Happenings

Check back frequently for current events, workshops, and other happenings at Rising Bird Healing Arts!

Art, Healing, and Personal Growth Workshops this Spring 2010!
Click here for more info & links to PayPal payment options.

Pendulums, Muscle Testing, and More!
Saturday, April 17, 2010: 3-5pm

The question of this class is, "What is your body telling you?" The answer is, "Just ask!" This fun, hands-on workshop will introduce you to the art of using the body's inner wisdom. By learning techniques of muscle testing and using pendulums, we will listen to the body's subtle energy that is constantly giving us feedback. But are we listening?

Come with an open mind, comfortable clothing, and a pendulum of some kind (it can be one you purchase or a necklace (metal) with a fairly heavy pendant).

When: Saturday, April 17, 2010, 3-5pm
Where: Rising Bird Healing Arts
Cost: $30 (cash, checks, credit/debit cards accepted)
To Register: email Courtney Putnam at cputnam@rising-bird.com

***
Celebration of the Body Workshop
Saturday, June 5, 2010: 1-4pm

How often do we honestly, whole-heartedly, and authentically celebrate our bodies? I don't think we do this enough, or sadly, even much at all.

This workshop is meant to help you find ways to celebrate your physical being on a daily basis--honoring your curves (or lack of curves), soothing your scars, healing old wounds, and giving thanks to this "skin that you're in."

Using guided meditation, breathwork, journal writing, and art creation, we will uncover ways to celebrate our bodies in profound and meaningful ways. Please bring a journal and any images you're called to use for art making.

When: Saturday, June 5, 2010, 1-4pm
Where: Rising Bird Healing Arts
Cost: $60 (cash, checks, credit/debit cards accepted)
To Register: email Courtney Putnam at cputnam@rising-bird.com

***

My Life in Words and Images: A Visual Journal Workshop
Saturday, June 19, 2010: 1-4pm

Since the beginning of the year, I have been diligently creating visual journal pages in a beautiful datebook. Every week, I complete two-three entries and feel that I am learning about the state of my life, addressing my current issues, and exploring my emotional currents with depth, color, and creativity.

Visual journaling allows you to write, doodle, sketch, paint, and collage in order to process your thoughts and feelings in an easy, non-threatening way. This process also allows you to tap into the verbal, visual, and kinesthetic aspects of your creativity.

A variety of beautiful journals/datebooks will be provided for your choosing, as well as many images and art materials with which to play. Feel free to bring any images you are called to work with in your art-making.

When: Saturday, June 19, 2010, 1-4pm
Where: Rising Bird Healing Arts
Cost: $60 (cash, checks, credit/debit cards accepted)
To Register: email Courtney Putnam at cputnam@rising-bird.com

*I'm offering this workshop again!*

Transforming Loss: Altering Photographs
facilitated by Courtney Putnam, MFA, LMP

When: Saturday, November 28; 1:00-4:00pm

Where: Rising Bird Healing Arts: 6316 9th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98115

No matter what type of loss(es) we have experienced — the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a companion animal, an aspect of ourselves, a home, etc. — we carry with us images in our minds and feelings in our bodies of those losses. We remember who we once were before loss changed our lives and who we have become as a result of these loss experiences.

Using mixed media collage techniques, we will transform our photographs in order to make meaning out of the losses we’ve experienced in our lives. We will adorn our photographs with meaningful symbols and colors as a way to reckon with our losses, to celebrate those who have meant a great deal to us, and to find peace and redemption in our strength and resiliency.

I will be sharing my personal journey with this powerful healing art throughout the workshop. During my father's illness and after his death in 2008, I created a series of altered photographs as part of my grief and healing process. Creating altered photographs continues to be a source of healing for me and I look forward to sharing this process with you.

You need not have any art experience to participate in this workshop. This is a day of meaningful and creative play, with process as our focus. We will be remembering, transforming, and making lovely artistic messes in a safe and nurturing setting.

To Register: Email Courtney Putnam at cputnam@rising-bird.com to reserve your spot.
Cost: $70

What to bring: a notebook to do some brief journaling and personal exploration; photocopies of photographs you wish to alter (color or black and white copies); any meaningful images that you’d like to use in your mixed-media creations. Please bring at least one copy of an image of yourself.

