THE GUARDIAN ANGEL PROJECT: Empowering Children to Be Environmental Stewards Through Sea Camp and Artwork

REFLECTING ABOUT NATURE USING ART! This San Sal Sea Camper represents the reverence with which the children engaged in their Guardian Angel Project. Look at the extent to which he studied the spiny lobster before painting it. (photo by Hallelujah Truth, San Salvador, Bahamas 2008)

Hallelujah for our beautiful Earth, the children who are its future caretakers, and the use of imagination! I just returned from the very first National Natural History Conference of the Bahamas during which along with Sandy Voegeli, I presented how we can use SONG, STORY, ART to develop environmental stewardship in children. Below I share part of our presentation with you dear fellow spiritual art pilgrims!

THE COMPLETED GUARDIAN ANGEL ARTWORK! We all need to get out in nature and connect with its awesomeness and mystery. Once we are connected with the ocean, the land, or sky, we can see that we are a part of this Earth, hence have a role in its evolving history. (photo by Hallelujah Truth, San Salvador, Bahamas 2008)

BEGINNING STAGES OF THE GUARDIAN ANGEL PROJECT. First, children need to become familiar with their environments. In this case, the children of San Salvador's Sea Camp had spent the morning in the ocean learning how to swim and snorkel. After lunch in the Gerace Research field station, they spent the afternoon asking questions about what they had seen, researching it in books, and then studying a photo of a creature or plant that fascinated them. They used pencils on simple newsprint folded in six sections to draw six images. (photoS by Hallelujah Truth, San Salvador, Bahamas 2008)

ENVISIONING THEMSELVES AS A GUARDIAN ANGEL. The next stage of this Guardian Angel project required the Sea Campers to think inventively and with inspiration. What would they look like as a protector of one the creatures or plants they had chosen? Would they become part of the creature? Would their skin or clothes carry or reflect the pattern of that creature? They were asked to consider this question: "Who are you in relation to this creature or plant?" (photos by Hallelujah Truth, San Salvador, Bahamas 2008)

DEVELOPING STAGES OF THE GUARDIAN ANGEL PROJECT. On this third day of the project, the Sea Campers had the fun of learning about the color wheel and deciding what colors they wanted their final image to have. They used crayons to experiment with possible color combinations of cool and warm colors. They were given permission to deviate from the colors of nature and to think with their hearts, to follow their intuitions to make a unique image that would hold their commitment to the environment. Once having decided on the colors, they dove in to painting using acrylics and paint brushes! (photoS by Hallelujah Truth, San Salvador, Bahamas 2008)

PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF THE GUARDIAN ANGEL PROJECT. On the final day of Sea Camp, the children spoke as environmental stewards. They spoke publicly as protectors of something specific in nature, explaining its habitat, why it was endangered, and their role in protecting it. (photo by Hallelujah Truth, San Salvador, Bahamas 2008)

STORIES OF THE GUARDIAN ANGEL PROJECT. How exciting it was to read the stories they had written on the back of their paintings. Phrases such as, "I want to protect" and "this animal is endangered" were exciting to see.(photos by Hallelujah Truth, San Salvador, Bahamas 2008)

PROTECTING THE NURSE SHARK: THE GUARDIAN ANGEL PROJECT. I was particularly pleased to have the Sea Campers "see" how unique and special each one of them is. Here the same animal--the nurse shark--was chosen to be protected but the vision of the Guardian Angel Sea Camper was different! No need to copy or imitate! Having the children explore nature in many different ways--real and imaginary, helps them to integrate the concept of nature and their responsibility to the environments they live in. Both HEART and MIND have been engaged, and this is a powerful combination!(photo by Hallelujah Truth, San Salvador, Bahamas 2008)

In conclusion dear fellow journeyers and pilgrims, I have two questions for you: 

What action will you take today or in the future to protect the natural environment in which live? 

What creature or plant do you want to be the Guardian Angel of? 

