"Patchwork Quilt" Bird Collages

We have been hard at work this month on our "Patchwork Quilt" Bird Collages.  Several of my students took a look at my sample piece and noted that it looks like an old timey patchwork quilt- so the name stuck.

Originally I had used magazine pages cut in small pieces for the "quilt pieces"  but one day, could not find my bag of cuttings so resorted to using scrapbook papers instead- and I must say the results are actually much more colorful and pretty.  So we have continued to use random scrapbook papers as our base collage- sometimes they are so pretty, my students don't want to paint over them- and I agree that the paper collages could stand on their own as a work of art.  Here are some of my students in action:

My ladies at Atria in Richardson- hard at work!

A collage in process

My group at Chambrel at Club Hill hard at work!

Close up view of a finished collage

We will be finishing our mixed media collages tomorrow at Chambrel- so I will post photos of our finished masterpieces.  I am very excited to see how everyone's artwork turns out!

Till then-  Have fun and Stay Creative!

Stephane

Having Fun with Fresh Flowers

I love flowers!  I love growing them ( when it isn't a scorching 110 degrees), I love making them out of clay, paper and  paint, I love working with silk and dried flowers.  But I have to say- one of my absolute favorite past times is working with fresh flowers.

Recently we started a fresh flower arranging class at Horizon Bay in Plano.  I teach everything from Wine Appreciation classes to Arts and Crafts there- and this is our newest endeavor.  Yesterday we made homespun table centerpieces using quart size Mason jars.  They really worked out great!  We finished up just before dinner time- and they were a big hit with all the other residents.

I took the  circular lid out of the mason jar and cut a piece of chicken wire to fit just inside the top to create a floral frog.  It really helps to hold the flowers in place well.  Before we started working with the flowers we talked about some basic ideas of floral design, learned how to properly clean and prepare the flowers and how to care for the arrangements so they will stay fresh looking for several weeks.

Everyone really had a great time putting their unique spin on our project-  We made 21 arrangements in only 1 1/2 hours.  Here are a few pictures of our class:

Beverly hard at work!

Miss Flo working away-  i think she put together 4 or 5 all by herself!

Our group in action

One of our finished centerpieces

A cart full of flowers ready to go to the upstairs Memory Care dining area

The flowers really brighten up the dinner tables!

From the reactions we received from the other residents- I expect to have a lot more help in class next time!  Well- gotta dash!  Today we are finishing up our "Milk Carton Bird Feeders" at The Courtyard in Mesquite- and I have about 12 bird feeders to prep before class.

Till next time-  Stay Cool ( and I mean that literally) and Be Creative!

Stephane

Patchwork Bird Collage- Quick Tutorial

One of my very favorite projects that we started in July is another mixed media project that includes collage, acrylic paint techniques, and stamping.  I actually saw this project on blog-you can check it out here:  "http://www.crapivemade.com/ and liked it so much that I immediately got all the supplies together and did a couple of versions of my own.

My first try!

I loved it so much that I took the project to Silverado in Plano where we have already started our collages.  Some of my students are really excited about this project and are looking forward to finishing up this week.

Here are some quick instructions on supplies you will need and how to create this artwork:

• I bought 8 x 10 canvases at Michaels (10 for 19.99 regularly but with their 40% off coupon- its a deal at $11.99) 

• To save time in class, I went ahead and chose colorful magazine pages that we could use, tore them out and cut them into random sized pieces.  (Sometimes we even cut those pieces down to make the  collages a little morevisually interesting). 

• I downloaded a couple of different stock versions of bird artwork and created templates for my students to trace with a Sharpie (although I will probably do this step for my Memory Care students).

• Then using Mod Podge or watered down glue, create a collage on the unpainted canvas- cover the whole thing.  Don't worry if all of the edges are perfectly glued down- it adds nice texture if there are little imperfections.

