# The Artful Alchemist

> Claire Perkins ~ The Artful Alchemist


## Posts

- [Foxfire: departed is not the same as done](https://artfulalchemist.com/foxfire-because-departed-is-not-the-same-as-done/): Foxes are beautiful creatures, and we have one that frequents our land and our watering hole. Not one to show himself much in the daytime (at least to these human eyes), he shows up to drink at night, and my Ring camera catches his visits. I am always thrilled to see him. So, when I had an opportunity to acquire and mosaic a fox skull, I jumped on it. Having worked on mostly larger skulls of deer and antelope, I marveled at the diminutive perfection of this six-inch-long form that once held all the fierce grace and beauty of a living […]
- [Coyote Skull to Shakti](https://artfulalchemist.com/coyote-skull-to-shakti/): My friend and fellow mosaic artist Brenda Fraser came to visit for a few days last week and we had a great time visiting galleries and museums, and seeking treasure in thrift and antiques stores. She gifted me with the most beautifully and cleanly preserved coyote skull (sourced from Mid Mod Fab), which became my project as we spent time in the studio together, creating, communing and learning from each other. Generally, when I think of coyotes – living coyotes, the coyotes on and around my land, the coyotes that sing in the night, the lone coyote that visits my watering […]
- [Dancing the New World Into Being](https://artfulalchemist.com/dancing-the-new-world-into-being/): In the summer of 2020, I took an online experiential workshop with Robert Moss called Goddesses of Rebirth. We learned about a number of goddesses and their mythologies, and journeyed into dream-like states to weave our own personal mythologies through and around those of the goddesses. I created this SoulCollage® card from one of my journeys, and called it “Dancing the New World Into Being.” From the card, I wrote: Does the seed need to know what it will become? Or does it simply trust the blueprint encoded within it to guide it, trust the sun to warm it, trust the […]
- [Are You A Rule Follower or A Rebel?](https://artfulalchemist.com/are-you-a-rule-follower-or-a-rebel/): Sometime in the late ‘80s, I took my kids to a local science center. There was one exhibit that still sticks in my mind all these years later. It was a simple setup. There was a corridor with a black and white checkered floor leading to a table display at the far end. At the entrance, a sign said an experiment was being conducted and to please step only on the white tiles. I admonished my kids to do what the sign said. They completely ignored me and ran wildly down the corridor while I carefully stepped only on the white […]
- [Reaching For a New World](https://artfulalchemist.com/reaching-for-a-new-world/): Here’s my newest SoulCollage(R) card, Reaching Toward a New World. I made it this morning to illustrate a poem, titled Risking Everything, that I wrote in 2008. When I wrote that poem, I was at a dream retreat with Robert Moss at the beautiful Mosswood Hollow in the green forests of Washington state. The imagery evoked by the poem was drawn directly from the landscape, but the feelings expressed were those of the antevasin (border-dweller) in me. In those days I was living on the border between dream and waking, between the surface world and deeper realities. I am still an […]
- [Stillness and Chaos](https://artfulalchemist.com/stillness-and-chaos/): When I studied expressive arts with Lucia Capacchione, one of the modalities we used was dancing, drawing and sculpting to the 5 Rhythms of Gabrielle Roth. These rhythms are Flowing Staccato Chaos Lyrical Stillness® Lucia always likened the full flow of the 5 Rhythms to the process of creativity. Flowing is when an idea comes to you and you feel pulled in its direction. For me, in my art practice, this is when a particular theme or shape or substrate captures my interest and attention. It might be something I see online or in a thrift shop. Or it might be […]
- [Tree of Life](https://artfulalchemist.com/tree-of-life/): I didn’t have a set plan when I started this piece. I rarely do. What I had was a precut Tree of Life substrate and a collection of materials I’ve gathered over the years: beads, brooches, baubles . . . and flowers. So. Many. Flowers. At first, I imagined filling the entire canopy with blooms. But as I began laying them out, I quickly realized it would become cluttered – a colorful hodgepodge with no thread to hold it together. So I began with the trunk. I had a stash of tiny rectangular metal beads with beautiful variation in tone and […]
