Juniper and Dandelion
we wild
once upon a time two friends lived in different hemispheres. ...
We met while studying with our teacher who lives on a third continent. Life is busy, but we plan to shout out to the realms our love of VISUAL MEDICINE, a method created over 40 years ago by our teacher Suzette Clough in London. Below is our conversation about life, art, imagination, colors… Let’s see where this takes us.

Working with Suzette
Working with Suzette and participating in her Visual Medicine™ training has been profoundly transformative for me, and I feel truly fortunate to have been invited to her first, on-line version of this training and part of this creative and spiritual work. I had planned to get on a plane to London just to participate and, since I live in South America, imagine the economic relief in knowing I could still participate without the extra cost of plane fare and lodging. Knowing what I know now, however, after having been on this journey, it all would have been worth every single peso.
Working with Suzette has felt like coming home to my origins: I’ve spent just over half of my life in Chile, having left California for Santiago for a three-month visit 27 years ago. Post university, Spanish became the language of my daily life and any further training or courses —or just anything— I’ve done in Spanish.
My work with Suzette allowed me to return, again, to my native language—English. My roots are English, so the feeling of knowing she works from London has felt familiar, beyond language. What’s remarkable, however, is that through Suzette’s teachings, I’ve rediscovered a language that reaches far beyond words or place: the language of The Creator. It’s a mother tongue I didn’t even realize I had lost touch with.
While I don’t usually consider myself an artist, the VM practices and painting sessions have filled my house (which seems to have turned into a studio!) with colors and images that sometimes leap off the paper and engage with me. And sometimes, I can’t help but laugh and think, “Wait, is this really happening?”—like when I see a bird or ocean landscape or even Smokey the Bear just recently appeared in my paintings. It’s surreal and delightful all at once. But I know I’m not making up what I see. We can trust our experience. My husband or daughter might not exactly see what I see, for example, but, at least for me, I see what I see and I’ve learned to honor that. Most of the time what comes through is a feeling or a thought or idea as I connect with the paints themselves. No painting session is ever quite the same.
Co-creating with the Great Mystery: Through Suzette, I’ve learned how to trust this deeper creative process, co-creating with what I might call intuition or my higher self—or simply, the “great mystery.” There’s something so pure and joyful about it that at times I can’t help but think the connections I make are pure coincidence. But time and time again, something magical happens. I feel like I’m being led by an invisible hand, showing me new ways of creating, and I can’t help but be surprised by the images that emerge from the wet paint and watch the paint dry and transform into something completely different sometimes.
The process is delightful, surprising, and emotionally revealing, even hard work sometimes: This work has been more than just creating paintings. It’s been a profound emotional journey. There have been moments where I’ve tapped into feelings and relationships I had forgotten about, and at times, the creative process has led me into unexpected emotional depths. Suzette holds a safe, welcoming circle. I´ve been vulnerable. It’s okay. We are each allowed to explore our experiences and emotions if we want to. I’ve never felt pushed when I haven’t wanted to share. Throughout my work with Suzette, which includes the VMä facilitator training, I feel like I’ve been through the whole birthing process: the stages of longing/fantasy, desire, contact, fertilization, gestation, about to pop, “are we there yet?”, labor pains, PUSH, and finally giving birth. One could say I’ve given birth to a family of little post-card sized colorful babies, and I have, but most of all I feel like I’ve given birth to a new me, a me who speaks and relates in a different language and who now simply sees the paintings and the world differently. Like so many experiences in life, nothing might look very different on the outside, but I feel the internal shift. I’m currently in the, so,-here-I-am,-birthed.-Now-what? stage. Like a bird, just hanging out here on a branch or a cliff, [not quite] knowing that there will be wind, flight, plummeting until, hopefully, flapping.
Beyond painting: What I love most about working with Suzette is that this has never felt like just a painting class, not to diminish “just painting” classes which I’ve also taken and loved. Suzette starts with all the needed logistics and covers all of this very professionally with her complete lists of materials and answers questions like how to get your lids unstuck and questions about stinky paint. She’s great at answering all my basic questions (I was never trained as an artist). For me, the class became a space where I could show up “as is”, where whatever came up for me in the moment—whether it was an emotional block, a creative challenge, or something deeper—was welcomed. It’s felt like talking to a trusted friend who wants the best for me or a skilled therapist who makes me feel safe and understood. It’s in this safe space that I’ve allowed myself to be vulnerable and creative without the pressure of “producing” something pretty or perfect.
The transformational power of this work: I don’t consider myself an Artist, but I can claim I’ve done quite a bit of inner work. I’m a trained Gestalt therapist and have spent my life on a spiritual journey, including exploring a long path of Buddhist meditation. I have my own list of life experiences—losses, celebrations, and everything in between, just like we all do. Yet, meeting Suzette has felt like encountering an element of my life I was longing for without knowing I was longing for this, the feeling of having a soul sister who is many steps ahead of me on a similar path. The feeling is DIFFERENT than what I’ve experienced before. There’s a sense of timelessness in the way Suzette works, and it has to do with a feeling of being connected with the work of the divine feminine. Suzette opens the door to this for me. I often think of Suzette as being on the same spiritual and creative wavelength as the great artists and teachers— I like to imagine that Suzette’s own older sister on the path as being Hilma af Klint. That’s how strongly her work resonates with me, and I feel like I’m part of a larger, deeper circle of wisdom with everyone in the group.
A journey that unfolds in layers (A hero’s journey): I had the joy of being part of Suzette’s first online course, even before she offered the first Visual Medicine™ facilitator training, and it was such an economic relief not to save multiple flights to London each year to study with her. But I was ready to do that, even, for the facilitator training because working with Suzette has been such a deeply enriching experience. It’s a training that works wonderfully on-line.
After my first course I knew I’d landed in fertile soil. I went on to take several more of her offerings before signing up for the facilitator training. I sighed up without knowing where it would lead me, exactly, but I knew I wanted to continue the work. I was curious. I was hoping to understand the many layers of this process, for one. I also found it like studying meditation—just when you think you’ve understood one aspect, another layer reveals itself. Kind of like when I was climbing to Machu Picchu— “Are we there yet?” No, there’s another peak and surprise ahead of you.
This journey continues, but instead of it exhausting me or feeling like I need to get to the top, it thrills me to know I can keep deepening into it and climbing to new heights if I choose to.
It’s about walking a creative, spiritual path. I’m not in it to “get” something or turn this into a commodity. I can’t even imagine selling my paintings or doing a show. Believe me, I’ve thought about it! But I’ve learned that this is not what Suzette is teaching us. What matters is the practice itself and the process of showing up and creating, learning how to listen to the paintings, do the writing practice to see how it all guides me. I’ve realized that this work is about coming home to the origin of who I am and starting to recognize a new language as it unfolds.
Suzette’s depth as a facilitator and teacher: What strikes me most about Suzette is the depth and authenticity she brings to everything she does. She’s not just a facilitator or a therapist; she’s an artist, a mother, a wife, a friend—a full person. She’s professional and responsible in all the right areas to hold such a space. A the same time there’s a beautiful imperfection about her, thank god. I honestly do not enjoy courses with a tone and pretense and attitude and aroma of everything’s perfect and scripted and sweet and spotless. It’s that very messy paint-splashy imperfection that makes her work so powerful and credible for me. It allows me to show up as I am—imperfect, vulnerable, and open to the creative process. I deeply appreciate her humanity and how she creates space for us to be our true selves, too.
The facilitator training: A little confession: I’ve been careful about recommending Suzette’s courses. I find myself in this polarity because I feel both excited and protective of this work. I’m always afraid I might end up have to defend the true nature of my paintings, so I often keep them to myself. It’s not just about learning how to paint or about teaching others how to paint. At first glance it might seem like that, but it’s not. It’s about a deeper, richer experience that requires an openness and a willingness to go on a personal journey. It requires some open-mindedness and deep respect. And if I might say this, some humility. By humility, I don’t mean insecurity. I mean having humility in the face of what we think we know (about art or painting or groups or inner work or whatever) and having humility even in the face of what we think is possible.
At the other extreme of my little confession, I want to shout from the rooftops to anyone who will listen: Take these courses, just anyone! Do it! Even sell it and not get it but do it because you’ll have so much fun! I can’t keep the fun to myself, you will love it even if you just try it once and then decide to go back to photography or water color or making dinner!! The world needs more of Suzette’s wisdom. What I’ve gained from the facilitator training is so much more than technique. I’ve learned to ground myself, be present, and let the work unfold. I’ve learned that we don’t need to change who we are or “to know more” to create; we just need to show up and trust the process. This is about coming home to our true selves.
In conclusion, Suzette’s work has had an enormous impact on me. It’s changed the way I approach my creative process and my life. I do enjoy watercolor, and my approach and experience to the painting I had done feels different now. The work I’ve experienced with her has helped me reconnect to a deeper part of myself, and I’m deeply grateful for that. I can’t recommend her courses highly enough, as they’re not just about painting—they’re about transformation, self-discovery, and creative expression.
Thank you, Suzette, for everything you’ve shared with me and with us. You have my deepest respect and gratitude. I feel we are sisters on the same path, and you have been leading the way, as you yourself are being led by our great great great great great dear dear dear dear dear older sisters.
Con Mucho Amor,
Jennifer Wickham
Santiago/Concón, Chile
(Originally from Oregon, USA)