Soul Blog your answers with me at Coffee with Hallelujah!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to the National Bahamian Trust for planning and hosting this magnificent event, which resulted in this powerpoint presentation (of which you have seen a portion here). The first National Natural History Conference was inspirational and informative. Thanks to the Gerace Research Centre and its field station manager Thomas Rothfus for facilitating five years of Sea Camp. Hallelujah for the children of San Salvador and their parents who participated in the first San Sal Sea Camp with enthusiasm. Great appreciation to BREEF and its facilitators who are incredible teacher trainers and knowledgable lovers of the marine and terrestrial habitats. Mucho thanks to Sandy Voegeli, who continues to amaze me with her resourcefulness, imagination, and stamina. It is because of her and her mission for the environment that I keep returning to the Bahamas. And I must always thank my wonderful dear husband Chiboogamoo, aka Tony Martin, for his endless support and encouragement. 

Other Blog Entries About Sea Camp on San Salvador:

August 2012

The Art of Teaching Science Creatively: San Salvador Sea Campers Learn to Be Connected to Their Environment by Having Fun and Using Their Imaginations

Teaching Children the Science of Looking in Their Own Backyard: Sea Camp San Salvador, Bahamas 2012

COLORING THE MAP FROM THE STORY OF MARIA THE HUTIA. (photo by San Salvador, San Salvador, Bahamas 2012)

TEACHING CHILDREN THE SCIENCE OF LOOKING IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD: SEA CAMP SAN SALVADOR, BAHAMAS 2012

SEA CAMP 2012, SAN SALVADOR, BAHAMAS. Standing in Graham’s Harbour, the students and facilitators of the fifth annual Sea Camp stand in the shallow waters where they have the explored the sea grass beds.(photo taken from the BREEF Facebook page)

Hallelujah for this BEAUTIFUL EARTH and our CONNECTION to it! Some of us here in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, practice looking up at the sky when we exit a building because we want to see the clouds above shifting and changing shapes. We might even check to feel which way the wind is blowing and where the sun is in relation to the horizon. In our urban setting, we long to maintain our relationship with NATURE. It is this relationship to NATURE that makes us feel whole and healthy. How are children today forging their own CONNECTIONS with the GREAT and WONDEROUS NATURAL WORLD?

On the island of San Salvador, the farthest island on the Bahamian platform, the children are fostering their CONNECTION to NATURE by looking in their own backyard abundant with coral reefs and mangroves! Guided by their instructors and facilitators of San Salvador SEA CAMP 2012, these Sea Campers engage with their NATURAL ENVIRONMENT up close with hands on experience supported by classroom activities.

On the last day of July, I had the good fortune of hosting and interviewing my good friend Sandy Voegeli, one of the founders of San Salvador SEA CAMP, on her way back from the Bahamas to her home in Carmel Valley, California. She had just completed the fifth successful SEA CAMP at San Salvador.

HALLELUJAH TRUTH:  SEA CAMP takes place on the island of San Salvador, Bahamas, every July for one week. Please tell me in your own words what it is.

SANDY VOEGELI: SEA CAMP is a wonderful week-long day camp with San Salvador kids ages 8 to 13. It is a collaboration between Bahamian Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF), San Salvador Living Jewels, and Gerace Research Centre.

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: What do they learn there?

SANDY VOEGELI We teach them swimming and snorkeling skills along with marine conservation.

SNORKELING GEAR. Donning snorkel, mask, and vest, Sea Campers take a close look at sea life and identify what they find. (photo taken from the BREEF Facebook page)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: Can you give me the story of how SEA CAMP came to be?

SANDY VOEGELI: The first SEA CAMP came to be after noticing that many local children could not swim or snorkel, which is not only a safety issue, but also a lack of familiarity with their own backyard environment. You can read about astronauts but never experience space. These children were surrounded by coral reefs and continued to only read about them in the classroom. The experiential learning readily available was not happening.

SAN SALVADOR CHILDREN INVESTIGATING THEIR OWN BACKYARD.  During the week-long SEA CAMP, children learn to appreciate flora and fauna that is literally in their own backyards. Here they are exploring the mangrove ecosystem and learning about its importance to the overall health of their environment. (photo taken by Sandy Voegeli)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: What is your relationship with the people of San Salvador?

SANDY VOEGELI: I had the unique opportunity to live on Sal Sal for eight years and consider it my second home. It gave me the opportunity to create life-long relationships there. My husband Vince was the director of the Gerace Research Centre, and our two children, Hans and Elyse, attended San Sal schools, providing us with even more connections. We slowly became a part of the local fabric.