- [Shifting Perspective](https://artfulalchemist.com/shifting-perspective-2/): Facebook in an election year often feels like this: A firestorm of moral outrage, us-and-them-ing, end-of-the-world-ing, rage, fear, polarization, and propaganda-driven divisiveness. And this is nothing new, although it feels like it is escalating to a new crescendo. I wrote a blog post, On Political Divisiveness, back in 2012 and, while a few details may have changed, the gist of it remains just as true today as it was then. You can go back and read (or re-read) that post if you like; there’s no need for me to repeat myself here, other than to reiterate the point I was making […]
- [Time to Harness the Wind](https://artfulalchemist.com/time-to-harness-the-wind-2/): In my book, Fallen, after many of the leaves in the Dreaming Tree fall into their collective dream, they wind up in the Boggy Marsh of Fear. In this blog series, I have been writing about how conditions there are reflected in our current political circumstances. Today I want to look at what this allegory says about escaping the Boggy Marsh of Fear. Our two protagonists, Alora and Blaze, are discovering that they do not have to stay stuck in the muck. Blaze, the more adventurous of the two, decides to try and harness the wind. Alora is gobsmacked by the […]
- [Three Steps Toward Leaving the Boggy Marsh of (Political) Fear](https://artfulalchemist.com/three-steps-toward-leaving-the-boggy-marsh-of-political-fear/): While trapped in the Boggy Marsh of Fear, Alora’s friend Blaze takes three actions that begin to change everything for the two of them: He pays attention to the habits and patterns of the Raven and Moose that have been putting everyone in danger and keeping everyone in fear. He notices what time of day and from which direction they tend to arrive. This helps him to see that the danger isn’t completely random, striking out of the blue with no warning. He realizes they aren’t helpless victims and there are ways to stay safe. He uses this knowledge to help […]
- [Shocking Events in the Boggy Marsh of Fear](https://artfulalchemist.com/shocking-events-in-the-boggy-marsh-of-fear/):   Shocking things can happen in that Boggy Marsh, where the toxic soup of fear and anger and judgment swirl. It feeds mistrust, suspicion, and paranoia like mother’s milk to any who find themselves stuck there. The morass gives rise to mob mentality, turning friends and neighbors against each other. Rumors run rampant, spreading and growing in whispers and in shouts. There are those who are driven to make decisions and take actions rooted in fear and anger and madness, rather than in reason. Those actions spark more rumors, more fear, more anger, an urge for righteous retaliation. And the cycle […]
- [Helping Others as a Way Out of (Political) Fear](https://artfulalchemist.com/helping-others-as-a-way-out-of-political-fear/): When I wrote Fallen, The Adventures of a Deep Water Leaf, I wasn’t writing about politics. Or even thinking about politics. But lately the story has been popping back into my brain and feeling very relevant to the political landscape we find ourselves in today. And not in a partisan way, but in a human experience way. I keep being prodded to write my thoughts down – and to share them. As ideas occur to me, I’ll be sharing them here. ~~~  Lately it seems like we’re all running around like our hair is on fire about the upcoming election. Collectively, like […]
- [Stuck in the Muck of (Political) Fear](https://artfulalchemist.com/stuck-in-the-muck-of-political-fear/): When I wrote Fallen, The Adventures of a Deep Water Leaf, I wasn’t writing about politics. Or even thinking about politics. But lately the story has been popping back into my brain and feeling very relevant to the political landscape we find ourselves in today. And not in a partisan way, but in a human experience way. I keep being prodded to write my thoughts down – and to share them. So here’s where I’ll start. When our protagonist, Alora, finally finds other fallen leaves like her, she’s ecstatic. She has been through an ordeal. Stripped away from the Dreaming Tree, […]
- [Grieving an Important Mentor](https://artfulalchemist.com/grieving-an-important-mentor/): In October of 2003, I embarked upon the most transformative and healing journey of my life when I began my Creative Journal Expressive Arts (CJEA) training year with Lucia Capachhione. She and her work and the beautiful CJEA community she created supported me through the deepest grief of my life when Cameron died the following spring. It is with a heavy heart that I now grieve Lucia’s passing on Monday, November 28, 2022 at age 85. Last night, some of us in the CJEA community gathered on Zoom to process our grief through clay work. The process and the two pieces […]
