TAO Programs Schedule

Visual Arts

Visual Arts projects yield amazing results, when participants feel safe in a project that is appropriate to their comfort level, and when they are supported by caring and friendly co-creators (aka TAO program volunteers).  The project facilitator’s role is to create a pleasing project, work with TAO to ensure the room layout and supplies needed are in place, and to place and direct volunteers.

Equipment and Supplies

One practical way to ensure a variety of materials for any number of visual arts projects is to have several boxes of materials. Tidewater Arts Outreach reimburses artists for materials expended at TAO projects, with a per program limit. Please discuss your art project with TAO so that expenses are within budget and reimbursements are timely. Your boxes could include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Crayons
  Markers
  Colored pencils
  Watercolors
  Newsprint
  Brown paper
  Butcher paper
  Paste
  Children’s scissors
  Foam paintbrushes
  Stickers
  Pipe cleaners
  Cotton balls
  Yarn
  Buttons and beads
  Feathers
  Greeting cards
  Wrapping paper
  Construction paper
  Hole punch
  Ruler
  Gauze
  Straws
  Tissue
  Glue sticks
  Fabric
  Scissors – large and small
  Chopsticks
  Foam hair rollers or foam pipe insulation, for wrapping around narrow brushes

Volunteers

A visual arts project is a great way for the community to be involved with residents in a senior care location. Our goal is to have at least 3–4 adults at every visual arts project, and more is better. Volunteers are co-creators in this case, and a good set-up is to have these individuals interspersed throughout the room, seated among residents. These volunteers are instructed to create art alongside residents, engaging in conversation, admiring work, sincerely praising effort, and helping where needed. Volunteers look to the artist for cues during the project, and provide assistance in passing out supplies and cleaning up.

Accommodations

Clients who are blind have approached us to create art. People who have suffered strokes, and have only the use of their non-dominant side, want to create art. People with arthritis or who have little use of their hands want to create art. We work to create accommodations, such as using foam pipe insulation to make a paintbrush easier to hold, or altering the scope of a project, or doing one aspect of the project (like scissor work) for someone with specific limitations. Seniors with dementia need other forms of accommodation, such as using lots and lots of encouragement, keeping the project simple, understanding their attention span and sticking to one task at a time.

Many people approach art with trepidation, having never experienced critical success as an artist elsewhere. A good form of encouragement is to help them understand that the end product is not what is most important — the process of going through the arts experience, and what that experience does for us, is what is most important. Other accommodations include:

• Chopsticks and straws give seniors who have difficulty picking up small items additional options.
• Large scissors also are helpful for seniors
• Many seniors have weak hands and/or limited dexterity. If you encounter a senior who just sits there, if they can, have them articulate what they need help with.
• Oftentimes, seniors need encouragement. They might insist they don’t have the energy or the talent. Help them understand that the process is far more important than product. Tell them the end result doesn’t matter; you’d simply like to sit and create with them for a little while.
• Clients with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia need a lot of encouragement and direction in order to stay on task. Do not give more than one instruction at a time, and be prepared to provide steady encouragement, while the client follows through.
• Paint brushes (crayons, pencils, etc) that are covered with foam ha ir rollers are easier to hold.
• Use hand rollers to flatten clay
• Adaptive squeeze scissors (spring scissors)
• Stamps and cookie cutters that have easy to hold plastic grips
• Self-stick colored dots or stickers
• Large collage materials
• Wheelchair easels or lap trays with scoot or Velcro floor guards
• Large magnifiers (free standing or handheld)

Visual Art and Low Vision contributed by Charlotte Moon

Charlotte Moon is the Executive Director of the Park Place Child Life Center, a community enrichment program for at-risk children living in Norfolk’s Park Place neighborhood

Many people with low vision will have “visual memory” of things they used to be able to see well. Even folks with complete vision loss may have seen at one time, or have vivid mental constructs of how they imagine things to look. So it should be assumed that they would be able, with help, to create a visual representation of what they have in their minds.

When you begin, say the client’s name first so they will realize you are speaking to them, and then tell them who you are. Try to remain in one location as you work together so that the client will be able to hear your voice coming from the same place throughout the project. If the client seems to have disengaged, call them by name again. They may have just lost track of your voice if you are working in a lively or group setting.

A conversation could begin with discussion of the client’s favorite colors. This may help you understand more about their visual limitations in a non-threatening way.

The project or activity should be explained in descriptive language that the client can understand. Example: “We are going to paint a vase of flowers with lots of different water colors on a large piece of paper. We’re going to use a small brush, and dip it water, and then in the different colors to paint on your paper. We’ll rinse out your brush in some water when you want to change colors. And I will help you get the paint colors you like onto your paper. Have you ever painted like that before?” (In cases of long-term, total vision loss, it would be very helpful to have a three dimensional representation of the item that will be recreated in the project so that the client may touch, feel, and understand it.)

Describe to the client each item that will be used, and help them locate, by guiding a hand, where each item is in the work space. (Always ask permission before touching a hand in this way: “Would you like me to help your hands find where the things we are going to use are located?) Some clients are used to having the location of food and other common things described to them as the locations on a clock: Your paintbrush is at 3 o’clock, the paper is at 6, the water colors are at 9, and the clean water and paper towels are at 12. This may sometimes be a helpful tool to use.

Be sure to ask which hand is the dominant hand for the client.

Invite the client to touch all the items that will be used for the project. (Pick up the brush and hold it, pick up the paper and determine its size, feel where the water color pan is located, locate the paper towels and water container.)

Some clients may prefer to pick up the items up and hold them closer to their eyes if they have certain visual abilities, rather than learning by touch. Offer this to them.