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: What did you learn about the children’s education that caused you to understand the need for science conservation studies?

SANDY VOEGELI: Few children knew of the amazing treasures found in their backyard that tourists and scientists travel miles and miles year after year to enjoy and study. Often what happens, is when there is a lack of knowledge, there is also a lack of appreciation and ownership much needed for stewardship.

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: On your part, was there also a sense of urgency about protecting the environment of San Salvador that could be addressed by establishing the SEA CAMP?

SANDY VOEGELI: Yes. Witnessing the decline of these amazing resources concerned me greatly. For example, I watched a noticeable decline in the coral reef ecosystem, such as both fewer and smaller populations of grouper, conch, and lobster. These marine resources are vital to the San Sal economy because of the tourists they bring to the island. Without tourists, the local economy would be devastated. Clearly, these San Sal marine resources need to be managed for sustainability. The children are the future.

FUTURE CARETAKERS OF SAN SALVADOR'S LIVING JEWELS. San Salvador children see their world in a different way at SEA CAMP. They learn to snorkel and identify sea stars, fish, and coral that is in the water right along the major island road they use every day.(photo taken from the BREEF Facebook page)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: So based on understanding the educational needs of the San Salvador children, what was done specifically to make SEA CAMP happen?

SANDY VOEGELI: In 2007, San Salvador Living Jewels began pursing the idea of a science camp for local kids and obtained grant money from The Nature Conservancy, BREEF, San Salvador Living Jewels, and the Bahamas Education Culture and Science (BECS) Foundation. 


In 2008, the first SEA CAMP was offered to 38 lucky, local kids who were given a chance to learn swimming and snorkeling skills and to become familiar with their local environment. BREEF provided snorkeling gear and Bahamian expertise with onsite educators. Then Gerace Research Centre supported the local San Salvador community by providing trucks, food, and classrooms. For many San Salvadoran children it was their first time to ride on the big blue trucks that they had only seen college kids riding around the island on for years but never been on themselves.

THE BLUE FIELD STATION TRUCKS.  Children enrolled in SEA CAMP on the island of San Salvador are transported to their outdoor classrooms on their island by the Gerace Research Centre's blue trucks. (photo taken by Sandy Voegeli)

GERACE RESEARCH CENTRE CONFERENCE ROOM. San Salvador children learn many things during their week-long SEA CAMP program. Here, Dr. Thomas Rothfus,  the Centre's executive director, lectures on the history of the GRC. (photo taken from the BREEF Facebook page)

INTEGRATING MAPS OF HOME WITH FLORA AND FAUNA. This photo shows two kinds of maps that San Salvador Sea Campers worked with.MAPS OF SAN SALVADOR. Behind the facilitator is a wall of maps of the island of San Salvador. An activity during the sea camp was to take maps of San Salvador, identify the special habitats and what lives there, and cut out pictures representing them. San Salvador’s Living Jewels Foundation (SSLJ), a legal Bahamian non-profit grass-roots organization, is promoting the establishment of a national land and sea park to protect these special areas identified on the maps. This exercise helps the children get familiar with the wildlife living in their own backyard. For some of the children, it was the first time to look at a map of where they live on San Salvador and understanding the nature that surrounds them.

MAP FROM "THE MISADVENTURE OF MARIA THE HUTIA."  The map on the table, which the Sea Campers are coloring, is a special map of the Bahamas because it is an enlargement of the illustration from a book written about their island habitat and with the intention that they would read it to become better informed about it. Ron Shaklee, the author of this book about a lost hutia, is a geography professor who has been doing research and taking college students to San Salvador for close to 30 years. The illustrations, including this map, were done by yours truly--Hallelujah Truth, aka Ruth Schowalter. (photo taken by Sandy Voegeli)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: Here it is the end of July 2012, and you just completed the 5^th  San Sal SEA CAMP. What has the outcome been?

