At the age of 29 artist,
author Jerry Wennstrom
let go of his identity by destroying his large body of art and giving away all
of his possessions. After living a deliberately simple, spiritual life for
15-years he eventually moved to Whidbey Island, married his life partner, Marilyn Strong
and began doing art again. He now has a large, new body of art, travels
nationally teaching, lecturing, presetting his art and the films that were made
about his life. He continues to do his art
and writes a monthly column for Inferential Focus
a New York City think tank and consulting firm.
Jerry Wennstrom is the author of The Inspired Heart and the subject of Parabola and Sentient
Publications videos, In the Hands of Alchemy and Studio Dialogue. The
tower that he build on his property on Whidbey Island, along with his life's
story is featured in the book, Holy Personal by Laura Chester. Jerry has published
and/or done over 50 articles, essays and media interviews. For more information or
to see his large new interactive sculptures, please visit his web site at www.handsofalchemy.com.
Jerry Wennstrom has presented at the Birmingham Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the EMP (Experience Music Project,) Glen Arbor Art Association, the Old Firehouse Art Center, Other Side Arts, UCS-NAROPA (Wisdom University,) the Vancouver Public Library, Western New Mexico University, California Institute of the Arts and NYU. He has also done over 50 radio, TV and magazine interviews and art features. For upcoming events, new artwork and more media please visit our bolg.
Also visit Stay Inspired -- a new organization we are involved with in the East Coast.
In 1979, Jerry Wennstrom, a
rising star in the New York art world, intentionally destroyed his paintings and
gave away his possessions and money. He spent well over the next decade
wandering, seeking, and listening, relying only on his own intuition and an
unconditional trust in the Universe to provide for him. In consciously emptying
himself of his identity, Jerry was led on an extraordinary spiritual journey and
ultimately, a return to creating art. In his new book, The Inspired Heart: An
Artist's Journey of Transformation, Jerry tells the story of his metaphorical
death and rebirth as an artist and as a man. The Inspired Heart is a
self-portrait of the life of a man guided by a desire to connect to the divine,
and armed only with an unwavering faith in Grace to sustain him. In sharing the
tale of his remarkable survival and his surrender to life experience, Jerry
writes "it is important to bring the mystery of this survival back to the tribe
as story." Ralph
White - NY Open
Center's Lapis Magazine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Inspired
Heart:
An Artist's Journey of
Transformation
By Jerry Wennstrom
ISBN: 0-9710786-9-6
Sentient Publication
www.sentientpublications.com
Distributed
by
NATIONAL BOOK
NETWORK
15200 NBN
Way
Blue Ridge
Summit, PA 17214
www.nbnbooks.com
PHONE: 717.794.3800
FAX:
717.794.3828
Ingram, New
Leaf, Baker &Taylor & more.
Read sample stories on our web
site. www.handsofalchemy.com
(See below
for Parabola/Sentient
Publication's companion video- In The Hands
of Alchemy: The Art and Life of Jerry
Wennstrom.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm sure that many people will find
comfort and inspiration in this book. Jerry is able to describe a spiritual
journey outside of any ancient tradition or modern system, and I trust that
originality. He avoids the many hollow words that sometimes enter contemporary
spiritual thought and embodies the idea that you can be fully spiritual and
fully secular at the same time. Jerry's experience shows that simply by being
receptive to deep intuition and living intelligently from the heart, you can
achieve a degree of holiness. In the old Sufi story people were amazed that
Mojud, an untutored wanderer, developed the power to heal. I expect Jerry's book
to be a source of healing, and so I can ask him the question put to Mojud:
"Under whom did you study?" I would expect him to answer, "It is difficult to
say." -- Thomas
Moore, author of
- Care of the
Soul and The
Reenchantment of Everyday Life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"One of the most magnificent things
about Jerry is his profound and courageous innocence. He has created a
friendship with a part of himself which is in love with the world, and his art
displays that. Jerry is one of the few people I know who, in a very quiet way,
has actually claimed his happiness in existence." -
David
Whyte author- The Heart
Aroused and Crossing the Unknown Sea
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Inspired Heart is a wise and
precious document, revealing the timeless secrets of simplicity and holy
revelation." --
David Jay
Brown - Author
of Mavericks of the
Mind and Conversations on the Edge of
the Apocalypse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"If you listen to what Jerry has
shared with us you will know how our wisest healers deal with the people in our
world. Each person needs someone to 'listen' to them. Jerry has brought us to
the inside of listening. Thank you Jerry for your compassion and your true and