- [Calling an Army of Angels](https://artfulalchemist.com/calling-an-army-of-angels/): In the aftermath of the violence at our nation’s Capitol Building on January 6th, I find myself feeling anger, grief, despair and a sense of impotence or helplessness. I sense and fully expect more violence to erupt in the days ahead, between now and Inauguration Day, and even beyond. A sleeping monster has been awakened. Fed on a toxic brew of lies, fake victimhood, self-righteous entitlement and the glorification of violence, I fear this monster will not go quietly back to sleep any time soon. A change in leadership, while welcomed, will not lay the monster to rest. Our collective shadow […]
- [Lessons For These Times From a Deep Water Leaf](https://artfulalchemist.com/lessons-for-these-times-from-a-deep-water-leaf/): Alora says, “I know how disorienting it is to get caught up in a whirlwind and to be tossed, unexpectedly, into a strange new reality. I know from experience how easy it is to get stuck in the Boggy Marsh of Fear. These days, in your world, you may be feeling as I did when I first arrived on Lake Sojourn. But take heart. You are stronger than you know. Challenging times have a way of bringing out the best in people like you.” Lessons for These TimesFrom a Deep Water Leaf When you get swept up in a whirlwind (or […]
- [Covid19 Fears and the Inner Family](https://artfulalchemist.com/covid19-fears-and-the-inner-family/): Most of us, including me, are feeling some level of fear and worry about the current pandemic. Some of us may be in fear mainly about the health implications – will I catch this virus? will my loved ones? will lots of people die? people I know and love? Others may be more worried about the financial implications – will I lose my job or my income? how will I feed my family? will the market crash wipe out my retirement fund? will the entire economy collapse into another Great Depression? Most of us probably have a mixture of fears and […]
- [Calling Upon My Inner Healer](https://artfulalchemist.com/calling-upon-my-inner-healer/): In this crazy new covid19 Twilight Zone reality we are currently living through, I feel like I need to develop and tap into an Inner Healer who can support my physical health. Not a beleaguered health care worker like the one in my “Aye! Corona” card (see my previous blog post) or the real life hospital workers being inundated by the growing number of covid19 cases beginning to hit the ICU. God bless them and the work they are doing. And if it comes down to it and the need arises, I will seek their help of course. But before it […]
- [The Art of Transforming Fearful Mental Images](https://artfulalchemist.com/the-art-of-transforming-fearful-mental-images/): When vague inner fears dance around in my heart and mind, I’ve found that giving them visual form through collage is an excellent first step in getting a handle on them. There is something healing in the act of gathering together those disturbing but hazy feelings and turning them into a visual you can hold at arm’s length and address in a more solid and concrete way. It’s cathartic. This corona virus pandemic has definitely stirred up some fears, so I decided to explore my uneasiness through SoulCollage® and Creative Journaling, including the use of my non-dominant hand (NDH) to allow […]
- [An Inner Family Story through SoulCollage®](https://artfulalchemist.com/an-inner-family-story-through-soulcollage/): Once upon a time, you were an imaginative, creative, spiritually connected little child for whom nothing seemed impossible. You could daydream your way through the day, build giant castles out of blocks, create a rocket ship and travel to the moon with nothing more than an empty box, create whole worlds with dolls and stuffed animals, dress up and become a princess or Superman, have a tea party with an imaginary friend or two, color outside of the lines and make the trees purple and the sky green, stare at the clouds and see dragons or butterflies or angels. You lived […]