Hero’s journey
This is a picture of my screen from Suzette Clough’s website. I include her site here so you can go to it, meet her and see the work and language she is bringing into the world after 40+ years of development. If you’re interested, take everything you can from her.
I am her student.
I am also a Visual Medicine Facilitator, trained by Suzette. It’s some of the most personal and creative, spiritual work I’ve ever done.
I can only imagine how many times this painting has been looked at, and how many blessings and messages it has given. I’ve personally never heard anyone talk about it, so I may not see what others see. Or what I’m about to say has been said before. But it stopped me in my scrolling and speaks to me:
In this painting I see a person who has set off onto a hero’s journey. This person has not only just left the shore but is on their way. Possibly already making their way over a few streams, and in the thick of the landscape, rocky cliffs, fertile moss-mud, valleys, fields of clover… deep into the terrain of the journey. Could she possibly know that up ahead there is a wider, deeper river? That a choice will inevitably be made? Will she decide to follow the river upstream to see where it came from? To climb to the water’s spring or glacier or snow-capped mountain and drink from the source? Or will she follow it downstream to discover where it leads? Or will she choose to wade or swim through the river and leave this water way behind her once and for all, trailblazing a new path, into the wild, slightly exciting unknown?
Or will she find refuge and rest on an island where she can be safe for a night to gather strength to continue her crossing? This river may take her in more than one direction. If you are drawn to the island, it means you need to pause and rest before continuing on your journey.

