I have been an admirer of the beautiful dream worlds painted by French artist Isabelle Bryer for many years now and she is an artist that I return to at poignant moments in my life...strange moments that sometimes catch me by surprise. I have only recently realised that I can see and feel the essence of the Dreamer in her paintings. The otherworld self, the holder of our mythic story. This dreaming and magical self often carries with it, the heart and wishes of our inner child. I love how her heroines are always so watched over and supported by both nature and totem animal spirits. I once sent Isabelle the video for Sarah Blasko's 'All I Want' as I thought it seemed to remind me somehow of how I felt when I looked at her art and Isabelle noticed that Sarah was wearing one of her art motifs, a rose-red heart embroidered on her jacket - I love these little and real signs of connection.

Isabelle has graciously allowed me to share her artwork Divine Intervention to represent the Dreamer in our Winter Solstice Swan Blessing - Enchanting the Dreamer. My Dreamer is definitely enchanted by Isabelle's magical creations and you can see more of them at her website - a wonderful place to learn more about what inspires the artist and also to glimpse a little of the mysterious process of making art. And you can purchase prints here at her Etsy store. Thank you Isabelle for your generosity and endless enchantment.

Snow Angel by Isabelle Bryer

Enlightened

Mystical Cat

Enchanted

I am Salmon

In this time of shift and transformation our dreams hold keys and symbols to help us not only unlock the deeper mysteries of our spirit but also real practical advice in how to navigate our waking world. In the last 12 months dreams have guided me every step of the way, they are the most important teacher in my shamanic path. In Winter I will be offering the first of our Active Dreaming workshops to connect to Ancestral Wisdom and receive answers for yourself in this changing world. I urge you to make time for your dreams by going to bed earlier to enable deeper sleep periods and waking earlier to give yourself time to journey back into your dreams to write, draw and make note of the messages held within them.

These amazing artworks have all been painted from dreams by artist and dream worker, Brenda Ferrimani. She says: 'Dream images have captivated my imagination and provide an unending source of inspiration for my paintings. It it s my desire to express the mystery of the psyche's inner world and the power of dreams to impact and change our lives.'

This is Brenda's description for the painting above, 'I am Salmon', a painting that came after asking Spirit for a name:

'This painting was inspired by a dream in which, I ask Spirit for a name. The name I was given was Salmon, because "I try so hard and through my struggles new creation is born." As I try to tell the people in my dream about my name I find myself swimming in the ocean. There are thousands of fish around me and I'm moving with the currents. I feel a big fish under me with my foot, and in the distance I see a Killer Whale breaching.

The dream left me feeling that I'm part of something much bigger than myself and that the movement toward a certain outcome and destination is out of my control. As an artist I certainly feel like a salmon. So many creative ones out there being driven by passion to express themselves! Also, the timing of this work is particularly cosmic as we struggle through the worst Recession since the Great Depression. There are many concerns for our planet as all humans strive to survive and make the world a better place for future generations.' Brenda Ferrimani

The Branching Woman

Soul Tree - Brenda Ferrimani

The Dreamer Loves Isabelle Bryer

The Dream Art of Brenda Ferrimani