John Paul Caponigro’s Next Step Alumni Group

For over 10 years I’ve been mentoring a select group of individuals. Their progress has been thrilling to watch. It’s been a true privilege to be a part of their growth. July 7 their first Group Exhibit will be unveiled at the Maine Media Workshops. (link)
Barbara has been a member for 4 years. Here’s one important thing she learned and her work.
Alumni Insights
The most important thing I learned from my participation in John Paul Caponigro’s Next Step Alumni Group, other than the privilege we have to be able to partake of John’s artistic career as well as his insight and directive in our creative expression, is that we can become a part of a living organism rather than a Group organization.
Participation in the apparent difficulties that we ourselves go through as well as the success stories and journeys of others can become a personal experience to each one of us. We can see the fact that we belong to a group as a whole (one) rather than individually. We can get involved seeing the Group as a living organism rather than an organization with the assurance that what takes place when we meet, is far beyond those undeniable reasons to attend a workshop.
Artist’s Statement
My work is an anthology of what could be called “eternal moments”; images captured as an expression of my identification with Life in the form of Nature as an integral part of my Essence and Being.  I could also define it as occasions when I am at One with nature and the conscious distinctions between the self and the observed fade away. I believe one must move beyond the dualistic concept of “an artist and his work” in order to create and experience art in its essential timeless expression.
This expression is the resultant flow from an interminable encounter with Life.  Through this interaction, my life as a seeker has given way to the profound inner confirmation that art and artist are One. Therefore it has become an indescribable joy to experience the world as an observer while being inspired to transcribe spiritual truth into visual imagery.
See more of Barbara’s work here.
See the Next Step Exhibit at the Maine Media Workshops July 7 – 30.
Find Barbara’s Next Step Blurb book here.
Find out more about my workshops here.

Biography
Born in Colombia, Barbara Myriam Ventura started her artistic journey with studies in oil painting followed by graphic arts. She then worked as a professional graphic artist and airbrush illustrator, free lancing for companies like Colgate Palmolive, Biersdorf, Warner Lambert, and others.
Upon moving to the United States, she worked as art director for a software company while pursuing  her passion as a spiritual teacher. After a few years she started studies and courses in digital photography as well as digital imaging with well known professionals reviving what had been part of her early years as a photographer.
In recent years, Barbara Myriam has been traveling the world capturing images, or what she would call “eternal moments” identifying with nature as an integral part of her essence and being. Her work reflects the powerful timeless inspirations that transcend the concepts of duality that separate the “artist and his art”.  For Barbara Myriam, there is a moment of artistic expression when artist and art-form are one and the same. In those rare moments, the expression of life is captured within the image, and the result to the enlightened eye is a profound sharing of the experience of that life.