Abbey of the Arts

Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts

  • Welcome
    • Prayer Cycle
      • Introduction to the Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle
      • Day 1 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Cathedral
      • Day 2 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Scriptures
      • Day 3 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Saints
      • Day 4 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Spiritual Directors
      • Day 5 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Icon
      • Day 6 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Sacrament
      • Day 7 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Liturgy
      • Prayer Cycle Leader Resources
    • About the Abbey
    • About Christine Valters Paintner
    • About John Valters Paintner
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  • Books
    • Breath Prayer:
      An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred
    • Sacred Time:
      Embracing an Intentional Way of Life
    • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems
    • Earth, Our Original Monastery:
      Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature
    • Dreaming of Stones: Poems
    • The Soul's Slow Ripening:
      12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
    • The Wisdom of the Body:
      A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women
    • Illuminating the Way:
      Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics
    • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
      Eight Practices for the Journey Within
    • Eyes of the Heart:
      Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice
    • The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom
    • Desert Mothers and Fathers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated & Explained
    • Lectio Divina–The Sacred Art: Transforming Words and Images into Heart-Centered Prayer
    • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements
    • Awakening the Creative Spirit:
      Bringing the Arts to Spiritual Direction
    • Lectio Divina: Contemplative Awakening & Awareness
  • Poetry | Art | Music
    • Music + DVD
    • Poetry by Christine Valters Paintner
    • Poetry Videos
    • Dancing Monk Icons
    • Other Art Collaborations
      • Monk in the World art series by Kristin Noelle
      • Saints & Animals art series by David Hollington
      • Sacred Time art series by Alexi Francis
      • Mary block print art series by Kreg Yingst
  • Programs
    • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color Book Club
      • Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color (Book Club – March 2021)
      • God Alone is Enough: A Spirited Journey with Teresa of Avila (Book Club – February 2021)
    • Community Online Retreats
      • Dancing with Fear in Troubled Times
      • Novena for Times of Unraveling
      • Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life (Spring 2021)
      • Sky, Sun, Sea, & Stone:
        Celtic Spirituality and Creative Writing
      • The Two HT’s-Harriet Tubman and Howard Thurman-on Being Free
      • Writing Into Bloom
        with Christine Valters Paintner
      • Revelations: The Mysticism of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe
    • Self-Study Online Spiritual Retreats
      • Creative Flourishing in the Heart of the Desert:
        An Online Retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen
      • Dreaming of the Sea:
        A women’s discernment journey through the story of the Selkie
      • Earth, Our Original Monastery
        A Companion Retreat to the Book (SELF-STUDY)
      • Exile and Coming Home:
        An Archetypal Journey through the Scriptures
      • Eyes of the Heart:
        Photography as Contemplative Practice
        (Companion retreat to the book)
      • Honoring Saints and Ancestors:
        Online Retreat for the Season of Remembrance
      • Lectio Divina:
        The Sacred Art of Reading the World
      • A Midwinter God:
        Making a Conscious Underworld Journey (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Rhythms of Sky, Sun, Sea & Stone:
        A Creative Retreat with the Elements (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Seasons:
        A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
      • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
        Eight Practices for the Journey Within
        (a companion retreat to the book)
      • The Soul's Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seekers of the Sacred (a companion retreat to the book)
      • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire
      • Watershed Moments
        in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures
      • Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist:
        A 12-Week Companion Retreat to The Artist's Rule
      • The Wisdom of the Body:
        A 10-Week Online Companion Retreat to the Book
      • The Wisdom of Mary and the Sacred Feminine
    • Live Programs: Pilgrimage & Retreats
      • Writing on the Wild Edges (Ireland)
      • Hildegard of Bingen (Germany)
      • Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Expressive Arts (Northwest)
  • Calendar
  • Reflections
  • Contact

Sacred Artist Interview

Sacred Artist Interview: Laurie Mika

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 Using Polymer Clay. It is truly a spectacular resource and Laurie shares her techniques very clearly and generously and I highly recommend it.