I will supply all other art supplies, including a wide variety of collage images. I will also offer light snacks and tea, and comforting music. Two very understanding and comforting cats may be joining us as well.


Art piece above: “My Father: Prince of Action” by Courtney Putnam

PAST EVENTS

Group Art Exhibition at Oasis Art Gallery in Wallingford!

Come join me at my artist reception on Sunday, October 25, 2009, from 3-6pm. I'll be showing my latest encaustic works. Click here for a sneak peek at my work.

RECEPTION: Sunday, October 25th from 3-6pm
LOCATION: 3644 Wallingford Ave. N   Seattle, WA 98103
www.oasisinseattle.com

Art Show and Open Studio!

featuring the work of Courtney Putnam and Patricia Catherine

Date/Time: Saturday, July 18, 2009; 1-4pm

Location: Patricia Catherine's home studio in Wedgwood: 8217 30th Ave. NE, Seattle

* Original art and art prints for sale!

* Tasty refreshments!

* Enter to win a free art class or massage!

For more information about the event (and the artists), click here.

Spring Art Show at Rising Bird Healing Arts!

Date/Time: Friday, May 1, 2009; 6:00pm-9:00pm

Location: Rising Bird Healing Arts (6316 9th Avenue NE in Seattle)

Highlights of the event:

* Courtney's spring-inspired mixed media & encaustic art (originals & prints) for sale!

* Carol's Solace Essentials products for sale!

* Aromatherapy readings!

* Enter to win a free massage!

* Enjoy some delectable refreshments!

Please join us!

Click here to download a printable flyer!

"Learning to Let Go" Workshop Series

Where: Rising Bird Healing Arts
When: Tuesday nights: March 24 &31; April 7 & 14, 2009; 7pm- 8:30pm
To Sign Up: Email cputnam@rising-bird.com
Cost: $15 per workshop (pay at each workshop)

Once a week for a month, we will learn the delicate art of letting go. On a daily basis we hold our muscles tightly, often without even noticing. We experience stress our muscles contract, and we don’t notice our shoulders are up to our ears. Muscle holding or guarding is one of the major contributors of aches and pains we experience in our bodies. That kind of holding, accompanied by short, shallow breathing can cause us to feel tight and depleted.

Part of the letting go process also involves releasing stress and any thoughts or emotions that contribute to our holding patterns. When we learn to recognize the triggers that contribute to our stress, we are able to adjust our bodies, breathe deeply, and avoid guarding ourselves against impending fear or worry.

In this workshop, we will engage in relaxation exercises, such as progressive muscle relaxation, breathing techniques, guided visualization, and others. In addition to
tuning into our own body’s holdings, we will also learn to identify the holdings in each other. I will be participating and learning along with you in this process. Come prepared to relax, play, and let go with an open mind.

Please bring: a blanket or yoga mat and a pillow. Wear comfortable clothing for relaxing and moving.

This series does build from one session to the next, but you are welcome to attend as many or as few that fit your schedule. Whether you attend just one or all four sessions, please do sign up with me prior to each workshop so I can plan my space accordingly. And feel free to bring a friend!

You, Yourself, and You: A Self-Portrait Workshop

When: Sunday, April 12, 2009: 1-5pm
Where: Rising Bird Healing Arts
Cost: $60 (cash, checks, and credit cards accepted)
To Register: Email Courtney at cputnam@rising-bird.com

In this hands-on art workshop, we will explore the self in three parts: past self, present self, and future self. Using mixed media collage as our medium, we will cut and paste together meaningful images to reveal who we once were, to celebrate who we are now, and to imagine who we might become with some nurturing and encouragement. Feel free to bring meaningful images you’ve collected. Otherwise, all art supplies provided! Light refreshments provided.

Space is limited, so register early!

An Art Show for a Good Cause

When: Thursday, December 11, 2008; 6:00-9:00pm

Where: Rising Bird Healing Arts (in the Roosevelt Distrcit of Seattle)

Through this art show, Courtney is hoping to raise awareness of kidney cancer and to commemorate and celebrate her father's life by donating 50% of the proceeds from her original art, art prints, and art cards to the Kidney Cancer Association (http://www.kidneycancer.org).