generous gift of listening and allowing us to eavesdrop. Dahadubul, you have
honored each of us with the words shared in this book. These words express your
beautiful gift of honoring life in all of its forms." -- Vi
Hilbert - 83 year old Salish Elder,
Storyteller and Author of Haboo: Native American
Stories from the Puget Sound
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This
artist's thoughts and experiences of living on the edge will expand and
challenge your vision of life's possibilities. Travel along in the "now" as
Wennstrom surfs the waves of life and carries the most colorful people with
him. -- Joe
Kulin Publisher Parabola
Magazine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In
Jerry Wennstrom, his life is his art and art his life, a seamless flow from
inner to outer expression of light and dark, multileveled, joyously humored and
lit with authentic experience of being in service to its source. Above all, this
artist has learned to listen to the language of the larger life as it wishes to
be lived through him in all its joy, creativity, reverence - and as healing
power for our time.-- Claire
Dunne - Author- CG Jung -
Wounded Healer of the Soul
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In giving up everything -
possessions, attachments, even speech and food - Jerry Wennstrom found his true
self, and something more: the wellspring of human nature. His art reflects that
deep level of knowing which links each of us to that part of our nature which is
eternal. --
Deloris Tarzan
Ament - Author- Iridescent Light: The Emergence
of Northwest Art (And art critic for The Seattle
Times for over twenty years)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" He really is a kind of phoenix
who has risen from the ashes. He teaches us in a very gentle way you can survive
an act like that, you can come through as a human being with great gentleness
and beauty and that you can create your life in a highly profound and artistic
fashion." --
Christina
Baldwin - Author - Calling the Circle the First
and Future Culture, Journal Writing as a Spiritual
Quest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Few of us have emptied our cup
as completely as Jerry Wennstrom did when he destroyed his art in 1979, and
therefore few have experienced as deep a reawakening to the subtle stirrings of
the divine in everyday life. It's hard for me to convey how deeply I respect
what Jerry shares with us in his book /,The Inspired Heart, /in his art, and
above all in his person. Here is a completely genuine voice of creative
spirit."-- Chris
Bache - Author
of Dark Night, Early Dawn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We have in Jerry Wennstrom's work
something that is very needed for our current times: a life placed in service of
the soul's depth. This surrender to a deeper calling and the conviction
necessary to craft a life that supports such a response is medicine for our
troubled times. If we could all dip into the wellspring of creative faith that
Jerry has manifested then our world would be a better place. Jerry is an artist
that shows us how to have the courage to bring healing to our world. This is one
of the highest callings any of can have and we owe a debt to Jerry for helping
to guide us on our collective journey. -- David La
Chapelle -
Author-- Navigating the Tides of
Change
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The
Inspired Heart -- A needed true to life mythic story - Jerry Wennstrom's
narrative is piercing and irresistible. His courageous quest for spirit and
meaning in a world blinded by consumerism is a modern fairy tale to find the
source of art and inspiration. His stories invite the fearless heart to
open.-- Laura
Simms-- International
storyteller & Author - Bone Man and The Robe of
Love
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Inspired Heart: An Artist's Journey of
Transformation
Without hesitation, I can say that The Inspired Heart
describes in content, style and intention, everything that is near and dear to
my heart. It is, indeed, beautifully written, magically intimate and readily
available to all who might pick it up. If we could somehow put it into a form
that would dissolve, I think it should be put into public drinking water! An
odorless and colorless substance that could protect the soul from calcification
and nurture it into deep-rootedness in all aspects of life. The very attitudes and courage required of Jerry in
making this extraordinary pilgrimage are the same required...nay, demanded...by
any soul worker - counselor, analyst, therapist, or otherwise. How few really
understand this when wanting to be present for another. Being truly present for
another requires a ferocious trust: It requires the ability of the ego to
completely step aside and to remain steadfast and committed to the Unknown. It
is this trust that can heal, that can foster a capacity to love when one can
find nothing to love.What is describe in this book is the very thing
that is needed at this time in the world, for this understanding is in danger of
being forgotten, or hidden. Stories such as these are absolutely critical, both
as inspiration and as documentation.