- [SoulCollage® – Committee Suit – Sending My Heart Ahead](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-committee-suit-sending-my-heart-ahead/): I send my heart out ahead of me On softly feathered wings she fliesCarrying my intentionLike an olive branchOr a messageSeekingCreatingAn alliance between what isAnd a visionA hopeOf what might become Buoyant and agileKeen of vision and true in flightA homing beaconLighting the way with her gentle glowBuilding a bridge of rainbow lightOpening the way before meSoftening the space I move toward I send my heart out ahead of me My avatar, my envoyReaching out so that we may meetHeart to HeartIn a new field of visionA new space of peaceAwakening the futureWe came here to create Claire Perkins, 2020 (Free […]
- [SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Ancestral History and Future Vision](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-council-suit-ancestral-history-and-future-vision/): Two of my recent SoulCollage® cards, each belonging to the Council suit, remind me of my place in time, sandwiched between the long arc of history past and the infinite future that has yet to unfold. I am reminded of the importance of “being here now,” of staying mindfully in the present, that NOW is all I have. But my NOW is balanced precariously between the history of the past and the unknown of the future. Council Suit – Ancestral History My NOW is informed by the past – not only my personal past, but the history held in my pulsing […]
- [SoulCollage® – Community Suit – One Giant Leap](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-community-suit-one-giant-leap/): July 20, 1969. I remember watching the lunar landing with rapt attention. It was almost bedtime when Neil Armstrong took that “one giant leap for mankind,” but I stayed up, my eyes glued to the black and white images on the screen of the family room TV, still wearing my damp swimsuit from a backyard swim earlier in the evening. I was 11 years old and a bit of a nerd. I was good at math, an A-student for the most part, still a good little Catholic girl, kind of shy and dorky. Along with the usual cartoons, Leave it To […]
- [The Boggy Marsh](https://artfulalchemist.com/the-boggy-marsh/): I recently posted this map of Lake Sojourn, the territory in which the story of Fallen unfolds, on my Facebook page and asked people to pick a location they felt drawn to so I could tell them something about the meaning of that place. It turned out to be an engaging post. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, every location but one was chosen.   Nobody in their right mind, apparently, wants to be in the Boggy Marsh. Who would? The full name of this place is actually the Boggy Marsh of Fear. It’s a noxious, smelly, sticky place where one can be […]
- [SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Becoming Universal](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-counil-suit-becoming-universal/): The political landscape has become ugly, divisive and uncivil in recent years. Those in power are hungry for more power and are more than willing to trample on anyone who gets in the way. Money and greed rule and the ranks of the disenfranchised grow larger every day. The powerful paint themselves as the victims, while the true victims are dismissed as villains, conspirators and liars. Every form of protest, BLM, MeToo, TakeAKnee, marches for gun control in the wake of school shootings, and women marching in pussy hats, is met with derision and dismissed as unimportant, fake news or, frighteningly, […]
- [SoulCollage® – Committee Suit – Essential Self](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-committee-suit-essential-self/): SoulCollage® – Committee Suit – Essential Self Essential Self I am the part of youthe heart of youwho is one with the starsone with the seasone with the earthone with all things I am the part of youwho embodies the Universeas only you uniquely can If you can dance your wayinto quietinto peaceyou will hear my song therewithin your own still center The fish asksWhere is your power?Where is your passion?What is in your heart? What is it that is bubbling up inside of youlonging to be expressed? Strip away the mundane maskof conditioning and cultural expectation Let your heart-light shine throughwhere […]
- [SoulCollage® – Council Suit – The Fool](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-council-suit-the-fool/): Not my circus, not my monkeys. SoulCollage® – Council Suit – The Fool Not my circus, not my monkeys. Maybe you’ve seen that meme. It’s been going around for a while. Unfortunately, for those of us living in the good ole U S of A, we can’t really make that claim with a straight face. No matter how we voted in the last election (or even IF we voted), the resulting circus is most definitely ours to deal with. And the monkeys are on the loose. In a recent SoulCollage® course (thanks, Michele Manos!), we were prompted to consider, in this […]
