Cody Goodin - The artistic and spiritual journey of Cody Goodin

Welcome to my blog again.  After the exhausting healing art journey I took a week ago, i decided I wanted to try some new things.  In this first photo you can see the start of a new full body clay sculpt.  I am playing with proportions here as I wanted this figure to have an elongated torso, arms and legs.  He will eventually be a house hobgoblin.  I am hoping to post more progress pictures as I move through the process of bringing him to life. In the second picture is a new technique for me at least.  I am using one of those wooden artist manikins as an armature.  I have sculpted the head of a new version of the pumpkin queen I did a number of years ago.  I want this new series of dolls using this technique to be pose-able   So, I thought this would allow that.  It isn't perfect for posing but, at this stage good enough.  Again, I will post pictures of her as she progresses. Thanks for stopping by to s...

 Novena figure with the body covering day 8 Wow!  I can't believe I made it through this process.  It was a tough one for me this go around.  When you tackle something so dark in your past that has such a profound affect on every aspect of your life, there can be some trepidation.  Yet, the desire and need for a since of closure and completion was so needed at this point in my life.  It seemed that the past two years had been heralding such a profound change in my life.  From the diagnosis of prostate cancer to losing two good friends this year I knew the Universe was preparing me. Who knew loss and abandonment could cause such total chaos and negative processes in one's life.  Yet, I slowly acquired the tools over the course of my life to find a way to receive the healing I so desperately needed.  There have been many great spiritual teachers in my life that have passed on the tools to find my own enlight...

I am moving along in this healing art journey.  On day five I did journaling about what my experience has been so far.  I have made many discoveries which I know that I knew on a deeper level but, didn't want to face in my conscious state.  Abandonment is something that I liken to a computer virus.  It starts off under the surface.  But, what it does is cut you off from the outside world in so many tricky ways.  It causes you to see the world through the filter it creates.  From it's tap root of separation it spawns the seeds of unworthiness, miserliness  and rage.  Increasingly it cuts us off from everything that would bring light into our lives.  Slowly but surely your trust is dissolved until you trust nothing or no one.  I mean NO ONE.  This includes the Unicvrse or God or whatever higher divine nature you might think you believe in. That is some  powerful shit as has b...

Day three of my healing art novena I have finished the final layers of the skin tones and have begun painting in the eyes.  This is the part I hate most for someone like me who has difficulty seeing anything.  But, since I did not have any glass eyes to use, I am painting them. Here is a shot of the head, hands and feet and I have applied the second paint layer on the eyes. On day four I have finished the painting for the most part and have given these parts a chance to cure. This is a shot of how the head looks so far.  I am still debating on putting some age spots on the head, hands and feet.  But, I have applied the eye glaze to give them more life.  That is it so far.  I am going to build the body armature on day five which is technically today.  But, I have to work a six hour day at the art store.  So, we shall see what I manage to get done.  Thanks for following along.

So, here we are on day two of my novena art ritual.  I have sculpted the hands and feet.  This is pre-paint job. I have given them their acetone rub and am now mixing the paint.  These are the first sets of hands and feet that I felt pretty good about.  My whole thing is not to get too anal about creating an uber realistic look.  But, I want them to have the character of the whole piece and to relate to the head as best as I can. Here is a front view of the head and face after the initial few paint layers.  Sorry, I forget to take step by steps.  But, the first layer is a wash of medium magenta acrylic.  I learned this trick from my dear friend Lorell who uses this process in her work.  It gives the piece a strong blush foundation that for the skin color I am trying to achieve works really well. One thing that often happens in this process of healing is a bit of tear production.  Yes, I did do that several times. ...

OK, my friends I am going to attempt something a bit different than my usual art and postings here for a little bit.  So, hopefully you will appreciate my journey I have just begun.  First let me start out by saying that I am a big supporter of art as a healing tool.  Throughout my doll making career I have made a number of healing dolls for friends and family and that  is what actually started me off in doll making.  Many times I have used this art form to help me cope with a variety of issues that I have experienced over the course of my life.  Even as a child I made rag dolls to play with and they became my personal family. Where am I going with all this you may ask?  Well, I have finally reached a stage in my life and as an artist where I can finally tackle a very deep personal issue through my art.  I am not sure what doors this will open, but one thing is for sure.  It will be a healing experience as it has already begun that proce...