Art From An Art Therapist, Paper Mâché, and Living Well
Happy Monday! Welcome back to A-R-T, your weekly dose of three topics to orbit your brain in an artful way throughout the week. We’ve got an article, a recycled project, and a thought to think about for you ponder - hope you enjoy!
Let’s get to it!
Our article this week is a brief look into some of the work by Charles Lutyens, an artist and art therapist who’s artwork gives us a look into psychiatric hospitals during a time when they were much more stigmatized and feared than they are today. His artwork not only encapsulates his view of some of the patients he worked with, but also the daily life of the institutions where he worked.
This weeks recycled project is all about paper mâché. As you embark on a paper mâché project, you can use this medium to capture your own personal stories and experiences, turning everyday materials into expressive and meaningful creations. You might not consider yourself an artist, or have any interest in being an art therapist, but there is always space for you to tell your own stories through the art you create.
Paper mâché translates from french to “chewed up paper”, and it is a simple and affordable art medium you can create with materials you probably have lying around the house.
You will need:
Paper or Newspaper (magazines, paper bags, and other recycled paper types can also work depending on your project)
White Glue or Flour
Water
Salt (optional)
Cardboard (project dependent)
Tape (project dependent)
Paint
The basic method of paper mâché is tearing strips of paper or newspaper, dipping them in your glue mixture, and layer them over each other many times, which will then dry and harden into a relatively strong structure. Depending on what you want to make you can use a base such as a balloon or a bowl covered in saran wrap, or even something you’ve constructed out of cardboard and tape that will become part of the internal structure. The project options are endless, and this how to gives you great instructions and many ideas. We’d love to see what you come up with if you try it out!
Living Well
Talking about art, art therapy, and psychiatric hospitals, has me thinking a lot about mental health about the concept of “living well” and what that can look like for people on an individual level. As someone who lives with multiple mental illnesses, and has for the large majority of my life, it’s not a new concept to me that I may never be completely “well” in the same ways that people live without mental illness might be. This is also true for many people who live with chronic pain, on going conditions, or autoimmune diseases. Being or feeling well is something that can come and go, and can sometimes be something we don’t have a ton of control over. However, the idea of “living well” can be an empowering concept to add into our lives. I frequently ask myself "what are the little daily actions that will keep you feeling good?” and I put a lot of effort into prioritizing them. It has made a huge difference in my overall wellbeing, even though on paper they’re totally the annoying things that everyone always mentions, and I hate to be this guy, but I promise they really add up, and they really do help. Lately I’ve really been prioritizing moving my body, going for walks with my dog, spending intentional time with friends, cooking and eating nourishing foods, and practicing mindfulness. These are just some of the ways that help me to live well. While they aren’t bulletproof and I still experience the waves or life, they keep me at a much more stable and consistent baseline, as opposed to the cycle of pushing myself too hard and then crashing or burning out.
What are some small ways that you can think of that might help you to live well? What are things you enjoy, or feeling nourishing to you, that you could work on prioritizing, or working into your schedule as a regular occurrence? In what ways can you connect to people you love, or the community around you?
(There are so many people who will always experience chronic illness, or who will live with their disability forever, and this is in no way to meant undermine anyone’s experience in any way. Nor, will any of these small daily actions or rituals necessarily cure major on going health conditions. Also, should go without saying, but clearly none of this is medical advice and of course contact your doctor if you have any concerns or before making large changes to your lifestyle.)
Spring is trying it’s best to bloom, and we hope you are too!
Catch you next week,
– Danni
A-R-T Weekly Newsletter: A Rotting Shark, Cupcake Liner Flowers, and The Contrast of Preservation VS Replication
At this point some of you are probably starting to know what’s happening here, but for those of you who are new, welcome to A-R-T, our weekly newsletter! Each week we hand pick an article, a recycled project, and a thought to ponder for the week, delivered right to your inbox. We hope this will leave you feeling inspired, intrigued, and introspective.
This week is a weird mix, so get ready, and let’s jump in!
Damien Hirst, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991). Photo courtesy of Oli Scarff/Getty Images.
I’m not gonna lie to you guys, I’m sure this one is going to be a little controversial, but then again a lot of art is. In this brief article written by Richard Whiddington, he discuses the slightly graphic and decently gross reality and journey of using an actual dead 14 foot tiger shark for this famous art piece. Not quite a shark POV, but an interesting, odd, and alarmingly decaying aspect of this art piece.
On a very different note, our project this week will not involve preserving something dead, but replicating something fresh that will last.
photo credit: The Little Dove Blog
How many times have we purchased a huge pack of cupcake liners, to use them once, and then let them sit in our baking cabinets for years? I know I’m definitely guilty of this. These sweet cupcake liner flowers give a new life to our forgotten baking items, and give us a cute spring decoration all without leaving home.
