Coming Full Circle: Eclipse

Coming Full Circle: 
Eclipse Art Journal Spread Tells a Story

Welcome back to Beginnings. It’s the place where we talk about Fresh Starts, New Cycles, Experimentation, Exploration and Creativity. 

It’s a been several months since I posted here on this blog, and this post will explain why. I’ve been wanting to share but had not determined the right way to do so until now. 

I will use the context of my art journaling practice to share my story since it seems appropriate and timely to do so. 

In this post I am sharing with you my most recently completed art journal spread. Just for context, I will say that my art journal is not a daily practice. It can sometimes takes weeks or even months to conclude a spread from start to finish. Sometimes I simply need to wait to determine the next step, and I take my time and give my intuition space to determine what that next step is. 

With this particular spread, which I named, Eclipse, I began (in the early autumn of ‘22) with an idea in mind, using circles as my main motif/geometric shape. I initially planned to use the spaces inside the circles from the overlap to collage fabric. I did so in the first session. 

Some time passed with work and life keeping me busy. But when I returned to it, my trajectory changed. I began using oil pastel to make marks and circles and color in the spaces between the circles. I was especially drawn to black at one point, as if reflecting what my body intuitively knew was coming. Like a premonition. I don’t usually reach for black since it’s such a bold color; vibrant color is usually my jam. But black felt right, good, timely. 

A glimpse of a vertical eclipse. Copyright image Dawn Herring 2023

Bold Black in between the circles. Copyright image Dawn Herring 2023

The letters of eclipse are buried in black. Copyright image Dawn Herring 2023

As I worked with black, I realized what it was reflecting: GRIEF. I decided to pull some black from my fabric stash and cut strips of it and attached the strips to interior spaces between the circles already covered in black, like an extension of it, almost like tears being shed. 

It was at that point, after the holidays came and went, and we moved into the New Year, that my GRIEF was fully realized, an extension of what I knew was coming; it was just a matter of time. 

I got news that my father, my DAD, had passed away. P. Daniel Bel-Tempo. My beloved parent who I had the deepest connection with, firstly with being raised by him in the most sensitive, respectful and compassionate fashion. Secondly, through our love of music. He was a drummer for many years, and also tried his hand at saxophone and a bit of piano. 

This news of the death of his form came as such a shock even though I was expecting it. I can still feel that shock as I write this to you. Yesterday (from when I write this post), May 8, was four months since he passed. It has been quite the life changer, a major demarcation point, for me. Life without my father present in this world. 

My creativity was hit hard. I still used my daily illustration to express my grief and life’s continuance after this event. I didn’t go back to my art journal spread for weeks. But I now knew what the spread would be called. ECLIPSE. I felt as if the loss of DAD in this world felt just like that. An Eclipse of My Heart.

​It was only a few weeks ago that I returned to finish the spread. That is when I installed the word, Eclipse, in several places, both vertically and horizontally, showing, really, the impact my father’s death has had on me, both in my day to day interaction and thought processes as well as in my Connection with Spirit, as I work through and process this major life event. 

This is the photo that Mom gave me to remember my DAD. It sits in a gold frame and I took a photo of it so you can see my shadow. I am my Father’s Daughter.

This is my DAD as a young man in his army uniform. Yes, he was an Army veteran, of which I am proud.

I have been desiring to share this very important and personal news with you, my dear reader. It is difficult for me to write this but I felt compelled to share this with you now for several reasons. It is time to share my Grief. And I have concluded this spread during Eclipse Season, which is timely and completely aligning for me. And finally, today (the day I publish this) would have been my beloved father’s 88th birthday. So I decided that I must HONOR his LIFE by sharing his Death with you. 

Yes, he lives on in Spirit. He is free. He is well. He is at Peace. He is no longer bound by form. 
And I know that I shared with him everything I wanted to say before his passing. And we were able to 
Connect on the deepest level possible. And for that I am grateful.

And when I sit at my piano and play my spiritual songs, I know he can hear me. And he will always have a special place in my music studio, as I compose, sing and play. He was and still is and always will be my inspiration. 
I know I have made him proud. 

I love you so much, dear DAD. Thanks for being you. And may you be honored today (and every day) for the life you lived as my DAD. 

And thank you, dear readers and friends, for being a part of my creative and life journey and sharing in this honoring of my Dad’s life and in his passing. Thank you. 

Yes, this is a Major Life Cycle come to a close; coming full circle, for my dad, and for me. And now I must move forward as a New Life Cycle begins. 

In my heart, my soul, my creativity. 
And You are welcome to join me as we Begin Anew together.