Overcoming Challenges Through Art

I want to share how two of my art experiences with art are helping the individuals to overcome challenges. The first is an autistic young man who is taking private art. The art is building up his skills that he enjoys doing. Working together we are conversing on different life goals he has. I was so excited to have another parent donate a drawing apparatus to be used with a computer. This week he showed me some of his simple sketches. I am proud to show you some of his art that he has created and his work continues to grow each week. Praying that God continues to use this young man in a special way! Notice the before and after pictures. What a vast improvement!

My second group that is overcoming challenges are a group of seniors at Clearwater Senior Living in the new Riverpark development in Oxnard. For most of the seniors they had never taken an art class in their life. And you never ask a lady her age, so I wasn’t about to ask how old these seniors were. We created a still life piece in the style of Fauvism. It uses a lot of color, rather than trying to be representational. You can see the piece by Maurice de Vlaminck. I was so thrilled to see how their pieces expressed their unique personalities. Apparently one man in the group is known for doing his own thing and yet he joined in following my guidance. Another lady kept saying her work wasn’t real good, and yet in the end her friends were telling her how beautiful it was, and she was quite pleased with the affirmation. In the end it proves you can learn something and enjoy it even in older age. But please don’t wait to join an art class when you’re past 80!! I have classes now :))

Plein Aire Class Inspirations

Amidst the restrictions here in CA, I decided to take some friends to Yosemite and teach a Plein Aire class. What fun, can I just stay there?? So I thought, why not enjoy some of the outstanding landmarks we have here in Camarillo and paint, or at least draw outside in the beautiful fresh air? These young students are doing an outstanding job drawing Plein aire (fancy word in French for outside) and painting back in the studio. What a wonderful experience and way to capture the beauty aroung where we live. Enjoy the pictures from Yosemite and from Camarillo!

Still Creating Amidst shutdowns

It has been extremely emotionally and economically detrimental to close down businesses and schools for 9 months here in California. I personally am hibernating like a bear financially in order to conserve my resources. I am thankful that a few small tutor groups have been going on to provide joy in my life and a trickle of income, as unemployment is not the way I want to stay afloat. I love seeing the excitement from my young students as they express themselves artistically in my private art classes. Art helps provides them with a creative release from the stresses of this extended quarantine.

During this time I had the opportunity to take a workshop to grow in my own Intuitive Expressive art skills. It was fun to let loose try painting with joyful strokes, new techniques letting paint drip down on the canvas, stamp into the paint, paint with my fingers, or spray more water on the canvas to see fluidity and spontaneous changes in the paint process.

This exercise was done in a course of several days, allowing the paint to dry in between otherwise opposite colors of the color wheel turn to mud or grey. It was great to have no idea in mind on what I was painting and let it just flow from pure fun and enjoyment of the medium. At one point though I really thought my piece was hopeless, everything was in a state of chaos and too busy with all kinds of lines and colors everywhere. . . very much like the state of our country - as if it could not get any worse!!!

The instructor encouraged me to go on and that I would like it. Could it turn out into something beautiful? Internally I thought I can not make any sense out of all this. I would need to let it rest and speak to me. Well nothing really spoke to me so I decided to add something that speaks fun to me- a sea turtle. Somehow as I placed this familiar and enjoyable object into the piece covering an area that I clearly did not like, something changed. I added some blue and greens to outline the shape. This helped coax the turtle out of the busy background so I could recognize it better. Then my turtle needed another friend so I added a seahorse went into another area that was too distracting. . . pretty soon these happy memories of underwater diving made my heart sing being under the sea again!

Once in my happy place, I was able to add bits of color and details to bring more attention to these whimsical sea creatures. Applying a light wash to the background also helped in bringing the seahorse and sea turtle forward. My energy and mood changed and soon this was turning into a piece of art that I am quite excited with.

My other painting was done having hinderances broken and taping into that playful creative side!

If you are interested in trying this creative approach, contact me at Michelle@Art-N-You.com.

Learning Masterfully!

