WELLNESS ARTIST

Kristina Campbell © Artful the Gallery

ARTFUL : THE GALLERY PRESENTS ‘Ancient Songs’,

a solo exhibition of artwork by local multi-media artist Kristina Campbell. This body of work, produced over the past decade, is populated with the Norse gods.

Kristina Campbell is a settler on these lands, the eldest daughter of Danish immigrants. She grew up on the unceded traditional territories of the K’tunaxa in the interior of B.C., the Creston Valley. Since 2015, she has gratefully made her home in the Comox Valley on the unceded traditional territories of the K’omoks First Nation.

Campbell’s deep fascination with Viking culture and the Norse gods began in a Viking graveyard, Lindholm Høje, on a trip to Denmark 15 years ago, culminating with a University of Victoria continuing studies trip to Iceland in 2014 accompanied by a Viking archeologist and a geologist.

Campbell has reached back through her Danish ancestry to bring the Nordic gods to her mythopoetic sensibility as an artist. Painting with warm, rich red and earthen pigments, Campbell often adds gold leaf to her lyrical designs. Campbell initially learned how to ‘draw like a Viking’ by copying designs from each of the various Viking periods. She quickly found her signature method of ‘drawing’ with a Dremel drill into the surface of wooden cradle panels. In 2020, seeking security in the early days of

the pandemic, Campbell began producing shields on round wood panels, complete with iron shield bosses and runic inscriptions for strength and protection.

Campbell’s mythopoetic style is an expression of her belief that working with mythology can give access to timeless human wisdom. Campbell believes that many people today are over-stimulated and starving for genuine, soulful connection. This, she believes, is leading many people to feel strife as they experience the essential patterns of life and death: the seasons, birth and renewal, change and stagnation, problem and solution. By using symbols, we can access human wisdom directly, instead of having to wade through the mess of information that we experience today. Mythology, metaphor, poetry, symbols, and dream imagery all embrace the non-linear, non-binary, fluid flow of experience, and these realms offer wisdom rather than truth.

These beliefs are also reflected in Campbell’s counselling practice, in which she suggests that the many aspects of human experience are to be understood as aspects of ourselves, and that each aspect can bring us both grief and joy. By using images and metaphors, Campbell believes we can loosen our defensiveness and regain access to lost, disconnected or unused parts of ourselves.

Early in 2020, moments before the pandemic, Campbell opened Artful : The Gallery in Courtenay. The gallery is not a typical commercial gallery, as Campbell provides exhibition space and promotional expertise to a wide variety of emerging and mid-career artists. The current exhibition, the 17th since the founding of the gallery, exemplifies the breadth of themes and styles featured at the gallery. Every visit to Artful : The Gallery is a unique experience, as the space is transformed with each new exhibition. Campbell has added monthly poetry readings to the gallery’s roster, featuring Vancouver Island poets.

For Campbell, without imagination there is no access to the language of myth or poetry, and she believes it is through immersing ourselves in myth and poetry that we grow our imaginations and creativity capacity.

Weds-Sat 12-5pm · 526C Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC kristinacampbellartist · www.artfulthegallery.com

Photo © Adobestock / gpointstudio

INGRID PINCOTT, ND

THE BEST PLACE TO BE when you are sick is at home, unless you are seriously ill or not improving, then head to the Emergency Room or your health care provider. This information is for self-care in the early stages of your symptoms of colds, coughs and flus.

A well stocked “Home Care Kit” comes in very handy when you are sick in the middle of the night or on the weekend! Here are some of my favorites. Dosages are reduced for children.

Vitamin C chewable or powder: Vitamin C is good for every body system. It improves your immune system to fight both bacterial and viral infections. If you are not sure what you have yet but you feel congested in the sinuses or chest, have a sore throat and feel a cough coming on, dose it upwards of 3000-6000mg per day in divided dosages or until you get a bit of diarrhea. You can maintain these high dosages until you feel better then gradually decrease it. Maintaining on 1000-2000mg per day during the winter and spring is a great preventive. Look for ACES and Zinc which is a natural immune formula that is easy for the whole family to take. Did you know that vitamin C is great for constipation? If you feel toxic you might want to take extra vitamin C for a week. It is great for cleaning out the gallbladder.

Echinacea, astragalus and goldenseal are more of my favorite herbs that give deeper immune support. St. Francis Herb Farm make a wonderful Deep Immune formula for those who tend to get really sick every winter with chest infections, colds or flus. This can be taken regularly all winter long as a preventive 5 days on and 2 days off. If you are getting sicker, then these wonderful liquid tonics can be dosed at 3-6 times per

day. A natural antibiotic that I have made up for my family contains vitamin A, vitamin C, echinacea, goldenseal, zinc and garlic. For children, tasty chewable echinacea or zinc tablets taken throughout the day are great at the onset of sore throats, colds and flus.

Drosera Cough Formula: It is always great to have a good cough formula on hand. This formula is for a dry cough. Bronchosan is good for a wet cough. My patients relied on my Upper Respiratory Formula for getting over a nasty bronchitis. Contact your ND for a comprehensive formula like this to have on hand.

Homeopathic Influenzium: these homeopathic pellets are taken weekly as a preventive all winter long, and taken up to 6 times per day at the onset of symptoms for both children and adults.

Probiotics: Acidophilous products can be wonderful for treating diarrhea. 10 billion organisms per capsule is a good dosage and can be taken every hour to help with diarrhea. Did you know taking probiotics regularly helps prevent colds and flus?

Epsom salts: one to two cups into a hot bath is great for fever and chills or aches and pains. For children, transdermal magnesium may work better rubbed into the feet or the neck to help with aches and pains. Did you know that Epsom Salts is a detoxifier? If you feel you are having a reaction to something take a hot Epsom salt bath.

Ginger: I recommend having this fresh root frozen in your freezer. This makes a great tonic for the lungs as well as the digestive tract. 2 cups of ginger boiled in one gallon of water for one hour makes a strong tea that can be diluted if you find it too strong. It can be consumed hot with honey or in the case of children made into popsicles. Ginger breaks up mucous in the lungs and helps with chest infections. It is also great for nausea and digestive upset as well as motion sickness. Did you know ginger is also a treatment for morning sickness?

Peppermint tea is great for spasms of the digestive tract, gas and bloating and heartburn. This can be mixed with chamomile tea for a calming effect on the body. Children will enjoy this sweetened with honey. When I was a child my father made me drink 1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar in hot water with honey at the first sign of a sore throat. It tastes bad but kills the sore throat! Did you know apple cider vinegar is also a natural antacid?

Knorr Chicken Noodle Soup is a favorite in our house when feeling under the weather with no appetite. The salt keeps up the electrolytes and the noodles provide a few carbs. Follow with a hot bath to help you sweat a bit.

Keep these things in your Home Care Kit, as the last thing you want to do when you are sick is head out to look for any of the above. You will be glad you did!