Art Transmutes Death

I was living in San Francisco during 9/11. Then came my own near death experience. To cope with the extremes of grief, I leaned into multimedia collage and occasionally toyed with film making to slowly unpack my new life. Nothing would be the same and everything would be viewed through a kaleidoscope of spirituality and art. A year later, I picked up a paint brush to give structure to the ghosts I was seeing. Not long after I was in my first art show at Studio Z. For the last twenty five years, I've called in spirit to help me alchemize feelings, sensations and messages pre and post medium psychic readings. I've also used art to organize my thoughts about some of the intense house clearings I've done. But my overall intention with creating is to bring more beauty to the depth and breadth of life through found things.

One work in particular that I am forever proud of, lost a bit of blood over (and guts) over is Recycled Jesus. I had just moved to back to Jim Thorpe and was bartending at Flow while I working in my own retail shop. It was a very transformative time. I woke up at 3am, as I often did when spirit would have a message or tug at my heart strings. This one me compelled to work with broken glass. But first, I had to draw on a piece of plywood the vision. Next shift, I took empty bottles out of the recycling bins and home to get squealy clean and meet my hammer and a pillow case. Spiritually, I was working through a lot of Mary Magdalene energy and experiences. A woman I had never met called me on the phone to say that she believed I was the reincarnation of the Red dressed disciple of Yahweh. I did block her because it freaked me out so bad. At the bar, I had my fair share of getting shit on by patrons for not going along with their drunken rants about Jesus being my savior (while wearing a pentacle around my neck). These same preachy drunks chugged their fourth or fifth beer then proceeded cheat on their spouse in front of me. Recycled Jesus took on an even more supernatural tone as I got close to finishing him for an art show I would have. I only worked on him at 3am while the neighbors downstairs fought like it was going to end in murder. When I would cut myself on the broken glass, I would ask Mary M to heal me. I wiped my blood off the glass and said, "we're a part of each other forever my brother." It was like the three of us were in cahoots. My then business partners husband offered to make a frame for this enormous piece that was thousands of shards of mirror, beer and wine bottles. On a sunny afternoon, in front of Venus and The Moon, my first brick and mortar on Race Street, I painted the newly made shadow box black. I was a lone on the street, no cars. No tourists. My business peeps we'll call them Regina and Stan were in the shop wrapping soap bars.

It was one of those rare, quiet days with not a lot of foot traffic. The kind of work day where you could get some housekeeping done. So we did. As I squatted down in front of the art, which was leaning up against our building, an invisible hand, (I felt all four fingers and thumb!) gripped my left arm tight, picked me up from my squat position and launched me into the air. I went flying. My paint brush went flying. The paint splattered. No one was there. Not one person to the visible eyes or my third eye. Regina and Stan ran out to see what happened. They felt an energy shift in the air.

Then, two days later, it happened again inside of our shop. This time, the hand gripped my right arm and threw me into a table and chairs. Regina and Stan saw the whole thing (and me) go down. Stan helped pull me off the floor. While we put the shop back in order, Regina cried. She said she saw a woman who looked like like she had the head of a cat do it. Next weeks Spirit Story will be about the Demon clearing we did and what happened next. Recycled Jesus is at

home on Race Street at Country Witch. In fact one of the owners had a photo of him on his phone and shared it with me. Candle magic and soverignty for RJ make me so happy. So do the stories of people thinking they see a spider, lion or owl when they look at him.

If you're ever in Jim Thorpe, please look Visit Country Witch at 57 Race Street and tell me what you see and or feel. I'm sharing this supernatural tale today with a phantasmagoric twist! This past week, I made top 20 in Johnny Depp's The People's Artist contest. I'm currently in 4th place. Now, there are 4 more days to VOTE and you can do it every day for free to help me get my next art show, if I win - in Los Angeles. A total dream. The People's Artist & The Art of Elysium uses creativity as a catalyst for healing and connection. Since 1997, the organization has empowered artists and communities through tailor-made art programs designed to help people overcome social and emotional challenges. This truly speaks to my heart. To have an art show in California, the west coast, that helped birth my artistic and spiritual life would also, truly be a full circle moment. Could you help me make that happen? This is the link to vote. I appreciate any and all love and support you can give at this time from the bottom of my heart and thank you kindly in advance.

Next week the Demon clearing on Race street. But for now - here's to dreaming, KEEP DREAMING! XOXO, Michelle G