This summer these students took their art to the Next Level!  And they fell in love with their paintings!  They already knew how to draw, so they went on to tackle the beast of mixing colors.  We first began the course by creating a color wheel so they could see how colors were made.  Then, really observing their animal, they had to decide where to place the shades first.  By understanding your darkest darks on your object you can gauge the lights and mediums.  Once that is in place, the artist looks at the highlight areas: areas where the sun is hitting their object.  We first started with a still life so by using simple shapes we could understand darks do not have to be black!  After that exercise,  we moved on to animals of their choices.  Here are their results. . . they were pleasantly surprised even if they felt it might be too hard.  SECRET: To tackle the fur and the palm tree fronds we used a special brush so you don't have to paint every hair or leaf.

Mosaics - Just some broken tile turned into art!

I love working with students to see their ideas become a reality.  This Koi fish mural was done from the design of a Senior named Lucy, at Ventura County Christian School.  Our ideas in our art class were to transform the boring white walls in the cafeteria to a relaxing place for the students to enjoy lunchtime.  It was a great project to show how Interior Design can change a place.

The following tile pieces with the children, were done in a summer camp at my Art N' You studio in Camarillo.  The smiling faces tell the excitement they had to break the tiles and then rearrange them into a work of art.  Our lives are very much like that.  Things happen in life and they don't look the same.  With the help of the Creator, we can rearrange them into beautiful pieces of art.

I have also attached some murals that I have seen at a variety of places and was inspired by.  I love the ocean so I was impressed by these ocean murals.  And of course, I had to include some work by my favorite architect Antonio Gaudi and his famous mosaic lizard at the Park Guell!  Gaudi's work brings joy to the heart.  Amazing what a few pieces of broken tile, glass, and concrete can do for a city!

I have an upcoming Mosaic class July 2 and 3 from 1- 3 pm at my Art N' Studio in Camarillo. $55 includes supplies, students will break their own tile pieces, as well as use, pre-cut pieces to adhere them to either a 12" square or a plywood heart of similar size.  Adults can join if they want to get in touch with their inner child!  Please bring a drink as we will be working outdoors in the garden patio.

Creative Juices Still flowing in Seniors!

I am seeing how art is helping Seniors in the Assisted Living and in Memory Care Facility here at Alma Via in Camarillo.  I have also learned it is not the product that is important but the process of enjoying creations and expressing yourself.  Many of the residents have limited dexterity, but enjoy creating pieces that are broken down simply.  This helps them engage their minds and stay focused.  They also enjoy the fellowship creating within a group and the dialogue and exchange of ideas, but don't we all learn and are inspired by others in a community.  Some projects are just for the fun, and other times I like to work with my art therapy training to focus on a theme to help them process emotions.  Especially as we are approach Thanksgiving, it is nice to have something that reminds us of the positive things in life.  It is easy to slip into negativity when your mind is slipping, and the body isn't moving like it did at 40, but to focus on thankfulness brings health to our minds and bodies.  We really have a lot to be Thankful for our friends, family, community, and needs met at a great facility like Alma Via Senior Living Home.

NEVER too old to learn Art

I wanted to highlight my 101 year-old student: Jeanne Clark.  She was such a joy to teach! She was joyful, open to new ideas, and had such a willing heart to try things. She looked forward to our weekly art lessons, as much as I did. She has helped me to see things that will last long in life: joy, counting your blessings, being close to family, having a happy heart, and doing things that you enjoy!  I also enjoyed hearing her sing "Blue Skies" whenever I asked her, "what color do you want the sky?"  I downloaded it on my song list for her art lessons!

Now that I go to several different senior homes, someone will say, "I am too old, I can't do that", I share pictures that Jeanne has created. Those 80 year-olds don't have her beat! If she can, you can too! We are never too old to learn art and have fun expressing our creativity inside!

"An artist brings joy into our lives by teaching our eyes to see. How deeply I recommend Michelle Honles as a person as an artist, and as a teacher. My mother at 101 years is taking art lessons from Michelle. How gently, patiently and sweetly she engages my mother in art . There are few things my mother can do any more. Her art lesson with Michelle is the highlight of each week and the best expenditure of money, for her well being that I can make. Beauty satisfies the soul."

Christie Johnson, (Jeanne Clark's daughter)