The Healing Power of Creation

The Journey

Fine art has always been a powerful force in Roxane Gleghorn’s life: Her children are all creatives; she has worked for and with professional artists; and she has helped collectors choose and acquire masterworks.  And yet, Roxane rarely participated in making art—until recently, when creating with crystals and resins. 

After surviving a devastating, seven-year battle with breast cancer, Roxane fell into physical and emotional darkness. “I went from being a successful businesswoman to being someone I didn’t even recognize. I felt lost,” Roxane explained in a recent interview.  And then she saw the light. It shone through her first attempts at integrating color, different types of pigments, texture, depth and natural crystals. It opened her to the loving energy of the earth. It clarified her purpose. The freshness of play and joy blew in. The air of freedom and empowerment whirled into her soul’s house—expanding and healing and awakening.  “Art is my escape, my outlet for self-expression in this crazy world. I have found myself again—found my joy, my inspiration.”

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”     – Thomas Merton

Safety and Inspiration

Roxane decided to return to her native state of Nevada and the little town of Hawthorne, where she was born. Turning to nature for encouragement and insight, she spent time in the desert, smelling the sage, looking at petroglyphs and picking up crystals. She began carrying the gems she found with her, contemplating how to incorporate these earth-treasures into her paintings.  Suddenly, she felt more grounded, more at peace. But more than anything, she felt inspired. “Since returning to Nevada, the region where I lived as a child, I have re-discovered the richness of our earth and the many gifts she offers. I was taken back to the youthful awe I felt when I dug for treasures in the dirt. And I discovered how beautifully resin art and natural stones complement each other.”

“Art is restoration: the idea is to repair the damages that are inflicted in life, to make something that is fragmented – which is what fear and anxiety do to a person – into something whole.”  – Louise Bourgeois

The Process

Roxane is fascinated by the freedom of resin, the challenge of controlling it, and the unexpected results it offers. She loves the merging of color and texture and the endless quest for new applications. Working with resin in a way that goes beyond fluid art and moves into three-dimensional sculpture gives her a tremendous opportunity to incorporate the vibrational and uplifting qualities of the earth and its minerals. “I collect and incorporate the things that move and restore me in a way that is shareable. If something can touch us, move us, ground us, and get us back to ourselves, that’s healing. So, I create, not just to heal myself but also as a message to those reaching for joy. Each piece is layered with time, patience, play, and experimentation. It’s a dance between me and art. And I do dance with my art. Not only can I sit with a partially finished painting for several weeks, listening for the music in it to lead me, I also dance physically. It is a big part of my process, it makes me happy, and it is great exercise too!”

More and more, Roxane enjoys working with an array of natural crystals and semi-precious gemstones, particularly in the rawest form. This marriage allows for the creation of unique, one-of-a-kind works that are deeply personal and thought-provoking. “The specific qualities of crystals and semi-precious gems, deliberately incorporated, lets me create works with deeper effect; works I hope may enhance your sense of wonder, shift negative energy, lift your spirits, promote self-compassion, and, ultimately, provoke the emotion you most need to feel.”

“It doesn’t matter how the paint is put on, as long as something is said.”   – Jackson Pollock