Talented jewelry artist, Kristin Stubbs, will be joining Courtney for this special event. She will be selling her one-of-a-kind jewelry creations. For more information about this special event, click here: http://www.rising-bird.com/ArtShow-Dec08.pdf

Rising Bird Healing Arts Summer Art Show!

WHEN: Thursday, August 14, 2008; 6:00-9:00pm
WHERE: 6316 9th Avenue NE (in the Roosevelt District of Seattle)

This summer I am joined by the lovely JC Clapp, a fiber artist who creates original felted handbags. Please join us for an evening of art and merriment!

• Contemplate Courtney's original art, prints, and cards for sale!
• Salivate over JC's handmade felted handbags for sale!
• Tour the other businesses in the neighborhood as part of the Roosevelt Art Walk!
• Enter to win a free massage!
• Enjoy some delectable refreshments!

To learn more about the event, click here to view the colorful flyer!

The Artist Within: An Integrative Art Workshop and Bodywork Series

For three months (August 3 – November 1, 2008), immerse yourself in your creative life by exploring your artist within. This hands-on holistic healing package includes a dynamic combination of group art workshops and individual holistic bodywork sessions.

In this package you will...

* Tend to your creative life, allowing it to grow & flourish.

* Explore your identity, personal journey, desires, and dreams through a powerful combination of reflection, art, and bodywork.

* Connect with like-minded people for creative play, support, and inspiration.

* Release stuck-ness in your body and your life through dynamic art exercises.

* Learn to listen to your body's powerful messages and creatively address old injuries or traumas that are being held in the body.

* Improve your well-being through bodywork sessions that both heal and rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit.

This package includes...
* Four “Artist Within” group art workshops - all art supplies provided!

* Tasty snacks and tea provided at each workshop.

* Three 90-minute individual bodywork sessions (one session per month).

* A community creativity blog for between-workshop sharing, support, and inspiration.

* Weekly art exercises I will post to the blog to foster creative momentum.

* A “Creativity Pack” of goodies, including an artist journal and a “Second Chakra Kit” for creativity.

To reserve your spot in The Artist Within, please email or call Courtney at
cputnam@rising-bird.com or (206) 228-9124 by July 1, 2008.

Space is limited to 8 participants.

Cost: $495* Cash, checks, and credit card (via PayPal) are accepted.
* May be paid in two installments.

Click here to view complete workshop schedule and descriptions!

A Year of Living in Your Body: An Experiential Workshop Series

Imagine feeling more connected to your body's messages. Imagine tapping into your inner wisdom and creativity, letting go of doubt and fear. I invite you to spend a whole year living fully in your body. By engaging in awareness, reflective, creative, and body-centered exercises, we will explore how our bodies can help us to understand in a deep and meaningful way how we relate to ourselves and engage with the big, wide world around us.

This workshop series is facilitated by Courtney Putnam, MFA, LMP
and will be held at Rising Bird Healing Arts.

$100 per workshop or $320 if you sign up for all four.
To register, email Courtney at cputnam@rising-bird.com
Space is limited to 8 participants.

Sunday, July 27, 2008; 1-5pm
Writing from Your Body
Do you feel and hear all that your body has to tell you? In this workshop, we will explore the ways in which paying attention to our bodies can enhance our writing and our writing process. We will write from our guts, our hands, our spleens, and our blood vessels. We will explore how telling the story of our bodies can help us to reclaim our creative, knowledgeable, and truth-telling physical selves.

Sunday, October 19, 2008; 1-5pm
Six Senses Workshop
When we smell, hear, taste, touch, see, and intuit, we take in the world around us. We process information, feel deeply, make important decisions, and experience pleasure. We also can feel overwhelmed by sensory stimulation and in turn shut off our sensors. In this workshop, we will engage in all six of our senses and learn how to become “awake” in our bodies and to interpret the wisdom of our sensory experiences.

Sunday, January 11, 2009; 1-5pm
Your Body Speaks: Inner Wisdom
What does it feel like in your body when you resonate with an idea, thought, or feeling? How do you know when your body is giving you important information? In this inner wisdom workshop, we will explore the power of our six chakra, the chakra of intuition and inner knowing. Using writing, guided visualizations, muscle testing, and pendulum work, we will tap into the body's hidden wisdom.

