Getting creative at Fibre Arts Ballarat 'Reliquaries & Shrines' workshop

I've just arrived back from Melbourne (LOVE Melbourne!) where I spent a wonderful week with my sister, Lynne, after attending a five-day art workshop at Fibre Arts Ballarat, convened by Fibre Arts Australia.  The experience of being back at boarding school again was a bit surreal (it was a live-in forum at the Ballarat Grammar School) but fortunately boarding school is 200% better than when I attended boarding school in Armidale NSW more years ago than I care to remember!

The workshop I attended, 'Reliquaries & Shrines for Pleasure' was taught by the wonderful and very talented Christine Atkins from Western Australia. Visit Chris's website to be inspired by her beautiful, numinous artworks.

I needed to take a whole extra case of checked-through baggage on the plane, loaded with tools and other paraphernalia, including an electric drill, a router (or laminate trimmer), large clamps and various other items usually found only in hardware stores or the backyard sheds of 'blokes'. I can now router, drill and hammer with the best of them!

Suffice to say that I haven't worked so hard for a long time and it took me a few days to recover under the tender ministrations of my sister in Melbourne later!

However, what FUN it was, and so satisfying and inspiring, and I learnt so many new techniques. I'm now excited to be the proud owner of my own beautiful hand-made shrine, although unlike the other participants, I didn't quite finish mine (I didn't get time to assemble and put in my treasures) so you will have to wait for a picture of the completely finished shrine, which began as a block of virgin wood. Meanwhile, here it is below at the exhibition on the last night where all participants in the 12 or so workshops were able to show off their inspiring creations. I'd love to show you everyone else's shrines but feel I shouldn't post pictures without getting their permission first.

I LOVED the routering!

Demonstration for making the doors.

More-or-less finished  (both the shrine and me!)

Yes, those are rusty nails around the edge and I rusted them myself (I love rusty stuff!). We also cut and etched the copper around the doors. I can't wait to see what else I can conjure up in my studio in the future using the techniques I've learnt. 

To see the Ballarat workshop programme for 2014, go here.

You'll notice that some workshops are already full so if you're interested to attend, I suggest you book in soon. 

There are also forums in Ballarat and other cities between now and then. I can highly recommend the experience!

SoulCollage® Institute online courses coming up.

The SoulCollage® Institute in the USA has been set up to provide online courses as further training for SoulCollage® facilitators but is now offering some courses known as 'Salon' courses, to anyone in the SoulCollage® community interested to further their knowledge of this amazing process. These interactive courses are very easy to access using Skype.  If you're unable to be online at the time the session is running, recordings are available for purchase afterwards. Please note the information about needing to register by a few days beforehand at the links below for each course. If you would like to talk to me about these courses, either about the content or the technicalities of the hook-up, please email me on inner_artist at yahoo dot com with your phone number and I will call you. I've done some of these courses before so I'm familiar with how they work.

Coming up in 2013 are:

'How We Are Using SoulCollage® in Spiritual Settings'


Date: Monday, 29th April, 2013, 6am to 7.30am (Brisbane time)


Cost: US$22 (similar in Aust dollars, depending on the exchange rate at the time you book)

Presenter:  Audrey Chowdhury, M.S., ATR-BC, art therapist and SoulCollage® Facilitator/Trainer, and author of the CD: Using SoulCollage® in Spiritual Settings 

Through the practice of creating and speaking from SoulCollage® cards, one ignites that “spark of the holy” that resides in each part of our many faceted Selves. Many of us are using, or thinking about using, SoulCollage® as a tool for Spiritual guidance and reflection for ourselves and others in many different spiritual and religious settings. Join this SoulCollage® Institute Salon for an informal and lively discussion and share or discover how your unique style and gifts inspire you to develop your own special approach to the spiritual nature of this process. 

Click here for more information and to book for the course above.

'SoulCollage® and Art Therapy' 


Date: Monday, 29th July, 2013
, 6am to 7.30am (Brisbane time)

Cost: US$22

Presenters: Kat Kirby and Audrey Chowdhury

Description: Two art therapists, the authors of SoulCollage® and Art Therapy, will host this Salon, which will be open to the public. SoulCollage® Institute invites art therapists who are not yet Facilitators and those who are already SoulCollage® Facilitators to join a lively discussion about using SoulCollage® in art therapy settings. Some time in this Salon will be devoted to small group discussions about this application of SoulCollage®. Participants will be able to address questions to the hosts and address comments to the whole group.

Click here for more information and to book for the art therapy  course.

SoulCollage® workshop in May

My next 'Introduction to SoulCollage®' one-day workshop will be held on 

Sunday 19th May, from 9am to 5pm in

Red Hill, Brisbane.

Find full details here.