Dancing Hands and Creative Souls » arts in healthcare

Making Frames for Art Show

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:55:27 +0000

Our nursing center residents are getting paintings ready for a public art show. They needed frames. A carpenter in our town who has done alot of work in building houses, brought his tools and volunteered his time to help us make the frames. He had scraps of woodwork and even some old wooden fencing that he had routed for framing. That is what we used. They are beautiful. Now we are ready to stain them.

Art for your Pocket

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:49:54 +0000

I was given some art trading cards from some artists at an art show. Each little drawing was the size of a baseball card and was an original. I think it is great to trade art, but I really have enjoyed carrying those cards around and sharing them with our nursing center patients when they are just sitting around. It brings a smile, conversation, reminiscence, and color/design stimulation. A quick conversation is better than none and I would rather converse on something besides the weather or the frustrations of their limitations. I now have a large bunch of empty cards and we are making our own pocket art. Why is it so much less inhibitive when you draw small? Hmmmm. Pictured are some we have made.

Painting Brings a Smile

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:33:43 +0000

He wandered the facility troubled….didn’t know what to do. We put the easel up and placed his two bears on a chair. He loves those bears. In a few days he had a wonderful bear portrait and was smiling more

Maximum Living Magazine

admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:59:25 +0000

ARTICLE FOR Maximum Living Magazine

Relating through art

admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:30:52 +0000

Lois likes visits from her daughter, Victoria. Conversing through art is an effective way of bringing deeper communication and understanding. Victoria watched her mom paint, listening to her explanations with each stroke. In turn, Lois watched Victoria paint, making comments as colorful images of gourds appeared on the page.

When Art is Shared

admin — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 04:26:25 +0000

“Art is to be shared and not hoarded, because art becomes alive when shared and so do you.”
This is Barb’s statement after doing a still life painting and turning it into a unique cartoon with musical gourds and a dancing pumpkin….to give to someone. After I took this photo, she said, “Since I have been doing art, I have noticed improvement in my interests, attidudes and peacefulness.”

Low Cost Creativity

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 02:13:54 +0000

Jim, a resident, at our nursing center, had a hobby from his past. He did woodburning. This is done with tools that burn lines into wood to make a design. He does not have his tools anymore. I asked on Facebook if anyone had any tools like that and a friend told me that I could use a magnifying glass and magnify the sun rays on a piece of wood and burn designs. The next day, I found a piece of wood (an unused paint stick) and dug out my old magnifying glass. The sun was out. With a little time, Jim and I got it to work. In the mean time, we drew a crowd of other men who wanted to try it. The fun has not been in a final piece of art but in watching the sun burn lines as we focused points of light on the smooth wood.

Do men enjoy creative projects?

admin — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 04:41:58 +0000

“This cart is for you.” The administrator handed me a box. After ripping all the tape off, I saw many pieces and even more screws.
“I’ll put it together for you,” the maintenance man offered. I looked around our nursing center and saw men sitting in their rooms, men who had built houses and worked as engineers and now they have TIME. I thanked the maintenance man and invited (actually I said “help!”) 2 men to look into the box and read through the instructions with me. I gave them a screwdriver and pliers and then walked away after I saw that they, even in the midst of disability and sickness, were very adept. I decided that nothing could be ruined, right or wrong. Yes, men need more “guy stuff” to do. I’m thinking. At this point, I have an art cart! Thank you gentlemen!

The Value of PAINT

admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 04:55:38 +0000

Paint, as messy as it is, can’t be beat, when it comes to stirring the atmosphere in a nursing care facility. Recently, I spread a banquet of colorful paint in pans on a long table. We smeared the paint around with odd shaped pieces of cardboard, combs, sponges, and textured objects. The effects were beautiful. The process was fun and the unique effects on the end product was good in many cases. Loreatha shows off her painting.

In the moment

admin — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 06:16:59 +0000

Ina’s painting style has stayed consistent with her personality traits. She is smiling and free. Those with Alzheimer’s appear to be the most free and happy when they are “in the moment”. This is what makes art and painting so effective. Ina did not ponder what she was going to do or what she wanted it to look like. She painted from what proceeded from inside at the moment.