I was introduced to sandtray about a year ago and love the process. I find it meditative, calming, and a great way to tap into the creative flow. . Typical sandtrays used in Jungian sandplay therapy are equipped with an array of miniatures such as archetypal figures, common objects, places, animals, and elements of nature. These items are used to create a symbolic world. I created the sandtray pictured below out of a recycled child's desk as part of an art assignment in which we were to paint a found piece of furniture with images, symbols, or other designs derived from a dream or from a family story. When I found this particular table I became very excited because beneath the top there is a drawer below that is the perfect size for a sand tray! I have decorated the top cover of the table with my dream imagery and made a sand tray for underneath the cover.
The Project
The sandtray was exhibited at a Masters in Art Therapy art exhibit at Saint Mary-of the-Woods College. The exhibition of the sandtray was intended as an interactive art piece where visitors to the exhibit could create, play, and explore the process of working with a sandtray. My hope for this project is to create a community art experience and to nurture community dialogue on the nature of the creative process. Those interested in sharing their experience with the sand tray were encouraged to send me their images and/or comments to be posted on this website.
The image painted on the cover to the sandtray is derived from a dream I had. In my dream I am standing in a shallow pool of water at the edge of a sea or ocean. The setting is in the evening with the light of the moon or just at dusk. The light is low but glowing. I am plunging my hand beneath the surface of a beach of fine black sand and pulling up beautiful quartz rocks that are smooth, semi-flat ovals. I am surprised at my find and hold these rocks in the palm of my hand to gaze at them in wonder. This is a fitting metaphor for my experience with the sand tray. Often I am quite surprised by what is unearthed during the creative process, that which is just beneath the surface of my awareness.
In keeping with the ocean shore theme this sandtray was equiped with assorted rocks, shells and smooth colored glass. Participants were encouraged to create a mandala or whatever else they wished with the items provided
The Process of Creating the Sandtray
I chose to work with the image of the shore and water because I wanted to get the feel of the movement of the water, and the soft shifting sand beneath. Because the intended use of this table is for drawing, meditation and sand-play I wanted to use muted colors. I have combed the cool colors of the water with the warm and golden colors of the sand and rocks. I chose to use only shells, stones and smooth glass for the sand tray to further reflect on my dream and deepen the experience symbolically. While working on the piece I thought some words of wisdom or poetry at the top might be nice so I began to search for something that would convey the intent of the piece. The following poem by William Blake seemed to me to represent the sense of awe and wonderment that I experienced when I discovered the beautiful stones in the dream.
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
~William Blake, Auguries of Innocence, 1810
And a Heaven in a wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
~William Blake, Auguries of Innocence, 1810
My first mandala with my new sand tray! The warm sand feels so good! I find sand-play very calming and centering.
This mandala was created shortly before finishing the installation of the show and helped me to center myself in the chaos of activity and collaboration among our group of eight artists.
