my creative practice
is rooted in the somatic and intuitive realm. Where mindfulness, messiness and the body intersect.
There is no right or wrong.
There is color, texture, symbolism, dance, movement and play. There is self reflection, curiosity & personal development.
Self expression placed on canvas, brush strokes moving through me like poetry.
Using layers of color, scribbling over and etching away; I explore my surrounding environments, my mental, emotional, physical and spiritual states. The past, present and future collide as I scrub away at layers of paint previously applied while reapplying fresh coats of possibility. Constantly aware of my response from the previous artistic choice. One process connected to the next, all enhancing the final piece. I strive to create interdependent art work, each choice dependent on the next to create a whole.
Growing up in Alaska, Momma Earth became my main muse from a young age. Living in such a wild and untamed place gave me an undeniable appreciation and love for our planet and the deep knowing that our Earth heals. From solstice to solstice, as the seasons change, I am inspired by Earth’s broad landscapes and micro eco systems. Each reality birthing new life full of color and texture. Flora continuously emerges throughout my art in metaphor.
EDUCATION + EXPERIENCE
I graduated from Western Oregon University in 2013 with a BA in sociology & minor in art.
I am currently enrolled in the Expressive Arts and Somatic Therapy Certificate program through Tamalpa Institute.
I am the owner and designer behind Maija Rebecca Hand Drawn, a paper goods and design company based in Bend, Oregon.
I have mentored teens over the past 12 years within the Salem School District, Grande Ronde Reservation, P:ear, was an art therapy intern at 100th Monkey Studio, and assisted at Pilot Butte Middle School with the Caldera Arts Program. Under Maija Rebecca Hand Drawn, I have also taught countless adult art workshops centering creative empowerment. My facilitation is heavily influenced by the Life Art Process created by Anna Halprin of the Tamalpa Institute
Maija is a current Patrica Clark Studio artist is resident at Scalehouse Gallery in Bend, Oregon.
I am here to hold myself and others with loving compassion. I am here to cultivate creative and healing spaces for people, where ideas of diverse thought and action can flourish. I am here to move through the world with creative curiosity and to use my paint brush and pencil as a tool for connection.
I am here to listen and to understand that everything changes with time and that nothing is permanent.
That loss may be the greatest teacher of all and that everything is practice. That vulnerability, grief & pain are necessary for personal development and that playfulness, pleasure & joy are also just as essential.
That truth is a spectrum and is never just black and white. That maintaining movement and dance are fundamental to my wellbeing.
I am here to remember that this moment is a gift to be honored and cherished. That rest, even just for a moment, always comes first.
I am here to live in alignment with our beloved, Momma Earth. That when my hands are in her soil, I am the most calm and at ease in my body. That her food is a gift and is meant to be shared freely. That when I walk amongst her forest, I can breathe deeply and remember what is possible. That when I swim in her cool waters, I am free and I am alive.
That family is sacred and boundaries are necessary in order to thrive. That blood lines run deep in the ancient wisdom of my ancestors. That sisterhood lasts a lifetime and will always be there when I need them.
That choosing to open myself to love is scary and always worth the effort. That the feeling of warm kisses and sweaty hands glued together is comfort. Resting my head into yours, wrapped together as one, is the feeling of home.
That we are all connected, intertwined through secret passage ways, floating along on this wildly beautiful and chaotic planet. We are interdependent, loving, sacred beings just trying to get by.