For my first class- this was as far as we went in the process.  I only teach for about an hour- and the canvases needed to dry before we went to the next step.  I am going to trace the bird template for them before I bring the canvases back to them this week.

• The next step is to carefully trace the Bird Template onto your collage.

• Then with acrylic paint- paint around your bird design in your background color onto.  You don't have to cover the collage background completely- letting a little of the color show through adds interesting texture to the artwork.

• Then water down a little brown acrylic paint and lightly brush over the entire canvas- it is best to work is smaller areas and wipe off the excess as you go.

• Once you have antiqued your canvas you can dry brush accent colors onto the canvas and rub off excess or work it into the canvas as you like.

• As a finishing touch, I added some stamped images and words to my finished work

I have to say this is one of my favorite projects so far.  It is really a pretty simple project- but you get a lot of impact for your effort.

Will post photos of our finished work later on this week!

Till then- Have a great week and Stay Creative!


Stephane

Winding Down Summer Already

Wow!  Can't believe it is August 1st already!  This summer has just rushed by.  I am already planning Fall projects for my classes and thoughts of Christmas projects can't be far away.

This past month  I became obsessed with collage and multimedia projects.  We put together some fun collages working with watercolor, tissue paper and scrap booking paper with some great results.

This is my class at Silverado Senior Living in Plano:

Lorraine was very pleased with her watercolor collage!

Miss Helen is always a fast worker with fun ideas!

Miss Ruth always enjoys participating and had extra special help today!

Miss Ruth and her "art assistant"

 At Chambrel  at Club Hill we experimented with eggshell mosaics with some very interesting results.  We did some watercolor crosses then embellished with acrylic painted egg shell to create a "stained glass" looking mosaic.  I also started an eggshell mosaic butterfly and think this would be a really pretty project as well.

Our Eggshell Cross Mosaics:

Our new class member practicing meticulous brush strokes.

These eggshell mosaics take real concentration!

Who knew you could be so creative with eggshells?

Evelyn is a fast study with the eggshell mosaics!

July is Zooming By!

I can't believe it is already the middle of July!  With the July 4th holiday this month seems to have started with a "bang" (pardon the pun).  This post will be a quick one, but I would like to share a few of the fun projects we have done this past month.  In honor of the 4th of July we put together patriotic wreaths and painted red white and blue birdhouses.

We have also been trying some fun polymer clay projects this month- starting with a simple rose project and moving on to some fun red white and blue beads and pendants.  I think our first try on making necklaces turned out pretty great!

Evelyn with her new patriotic necklace

 

 

Another success!

Lots of discussion during the creating stage!

A girl can never have too much jewelry!

Every bead is handmade and unique!

Looks good!

Happy with her final result!

The polymer clay beads take several sessions to make.  We actually worked on this project in 3 different classes.  2 classes were spent making beads and we finished the cured beads and strung the beads in our last class.  We learned a lot during our first try and are excited to try this again very soon!

Gotta run!  But will post again soon.  We have been doing some great collages this past week using mixed media and am planning to do an eggshell cross mosaic today.  Will try to get some additional photos posted of these projects soon.

Until next time-  Have fun and Stay Creative!

Stephane

Proven Benefits of Art Programs for Seniors Living in Retirement Communities

With a slow-to-rebound economy and tight Activities budgets, one of the biggest challenges for Activities Directors who work with Seniors in Memory Care or Assisted Living Residences is deciding how to allocate their limited monthly Activities budget.

Why should they choose an art program over other entertainment? What are the benefits of choosing to incorporate creative art activities rather than opting for passive entertainment- even though the group participating in the art class may be smaller than a group enjoying a musical entertainer?

At first glance an entertainer seems to get more "bang for the buck". But participation in art programs has been shown to have a very positive long-term effect for residents. One compelling reason to incorporate an ongoing art program for residents is that while Alzheimer's and dementia damage the portions of the brain that have to do with memory and planning complex tasks, the part of the brain that is involved in emotion and aesthetic appreciation remains intact for much longer. Patients with Alzheimer's have difficulty with attention and concentration, but experts say that art therapy has provided an extraordinary outlet for them.