- [SoulCollage® – Community Suit – Kids in Cages](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-community-suit-kids-in-cages/): I’ve been feeling weighed down and wearied by the shadow energies I feel are at work in our country these days. Recently I began creating a new series of  SoulCollage® cards that I think of as “American Shadow” cards. May we work together to bring balance to the shadows within ourselves, our nation and the world. SoulCollage® – Community Suit – Kids in Cages The Liberty Bell still tollsbut not for theeoh Child of the Brown Skinned MotherIts crack has becomea chasmto swallow you whole The open arms of Freedom and Justicehave ripped you fromyour mother’s breastGiven you hard floors and […]
- [SoulCollage® – Committee Suit – Inner Child](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-committee-suit-inner-child/): SoulCollage® – Committee Suit – Inner Child I am one who lives in my own little worldI am one who loves naturea woodland spritea flower fairya water baby My world is a Peter Max fantasyof color and life It is not make believeIt’s just that you grownups can’t see it anymore I am one who is sensitiveI am one who is shyI am one who is sassyI am one who is silly I am one who prefers to play aloneDon’t worry if I wander offI am not lostI am just in my own little world
- [SoulCollage® – Committee Suit – Evolving Self](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-committee-suit-evolving-self/): SoulCollage® – Committee Suit – Evolving Self I am the one whose silver hair is woven from my historyI am the infant, the child, the adolescent, the mother, the croneI am the one who protects all that is vulnerable within meI am the matriarch of my own inner familyI am the one who looks toward the futureI am the one who holds a new world before me like a pregnant bellyI am the one who dances with stars and fireI am the one I have becomeI am the one still becoming
- [SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Becoming Universal](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-council-suit-becoming-universal/): SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Becoming Universal Rooted in Earth and SpiritI float upon still watersSafe from any stormsSuspended on the edge of transformationFacing Future I am Spirit and LightI am the expansion of LoveI am the UniverseBeing born and rebornEvolution unfoldingAs galaxies of Conscious LightSpiral in and through me I am the NewGrowing out of the roots of all that has passedGuided by Light and LoveI emerge from a heavy pastInto a new Lightness of Being My jeweled wings are sproutingI am poised to take flightI am the one who is becomingRising up from the depths of my beingEver higher […]
- [New Life Pushes Up](https://artfulalchemist.com/new-life-pushes-up/): Political upheaval, economic uncertainty, bigotry, angry rhetoric. And it’s hotter than hell outside. It all weighs heavily on me as I drive to my weekly “Mindfulness in Art” class. “Today we’ll go a little deeper,” the teacher says, “letting whatever wants to rise up spill out onto the paper. Not from up here,” she continues, tapping her forehead with her index finger. “Don’t think. Feel.” The brush moves in my hand, collecting color and laying it down. Jagged black lines rend the empty white field of paper. My stomach hurts. My head resists. I don’t want to be here this morning. […]
- [SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Divine Unrest](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-council-suit-divine-unrest/): SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Divine Unrest Divine Unrest is a primal seedPlanted deep within your soulLonging to germinate and gracefully unfurlTo spread root and branchSprout twig and leafBloom with incredible fragrance and color Do not fear that sweet sorrowful longingDive into itDeeplySwim in its depthsSoak in its nectarBreathe its essence more deeply into you, BelovedSo that it may guide you forwardGuide you home The seed was planted in youLong before you existedNestled in the rich field of starsFrom whence you cameDescended from the original seedThe First CauseThe Love that exploded to fragment and fill UniversesRather than to remain alone The […]