Ask the client what else they would like to know about the project before you begin. Always take the attitude that the client will enjoy the project if they understand how it will be done, what materials will be used, and what kind of help you can give them if they need it.

As you begin the project, ask what kind of help the client would like to receive. Avoid doing it for them; rather enable them to do as much as they can do. You might say: “Would you like me to help you get some green paint on your brush so you can start the project? Or “Your paper is right here in front of you.  Are you ready to begin?” The client may have some hesitation if they have not been successful with art experiences yet, so as many gently leading questions as appropriate should be asked to encourage them to take that first step.

As the project unfolds, continue to encourage and help, always asking before touching, and always offering before doing.  Notice what the client is able to do, and make positive comments to them as they proceed. Sometimes an affirmation of the work can help them know if they are doing what they intended.  For instance: “I see that you are painting some wonderful orange leaves. Do you want all your leaves to be orange?” At that point, they may indicate they would also like some green leaves, or that all orange is just fine with them. If a desire for something different is expressed, ask permission to help them get what they want. “Would you like me to rinse out the orange paint and get some green on your brush for you?”

From time to time, it may be helpful to offer to pick the project up so the client can hold it closer to their eyes to get a better idea of the progress and feel encouraged.

As you go say things like: “Wow, you just painted a beautiful purple flower!” “I can see that you must like the color yellow a lot!  You have a beautiful yellow vase for your flowers.” 

When the project is completed, describe it in complimentary terms to the client and any others as appropriate. Find out if the project can be displayed somewhere, or if the client would like to keep it with them to show to others. Be sure the client’s name is written somewhere on the paper so it can be returned if misplaced.

Of course, all clients should be treated with dignity and respect, and given the hope and joy of creativity within their abilities.

General tips for working with people with vision loss:

• People with vision loss haven’t automatically become hard of hearing, so avoid the common temptation to speak louder unless there is also hearing loss.
• Do not guide in a way that feels like pushing, but rather in a way that feels like leading.  Respect personal space; don’t touch without permission.
• Do not assign stereotypes; there are no magic “extra abilities” that automatically come with vision loss.
• Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to use the word “see”. Many visually impaired people do see – just differently.  They may see in a limited way, they may use their sense of touch to “see”, they may see in their imaginations, and they often do see in their dreams!

Visual Arts for Persons with Dementia

The visual arts, like all the creative arts, are a powerful, nonverbal form of creative self-expression that is well-suited to persons with dementia for many reasons:

• the arts involve several areas of the brain
• visual arts allow for fine and gross motor skills development
• the arts create opportunities for reflection
• arts experiences allow clients to make choices and have control over outcomes
• properly executed visual arts activities create satisfaction and success

Clients with dementia require more attention to task and more support to complete each task, such as moving a brush or pencil across a piece of paper. They may not know where to start on a page. Some ideas include:

• if a blank piece of paper induces a blank stare, try drawing a large circle on the page and asking the participant to create within it.
• Seedpods, beans, shells, fabric, nuts, leaves all are great visual and tactile tools for artists at any level.
• One therapist had sat with her client through several sessions as he wrote his name over and over again. One day she invited him to put leaves on the tree she had drawn. He thought about the request, then slowly and carefully made the leaves. He turned and gave a blinding smile to the therapist. It was an exceptional outcome for this client.

When individuals with dementia are creating, they have transcended memory loss and can see something happening before them.

Structure the Activity:

• It is helpful to arrive early and have materials set out before the program start time. Trying to explain a program and set out materials at the same time is not ideal.
• Create nametags or namecards to help you address participants individually.
• Open the session by introduce yourself and the workshop theme
• Allow participants to take periodic breaks; you might consider a stretch
• Make sure the project you have chosen can be accomplished by a variety of levels of functioning – you might have add-ons for more high-functioning participants, and that lower-functioning participants can still complete the project satisfactorily
• Be ready to demonstrate steps more than once; simplify complex steps
• Be generous with praise and encouragement.
• A great way to close your workshops is to give your participants an opportunity to talk about their artwork, and their experience of creating their artwork.

Client-Centered Focus is Key

Don’t place too much emphasis on the finished product. Instead, focus on participants and how they are reacting to the process. Projects with an auto-biographical focus are a great way to get people to open up about themselves, artistically, through the process of visual arts.

Some ways to accomplish this:

• Ask participants to incorporate their favorite colors, shapes and designs
• Show them how to create simple landscape scenes from favorite places (mountains, sea, city,home,etc)
• Show them how to create ‘heart cards’ using collage and craft material. Have pre-cut pieces arranged around each participant; ask them to find images that speak to them. Then, have them arrange the pieces on paper, without glue, looking at shape, form and composition. Then, glue pieces to paper. Finally, show and tell piece to group, talking about why certain pictures were chosen.
• Observe your participants throughout the arts process, and modify your approach based on your observations

If you work with people suffering from dementia:

Be patient, do not rush a participant.

Be prepared to repeat (simple) instructions more than once.

If someone becomes agitated, try distracting them. i.e., if they say they can’t do art because their friend/child/spouse is supposed to come and take them home, say something like, “Oh? Tell me about your home.”

Speak calmly; keep distractions to a minimum (more than one conversation is too much; sometimes artists prefer to work without conversation.

Give genuine praise and encouragement at regular intervals. Use their first name and contact – touch their shoulder, their hand.

Avoid creating the art for the participant. Encourage, praise, be patient; create art alongside.

Have examples of finished products nearby.

Intergenerational Visual Arts Projects

A successful program arrangement has been to involve high school or college youth with adults and seniors in visual arts workshops. A facilitator guides participants through the arts project. We have found a great ratio to be at tables of four: two seniors, one adult and one child. The adult breaks the ice and keeps conversation flowing. This formula has been magical for TAO!