Show and Tell: Meditation Box

Beginning 3D Design was a course at university required for my arts degree. I had no idea just how much I was going to fall in love with mixed media. It was so much fun and so many artistic opportunities were opened up to me. We did projects using wire, paper, and the last one was called 'Personal Space.' I was to take a box... any box... and make it all about me.

I used a wonderful vintage doll case I had found in a thrift store. After sketching a plan for the compartments, I set to cutting, taping, and gluing my shelves, doors, and drawers using scraps of framing mat board. I decided this was going to be a portable meditation center. I could close it up and take it with me any time and anywhere I wished. I could take this out under my trees and embrace both spirituality and nature together.

 

There is a corked bottle for wine, along with some vintage glass communion cups I have had for a few years. (I have a small bin full!) Behind the cups is a hidden space for crackers or bread. Every partition, door, and drawer was meticulously formed to fit my plans. I affixed muslin fabric to the outside of my box. I then primed everything with gesso and painted. Some surfaces has from cutouts from an old book. I used clear acetate film for sliding doors on the bottom right that holds a stone egg I got in Italy many years ago and a very special nutria skull my granddaughter found and gave to me.

 

See more images of this project in a previous post: Thinking Inside the Box.

Everything in the box is special and/or represents important events or feelings. It is truly very special to me... 

 

In my 

Meditation Box:

Bottle for wine or juice

Antique glass communion cups (from my church after they started using plastic)

Candle, matches, incense, and small tile for holder

Alabaster egg from trip to Italy in 1970's (symbol of birth)

Nutria skull brought to me by granddaughter Athena (symbol of death)

Rolls of paper and small pencil (for notes and thoughts)

Souvenir thimble from Seattle  (bought when visiting a dear friend Laurie in hospital just before her death)

Rosary and crystal pendant

Dried flowers and miniature bird cage

Pine cone and Jacaranda pod

Other tiny treasures hidden in drawers

 

 

 

 

 

The meditation box was shown in the 2011 Student Art Exhibit at WOU.

 

 

I was afterwards inspired to make more. I have also made a couple of “Meditation Shelves' as gifts for my daughter Sarah and daughter-in-law Rosa. Read about them in December Days: Last Year's Gifts. I am already working on more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIAL NOTE: Every meditation box and shelf unit I make has a secret compartment!

This smaller box was made with a wooden cigar box with the same care and detail I used on my personal box. It is listed for sale in my Etsy shop HERE and is the most viewed item among all of my listings.