I finally had an excuse to contact Laurie when I was putting together the art for the most recent issue of Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction and I knew I wanted to use her art for the cover.  She was most gracious in her response.  "Tree of Life" is the first image below and one of my favorites of her work.  Laurie does not profess a faith tradition or a belief in God. So when I asked her if she would consider this interview, she wondered whether her responses would be helpful.  I replied that for me, spirituality is about a quest for meaning and integration in a person's life, and that may or may not include a belief in a higher power.  I am grateful that she took the time to participate:

Are you rooted in a particular faith tradition?

My father’s side of the family was Jewish and my mother’s was Christian. However, I was not raised in any particular faith.

What is your primary art medium?

My primary medium is a style of mixed media mosaics that has evolved over the past 15 years. I use polymer clay to make hand made tiles that are either painted or stamped and then combined with jewelry parts, beads, commercial tile and found objects in wall pieces that I call “Mosaicons”.

How do you experience the connection between spirituality and creativity?

I feel that the way that I experience the connection between spirituality and creativity is by exploring people’s belief systems. I am fascinated by the rites and rituals associated with various religions, especially in ancient cultures. I find the art that reflects these ancient cultures, like medieval devotional panels, to be very inspirational. I know that this is more of an objective rather than a personal answer, but alas, I am still wrestling with the concept of spirituality without a belief in a higher power.

What role does spiritual practice have in your art-making?

I don’t adhere to a particular spiritual practice but I would say that the times that I am the most creative are the times when my mind is free from the details of everyday living. In that sense I can see where doing yoga or meditating is very valuable as a way to “still” the mind. It is very difficult to allow the creative process to take hold when the mind is drifting or worrying about mundane things that need to get done.

What sparked your spiritual journey?

This is difficult to answer because I don’t feel like I am on a spiritual journey unless it is meant in the sense of trying to bring meaning to one’s life and work. If this is, in fact, the essence of being spiritual, then this journey began when I realized that I could express myself through my art. It is wonderful when people can find meaning and can connect in the non-verbal realm of visual arts.

What sparked your artistic journey?

I would say that the need to create is the primary impetus that sparked my artistic journey. I would not feel complete if I wasn’t able to use art as a means of self expression. It has always been a part of my being for as long as I can remember. There was never a conscious choice about becoming an artist or pursuing an art-filled life. It is who I am.

Do you have a particular process you use when entering into your creative work?

Generally, I like to have a large chunk of time available. I will put music on in my studio and start working. It is often in the process of creating art, that one idea will spark another. The best times are when I don’t have a deadline and I am free to explore new ideas. One thing is for sure, I get really crabby when I don’t have time to create art!

****

A warm and enthusiastic thank you to Laurie for sharing her wisdom here.  Despite our different spiritual journeys, there is much of what she shares that I resonate with strongly — the need for stillness in creating, the impulse to make art, crabbiness when I don't make art. :-)  I also appreciate the way she re-interprets many religious symbols in her art which creates a space for new ways of looking on these images.

Make sure to visit Laurie Mika's website and peruse her many gorgeous pieces. 

Images from top to bottom: Tree of Life, Time Heals, Tiny Adornments, Splendor of Life, Peace.

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4 Comments April 9, 2008

Upcoming Programs

Dancing with Fear in Troubled Times
March 13, 2021
with Drs. Jamie Marich, Kellie Kirksey, and Christine Valters Paintner

Novena for Times of Unraveling
Becoming a Monk in the World

March 17-25, 2021
with Christine & John Valters Paintner, and Simon de Voil

Recent Reflections

  • More Dancing with Fear in Troubled Times ~ A Love Note From Your Online Abbess
  • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color – March Video Discussion and Book Group Resources Now Available
  • Dancing with Fear in Troubled Times ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Call for Submissions – Monk in the World Guest Post Series
  • Hildy Tales 7: An Nead by John Valters Paintner

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