- [SoulCollage® – Committee Suit – Inner Goddess Queen](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-committee-suit-inner-goddess-queen/): SoulCollage® – Committee Suit – Inner Goddess Queen I am the Goddess Queen of my world, born to rule it as I see fitI am the daughter of Kings and Queens and the daughter of the Great SpiritI proclaim my sovereignty over my life, my world and my destiny I know my worth and I claim itI know what I want and I claim itI get what I want, for I am deserving of all good thingsI stand firmly in my birthrightNothing shall be denied me I am a seerI soar on wings of gold, scouting ahead, taking the high viewMy […]
- [SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Activation](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-council-suit-activation/): SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Activation I am the flow of Divine Wisdom and LightI am the one who bathes you in a golden stream of Divine Love EnergyI contain the collective wisdom of your highest self, your oversoul, your guides and angels, and the ascended mastersI hold the blueprint of your unique Divine Plan and the history of your Akashic RecordI am the Light that flows through your core, activating and balancing each chakraI am here to awaken you and spark your evolution I am your bubble of protectionI shield you from all negative energies and forcesI allow only what […]
- [SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Old Programming](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-council-suit-old-programming/): SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Old Programming I am the code that holds the old forms in place I am the programming of greed and mistrust I am the paradigm of us and them I am the energy of fear I am the one who keeps you hardwired into old programs and patterns I am the one who ties you into lock step with the status quo I am the one who keeps you bound to custom, habit, social expectation, tribalism and patriarchy I am the one who keeps you sleepwalking, robotic and unconscious I am the one who blinds you […]
- [SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Divine Birther](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-divine-birther/): SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Divine Birther I am the Eternal Birther Mother of the World Ceaselessly transforming star-stuff Into life of every form My pulsing womb flows in fierce fecundity A steady stream of root and leaf Blossom and fruit Tooth and fur Flesh and bone No nails pin my outstretched arms Nor sword tears my flesh My sacrifice is given willingly And with great love Through every cycle and season Through infinite time My promise is eternal life Your worship is simply to live
- [SoulCollage® - Council Suit - Death](https://artfulalchemist.com/soulcollage-council-suit-death/): SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Death I am the elegant design of Death, the guardian of the grand cycles of time and experience. I stand with you upon your thousand pasts and lean with you into your thousand futures. Do not fear me; I am not the end, but the journey home. I am but your vehicle from Earth to Stars and back again, the Star Ship of your Soul. Each time you stand upon my bridge, you travel farther into your true potential. When next I arrive, take my hand without resistance. Sail with me upon the sea of your […]
- [Mom](https://artfulalchemist.com/mom/): SoulCollage® – Community Suit – Mom I am the one who gave birth to you. Even when I worried too much, I loved you. Worry less. Love more. I blessed you with the gift of dreams. You understand them better than I ever did. Remember to dream. Remember to listen. I left my home in Quebec, but carried it always in my heart – and in my accent! Never forget your roots. I am one who loved to dance, to skate and to drive my beautiful blue Mustang. Remember to dance and always enjoy the ride. My Peetie-birds brought me joy […]
- [Song of the Universe](https://artfulalchemist.com/song-of-the-universe/): SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Song of the Universe I am one who sings to the Universe And I am the Universe singing I am heaven in a wildflower I am beauty in the tiniest things I am the fractal pattern woven throughout all of Nature I am galaxies and I am atoms I am the supplicant who sings praise to it all I am one who strives to reach heaven I am one who already stands there I am the way and the light I am alien, otherworldly I am one who stands amongst the dandelion’s starseeds, awaiting the wind […]
