Week 7: Get Well Deb!

This week in all my classes, we spent the majority of the time creating get well cards for Deb Thomas, the president of Riverside Industries. Deb had recently undergone hip replacement surgery, and Halley thought it would be a great idea if all the artists at Riverside Arts created "get well" cards for Deb. At first I thought I might get some resistance from students because they might want to just do their own art. But all of the students were very enthusiastic about creating cards to help Deb come back to Riverside as soon as possible!  I had to help some of the students spell some words when they wrote their messages, but other students required more assistance. Each student put a lot of effort into creating a beautiful, personalized card for Deb. I was quite impressed with the drawings and painting some of the students created on their cards. The artists at Riverside have so much passion and show so much care for the staff, their peers, and visitors. It's inspiring to see how the students can come together and support each other in times of need.  Seeing how the artist's support each other makes me wish everybody in the world could have the same attitude. The world would be a much better place!

During the advanced class, which lasts two hours, I was able to direct the students in an art project once they finished their get well card. I showed the students a quick and easy way to make their own scratch paper. I had each student create geometic patterns with colored pencils on a piece of heavy paper. I told them the more colors they used, the more interesting their piece would be in the end. Once the paper was complete full of color, I gave each student a black oil pastel and told them to completely cover the paper.A couple students were hesitant to cover the colorful piece of art they had just created, but I told them when we finished they would be able to see the color in a whole new, exciting way. Once the paper was covered, I showed the students that by using a pencil or a scratching tool, they could scratch away at the black, leaving colorful designs behind. The students loved the effect created by the scratching. This technique allowed the students to have fun, but it also helped them step outside their comfort zones and look outside the box. I was happy to see the positive reactions from the artists about the project. My supervisor said this is a technique I may want to try with some of the other students in the different classes.

Week 6: Olympic Art and Hanging Shows

During week six we worked on projects to celebrate the 2012 London Olympics. We had each student draw the Olympic rings, talked about the symbolic meaning of the rings, and had the students paint backgrounds after creating the rings. This also gave each class to talk about the Olympics, their favorite events, and how excited they were to see the USA win gold! This project also brought on a discussion about Special Olympics and which students participate. Many of the students soon began to draw Special Olympics drawings about the particular sport or event they participate in. It was nice to see how the students could relate the Olympics to their own experiences of winning medals. I was able to hear a sense of pride in the students voices as they talked about their Special Olympics art and the medals they have won. It was interesting to get to know the students outside of the art world. It's nice to know that so many of the students are able to participate in Special Olympics, especially since I have heard that some students who live in group homes aren't able to participate in many activities.

This week I also helped hang a show at the Amherst Dog Wash as part of the Town of Amherst's Art Walk.  We selected 10 works of art for this show, and another 6 works were hung at GoBerry, a frozen yogurt shop, in Northampton. At the dog wash, the pieces selected all focused on animals, birds, or other creatures to fit the theme of the dog wash. The Amherst Dog Wash is owned by a mother and her disabled son, so she was very supportive of Riverside Arts's mission of spreading creativity throughout the disabled community. I was able to go to the opening of the show, and for a small show in a local business we had a great turnout of 45 people! I loved seeing the local community, as well as Riverside supporters, come out to support the artists on display.

Week 5 at RSI

This week there was not too much of interest to report on. I worked on some projects started last week with a few clients in my first few days. On Thursday, I taught a lesson to the advanced art class again that went VERY well. I decided to teach the class how to create a beach landscape using oil pastels. We created an ocean surrounded by a sandy white beach.  I gave each artist the freedom to create their shoreline in any shape they want. When I showed them how to shade the water and color the shore, I prompted the group with the question: What kind of things do you see at the beach? This question allowed the group members to use their own imagination and creativity to make their landscape their own. Some artists put palm trees on their beach. Others drew beach towels, tiki bars, boats, surfers, fishermen, and sharks in their landscape. Each piece went from a standard landscape, to an exciting and colorful scene. When I prompt the class to add their own details to their landscape, each piece takes on the artist's personality. This exercise allowed the group members to let loose and have a little fun with their art. The group spend time laughing and talking about what they see at the beach and showing each other how they drew different items. I look forward to doing more projects like this with the advanced class for the remainder of my internship!

