The Silver Palette

 Starting with this school year, we will begin a new volunteer program, that will be open to all of my students.  The first Friday of each month, we will host "The Silver Palette", and we will go to an Assisted Living center nearby and share in God's creative joy with these seniors, that require a little more attention, love, encouragement and support!
My prayer is that this experience will teach that art is a powerful vehicle into the heart, that is able to express itself more eloquently than words and that we are called to share our talents with the world and love His sheep well, no matter the age.  To take art away from the narcissistic venue of competition and into the loving hands of the Father, where we get to stake a claim against the darkness with beauty.  Beauty in paints, beauty in relationship, beauty in slowing down and beauty in loving well.  Or focus: to merge, in a beautiful array of colors: the young and the young at heart, and stand in awe of the beauty.

"And now in my old age, don't set me aside. Don't abandon me when my strength is failing." Psalm 71:9

November's Project

This past month we worked on a holiday poinsettia - the ladies enjoyed the festive colors and the promise of the Christmas Season!  As always, they are such a blessing to my heart and I am grateful for the time I get to spend with them!!!

October's Project!!

 I guided my friends through a composition with three pumpkins, on a black backdrop.  Most preferred that I draw their pumpkins for them, but after that, they were good to go!! This was done at an Assisted Living facility, with hands that suffered from gout and eyes that only could see through the periphery.....yet, they enjoyed the creative process and did a beautiful job on their pieces.  We worked for over an hour and they were only half way through the project.  i am so proud of their work and their accomplishments, and grateful for the laughter we shared!!! 

 

The Snowman Project:

We led the group through an oil  pastel rendering of this little snowman.  The oil pastels seemed to work beautifully with fingers that could not grasp very well.

Done on construction paper.  This was not a complicated drawing to take them through, so the conversation was lively and encouraging while they worked! 

 

Our launching project:

The watercolor paints were liberally doused with water, to get them nice and juicy.  In addition, the paper was completely wet down. I had prepared the pages, in advance, with simple sketches of flowers, done with permanent Shaprie Markers.  I encouraged those who participated, to drop the colors onto the paper and let them play and misbehave - because the paint was so wet AND the paper was so wet - the colors danced and merged together, creating a beautiful backdrop to the flowres, with minimal effort and no artistic talent necessary!!!