- [Primordial](https://artfulalchemist.com/primordial/): SoulCollage® – Council Suit – Primordial Born of mudI am sulfur and primordial earthEmerging from a cave of ancient stoneWorn by eons of wind and water I am the Keeper of Deep SorrowsPainted with the ash ofInnumerable past lives and lovesDried grass, hand-knottedTies and binds me to all who’ve come before I am the withering of green earthFading from vibrant lifeDrying out and decaying I am a warrior in trainingReturning yet againTo master hello and goodbye I am the spiral of eternityThe unfolding of timeBirth and rebirth and rebirth InfinityExpressed for one brief momentAs this body, in this now I am […]
- [Imagining a New World](https://artfulalchemist.com/imagining-a-new-world/): Remember the nursery song about old MacDonald and his farm? For some reason every time I watch the news or read a headline, that song comes to mind. Here a crisis, there a crisis, everywhere a crisis, crisis. Eee Eye Eee Eye Oh! But here’s the good news. According to Barbara Marx Hubbard, futurist and conscious evolution advocate, if we study the 13.7 billion year history of the Universe, we will see that major crises preceded every quantum leap in the evolution of life. Crises stimulate innovation, synergy, coherence and transformation. They are evolutionary drivers. Becoming Universal by Claire Perkins aka […]
- [Thar Be Dragons!](https://artfulalchemist.com/tharbedragons/): IMAGE: Thar Be Dragons by Claire Perkins aka Artful Alchemist on Polyvore On ancient nautical maps, beyond the edge of the known world, mapmakers would write “thar be dragons.” It seems to be human nature to first project fear into uncharted realms before considering expanding the map. Even when some individuals begin to push the boundaries, the collective culture often pushes back. When Copernicus and Galileo dared suggest that the world was round, they were ridiculed and severely punished by the powers that be. We each hold our own map of reality – our certainties about how things work. This map […]
- [On Political Divisiveness](https://artfulalchemist.com/on-political-divisiveness/): I usually don’t post political commentary, but I feel the need to respond to some of the ugliness that election years seem to bring out in even the best of people. Full disclosure: I am a registered independent with definite leftward leanings. However, there are some issues where I am more in the middle and others where I am a bit right of center. Truthfully there are few, if any, political issues that are completely black and white (or left and right) for me. I hope, and want to believe, that with rational consideration, genuine conversation and a whole-hearted, open-minded attempt […]
- [I Can Hear Her Breathing](https://artfulalchemist.com/i-can-hear-her-breathing/): “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” ~ Arundhati Roy

## Pages

- [Natural Elements](https://artfulalchemist.com/natural-elements/): Natural Elements Mosaics that speak the language of the living world, inviting transformation through the quiet wisdom of natural things. Click on images to see the story of each piece. Make A Wish14″ H x 8″ W x 1″ D$150 Tree of Life 20″ diameter SOLD Butterfly MandalaSOLD Interested in purchasing? Please use my Contact page to let me know and include the name of the piece you’re interested in. If arrangements can be made, local pickup is possible. Otherwise the cost of Priority Mail shipping with insurance for the value of the item will be added to your invoice. U.S. […]
- [Animalia](https://artfulalchemist.com/animalia/): Animalia Bold animal mosaics alive with personality and presence — a tribute to instinct, wild beauty, and familiar spirits who call to our hearts. Click on images to see the story of each piece. Wildland Vixen14″ H x 14″ W x 4″ D$650 Rodeo Queen12″ H x 6″ W x 6.5″ D$650 Zebra Talisman4.25″ H x 4.25″ W x .5″ D$45 Foxy(SOLD) SomeBunny Loves Roses(SOLD) Bastet(SOLD) Interested in purchasing? Please use my Contact page to let me know and include the name of the piece you’re interested in. If arrangements can be made, local pickup is possible. Otherwise the cost of […]
- [Things With Wings](https://artfulalchemist.com/things-with-wings/): Things With Wings Mosaics alive with feather, flight, and the kind of wisdom that arrives on the wind — luminous guides for the inner journey. Click on images to see the story of each piece. Lovebird7″ H x 3.5″ W x 6.5″ L$125 Pink Bird7.5″ H x 10″ W x .25″ D$60 Hootie8.5″ H x 5.5″ W x 5.5″ D$175 Purple Bird7.5″ H x 10″ W x .25″ D$60 Shorebird10.5″ H x 5.5″ W x 12″ L$225 Peace Partridge7.5″ H x 4.5″ W x 8″ L$160 DragonSOLD Raven KingSOLD Pink DragonflySOLD Interested in purchasing? Please use my Contact page to let […]