SANDY VOEGELI: Overwhelming success. Many campers have returned each year. Two of our facilitators this year had participated in previous SEA CAMPS. Many past Sea Campers now have strong snorkeling skills and increased knowledge about San Salvador’s treasures, such as sea birds, iguanas, sea grass, mangroves and coral reefs. Our SEA CAMP has been so well received we turn kids away from enrollment in SEA CAMP each year. In addition, many campers have asked us to increase the SEA CAMP to two weeks because it is the highlight of their summer. And very excitingly, the word about science education is out, and many children from other islands want to participate in the San Sal SEA CAMP. In fact, we have had children from other islands participate already. We need one facilitator per four campers for water activities as required by the Ministry of Education. Each facilitator, who comes from abroad, donates their time and transportation costs. At the first SEA CAMP in 2008, we had all non-local facilitators, so it was pretty amazing to have two San Sal kids facilitate this year (2012.)

TWO YOUTHFUL FACILITATORS. Meghan Goffe and Tara Condon, back row, right to left, facilitated the camper group named the “Sharks.” Meghan participated in the first SEA CAMP in 2008. Tara has been a facilitator four years in a row, saving money each year to pay her way to the camp from Montana. (photo taken from the BREEF Facebook page)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: What creative ways have you found to convey accurate science information and make it fun?

SANDY VOEGELI: By using art, music, photography, acting, and film, we’ve engaged the children’s imaginations to express accurate science information about the environment in their backyard, and the importance of conserving it!

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: Thanks Sandy! In another interview, I would like you to tell me more in-depth about the creative techniques you used in San Salvador's SEA CAMP classroom. That's Coffee with Hallelujah!

SANDY VOEGELI PHOTOGRAPHING A HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE AT SAN SALVADOR, BAHAMAS (photo by Clare Cottreau)

ABOUT SANDY VOEGELI. Sandy is a divemaster, photographer, and teacher. Sharing the incredible underwater world through her photography, she has sold numerous cards of her work, shown her photos in exhibits in Georgia and Montana, and had her photos published on numerous publication covers. In January 2012, two of her images appeared in the new Bahamain marine stamp series. Her photos taken from around San Salvador provided inspiration to me Hallleluah Truth (aka Ruth Schowalter) for the illustrations I made for educational children's book by Ron Shaklee, The Misadventures of Maria the Hutia. Sandy enjoys sharing information with others through teaching, whether it be math, yoga, marine conservation, or photography. She recently moved to Carmel Valley in California with her husband Vince, and son Hans. Her daughter Elyse is currently studying through Tufts at the University of Ghana in Africa.

HALLELUJAH TRUTH (aka Ruth Schowalter) and SANDY VOEGELI 2012. Sandy Voegeli and I had the good fortune to visit in Atlanta following two important events. On Friday, July 27th, Ron Shaklee and I published the children's book, The Misadventures of Maria the Hutia on Amazon.com. Sandy concluded the fifth annual Sea Camp on San Salvador. She is the one responsible for getting Ron and me together to collaborate on an educational children's book that could be used in the classroom to teach conservation. Photo by Chiboogamoo

OTHER BLOGS RELATED TO SAN SALVADOR, EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH, AND MAKING ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE MISADVENTURES OF MARIA THE HUTIA

January 10, 2012

BAHAMIAN MASTER WOOD CARVER: KENNY WHITFIELD OF SAN SALVADOR 


April 1, 2012

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE WILLINGLY SACRIFICES HER WINTER HOLIDAY TO DEEPEN EMORY STUDENTS UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONCEPTS OF UNIFORMITARIANISM ON SAN SALVADOR, BAHAMAS AT GERACE FIELD STATION 

April 27, 2012:

COMING HOME AFTER JOURNEYING: THE LEARNING LIFE SPIRAL OF AN ILLUSTRATOR OF THE BAHAMIAN HUTIA 


June 13, 2012: 
UPON FINISHING A SOUL TASK: WHO AM I NOW AFTER ILLUSTRATING THE (MIS)ADVENTURES OF MARIA THE HUTIA?

June 22, 2012: 

ENLARGING ONE'S BEING THROUGH THE ACT OF CREATING: THE MAP OF MARIA THE HUTIA'S MISADVENTURE 

July 29, 2012: 

JOYFUL ACCUMULATION OF 15 MINUTES OF CREATIVITY EVERY DAY: THE PUBLISHING OF MARIA THE HUTIA!

