Session 1 -- Session 2 -- Session 3 -- Session 4 -- Session 5 -- Session 6 -- Session 7 -- Session 8 - Session 9

Another side to painting

Linking up with a practising artist, an established website, plus a group of artists new to painting, has proved a fruitful combination. John Chapman reports on a successful collaboration. Beginning a new project can be a very exciting moment to both artists and staff. The project entitled 'Fun Through Paint' proved to be just that, exploring sensory as well as mainstream art in a series of well balanced sessions focussing on the main objective.…fun! When the very first session began, it released a focussed, yet exciting energy, which seemed to pulse around the art studio. The project was run by Roberto Bono, a practising artist and Volunteer Arts Worker, a member of staff, John Chapman and two Artscope artists, Mark Togher and Joanne Wright. The project was explained using both verbal and visual objects of reference, ie. paint brushes, paint and coloured paper. The artists responded very well to both methods of communication and would often choose and identify the colours they had chosen to use. The project, though focussing on fun, also had many other aspects to it, like the development of fine and gross motor skills, eye co-ordination and choice making. These were well mixed into the sessions thus creating free expressive painting. As the art project progressed, new and exciting ways of working were introduced, like painting blindfolded and painting together, whereby the artists' work would integrate, creating a work of art in partnership. The blindfolding was fascinating to watch and take part in. The artists both reacted quite differently to this. One participated readily, painting freely, whilst the other took longer to aquaint themselves with panting without vision. I tried to paint blind folded too, and found it really weird, because not seeing your artwork or paint brush, made you rely on your mind's eye. To observe the artists perform this and adapt to the situation was truly amazing. Painting together on the same work was an unknown to me too. Would the artist mind another's ideas being combined? Would working together blossom or suffocate the picture? Could a partnership be struck and maintained? These questions were answered as the sessions progressed and the results posted on a weekly basis onto the arteutile website. 'Fun Through Paint' opened one's eyes to the fact that everyone can paint and that it can be, and should be fun doing so.

by John Chapman