Feeling Blue

Original Artwork by E. F.

I have finished working with the day care centre for the summer. The group of women (older people, elderly, active age, retired! not sure which term is p.c.) are all so different in their abilities, creativity and approach to art. However the one thread for me with them all is the need to help them see themselves with fresh eyes. I often think that my work is not to inspire, guide or teach, but to help people unlearn beliefs about themselves or about art that serve no value to them.

Above is a painting by one of the women who I find a big challenge on some days.  And those days are always the ones when she feels low. She lost her husband recently and comes to the centre for company and to get out of the house. I can't imagine what it would be like to spend your life with someone, share all your memories, raise children together grow old, make plans and then to wake up one morning and that person is gone. With all the years ahead to re imagine as a single person.

She claims to be no good at painting or drawing and only comes for the company. However each day she turns up beautifully dressed. She chooses her outfits to balance perfectly with tones and textures matching or contrasting and always a stunning piece of jewelry. If I try to tell her she is very artistic she won't believe me. She is also the one person who works so fluidly. Sometimes I put a still life composition in front of her and she uses it only as a starting point. The end result never looks anything like what is on the table, yet it is always so creative and unique. Everything she looks at she interprets but when she finishes she sees this as a minus not a plus and is always so critical of her work. If artists just plainly copied what was in front of them art would be so boring and bland. Interpretation is what makes it individual and creative.

When I return after the summer my focus is going to be on individual inspiration and developing  creative confidence. I hope I can make E.F. she her value and use art to help her feel inspired and revived and not something more to feel blue about.

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As promised I have been looking around for art that has a purpose other than hanging in a gallery (even though I love art that hangs in a gallery.)
I came across a really interesting blog site...

http://www.postsecret.com/

It is full of homemade postcards where people share their secrets. Some are funny and some are quite sad but it is all so interesting. Let me know what you think?