Brenda Ferrimani

Brenda Ferrimani began her artistic work in the 1980’s as a graphic designer, operating her own design firm with clients throughout the state of Colorado, where she resides. During this time she also became known in the area for the historic murals she painted with private and public commissions, and for her work as President of the Berthoud Arts and Humanities Alliance, lending her support to other Colorado artists.

Preferring a new direction from commercial expression, she has recently begun to devote her talents to subjects with personal meaning. Her artistic work now reflects a passion for inner examination, a desire to express the mystery of the psyche’s inner world and the power of dreams to impact and change our lives.

In 2000 she was attending artist to the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts, held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and in 2001 her work was included in “Dream Odysseys” at the Porter Gallery, UC Santa Cruz, at the annual IASD conference. Her articles and artwork have been published in The Rocky Mountain Dream Journal, Dream Network, and DreamTime.

Artist Statement

“The Silver Tool”

The dream:
“I am holding a silver tool and making circles that become worlds. My son sees the tool and what I can do. He says, ‘Mom, that’s cool! Can I use it?’ He takes the tool from my hand and leaves in my car.” —Brenda Ferrimani dream journal.

About the dream painting:
“The Silver Tool” depicts our ability to create and transform our reality. The woman holding the silver tool is an archetypal symbol of the creator as the Goddess. Creative energy first begins in the feminine, or the unconscious area of the imagination. Then, the masculine takes the tool when thought becomes action and ideas become manifest in the real world. The four planets represent the four planes of expression; the spiritual, the mental, the emotional and the physical.

“Meeting the Inner Saboteur”

The Dream as related to me by Joan Borysenko:
“I was in New York City and I was greeted by two Buddhist Monks in orange bath robes. I woke up briefly and thought to myself , ‘This must be a spiritual dream.’

The dream continues…I am trying to cross the street. I run because the light is short and I can’t make it before it turns red. I know I am dreaming and I know where I am supposed to go— A brownstone building. Time is short so I will fly. It’s over there…

I fly there and I go to the top floor of the brownstone. There inside is a very dangerous young man, a gang member. I look at him and say, ‘He is very dangerous…He could kill me! On the other hand I am dreaming.’

As I look at him something remarkable happens; an exchange of energy and light through our eyes and hearts. All of a sudden the exchange expands into a near death experience as I see what must be a review of his life, but I am in the position of a being of light and so am able to witness without judgment, with pure love. I see scenes from a very abusive childhood. At one point he is even pushed down the stairs by his parents! As a being of light I feel deep compassion for this child. The room begins to fill with the most beautiful light and love.

The dream ends with me thinking to myself, ‘Do I want to use my dream body to visit my mother, or shall I just sit and meditate?’”

Comments on the painting:

Joan’s dream is rich with many layers of meaning and visual images. Knowing I couldn’t paint everything related to me in her dream, I had to choose.

To me, New York City is a very powerful and energetic symbol and I felt it had to have as much of a presence in the painting as the male and female characters I focused on. New York City in a universal sense is where the whole world meets in trade, politics, art and culture. It embodies all that is positive and negative in the waking world. In my version of Joan’s dream, I can’t help but see how recognizing the darker aspects of human nature (greed, hatred, nationalism, racism, etc…) in ourselves, and seeing these qualities with eyes of compassion could heal the whole world.

The dream also speaks to me on a personal level. I often dream of New York City, and as an emerging artist it speaks to my own desire for commercial success. Artists of all types go to New York in hopes of making it big! Some questions that come up for me upon meeting my inner saboteur are: How do I unconsciously ruin my own success? What voices inside my head that tell me I am undeserving, that I am not enough, or that wanting material things are bad, do I listen to?