It’s All Clay by Satya Winkelman

She was staring right at the woman on the edge. Not at the skeleton, the snake or the alligator.  The flash from the photo taken of this black ceramic bowl must have made her face come to light…third eye and all.  The bowl is actually completely empty and was made to portray how I was feeling then.  So seeing the woman’s face in the bowl years later was an awesome transforming surprise.

The process of creating art has always been therapeutic for me as it is a personal expression of my psyche, usually unknown to me at the time.  After my divorce, a move and a total hysterectomy, I was feeling dark and empty and decided to use clay,  a new medium,  for therapeutic expression.

The hysterectomy was much more significant than I had realized,  and my zest for life and femininity felt as dead as the skeleton I sculpted.  Already a pychotherapist,  I had known that snakes represented transformation, which I was seeking;  and that the alligator was representational of guiding of the dead.

Attaching those pieces together with the woman seemed appropriate.  The bowl was painted black,  fired and put on a shelf. Loving the feeling of clay,  I continued expressing and sculpting my emotional-psychological process.

The many pieces made over those years reveal steps taken while transforming from shadow to light. As one stage lifted, another emotional phase took its place, but the awareness of Spirit Woman’s light has remained.

I started sharing my art with the women’s empowerment groups I was leading and in seeing the pieces, they related viscerally to the various stages of my work.  Observing the process, the women felt relieved to know they were not alone or stuck, and could see where they have been and where they were going on their journey.

The face in the bowl “Spirit Woman”has guided me to write “Through the Fire” to share my art and journey with all.  Thirty-six sensual pieces are used to illustrate five stages of emotional growth that I, along with hundreds of women I’ve worked with, have traversed in order to obtain  higher states of consciousness.

Spirit Woman reminds us, especially when we feel alone, on edge or in the dark, that we are not.  Facing the light of awareness, we can all reflect on an observing essence ~ even if it is our own psyche.

After all … it’s all clay!

Bio ~ Satya Winkelman, M.A., C.P. 

 

Satya Winkelman is a nationally board certified psychodramatist and group psychotherapist with art therapy training, and has a Masters of Arts Degree in Psychology and Creative Arts. During her 30-year career, she has served as a communication and personal effectiveness trainer for Fortune 500 companies, schools, churches, and business throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Satya held the position of staff trainer and Program Director for Kripalu Holistic Health Center, and served as staff trainer and Director of Psychodrama at Sarasota Palms Hospital. In addition, she was the creator and director of Personal Growth Theatre, and was the host of a television talk show, Mental Health Matters.

Winkelman creates sensual ceramic sculptures in her Sarasota studio and continues to teach communication skills and facilitate women’s personal growth workshops. Her book “Through The Fire: A Woman’s Guide To Transformation” is available at www.Amazon. com.  

To view and purchase Satya Winkelman’s sculpting and art pieces,  go to http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/satya-winkelman.html

Metamorphosis Your Stories

Essence of Laurel