Making strides with clients: Week 4

*names have been changed for client confidentiality

This week was particularly rewarding at my internship. I had many great experiences with different clients, so I ended my week feeling accomplished. Earlier this week, I worked with a client, Laura*, on a painting she had started the week before. Laura normally likes to paint the same type of picture every time. And when Laura decides a painting is done, it's done (even if half the paper is blank). My supervisor described her a very strong-willed. She said that she likes to challenge Laura so she can learn how to take advice for others. During art class, we try to continue to life skills that are taught by the job coaches and teachers in employment and dayhab. Laura had decided that her painting was done, before she had painted in all of the background. My supervisor said this would be the perfect opportunity to try to get Laura to step out of her comfort zone. I asked Laura if she would consider painting the background because it would make her painting even better than it already is. At first Laura challenged me, saying that she did not want to do that. I told her that it would make her piece very strong if it had a background. I told her I believed she had the abilities to make her painting even better because she is a great artist. Laura agreed to finish her piece, but she did it quickly because she was determined to start a new piece. My supervisor and I thought this was a big step in Laura's development because it showed she was willing to be more flexible.

Today at my internship, I worked with the advanced class. The day before during an employment class, I had done a doodle of a flower in a vase on the table. My supervisors saw it and thought the technique I used would be great to teach to the advanced class. When they approached me about teaching this technique to one of the girls, I suggested teaching the whole class the technique. Everybody but one student was interesting in learning the technique. I walked the class step-by-step through the process of drawing the flower. I loved watching each student translate my directions into their own individual style. Each flower had it's own personality and the class seemed to enjoy learning a new way to draw. When I finished giving instructions, some students added a background and others did a second drawing without my instructions. This was my first time leading a class in a new technique so I was very proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone to take more responsibility in the classroom.

Riverside Arts: Week 3

*names have been changed for client confidentiality

This week I was able to work with some of my clients that I have been focusing on, but I was also able to talk to other clients about working closer with them next week. One of the artists I've been working with for the past couple weeks is *Stacy. The first time I worked with Stacy I gave her watercolor paints. Stacy filled the entire paper with color in a matter of minutes. The paper became so wet that it started to deteriorate. I realized that watercolor may not be the medium for Stacy. I asked my supervisor if I could use a canvas and acrylic paint with Stacy. (Canvases are normally reserved for the advanced class). I got the okay and the canvas worked out SO much better. Stacy was able to blend the acrylic colors and her brushwork left amazing patterns in the paint. She still needs some guidance of when to switch colors or  some direction about placement of colors. But this past week I noticed great progress in Stacy's confidence when it comes to making art.

Another client I continued to work with is *Eric. Eric is the client who does "Face2Face" portraits. Together, we created our own Face2Face piece. Eric chose the topic of the elements, so this week we began our painting.

The Elements Face: Portrait in Progress

I've noticed that Eric has some trouble when it comes to boundaries. I've talked to my supervisor about this, and she said that his job coaches have been working on boundaries with him for a while now. She said his boundaries used to be worse and he's made great improvement. But sometimes I feel a little uncomfortable around him. He often says that my parents "adopted him" and refers to me as "sis". I feel like this is crossing a professional boundary. I've decided that I might have to talk to my supervisor to find a way to talk to Eric about boundaries and once I finish this painting I will try to work with other clients to create a little distance.

Everything else has been fantastic at Riverside Arts. This week we hung a show at the Northampton YMCA. This was a great chance to see Riverside Arts's involvement in the community and a chance to talk to my supervisor. I was able to bond with my supervisor by hearing how she got the idea for an art program at Riverside and learned about her early career as a potter. I feel like this time was a great way to create a strong professional relationship with my supervisor because now I can understand her passion for the program and the artists involved.

Part of the Riverside Arts show at the Northampton YMCA

Until next week. Cheers!

