Wednesday, December 27, 2006

First Post - Welcome

Welcome to Pat Allen's Studio Pardes Online Community. This blog is a continuation and an expansion of Pat's work. She and her associates developed the Studio Process of art making guided by intention and witness in 1995.

In 2000, she brought this process to her home community of Oak Park, IL and founded the initial version of Studio Pardes in a storefront in the Harrison St. Arts District. For four years she taught the Studio Process and experimented with community art projects with much joy and many wonderful fellow artists. Examples of this work are described in her book Art is a spiritual path (Shambhala, 2005) and on her website, www.patballen.com.

After much soul searching, Pat closed the space in 2004 to spend more time creating her own art, learning video, writing and thinking about the Studio Process, and traveling to teach it in retreats and intensive workshops in diverse locations.

This blog is an attempt to recreate the excitment of Pat's bricks and mortar Studio Pardes by creating a virtual community of artists, thinkers and explorers.

Please join her!

2 comments:

Studio Downstairs said...

Pat- Ellen Speert, who I just had the great pleasure of meeting in Encinitis told me that you are in Ojai. I have taken the liberty to pass your name to Marika Zoll, an outstanding art therapist who lives out there. Alas I am in Washington Dc or I would join you! Please look at my website www.studiodownstairs.org and artasmeditation.com
You will see that we are on somewhat similar paths. I would very much like to open a dialogue(blog if you will) on the Studio Process and also tell you more about myself. I grew up on the south side of Chicago but have lived in DC for many years. I used to be more active with AATA...moved over to IEATA for a while, lived and taught abroad...and now would like to make more time for my art as well..perferably in beautiful places. Glad you have this blog and hope to hear from you. Best regards,Sally

Karoda said...

Hello Pat, I have just discovered your book Art is a Way of Knowing and am reading it slowly. I describe myself as having the soul of a poet who is emerging as a visual artist. Right now my soul is dying from a lack of space to create. The struggle of the need for space is paramount and is not something I faced as much when I was actively writing...writing is easily portable and I didn't require much space unlike what I need now.

Thank you for writing this book and I'll become a regular visitor to your blog.