What you’ll need:
colorful cupcake liners
small twigs
scissors
hot glue gun
green pipe cleaners, or other stem option like wire or dowel rods (optional)
Check out the how to instructions from The Little Dove
Preservation VS Replication
Our Thought for the week is regarding the contrast between preservation and replication, and the impact that they carry. There are many examples, including the shark in The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, where choosing to replicate a shark artificially to get the same aesthetic outcome of the current finished project, would probably have been more ethical, but potentially have a significantly different impactful emotionally for the viewer in many ways. Because the shark is preserved, it may conjure, awe, amazement, terror, disgust, or a wide range of other emotions from the view, that might not have hit the same way if it had been a fully artificial project. Similarly, preservation of sentimental objects in our lives is generally more important to use than replication is. We dry flowers from weddings and funerals to preserve them, as opposed to creating plastic or paper replicas to recapture the memory.
There is also such a huge place in our lives where replication just as, if not more, beautiful and valuable, and can transcend the medium limitations that certain artists experience. Stephanie Shih (ceramicist) and Deborah Czeresko (glass blower) are both great examples of people who create hyper realistic food replicas in permanent mediums to immortalize these objects that will otherwise degrade.
Does the replication of these items lead to their preservation, but in a different way? Are the motives behind preservation vs replication the same? How in your mind and experience does preservation and replication differ?
We hope you enjoyed this odd and interconnected mix of topics.
Happy Monday, we hope the end of April treats you well, and we will catch you next week!
– Danni
A-R-T Weekly Newsletter: Exploring Ideas of Culture Through Materials, Slime, and Our Emotional Bank Accounts
Welcome to our new weekly newsletter - A-R-T! Each week we will hand pick an article, a recycled project, and a thought to ponder for the week, delivered right to your inbox. We hope this will leave you feeling inspired, intrigued, and introspective.
Let’s get into it!
In her monologue formatted interview, written by David Eardley, we follow Rose Nestler through a variety of subjects, topics, textures, mediums, and emotions. She delves in to the intricate intersections of art, feminism, consumerism, and self-identity in this thought-provoking article. From navigating the complexities of social media as a tool for both promotion and personal exploration to dissecting the allure and contradictions of beauty products in the age of digital metrics, the author candidly explores the dichotomies of participation and resistance within contemporary culture. With each revelation, the author unveils layers of meaning, inviting us to question our perceptions and redefine our relationship with materiality, gender roles, and the essence of creativity itself.
As we ponder the complexities of contemporary culture, let's dive into a tactile journey inspired by Rose: DIY slime.
Photo by One Little Project
While we might not always think of using household items in a new way as “recycling”, we are giving a new life to a material or substance we might not have another use for, or something we use infrequently. The intention behind the recycled project aspect of our newsletter is to give you ideas of projects you can make without having to buy anything new - to use what you already have.
This weeks project is fluffy slime! While slime is often thought of as something for children, it has grown hugely popular both on social media, and in the lives of many adults. Not only is it fun, it can also be a way to keep your hands busy and act as a stress reliever.
What you’ll need:
glue
contact solution
shaving cream
baking soda
acrylic paint
Take your pick of video instructions or written instructions for this simple & fun activity!
Last but not least, our thought to leave you with this week is based on the concept of emotional bank accounts
Just as we deposit and withdraw funds from a financial account, we also make emotional “deposits” and “withdrawals” in our relationships. This is a concept that exists within many of the relationships in our lives, not just romantically. Acts of kindness, empathy, and understanding serve as deposits, while criticism, neglect, and insensitivity constitute withdrawals. Every person will have slightly different criteria on what may feel like a deposit or a withdraw, based on what values they hold and how they like to receive care. By cultivating thoughtful and intentional interactions we can nurture healthier, more fulfilling connections with those around us. Small gestures of appreciation, active listening, and genuine empathy can all contribute to building emotional wealth in our relationships. Moreover, understanding the importance of balance and reciprocity reminds us to approach our interactions with intentionality and care, being mindful and proactive about the ways we contribute to those around us.
What are a few things you can do this week, and this month, to make some deposits into your relationships? Take note of your current “bank balances” are there any relationships that could use a boost?
Catch you next week!
- Danni
A-R-T Weekly Newsletter: Dreamy Pools, DIY Terrariums, and Bridging The Gap to Your Dream Life
Welcome to our new weekly newsletter - A-R-T! Each week we will hand pick an article, a recycled project, and a thought to ponder for the week, delivered right to your inbox. We hope this will leave you feeling inspired, intrigued, and introspective.
Let’s dive in!
Our article this week includes a brief interview with Jared Pike, a 3D artist known for his imagined liminal pool rooms. These ethereal 3D renders are absolutely mesmerizing, and are both eerie and unbelievably beautiful.
Our recycled project of the week is making a DIY terrarium! If you have any old jars lying around, this is a great way to put them to use and give them a new life. You can use any sized jar or clear glass container. A mason jar, fish bowl, aquarium, or wine bottle could all potentially work!
Terrariums are essentially a miniature ecosystem composed of rocks, soil, and plants. They can be closed or open, but when fully closed they create their own atmosphere and need very little from the outside world other than sunlight. They’re a very beautiful, low maintenance, virtually self sustaining way to keep a houseplant. Try making one for yourself, or keep this in mind for an easy diy gift idea!
Last but not least, our thought to leave you with this week is:
What does the life I truly desire look like? What lives between the gap of where I’m at right now, and where I want to be? What is one thing I could do today, this week, and this month, that would help get me closer to my goal?
We hope you had a lovely eclipse, and we will see you next week.