Cedrus Monte, PhD
- C. G. Jung
Institute- Zurich Author-The
Moonlit Path: Reflections on the Dark Feminine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Parabola VHS Video & Now on DVD by Sentient Publications
The
Art and Life Jerry Wennstrom
Directed by
Phil
Lucas ( PBS & Turner
Broadcast- The Native American
Series) and Mark
Sadan (original film producer for Sesame
Street)
DVD includes the
new "Studio
Dialogue" a presentation by Jerry Wennstrom
filmed in Jerry's studio on Whidbey island, W.A. before a live audience, with
music by Marilyn
Strong backed by live musicians. Film
includes Jerry's latest, large interactive
sculptures.
To Purchase DVD
- www.sentientpublications.com or www.handsofalchemy.com
To Purchase VHS
-www.parabola.org or www.handsofalchemy.com
Jerry Wennstrom is one of a kind - and his point is that any of us can be
that. We can, like him, walk straight into the heart of mystery and emerge more
ourselves than we could ever imagine. His tells his story of being called to
destroy his art, of struggling to hear any message but that one, of surrendering
his will and allowing the soft something beyond will to guide him. It's all a
fabulous tale worth hearing again and again like a great myth, and it's a deep,
simple instruction for how to find ourselves in the middle of a life that seems
real, but is often missing the central character. Jerry's amazing recent
artwork, and his extraordinarily beautiful and talented wife Marilyn swirl
around this story of a courageous soul, making it even more compelling. Best
would be to know Jerry as I am privileged to do, second best is watching this
film.
Vicki Robin - Co-author, Your Money or Your Life
About the
film:
In the Hands of Alchemy is a
portrait of artist Jerry Wennstrom whose work and life have become one -- a
spontaneous exercise in joy and inspiration for all who aspire to make art out
of life. Jerry Wennstrom is an ordinary man who has made the extraordinary
choice to live, work and be in relationship in a state of surrender to the will
of divine energy. This choice affects everyone he comes in contact with. In the
Hands of Alchemy is a documentary of this choice and its effect.
Written for Parabola's "Cinema of the Spirit" festival, New York City,
October 2000. The film was selected by a committee chaired by director Martin
Scorsese.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In
the Hands of Alchemy features testimony by authors David
Whyte, Christina
Baldwin,
artist Deborah
Koff Chapin and
other friends and colleagues.. Included in the film are Depung-Loseling
Tibetan Monks blessing
a tower that
Jerry built on his land and footage of the monks humorously interacting with
his large interactive
sculptures.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quote from the
film- "There is a tremendous kind of
courage that Jerry showed in the midst of the chaos and the individual
loneliness of the Post-Modern world, to go his own way. It was the ultimate
artistic step." -David
Whyte author- The Heart
Aroused and Crossing the Unknown Sea
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"In the Hands of Alchemy is a
delightful film, an alchemical mixture in itself of inspiration, spirituality,
art and the story of a remarkable human being."
David
Spangler, author of Blessings; Parent as
Mystic, Mystic as Parent and Everyday
Miracles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"When
Jerry Wennstrom destroyed his art in 1979, he threw himself into the great
unknown searching for a more authentic life. Walking the road of radical
emptiness, the result was the emergence of a completely genuine voice, gentle,
sensitive to the stirrings of the divine in everyday life, and creative beyond
reasonable bounds. Wedding compassion and creativity, In
the Hands of Alchemy is
a rare celebration of life and the joy of spiritual surrender."
Chris
Bache,
author, Dark
Night, Early
Dawn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jerry Wennstrom
writes monthly articles for Inferential
Focus
a NYC think-tank/consulting firm. Mythic Journeys
Magazine
has
done an introductory interview and has begun featuring the articles in their
magazine.
LINK
TO MYTHIC
PASSAGES ARTICLES
BY JERRY WENNSTROM
Jerry's artwork is being used to illustrate myths in a new film called "Mythic Journeys" Watch trailer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current interviews/art
features:
Click HERE to listen to a
recent NPR -
KUOW Interview.
Normal
0
Mariel
Hemingway interviews Jerry Wennstrom -
Normal
0
Normal
0
Normal
0
http://www.healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveAW.htm
Artist
Interview Magazine - http://www.artistinterviews.com/news-jerrywennstrom.htm
Hoard
Art Magazine - http://www.hoardmag.com/jerryw/1.htm
New
Dimensions Radio - http://handsofalchemy.com/media/interviews/radio.htm
NY
Open Center's Lapis
Magazine
http://www.lapismagazine.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=7
Marilyn Strong & Jerry Wennstrom
Pomegranate Seed Productions
PO 522 Clinton, Whidbey Island, WA 98236
soluna(at)whidbey(dot)com