A group of people who had already gathered to socialize. I sat down with my box of art supplies and found a picture that had splotches of orange and yellow on it. “What does this look like?” I asked, holding it up. “Let’s turn it into something.” I passed it around with a brush and a tray of watercolors. Margaret turned some splotches into daisies. Another one put stems and leaves on. Other strokes were added and we came up with something bright and beautiful.
I obtain large pieces of cardboard for free from Cannon Industries. They are painted white and placed on easels for those who are in Alzheimer Units to paint on. I give them big brushes and let them go with the color. Ann, one of the residents, painted with yellow and was finished. Because we had a group who was watching and commenting, together we developed it into a sailboat picture. That is what the spontaneous shapes of yellow reminded us of. It had turned into a group art project and I like the result.