FIREWORKS

We thought we needed to change things up a bit today.

With July 4th around the corner, 

we talked about fireworks and showed them some images. 

We gave them black paper and 6 different colors of chalk and off they went!  

They were so enthusiastic and the work shows! 

Ironically, a half hour in to the class, the fire alarm went off!

We had to move all 15 patients down the hall 

to be behind fire doors.

 I was a bit panicked, but the staff was very cool. 

In the hallway the alarm was so loud, no one could speak. 

Many of them just held hands instead! 

I'm amazed. 

 

(Five minutes later, we all went back to "work" 

with a bit of happy chaos. 

Dessert was served and we all laughed about the 

FIRE alarm going off while we were painting FIRE works.)

Happy Birthday America! 

Last week I brought in these images 

of abstract impressionist paintings by Irma Cerese. 

I talked about the way she uses color and big shapes 

and that she doesn't concern herself with portraying an actual subject. 

 The patients were a bit agitated when I first got there,

but then settled right down to work. 

 We drew in some of the big shapes for them 

and encouraged them to "blend" some colors. 

Josephine just let's herself go and plays with the paint! 

Sweet Eleanor works very hard at staying in those lines! 

Mary Lou told us that she was going to stand in that window 

and slide down that shoot and land under the tree. 

Here are some more: 

                                      

All in all, the patients are becoming more comfortable 

with the idea of putting the paint on the paper. 

I think they enjoy looking at the images we bring in

and I feel good that they are seeing "real art"!