COMING HOME AFTER JOURNEYING: THE LEARNING LIFE SPIRAL OF AN ILLUSTRATOR OF THE BAHAMIAN HUTIA

MARIA THE HUTIA'S JOURNEY.  Maria the hutia, a small brown furry rodent, rides the back of Myrtle the sea turtle. Maria shares the ride with Launa, the iguana. Amber, the long-tailed tropic bird flies overhead with Maret and Garret, Bahamian parrots. Art by Hallelujah Truth

Hallelujah for JOURNEY, for the hills and valleys that LIFE graciously gives us so that we may THRIVE as we go down under submerged in darkness and discover ways to climb to its exhilarating sunlit peaks. These travails and triumphs are the PILGRIM’S JOURNEY, on which disappointment and failure play just as an important role as joy and success in LEARNING. Yet in the yin-and-yang balance, there is such great FUN in celebrating the SUCCESS. I write to you today at the beginning of June 2012 from the MOUNTAIN TOP of my SOUL. Hallelujah!

I have just SUCCESSFULLY completed 29 illustrations for a children’s book written by Ron Shaklee to teach the children of San Salvador, Bahamas, about the endangerment of their precious habitat through the journeys of the little known and almost extinct Bahamian hutia. These children of San Salvador are the future stewards of the farthest island on the Bahamian platform. It is approximately 180 miles from Nassau, one of the Bahamian islands most visited by tourists.

THE MAP OF MARIA THE HUTIA'S JOURNEY. This map of Maria's journey is the very last image for Ron Shaklee's story, "The Misadventures of Maria the Hutia." It is the culmination of my achievement in learning how to draw. Here I celebrate the characters in the book and the feeling of Maria's journey.  Although there are no hutias on San Salvador, I included the island in an inset on the bottom right hand corner of the map. If it weren't for the Gerace Research Centre, which has brought scientists to its shores for the past 30 years, we wouldn't have this educational scientific story. Art by Hallelujah Truth

At its great distance out at sea, San Salvador used to seem remote from the busy world with its commotion of extensive harvesting of marine life, tourism, and pollution. But dear FELLOW PILGRIMS, we are all connected, and the WORLD IS ONE. Even the health and longevity of San Salvador’s coral reefs, sea turtles and fish, bird-nesting grounds, and a nearby cay with a unique species of iguanas are now being threatened by all of this human activity, including the rising ocean temperatures. The coral reefs of San Salvador are dying, the grouper, conch, and crayfish are being harvested at breeding times or before they mature, the endangered turtles are hunted and eaten. Nature’s abundance is limited! The children of San Salvador can learn more about their precious natural environment through stories like Ron Shaklee’s and thus become protectors of it. The equation is simple:

Humans caused the damage; therefore, humans must own up to the responsibility to make amends, to heal the EARTH before it is impossible to do so.

MARIA TUMBLING IN THE SEA

As the illustrator of Maria the hutia’s story, I JOURNEYED with this furry brown rodent  and shared her SOJOURN of loss and recovery. She is swept away by the ocean from her undeveloped island home where her species thrives only to discover that Bahamian hutias are unknown to other animals and do not exist on other islands. Four years ago in 2008, I said, “YES,” to illustrating “The Misadventures of Maria the Hutia,” and proceeded to step away from my CREATIVE HOME, painting in acrylics on wood to an unfamiliar territory of using pencils, micron pens, India ink, gum erasers, photographs, reference books, the internet, and watercolor, tracing, and graphite papers. You could say I, like Maria the hutia, was lost at sea.

At the time that I began to illustrate Maria the hutia, I did not draw. I did not use paper. I did not look outside myself. In fact, as a Georgia visionary folk artist, I painted from my inner visions and night dreams, often finger painting the genesis of my images. From my perspective as an artist who honors and celebrates Jungian archetypes and the exploration of the subconscious, I believed that to realistically “copy” the LIFE surrounding me did not hold value—“Why not take a photograph?,” I would ask. How could I illustrate Ron Shaklee’s story about Maria the hutia with its cast of real life animal characters in economical to publish black and white pen and ink images and still be me, HALLELUJAH TRUTH?