Sunday, April 12, 2008; 1-5pm
You, Yourself, & You: The Self-Portrait
In this hands-on art workshop, we will explore the self in three parts: past self, present self, and future self. Using collage as our medium, we will cut and paste together meaningful images of who we once were, who we are now, and who we wish to be. Feel free to bring meaningful images you've collected.

Click here to view the complete (and colorful!) flyer

Spring Art Show!

Thursday, April 10, 6-9pm

I host my Spring Art Show here at Rising Bird Healing Arts (my home business in the Roosevelt District). The multi-talented Kara Jones will be offering henna body art to decorate your hands or feet! I'll be showing my mixed media originals and we'll both be selling cards and prints of our work. For more information about the show (and the artists), click here.

(Encore workshop!) Intentional Desires: An Abundance Box Workshop

Date/Time: Sunday, January 27, 2008; 1-4pm

Location: Rising Bird Healing Arts

Cost: $30 (checks and cash accepted); space is limited to eight people so sign up early!

Contact: Courtney Putnam at cputnam@rising-bird.com

Join me for an afternoon of envisioning your own abundance. In this hands-on workshop, you will explore your dreams and goals and create an abundance box as a visual representation of what you wish to manifest in your life. This is a time for thinking big, pulling your ingenious ideas out of the cobwebs of your mind, and giving life to your desires!

The purpose of an abundance box is to channel your intentions, goals, and visions into a symbolic artifact. Inside this box you will place small objects that characterize the things you wish to actualize. Think about what aspect of your life you would like to give a little positive intention. Are there goals and dreams you are ready to make real?

In this workshop you will create your very own abundance box and fill it with objects that represent what you hope to bring to life. We will also explore some principles of Feng Shui, which may enhance or inform the intention and placement of your box. Using a Feng Shui bagua (map) as your guide, you will determine where your box is best placed in your own home.

You bring (if you wish): Any significant images, symbols, or objects with which to 1) decorate your box, and to 2) place inside your box. I provide: Boxes of varying shapes and sizes, art supplies, collage supplies and decorative papers. Tea and light snacks will be provided.

Holiday Art Show!

Thursday, December 13, 2007, 6-9pm

Featuring…
Courtney Putnam, mixed media artist
Kristin Stubbs, jewelry artist

* Jewelry and original art for sale!
* Art cards and prints for sale!
* Enter to win a free massage!
* Enjoy some delectable refreshments!

Please join us!

This season, Courtney will be joined by the talented Kristin Stubbs, whose art takes the form of unique and exquisite jewelry pieces. For more information about the artists, download this flyer.

Intentional Desires: An Abundance Box Workshop

Saturday, December 22, 2007 (Winter Solstice), 3-6pm

Abundance [n]: great amount or supply; bounty, fortune, plentitude, prosperity, thriving

What do you want in your life? Better health? A terrific job? Creative energy? Strong relationships? Financial security?

Join me for an afternoon of envisioning your own abundance. In this hands-on workshop, you will explore your dreams and goals and create an abundance box as a visual representation of what you wish to manifest in your life. This is a time for thinking big, pulling your ingenious ideas out of the cobwebs of your mind, and giving life to your desires!

The purpose of an abundance box is to channel your intentions, goals, and visions into a symbolic artifact. Inside this box you will place small objects that characterize the things you wish to actualize. Think about what aspect of your life you would like to give a little positive intention. Are there goals and dreams you are ready to make real?

In this workshop you will create your very own abundance box and fill it with objects that represent what you hope to bring to life. We will also explore some principles of Feng Shui, which may enhance or inform the intention and placement of your box. Using a Feng Shui bagua (map) as your guide, you will determine where your box is best placed in your own home.

You bring (if you wish): Any significant images, symbols, or objects with which to 1) decorate your box, and to 2) place inside your box. I provide: Boxes of varying shapes and sizes, art supplies, collage supplies and decorative papers. Tea and light snacks will be provided.

Cost: $30 (checks and cash accepted); space is limited to eight people

About Courtney:
Courtney Putnam is a licensed massage practitioner and certified Reiki practitioner who offers a holistic approach to wellness. She is a poet and visual artist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. With a strong belief in the mind-body connection, Courtney encourages creative expression as a vehicle for healing on the physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.