everyone,