Secret cat society
Dear Juniper,
Oh the times, these days! Every single one feels an accomplishment. Each time I make it to my bed again I thank the gods. Keeping my mind in my imagination seems to be the only thing that helps. And resting, I’m needing so much rest.
How are you, my buddy? Are you well?
Remember I went on two overseas trips this year? I’ve never even been across the ocean before in my life, so this is a BIG DEAL to me! I adored my travels and replay them by going thru my photos, often. I found I have MANY photos of doorways. I knew I liked doors, but this must be part of my story.
I have a story! I love doorways!
Here’s one I found on a random charming street in a random adorable town in my beloved Spain.
What’s up with that arch? Maybe to allow air inside the chamber-room/secret passageway? And the portal/doorway is as small as it looks, on the ground, tiny. Like as tall as my knee. A door sized for a small creature? And where does it go into a room? Down some stairs? Into a labyrinth? A library?
Once while commuting home on my bike I saw a meeting of about 9 cats, in a field, near a line of trees. Maybe this door and whatever is inside is for a special secret society of cats. I think yes, that must be it.
So I imagine myself peering into the doorway, scooting a bit closer and a bit closer. I duck my head into the dark, my eyes fall into shadowspace and find this mysterious painting on the opposite wall.

What a gift, finding a painting cloaked in small door shadowland, the combination of my two loves doors and art. Let’s see what happens. Will you discover with me?
Of course this is Visual MedicineTM. An abstract interactive artform where all of creation can talk to me, thru the paint. It is mysterious, colorful, revelatory. Our teacher Suzette Clough created this life-changing artform.
This painting is a back-side. Those scratchy marks must have been part of the surface that got picked up from a previous session. To me, those marks make it look old. Cave-painting old. As if the best I can do is mark on the stone with another stone. No skill, just muscles pushing into rock, making my mark.
Or maybe the scratches come from the secret society of cats, their agenda for this gathering, or their club rules, or today’s menu.
Now, check out that yummy texture bottom left, it looks almost like stone and what I didn’t notice when I chose this piece is that it is portions of multiple paintings, echoing the piecing together of stones in the old wall.
Meeting places. Lives coming together. We gather. We don’t know who will show up. I often try to remember that any happenstance can make a stranger into a friend. All it takes is a traffic accident, the power going out, or standing in line at the DMV. Opinions can shift, connections are made, friendships are created, dashed, or deepened. Paint mixes, blends, overtakes, or turns into a completely different color.
We change according to what our friends do and think. They say we’re a combination of the 7 people we spend the most time with. When a friend dies or hurts us, there’s a tear in our world. Things don’t seem the same anymore or ever again. Layer upon layer of time, meaning, love, accommodation, and cooperation makes a third being, the friendship is made of you, me and our bond. Elementally art is made of the paint, paper, water, me, all in combination to end up the final piece of art.
That floating arch. A perfectly mysterious element, like much in the painting, like much in life, like much in the combination of two lives.
Will you wander with me, peering into portals, making art and connections?
Dreaming…

If you are a dreamer come in
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer…
If you’re a pretender come, sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!
Dear Juniper, I AM a dreamer!
The little ditty above, of course, by the genius Shel Silverstein, again.
Look at this, my Visual Medicine painting. Talk about dreams or dreaming or I should say DREAMY. Those colors are unlikely, but so is our friendship, this project, this life. Unlikely and precarious but bold and gorgeous. What a privilege to be alive in these times, where entire universes spill from my palette, echoing the first creations in our heavens. How did I get so lucky?
Talking about dreams, one of my favorite songs since elementary catholic school is Aerosmith’s Dream On. I can listen to that one piece 10 times in a row. Dreaming for me is filled with wonder and space. So much space, more space than I have in this body or in my mind. So much space anything can happen, all the worlds can be created, changed, peaceful. Those worlds I create I fill with trees and dogs whose feet smell of popcorn, fill with cool burbling water and polished rocks that tell stories of the ancients.
I am thrilled to be dreaming with you!
Love, Dandelion

Welcome



This is a Visual MedicineTM painting.


Visual MedicineTM by Jennifer Wickham
Welcome to our conversation
Two friends, artists, mothers, partners in art. We’re not certain where we are going but we hope to get there together.