Setting boundaries with my clients

As I've began to lead and participate in my classes, I have noticed that boundaries has become a hot topic for me. I find that the boundaries are slightly different at Riverside for me than at my other internships because there are a few clients I know from outside of Riverside. This has led me to think about ways to set boundaries for my internship that are clear to the clients who are friends with my older sister, who has worked at Riverside.

One client, who knows my sister from work and special olympics, often asks if he can come over my house to visit my sister. While this is a person my sister is friendly with, I don't feel comfortable mixing my professional and personal relationships. In this situation I told the client that while my sister would love to see him, right now isn't the appropriate time because I work at Riverside. I told him he could call my sister on the phone if he would like to talk to her.

There was another case where I had to set boundaries with a client by telling him I had to keep my professional and personal affairs separate. A client had mentioned he did not have a ride to his human rights meeting in Boston. He asked if I could drive him and he would take me to dinner and pay for gas. I told the client that I was sorry but as an intern I cannot do that. I told him that he should ask some of his friends, and I'm sure somebody would love to take him.

Apart from some boundary setting, I had a great week working with clients on their art pieces. I worked with a couple clients from dayhab, instructing them when to wash their brushes or change colors. I also helped some clients come up with new ideas for art pieces or offered suggestions to help strengthen current pieces. Today, I worked with a client in the advance art class to create a sketch for a collaborative piece. This client does these "split portrait" paintings where one half of the face looks different from the other side. He decided our theme would be "The Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air". Our sketch came out great and I am really enjoying working in collaboration with a client. Next week, we will begin painting on an 11x14 canvas.  I can't wait to experience the process of a collaborative piece!

"The Elements Face" sketch

Introductions: Getting to Know Mary Jamieson and Riverside Industries Inc.

Hello Everyone!

My name is Mary Jamieson and I am a senior Art Therapy major at Lesley University. This is my final internship and class at Lesley. I am very excited for a brand new experience with a new population. Throughout my internship experiences, I wanted to be able to challenge myself by stepping outside of my comfort zones and work with a variety of different clients. I have made it a goal of mine to bring the healing nature of art to my internships so clients may explore creative ways of expression.  I look forward to my experience this summer, as well as reflecting on my past experiences, personal growth, and hopes for the future in my senior integrative paper.

My internship for the summer is located in the small town of Easthampton, MA. Riverside Industries Inc. is a work site that empowers individuals with developmental disabilities to attain the jobs they want, while receiving therapeutic care and support. The mission of Riverside Industries states:

Riverside Industries Inc. Exists: to serve people with perceived limitations. Encourages: those it serves to be participating members of their communities, sharing the privileges and obligations of their fellow citizens. Enables: people to choose to work to get the jobs they want with the assistance they need. Ensures: that people maximize their abilities through therapeutic options. Educates: people to take control over the things in their lives that they value. Enlightens the community about the abilities and challenges of the people we serve and asks for its philanthropic support.

Within Riverside Industries I am an intern at Riverside Arts, an art program for the workers of Riverside Industries . I was drawn to Riverside Arts initially because my older sister had been one of the artist here before she became ill. She had always talked about the art program and how great it would be if I could intern there. When I thought about potential sites, Riverside Arts stood out because I realized it would help me learn new techniques and ways to adapt art making for individuals with physical limitations. Riverside Arts has an additional mission statement:

WE BELIEVE Every individual has the potential to flourish through the creative process. Participating in the arts gives individuals a sense of purpose, self-empowerment, and community. Exhibitions of work are opportunities to share these accomplishments thereby fostering awareness in the broader community. 

As an intern at Riverside Arts, I assist the artists in developing new ideas, continuing to shape their work, and offering support to the artists as they create. In the dayhab classes, I might have to give more one-on-one attention to artists whose physical limitations require additional assistance. Before classes, I help set up and prep and at the end of classes I help clean up supplies and walk artists back to their work spaces. I also assist in the framing and matting of art pieces for upcoming art shows. I intern at Riverside Arts four days a week, Monday through Thursday.

Drawing from my first week at RSI Arts.

I look forward to getting to know all of the artists at Riverside Arts and watching their creative process as they create beautiful works of art! By the end of the summer, I hope to have improved my skills in working with individuals with developmental disabilities in a creative setting.