Dahlis Roy:
Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Creating A Path
One Vision At A Time
A determined child, I pointed to the "big radio" and demanded to hear music. All styles of music accompany my lifelong creative dances of painting and writing. Music was my first step out of the box from my quiet world as an introspective only child into a bigger picture.
When I was seven, my teacher held up my example of cat drawings. An artist is born! Meanwhile at home, I was already sharpening skills with freehand drawings of many animals.
Gathering the Threads, Choosing the Colors
Intuitive Focus
Practicing drawing and painting in various media advanced as I studied Wesley Dennis' painted illustrations for Marguerite Henry's animal stories. Wesley Dennis captured spirit. Creatures lived and breathed off the page. My Hero!
Albert Payson Terhune, investigative journalist and author, wrote fiction-fact blends of stories about his famed Sunnybank Collies. I owned and trained my first golden collie, Lad, named for Terhune's Lad A Dog.
Marguerite Kirmse's illustrations for Terhune's books, done from the Sunnybank collies themselves, ignited my desire to progress with painting. Pride of accomplishment soon followed. I sold my first painting, a pastel portrait of a champion collie, at age fifteen.
Weaving Worlds
Trust the Growing Tree
I am picking up a memory of climbing well worn steps into an art class studio. Pushing open the huge old heavy oak doors, I welcome the scent of fresh oil paint and turpentine. Students and teachers are gathering! Graduating with Art, English, and Liberal Arts degree from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania opened new windows for continuing growth and development. Where will I go?
Paul and I began our spiritual journey together discovering many different location homes in the USA. Every stop had fresh lessons to learn and new friends to meet! What will be next?
An opportunity came for me to illustrate Collie Concept, by Mrs. George H. (Bobbee) Roos and work with the Collie Club of America to develop a set of twenty lithographs of famous collie champions of the past. I was asked to paint four magazine covers for Collie Review Magazine. Portraits of countless animals and numerous commissions complete vivid pictures.
For relaxation, meditation and rest, I sharpened my knitting skills. Designing and planning with yarn and feeling the rhythmic click of needles helped my left brain to open while expressing right brain's love of color and texture.
I still felt unsettled. There seemed to be more but where? I had a "dream" while fully awake, a shadow of moonlight on a dark wall suggests an image of a butterfly emerging and growing.
What next? Maybe writing can help? I begin to write random notes on scraps of paper....
Intuition to Fruition
Tai Chi Enhances Life
Light years passed. My joints, sore since childhood, became even more stiff and inflamed. Why was my energy so slow? Chronic conditions were not helped by traditional medicines. Tests read all normal. Doctors scratched their heads.
Meanwhile an M.D. suggested a Tai Chi class for our son, Rob, to help him recover from an injury and bring about better concentration and focus.
"I know where there's a class!" I had seen a sign in a doctor's office advertising Tai Chi taught by Jiong Gu, a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Rob was eager to attend class and learned quickly.
"I want to learn Tai Chi!" I was in such poor physical shape, my son coached me at home for eight months before I was strong enough to attend class.
My life began to Change! I gained strength and confidence. I started to write with more focus and organization. I had goals! Light and bright color began to turn on in my paintings as I expressed the awakening new visions and dreams to accompany the animal parade of paintings and nature scenes.
I had friends! I joined Art Club, a group of artists working on their own creations. I showed them Tai Chi and how Tai Chi helps painting. "We want to learn Tai Chi!"
Several years later, Jiong Gu appointed me leader of his form practice group in Yang Long Form Tai Chi. I also began to teach Tai Chi and Art Workshop at a local community center. Art students of all levels brought their own projects and choice of subjects for mutual encouragement and inspiration.
Intuition increased leading me forward to new friends, experiences, and mysteries. How did this happen? One meditation, one brushstroke, one idea at a time paints an evolving unfolding life picture.