FROM ACRYLIC ON BOARD TO PEN AND WATERCOLOR PENCIL ON PAPER.  I made the decision to redo the cover art. The painting in front of me is the very first image of Maria the Hutia's journey that I made 4 years ago. This photo shows that I used it for inspiration to "color" the black and white image I had created in pen.  This second piece of art for the cover is the second only Maria image that I have put in color. (photo by Chiboogamoo)

THE NEW PROCESS. Before Maria the Hutia, I would see an image in mind and feel it in my heart and begin painting with my fingers. For Maria, I learned to study images from photos, books, and the internet. I made pencil drawings and worked with them to create designs that resonated with my mystical sense of balance and beauty. Then, using graphite paper, I transferred the image onto paper. Finally, I used micron pens, usually a size 5 tip, to make the image permanent, along with India ink. (photo by Chiboogamoo)

Just like Maria the hutia, as I TRAVELED away from the familiar, I had to engage the help of others to show me how to find my way HOME. Without the use of a map and only through exploration and the help of Myrtle the sea turtle, Amber the long-tailed tropicbird, Launa the iguana and others did Maria the hutia succeed in returning home. As a visionary artist operating as an illustrator, there was no map for me either. I wanted to CREATE from a CENTERED HOME PLACE, but there was no pre-existing route. However, there were numerous PEOPLE. That’s right PEOPLE, who appeared magically to assist me whenever in whatever I needed.

Sandy Voegeli showered me with numerous photographs that she had taken as a master diver from San Salvador. Ron Shaklee sent me a list of ideas that he felt would be suitable to illustrate. He suggested the use of pens in varying tip sizes. Jacq Marie Jack spent countless hours with me, providing me with children’s storybooks, books on using pen and ink, books with beguiling patterns, and beloved visual artists. Then when my images were completed in pencil, Jacq Marie counseled me on how to improve their compositions and perspectives, something as a self-taught artist I had little knowledge of. My brilliant companion and husband, Chiboogamoo, who is also a talented artist, assisted me so frequently the placement of a line or the technical aspects of scanning or photoshopping that we have lived Maria’s journey for these four years (Thank you honey!). There were numerous others who offered help and provided encouragement. How SPECTACULAR! How COMFORTING to know that when we PILGRIMS commit to a vision, PROVIDENCE steps in and helps us in unforeseen ways!

SANDY VOEGELI'S PHOTOGRAPAHS. These are a few examples of Sandy's photos that were key in my portraying the characters in Maria's misadventures. Here you see Launa the Iguana, Rupert the Nassau Grouper, and Myrtle the Sea Turtle. 

Ron Shaklee's Sketch of Maria's Journey

JACQ MARIE JACK'S LIBRARY.  Over the four years of working on the illustrations for Maria the Hutia, these books photographed here are a small sample of the books loaned to me by my friend and fellow artist Jacq Marie. Her constant resourcefulness and support kept me buoyant during my JOURNEY INTO THE UNKOWN.

A JOURNEY of four years is coming to an end for me as we prepare to bring “The Misadventures of Maria the Hutia” to press. Maria gets lost. Before she can return home, she must learn how to survive and make friends in the UNKNOWN. This is our MISSION in life dear FELLOW PILGRIMS. During our lives, we get lost many times, but together with others we will find the HOME we are looking for. As a visionary artist, I have expanded my way of BEING. I am now also an illustrator, one who can look outside her inner self at the large lovely world and find kind generous SOULS who will share the JOURNEY with me. Hallelujah!

As I finish SOUL BLOGGING with you today, I have ask:

Can we JOURNEY together to heal the EARTH? Can we explore unmapped avenues to amend the damaged environments and the vanishing sea life?

Anything is possible when we are united in effort. That’s Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me about your JOURNEY. What have you lost and recovered?

THIS BLOG ENTRY IS DEDICATED TO BEVERLY CASSELL

Beverly Cassell, founder of the Artist Conference Network (ACN) died on June 10, 2012. This innovative, imaginative artist, who created a national coaching community for the arts, has touched many peoples’ lives deeply and profoundly. She will be missed but not forgotten. Thank you Beverly! Without you, I would have never JOURNEYED this far in my CREATIVE SOJOURN. I would not have illustrated “The Misadventures of Maria the Hutia.” I would not have gained mastery of pen and ink.

BEVERLY CASSELL, ACN FOUNDER

Beverly writes about MASTERY in the beginning of our Artist Conference Network handbook:

Some place within us all, aliveness stirs with innocent mischief. In this embarrassingly child-like place resides the source of our authenticity, our uniqueness, our sweetness, our vision, our maximum potential power. As we align our skills with our full creative power and vision, we gain access to mastery. In mastery, the target is hit before the arrow is released.