Dr. Gene Cohen, director of the Center on Aging at George Washington University, has studied the effect of art on people with Alzheimer's and has said "Art is a wonderful activity that taps into imagination. Even with the loss of memory, the capacity for imagination still has its place. That is one reason there has been increasing attention to art for people with Alzheimer's. Even as memory fades the imagination has the capacity to be robust.''

Art therapist Ruth Abraham, author of When Words Have Lost Their Meaning: Alzheimer's Patients Communicate Through Art (Praeger Publishers, 2004), agrees: "Art therapy has been shown to be a powerful tool for people with Alzheimer's; it helps them to express their feelings when they can no longer do so with words. This use of art helps people with Alzheimer's disease feel less lonely and isolated. It can also calm their restlessness."

Some of the proven benefits of engaging in creative activities with older adults are:

• Provides a form of nonverbal communication and expression
• Gives the individual a sense of choice and control
• Helps to reduce stress, fear, and anxiety
• Enriches relationships and encourages socialization
• Activates the senses and inspires spontaneity
• Encourages playfulness and a sense of humor
• Restores and motivates muscle memory
• Improves cognition and focuses attention
• Evokes new opportunities for connecting with others
• Reduces boredom
• Leads to self-expression and self-discovery
• Improves emotional and physical health
• Nurtures a sense of Self and renewed self-esteem
• Promotes relaxation and decreases disruptive behavior

I have seen first-hand while teaching art and craft classes to Seniors living in Memory Care and Assisted Living that they really do express their personal style, likes and dislikes, and individuality in their art projects although when some have later stage Alzheimer's. Even though we start each project with a sample to copy, similar color choices and supplies when individuals are encouraged to create their project in their own way- every project turns out unique and different- just like the person that created it.

 

Since I am not an art therapist, I don't have particular goals set for each class member when we are doing a project- we just concentrate on having fun, expressing creativity and socializing with the group. Many times class members are afraid they will "get it wrong" but with assurance that "There is no wrong or right in art" so they can't do anything wrong they feel freer to express themselves as they want. Going into a project with that attitude usually helps students relax and just enjoy the process- and the results can be truly amazing!

Doing something creative each day- whether it is gardening, listening to music, painting, cooking or telling stories- is a wonderful way for individuals coping with the effects of Alzheimer's and dementia to connect to an important part of who they are- and who they have always been.

It's June Already!

Wow! May really flew by quickly- with Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day and Memorial Day!  We had lots of opportunities to create colorful crafts for the Season.  One of our favorites- the kind of project that represented May Day, Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day was our fun and festive paper flower wreaths.

Paper flowers are an inexpensive, yet fun project and it is easy for everyone to do.  The activity not only yields a great result- but it is also a great opportunity to exercise hand dexterity and hand eye coordination. Everyone really had a good time making the flowers and seeing just how wild a combination of colors they could come up with!

Here are some of our group's creations at Horizon Bay in Plano, TX:

Beverly at Horizon Bay with her fun creation!

 

Flo was happy with her Paper Flower Wreath!

 

Inez always does a great job and is so creative!

Pretty wreath for a pretty lady- Great job Renee' !

We had more fun at Chambrel at Club Hill in Garland- take a look at these:

 Every wreath and every flower as unique as the person who made it!

Some of our other May projects were patriotic bird houses- in honor of Memorial Day, Pointillism paintings, and lots of gardening projects before the Texas heat hits for the Summer months. 

This month will be a month of Red, White and Blue projects, Door Wreaths, Indoor Garden Projects and Polymer Clay beginning projects.  Getting ready for Summer and July 4th will be fun for everyone this month!

If you have any Red, White and Blue projects that would be appropriate for Seniors- please feel free to share with me!  I would love your feedback!

Until next time- Stay Creative and Have a Happy June!

Stephane