Continuing our series of talks inspired by the four spiritual elements of Fire, Air, Water and Earth, our next talk is about Water.

Water as a Spiritual Medium by Artist Alison Churchill 

My work explores the mystery, energy and transformative power of water, and its relationship to emergence and the creative life force. 

After long contemplation of the reflections and patterns on the bodies of water in my local valley, mind and body dropped away, and I fell in – not literally of course! Something happened, something was revealed – a direct communion – and I received an imprint. A dancing yet authoritative energy, requiring a response.

There followed a 10 year journey of investigation through art and zen calligraphy practice.  I welcome the opportunity to speak about it with the SASIG community.

About

Alison Churchill is a contemporary visual artist in Sheffield with a practice exploring the nature of water. She studied Fine Art at the Open College of the Arts. She is developing a collaborative drawing practice with local artists and is one of five visual artists based in three continents engaged in an experiment exploring the creative process beyond the individual. She is a junior Rinzai Zen teacher and leads regular Zen Brushwork sessions in Sheffield, which involve meditation, energy-raising exercises and calligraphy using a large brush.

Alison's mission statement is 'a change in the culture in the art world and academic art world to value artwork that comes from spiritual experience, images which come from the vast inner spaces — which are real.  To value artwork that comes from depth, premonition, contemplation, meditation, felt experience that is beyond the known'.   

Email: churchill_alison@yahoo.co.uk

Website: https://www.alisonchurchill.uk/about

Insta: alisonchurchill4

The video recording of the event will be available on our YouTube channel Spirituality and the Arts Special Interest Group 

Join our  Facebook Group called Spirituality and the Arts using this link. 

For more details, see https://spiritualitystudiesnetwork.org/Spirituality-and-the-Arts-SIG

The SIG Chairs: the Rev. Prof. June Boyce-Tillman, Dr Lila Moore, Annalisa Burello.