Personal illumination...

Some of the most intriguing projects are the unexpected ones. Illuminated lettering is one of the most beautiful forms of art because it's in an unexpected place. Sharing this art form with our artists proved not only to be easily adaptable but also telling. Each person had a choice of several types of lettering (Celtic, Medieval, etc.) to create their own unexpected piece of art. After choosing either their first or last initial, they painted the letters. Some were quite elaborate while others delicate and deliberate. I loved that no matter the ability, the outcomes were equally artistic. 

After the paint was dry, we attached the paper to pieces of chip board and painted a light layer of metallic paint for a regal sheen. We then used the chip board to construct a journal. These little surprises of creativity thrilled the artists and brought a wonderful conversation about seeking out the beauty in every day things.

Smooth as silk

Silk painting is a project that is accessible for many levels of abilities and intriguing enough to draw in even the most skeptical artist. With a little preparation and planning, these pieces open artists to worlds of wonder with one simple brush stroke.

I prepared this piece of silk ahead of time by using a silk resist to create the white lines...that's it! The artists simply dipped their brush into the silk dye and touched it to the silk. The dye spreads and blends together in magical ways and provides an immediate effect that engages artists from the beginning.

The combination of the immediate outcome and the vibrant colors amazed one of our (usually very quiet) artist so much that the support staff was surprised to see her so engaged. It created a touching moment where people who work with this artist every day saw her in a completely different way.

The mystery of masks

I'm always ready to jump into a project that offers a great tactile experience as well as a visual one. This one did not disappoint.There is something very magical about masks and the anonymity they offer. We started with a lively discussion about different situations where you might wear a mask and how much fun they can be. Many of our artists shared warm memories of times in their lives they enjoyed this magic. We shifted the conversation a bit to tribal masks and their purposes. We even had an artist share an experience they had visiting a Native American tribe and witnessing the construction of a ceremonial mask.

Using a simple piece of bamboo as the base, the artist placed glass beads and wire to create faces with amazing expressions. These pieces became a great focus of laughter and curiosity for months to come whenever an artist saw them hanging on the wall.

Architectural masterpieces

Collage is a go to art project and you'll probably see me post about it many times. It is one of those rare "ready made" creative processes that you don't really need to think too much about in planning. If you have an interesting collection of pictures, do-dads, even scraps of paper from previous projects, you've got the makings of a beautiful piece.

These pieces came from a discussion we had about medieval architecture and gargoyles. After choosing different drawings of architectural elements, interesting dimensional pieces were added as the top layer. Artists placed pre-cut branch and leaf shapes, skeleton leaves and laser cut wood circles (the artists were very excited about decorating these in glitter!) to give the pieces a lot of depth. As always, my favorite part was the many conversations that were sparked both by the theme and the process itself.

Personal Nichos

A great way to connect artists to the project is to make it personal. This provides an avenue for them to express themselves and gives the facilitator a window into their ever changing world.

These personal nichos (altars) were so much fun to create, not only because of the whimsical nature, but also because the artists felt a true sense of ownership to the piece. I achieved this by providing many trinkets for the artist to reflect on life events, memories or just something that made them smile. This artist chose things that reminded him of a life of travel, he even added a little bottle that contains a secret message.

Starry, starry night

Watercolor is probably one of my favorite painting techniques with our artists because it is so flexible. For this project, I prompted the group by talking about gazing at the night sky and the effect of the Aurora Borealis. It was so fun to see individual's interpretation of the colors. We used an alcohol technique to add interest and texture to the watercolor and then, once the paint was dry, embellished with little jewels.

There was a lot of interaction between the artists as they compared the very unique outcomes from the same basic process. This also provided avenues for lengthy conversations about memories and life experiences of being outside at night, looking up at the stars and enjoying the beauty of it all. I think they did a brilliant job of creating their own personal northern lights effect!

Circles, circles everywhere

This project is a great example of providing quality materials to allow the art to become an equalizer for artists of varying abilities. The simple process...painted background, pattern paper layer to add depth, and circles made from bright handmade paper...made the process accessible and still maintained an artistic outcome.

Giving artists ample choices in colors and sizes of circles, but keeping the shape the same avoids over stimulation and "cluttered" art pieces. Magically, this also creates a wonderful sense of accomplishment because there was really no wrong way to create the piece. Each artist could put as many or as few circles as they wished. The high quality handmade paper added sophistication to the piece without breaking the bank.You could really feel the energy in the room when we laid out all the different and exciting circles! Finding little ways to bring quality materials to the process gives the artists a true sense of pride with their piece.