- [Old Bones](https://artfulalchemist.com/old-bones/): Old Bones Weathered, timeworn forms reimagined in mosaic – honoring what endures through age, memory, and transformation. Click on images to see the story of each piece. Foxfire – Coyote Skull Assemblage 11.5″ H x 6.5″ W x 4″ D $295 Spirit Of The Midnight Sky14″ H x 8.5″ W x 12″ D$600 Shakti – Coyote Skull 10″ H x 5″ W x 4″ D NFS Spirit Of The High Plains(SOLD) Spirit Of The Desert(SOLD) Spirit Of The Copper Wind(SOLD) Interested in purchasing? Please use my Contact page to let me know and include the name of the piece you’re interested […]
- [Spirit Keepers](https://artfulalchemist.com/spirit-keepers/): Spirit Keepers Talismanic mosaic portraits that blend symbol, story, and soul — made to hold meaning, offer protection, and watch over the spaces we call home. Click on images to see the story of each piece. Celestina8″ H x 8″ W x 1″ D$150 Deer Shaman12″ H x 5.5″ W x .25″ D$150 Light Bringer8″ H x 8″ W x 1″ D(SOLD) Woodland Sprite8″ H x 8″ W x 1″D(SOLD) Queen Bee8″ H x 8″ W x 1″ D(SOLD) Athena’s Dream8″ H x 8″ W x 1″ D(SOLD) Interested in purchasing? Please use my Contact page to let me know and […]
- [Blog](https://artfulalchemist.com/blog/)
- [Fallen - An Illustrated Allegory](https://artfulalchemist.com/fallen-an-illustrated-allegory/): What if the journey you fear the mostis the one that would set you free? Once upon a timeless now, in the aftermath of a deep period of grief in my life, a story was seeded within me by a healing phrase given to me in a dream: deep water leaf. As I set out to explore what it means to be a deep water leaf, the tale of Alora and her fall from the Dreaming Tree became my answer. And that is how Fallen came to be. It is the journey of a soul who chooses to fall, to forget, […]
- [Mosaic Art](https://artfulalchemist.com/mosaic-art/): Mosaic Art Galleries Each piece is one of a kind and carries its own story and energy. Spirit Keepers Talismanic mosaics of symbol, story, and soul — holding meaning, offering protection, and watching over the spaces we call home. Things With Wings Mosaics alive with feather, flight, and the kind of wisdom that arrives on the wind — luminous guides for the inner journey. Old Bones Weathered, timeworn forms reimagined in mosaic — honoring what endures through age, memory, and transformation. Animalia Bold animal mosaics alive with personality and presence — a tribute to instinct, wild beauty, and familiar spirits who […]
- [Contact](https://artfulalchemist.com/contact/): Contact Me Fill out the form below, or shoot me an email if that’s easier. I’d love to hear from you! Whether you have a question about a piece, availability, or want to connect about Fallen, send a few details and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. claireperkinsart@gmail.com
- [About Me](https://artfulalchemist.com/about-me/): “Using old jewelry, stones, tile, glass, beads, buttons, and other found objects, I build connections through color, shape, texture, and theme.” About My Art I’m Claire Perkins, aka the Artful Alchemist. Alchemy is a process of transformation. It’s the transmutation of discarded or ordinary things into something more precious. For me, creating mixed media mosaic is the artistic embodiment of that idea. It is a way of bringing disparate parts together into a greater, more beautiful whole. Working with old jewelry, thrift store finds, beads, and broken glass, I imagine and create expressions of fantasy, nature, and spirit. I blow off […]
- [Home](https://artfulalchemist.com/): I’m Claire Perkins, aka the Artful Alchemist… Alchemy is a process of transformation. It’s the transmutation of discarded or ordinary things into something more precious. For me, creating mixed media mosaic is the artistic embodiment of that idea. It is a way of bringing disparate parts together into a greater, more beautiful whole. Learn More This is the alchemy of mosaic:the transformation of ordinary things into mixed media art imbued with story and soul. Mosaic Art Galleries Each piece is one of a kind and carries its own story and soul. Spirit Keepers Talismanic mosaics of symbol, story, and soul — […]
- [Privacy Policy](https://artfulalchemist.com/privacy-policy/): Who we are Suggested text: Our website address is: http://artfulalchemist.com. Comments Suggested text: When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment. Media Suggested text: […]

## Optional

- [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/artfulalchemist.com/mcp)

[comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)