We sit in a circle around a piece of paper and listen to music. The music is important and is carefully chosen to support a particular function. We do not talk. The most critical aspect of our process is that we never talk about the piece we are working on. There can be no discussion, no planning, no critique or comment about the composition. This is important for several reasons. One is that it is irrelevent. Whatever is discussed will soon be covered up or altered beyond recognition. So why say it. Another reason for no discussion is that what we are doing is not about art. It is about Art beyond art.
Each artist takes turns making marks on the one paper. One may make as many marks as one wishes and then give over the piece to another's turn. Each turn is like starting a new piece with all that went before as the prepared ground. Each turn is a new direction of abstraction. The pace and the silence brings the individual artist directly to the present moment in terms of the two dimensions of the paper. There is no other aspect with which to work. Concepts of design or story are not possible to hold on to once another person takes a turn.
With Fusion Meditation Drawing individual technique is also irrelevant. One or another of the partners will fill in the technical aspects that are needed. The technique becomes the process and expands as the group expands in its awareness and experience.
The compelling question is "what"? What is mine to do? What if I do this? What brings more life...more wholeness to this piece? Questions of "how" are soon erased. How will I do this? How did she do that? How will people like this? How do I like this? How do I fix that? None of that matters in the least, and it does not take long to realize this. This happens when the critic voice quiets in the individual's head. It happens in every group, no matter how diverse, as long as everyone respects the agreement to silence.
In the beginning, we were satisfied with our pieces much more quickly , and we stopped much sooner than we do now. Then we were stopping as soon as a composition presented itself. Our work was revelatory in that we saw ourselves as a group revealed with each piece. After working together for over a year, we began to work past the first revelation of composition. Now we work round and round in silence, open to and watching for the life to intensify or brighten, the harmony to become more finely tuned to a stronger sense of unity. Layer upon layer of pastel was applied over many sessions of work. It was at this point that our work became transformational. Now we are purposefully expressing what is happening in the group as we come out past our individual egos.
After three years, we are reaching new ground with each studio session. Like musicians who play together for a long time, we are creating a visual sound of harmony that resonates with the viewer in a way that most abstract art does not, drawing people to see our work as we are drawn to do it.
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