Beverly! I know you are in the presence of the GREAT WORLD SOUL and gaining mastery in that realm already!

I will close with a quote that Beverly has us read at every Artist Conference Meeting. It is one that I have referred to indirectly in my blog above about how we are supported in our JOURNEYS:

…the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. (from W.H. Murray)

CAT ASSISTANCE. Tao has provided steady support for my artistic endeavors since joining our household in December 2011. Here he supervises the making of the final image, the map of Maria the hutia's journey.

CONTINUED CAT SUPERVISION AS THE MAP GETS COMPLETED

ON BEING A SELF TAUGHT ILLUSTRATOR FOR THE LOVE OF THE ENVIRONMENT OF SAN SALVADOR, BAHAMAS

WHERE HAVE ALL THE BAHAMIAN HUTIAS GONE? (art by Hallelujah Truth) 

Hallelujah PILGRIMS! For the love of this beautiful EARTH which we inhabit, I have taught myself to draw images to illustrate Ron Shaklee's story, The (Mis)Adventures of Maria the Hutia. It is about the JOURNEY of a young Bahamian hutia who gets swept away from her safe home on a pristine island. She finds her rescue team in the form of caged animals at the Nassau zoo. With the promise that her precious undeveloped island could be a new home for them, she engages them in helping her find her way back to her family. But she must first educate them as to what a hutia is! 

When asked by the various Bahamian animals she meets along her JOURNEY, she responds with the following refrain:

 “We’re small, brown, furry rodents. We were once found all over the islands.”

 Each animal invariably asks,“What happened?”

Maria answers, “Man came. He hunted us with his animals. He destroyed our habitat. Now we’re only found on two small islands where no one ever goes.”

As an artist who was going to illustrate this story, I too had to find out what a hutia is! I learned that there is an abundance of Cuban hutias and that they are not endangered like the Bahamian ones. I found various images of Bahamian hutias on the internet and also thought Cuban ones would serve well as models. I would love for a scientist to tell me the distinct differences between the Bahamian and Cuban hutias. For me, I associated the hutia with an animal I had seen before--the groundhog!

The years have passed by rapidly since I was asked by Sandy Voegeli, who at the time was playing a major role to establish a nonprofit organization to preserve the natural life of San Salvador, Bahamas, to illustrate Ron Shaklee's story. I have been working on these images since 2008, and now, the time is coming to publish the story and the images must be finished. 


In the last three years, I have taken a CREATIVE JOURNEY along with Maria the Hutia! I have gone from painting acrylics on board directed only by an inner vision to drawing 27 black and white images of Maria's story on paper using micron pens and india ink--as well as visual references!


During this time, I have learned vast amounts about Bahamian natural life. I have travelled to the Bahamas, to the Gerace Research Centre to SEE the iguanas, tropic birds, coral reefs, and vastness of ocean and sky. I have scoured pages of the three volume Reef Set by Paul Humann and Ned Deloach. Sandy, a master diver, provided me with numerous photos of sea turtles, dolphins, spotted eagle rays, squid, corals, and many more profoundly beautiful sea images. My friend, Jacq Marie Jack, an artist, geologist, and world traveler, has been my angel mentor supplying ideas, references, and guidance. My husband, Chiboogamoo, has assisted me with his considerable artistic skills, and his mother Veronica informed me that it was God's will for me to illustrate this book!


FELLOW SOJOURNERS! The vast and glorious UNIVERSE has brought me to this place of discovery right here, right now. I am an ARTIST with CREATIVE FRIENDS. We TRAVEL together as we do our individual work. With great mystery our lives intertwine and expand beyond our wildest IMAGININGS.


Ron Shaklee has encouraged me that we can get The (Mis)Adventures of Maria the Hutia published by mid-summer! Wish us luck my FELLOW SOJOURNERS. Wishing you JOY on your JOURNEY. Soul Blog with me at Coffee with Halllelujah!

View this video to hear Ron Shaklee's very catchy song about Maria the Hutia's journey! It was recorded by children from the island of San Salvador and played all over the Bahamas on the Bahamian radio. I promise  you will be humming this song for days to come if you give it a listen!