Moving Forward
Timeless Journey
Some years later I met Dr. Paul Lam, a family practice physician in Sydney Australia. He creates Tai Chi for Health programs. I certified to teach his program, Tai Chi for Arthritis. Tai Chi for Health instruction gives beginning students of all ages a boost for feeling energy (qi) moving quickly through the body with easy to learn forms. Tai Chi for Health programs also help people with compromised conditions experience benefits from safe and effective exercises. Joyful smiles, improving health and strength brings us into a Tai Chi family world-wide.
Finishing the Canvas
By now I had written the first draft of a book Silver Butterfly, Create A Vision, Awaken Your Creative Spirit. Tai Chi also helps memory and concentration. Tai Chi practice and teaching helps balance right (intuitive) and left brain (logic and action) functions in order to bring random scattered notes on scribbled papers into cohesive unified wholeness, a written and illustrated work.
The Power of Yes
In 2007, I was (finally) diagnosed with *Gilbert's Syndrome (chronic hepatic functional disorder). I felt relieved. I had answers to my health questions and chronic symptoms. GS is an inherited benign liver condition manageable with a lowered stress lifestyle, simple food, and gentle integrated exercises like Tai Chi and/or Yoga. Intuitively I was already following these suggestions!
GS symptoms may include elevated bilirubin blood levels, medicine, food, and light sensitivity, fatigue, rashes, chronic pain and stiffness, concentration challenges, anxiety and depression. Low weight may occur, some people may be carbohydrate sensitive or intolerant.
Most of the medical professionals I talked to about Gilbert's Syndrome had never heard of this.
How to manage? Tap into creative positive relationships with family, friends and experiences. Approach activities with an open and flexible mind. Tune into your intuition. Plenty of rest and recreation filled with music brings a sense of inner peace. Simple nourishing foods, acupuncture, acupressure and self hypnosis may help. Regular Tai Chi and/or Yoga practice and quiet seated mditation encourages calming and self assurance.
The Evolving Door
Silver Butterfly, Create A Vision, became an E-book in 2009. In 2010, I started Out of the Blue, a "Blueprint" for unlimited possibilities. Writing and painting without an agenda or even knowing what the next topic or moment will be, is another step in a play-it- forward creative adventure of the heart-mind.
Vision to Achievement
"Let the petals of your life unfold like a rose opening, one at a time and each in perfect order,"
"We are all here with unique gifts and talents to touch each others' lives in ways no one else can," Louise Watson, R.N.
"As we speak our life stories, others will also be encouraged to share. We are all one in our human family," William K. Emery, M.D.
"I honor my sacred journey, I honor the sacred journey of others,"
Debra Basham
"All is possible with the mind,"
Paul Lam, M.D., family practice physician and Tai Chi Expert
"In pure consciousness there is no time," Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Blog!
Create Your Free Blog at blogspot. It's easy and fun! Custom templates and user friendly tools sharpen your creative and communicative skills as you achieve new levels of outreach and sharing. Tailor your blog for family and friends only or open to a larger world-wide viewing area. Out of the Blue leads me into the Wow of the Now!
Photos:
The Big Radio played music taking me out of this world. I sang, I danced, I had pictures in my mind as songs rolled. I love turning the dial and tuning in the stations. Photo by my Dad
Silver Butterfly Create A Vision oil painting by Dahlis
Sky and Dahlis: Rare Edition's Cloudy Sky, our blue merle collie puppy easily became "The Best Dog Ever." Yes, that's my naturally curly hair!
Dahlis and *Emaus: oil portrait of *Emaus, Arabian Stallion, owned by Lila M. Bates. Portrait displayed with permission.
"The Blue Aran" sweater designed and knit with love. I still wear it today! Photo by Rob.
Silhouette: Teaching Tai Chi, photo by K. B. Wilson. We are a Tai Chi family, students and friends teaching and helping each other.
Cloud Hands Tai Chi from Dr. Paul Lam's program, Tai Chi for Arthritis, at overlook in Arizona mountains, photo by my husband.
Tai Chi on the Beach, sunset photo by Rob
Fire and Water Dance, oil painting by Dahlis
Out of the Blue, Blog, text and illustrations Copyright Dahlis Roy 2010-2019
