How Art Heals-WEB

21 “The modern world of dating is not for the faint of heart, especially for women over fifty. But I was determined to give it my best shot, which re- quired great fortitude. After dating a guy for several months, my still-fragile heart was broken again. Feeling so wounded and seeking answers, I turned to Tarot card reading. I drew eight large teacups across the length of a piece of fabric to represent my outcome card: the 8 of cups, which essen- tially means ‘to move on.’” Before I started this painting, I was virtually immobilized. I couldn’t function and couldn’t prepare for my upcoming teaching gig. I set everything aside and focused on creating. When I created imagery in the manner I used with this piece—embedded words under overlapping patterns and images—it was painful, but transformative. The process helped me internalize the message of healing I was giving myself. Judy Coates Perez. 8 of Cups , 2012. 24” × 60” Materials: whole cloth, acrylic inks, black copic marker, gold paint pen, collaged printed paper images of tarot cards, felt Techniques: painting, marking, collaging, quilting Photo courtesy of the artist