Aphasia Clients and Zentangles

I have written before about my over 20 years of volunteer work at the York Durham Aphasia Centre. Details are here,  here and here. 

Every year I choose a new famous person for the clients to work on upside down. This year I decided that the Queen Mother would be our "lady of the year". She was an amazing woman always with a smile and a very kind face. This is my version of her for clients to draw upside down. It is from a picture of her when she was in her late 90's and I loved all the wrinkles  and her beautiful round face.

The clients are great sports.... think I am a little crazed but they try what I suggest with amazing results. I also introduced them to my newest obsession [one lady with limited speech when I said I was going to tell them about my new obsession blurted out "oh no" .... so funny]. Zentangles at the Aphasia Centre in Newmarket was a big hit. They even took 3 sheets of "homework" with them to work on over the next month. 

I am by no means an expert on Zentangles but look upon them as organized doodles. At the Aphasia Centre I have the clients use doodling as a way to tap into the right brain and stimulate the brain. When I was researching  my new obsession I ran across articles about how Zentangling stimulates both the right and left brain.... perfect for people with brain injuries. MRI's show us that if part of the brain is damaged the rest of the brain reorganizes and starts compensating for the damaged area with varying results. Anything that stimulates the brain can create these new pathways over time so why not Zentangles and the bonus is you have fun.

The clients last week were tired after the "Zens" but very enthusiastic. I am anxious to see their homework results.

Contact me if you want any information about these programs.

More Zentangles

Here are some more Zentangles. Working on another one.

I introduced them to the clients at the Aphasia Centre yesterday. More about that later. 

 

February

Well the death flu took a bigger toll on me than I thought but I am feeling myself again and it's February. Days are noticeably longer  ...  5.40 and it was still light out yesterday.  I haven't really painted much this last little while but have rather been playing with paints. I can feel excitement and creativity bubbling up .... the one idea leading to another so for right now I am just going with the flow. 

My latest new obsession is Zentangles [Google it for thousands of images]. I have always loved to doodle and have been preaching to the Aphasia clients how important doodling is to your brain. I was introduced to Zentangles on Thursday and cannot stop creating them I am working on my third one but here are the first two that I created. They are on 9x12 paper and are a great way to spend time. 

Favourite

My favourite time of year is now. 

I love the spring, the colour of green in Southern Ontario is so beautiful. 

I love the temperatures especially if it is hot, it's like little surprises of summer. 

The smell of spring, apple blossoms, lilacs, peonies all so strong 

I love the baby animals in the spring, the goslings, calves, horses just enjoying the moment. 

The rain in spring smells so wonderful

My favourite U2 song is Beautiful Day.... 

Enjoy this beautiful spring day

Happy Spring

Awakening

Hard to believe it is spring already, my favourite season and with the weather we have been having in Stouffville it feels more like summer.
Only one week left for the Lemonville Group Show at the Town Offices. A great show!



Gearing up for our annual show at the Lemonville Community Centre. This painting might be there!

Bob Hope

I volunteer as an Art for Communication facilitator at the York-Durham Aphasia Centre, part of March of Dimes Canada. More details about the program are here,  here and here. It is a program that I helped to develop and we have what I consider spectacular results. 

People who are living with Aphasia [a communication disorder after a stroke or brain injury] have many challenges looking for new ways to communicate, after all speaking is only one way to get a message across.The Art Program helps give them another tool for communication. We stress the process not the product. 

Each year I choose a face for them to draw upside down as a brain exercise. Last year it was Lucille Ball, the year before Elvis; we have draw Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln in the past. 
 
This year I decided on Bob Hope. In this complex world we live in it is nice to remember this wonderful entertainer. 


Thanks for the memories....
Bob Hope for 2012.

Brushes

I know people agonize over brushes and have a large collection of them .... me to.

Several years ago I took a fascinating 2 day workshop on making brushes... mine looked good but fell apart when I got home. A master Chinese brush maker taught the classes and even though my brush was not very useful I gained a lot of knowledge and respect for people who make brushes by hand. Last fall I wanted to paint with feathers [one of the brushes at the workshop was made of feathers] ... just wanted to try it out. I fastened several white feathers that I had bought on to the failed brush handle and voila a useable facsimile of a brush. I created this painting with my feather brush and it is now in a new home.

The Wave

This is another painting created with my feather brush. 

And then my brush fell apart [I think the handle is jinxed]

Anyhow today I decided that I enjoyed painting with feathers so much that I would make some permanent feather brushes. And here they are..... painted with them today, had fun getting use to them.

Feathers, bulrush stick and masking tape makes a very useable and sturdy brush. Note the 3 different sizes! By the way they are no longer white feathers.

Watercolours

Summer's Heart

I love to paint in watercolours. They are unpredictable and fun. I am attending a watercolour workshop in September and I decided that it was time to flex the watercolour muscles. Trouble is it has obviously been a long, long time. I am rusty! 

Spent a week in frustrations but finally have got a few things that are workable. I am relatively happy with this one although it is a little "pretty". At least I don't feel like I have forgotten how to paint!

Art Battle

Went to very interesting event on Saturday night at the Varley Gallery in Unionville, Ontario.....an Art Battle. Thirty-two artists painted in three rounds of 20 minutes each to declare a champion as voted by the audience. 

It was very interesting, a great fund raising event. My only complaint was there were too many people and because of some snowy conditions it started late. We left after the first round because it was just too hot and crowded. If you want more information check it out Art Battle.
 
As an artist, I don't know how I feel about competitive painting but it was a different  kind of evening. This was the 11th in the GTA so I guess they are becoming popular.

Stain Painting

Another great workshop......Lots of great ideas. 

Tried stain painting on raw canvas. I had some good results. Here are a couple of them.