Family Art Therapy

I paid 10 dollars for this table in a yard sale and had it hanging out in our foyer. Can't remember how the idea came about but decided to involve my close family and friends in this art project. By the time it was finished it ended up being a pretty amazing process and I discovered many neat things about my family and friends along the way. It was really interesting for a myraid of reasons. First being my brother-in-law got more into the project then my sister and my father who dispises painting still created a piece. My nephew was only 1.5 years old but had a fun time contributing.

While it was excellent to watch everyone create or hear about their experiences perhaps one of the most profound parts of entire process was both of my grandmothers contributions. My maternal grandmother has Alzheimer's and was in an assisted living home when this was created. She was a very artsy crafty woman. My paternal grandmother is a very anxious wonderful woman and had never painted before in her life. (Though she did embroider and create blankets with the help of my aunt for many years but did not consider this art). While at home visiting one weekend I made a picnic basket lunch, picked up my paternal grandmother and we went to the nursing home to visit with my maternal grandmother. We all had lunch outside on a beautiful summer day. Following the lunch I pulled out the paints and tiles and asked them both to simply create. My anxious grandmother was of course anxious because this was a very new experience for her but she did amazingly well (the sunflower tile- note: sunflowers are her signature flower) and my other grandmother struggled. It was difficult for me to watch her because she had been such an artistic woman and she struggled with painting and what to paint, but I was very proud of her to for creating a piece. I also believe this was an enjoyable highlight to all of our lives.

In the end, this project was like family art therapy. I now have a unique piece of furniture that continues to catch my eye and help me remember those I love and the experience of creating this piece with them. Overall my mother, father, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, grandmothers, two close girlfriends, my loving boyfriend, and myself created a piece. Below are some pics and a description of how it was made.

My boyfriend helped me to frame in the table top with some simple inexpensive wood trim from HD (Home Depot) to create upraised walls boxing in the top. Then I purchased 12 white tiles from HD for about a dollar each. I purchased glass paint kits from a local craft store and took turns passing the paint kits around after giving everyone a tile. I purchased a finishing top coat and applied it to each tile twice, used tile adhesive to place them on the table top. Crushed a blue tile that I purchased and placed it in the center, then grouted, cleaned off the excess grout and applied another top coat for extra protection (can't have enough of that).

Artistic, Cheap and Functional

I wanted to create a base to hold two individual coat hooks for my office and went googling shopping for cool designs. I found this awesome group called "The Crosbie" on Esty. It originated with 3 graphic designers who use a piece of wood, neat looking coat hooks and screen printing to make these awesome fun yet functional coat racks. They also make many other cool products; key hooks, necklace holders, etc...

I don't know how to screen print and was very tempted to head to the art store to buy the supplies necessary to screen print, but fought the urge and utilized my own skills to create my version. I still have to screw down the coat hooks but I like the outcome. It was easy and fun, but I'd still like to try screen printing another time.

Tick Tock what a clock

I created this clock as a sample for an art therapy exercise I used with HIV affected children/teens quite a few years ago. It was a group of all males who loved creating and making things. The premise was that they each built a clock from scratch and what they painted on the clock had to do with representing their culture/family of origin. Mine was a based on a melting melt.

This clock then got placed in various spaces over the year. An office, our kitchen and then sitting on top of a book shelf for a couple of years since I moved. I've been searching for a decent clock for my work office for about a year now. The one that came with my office even with a new battery had a life of it's own and jumped the time continuum daily. Then I attempted to order one from Office Services department and they thought they were being helpful by giving me one that was given to them for storage...it's a huge classroom size clock and for lack of something better I've been using it, but it sticks out like a sore thumb. So, I've taken matters into my own hands and decided that while my clock from years ago is pretty neat looking it doesn't really look professional enough for work.

Below is my effort to give the clock a face lift. It was an interesting process where nothing worked out according to plan. First I painted over existing image with a solid metallic burnish red color, then I put a coat of crackle clear paint on, and then a coat of black paint topped with a satin varnish. Let's just leave it as the mixing of all of these elements made an interesting end product.

Before

After

I was ROBBED!

Can you believe it... I waited for half a day yesterday before they posted the winner of the Mary Lou Panter Scholarship and I checked my phone and had a long distance message and....I was robbed! The long distance message was from Rite Aid and the winner when finally posted was for a Gail from NYC. Totally NOT ME! What a bummer!

Creativity and Madness

I entered to WIN an all expense paid trip to the Creativity and Madness Conference in Santa Fe, NM this August. This foundation is pretty darn neat! They have conferences that you can go to all over the world and the idea is always around the concept of creativity and madness. Is there a connection between being artistic and being mentally ill? hmmmm...what do you think?

Check out their link: http://www.creativityandmadness.com/

By the way, I got my essay in way early and had two double proof reads and so I'm pretty optimistic that of all of the essays mine will be picked as the WINNER!

Oh the things I can think UP

When I purchased our new living set (of off craigslist of course), it came with an ottoman. I replaced our traditional coffee table with the ottoman but then had to think of a way to have a place to put stuff on like drinks, plates, etc... So this is what I came up.

I found a shadow box about 16x16 at Michael's Craft store and took some old fashion tiles (left over from our bathroom renovations) to make this impromptu tray. I painted the tray first then used tile adhesive to adhere the tiles down and when dry I grouted. Looks good, it's useful and the entire project using left over materials cost about 10 bucks.

**super secret shopping tip for thrifty shoppers: go to www.acmoore.com and print out a coupon (every week you can print a new one for 40% one item). You can use this coupon not only at AC Moore but Michael's Craft Store. They kind of give you a dirty look when you use it but they have to accept it. Great way to save money on the more expensive items.

Art Creating and Mimosas

I did end up going to the art therapy get together. It was a bunch of people enjoying art and creating 6x6 art pieces to enter in the 6x6x2011 art exhibit. It was held at Arbor Arts a studio/counseling center. The atmosphere is pretty neat and kudos for the founders in daring to open the center.

http://www.arborarttherapy.com/

I had a good time with lots of new fun art materials provided. Plus it helped that they had an awesome array of breakfast food and mimosa's present!

Here is my second piece that I created.