St Pierre gets a Mullican inspired Living Art Wall
Mullican's work will often change and grow. Between one exhibition and the next, if he has been moved to do further work on the piece, this will be added and give a different view the next time the work is seen. His presentation, and the fact that blu-tack will hold small canvases to the hospital wall without pulling offf lumps of paint, is the inspiration of our Living Art Wall on St Pierre at Chepstow Community Hospital.
Full Onset Dementia
My first visit to the ward was made in early February 2017. I was there to simply observe the patients in order to create a suitable art project. I arrived and was introduced as the art specialist, who would have lots of ideas for the morning’s art activity (…yeah right!!)
It was Valentine’s in a few days, so Michelle, the lead OT had decided to print out red coloured hearts. I had absolutely no idea of the skills of each patient or their individual personality, so I truly was in at the deep end. Then instinct kicked in. You don’t think you can cope with the situation but you do and all of my skills came to the fore.
I introduced myself to each of the six service users, and then quickly planned what to do. Paper chains came to mind and words of affirmation. This helped me to ask questions of the service users and to observe their abilities.
Pat chose the names of her family to stick over the heart. Pam, the ex gym teacher chose her favourite sports. Rita chose the names of flowers and …… so continued the exercise. I was able to determine that materials were poor, that table tops were cluttered that glue sticks were dry and scissors were unsuitable, but the activity was completed and the hearts hung by a large lumps of blu-tack in front of the day room window. I had seen how each user was differently affected by the illness and put into practise differing style and content of my teaching to convey information or to achieve a physical or verbal response. I had survived a really important first test from users and staff alike!
In discussions with Michelle later that week, she had the idea that we could frame a project around the four seasons and I had the idea of incorporating it into a Living Art wall which would grow over time. Emails were exchanged, Michelle and I purchased some vital equipment and the Living Art Wall project on St Pierre began.
There are three main approaches to the work. The first is to use a photograph from a magazine then to add paint. The second is to consider some themes from a season, i.e. falling leaves from autumn or waves on the shore in summer, then take the paint or felt pen for a walk on the canvas. The third is to select music from a season and paint the rhythms imagining you’re a conductor of an orchestra (this can also be a secondary part of approaches one and two).
As a teacher and facilitator, I can only make a decision on the shape of the lesson at the very last minute. One has to be informed by the mood of the service user and this can change in an instant.
I can state with confidence that repetition and great patience is vital to the production of work, as is the display of outcomes at the end of each session. I can also state that support for the service user must never mean doing it for them. When intervention is required it must be acknowledged as a joint effort with two signatures on the work.
There is no quicker way to reinforce failure than to complete work for a service user. I find it soul destroying to hear the service user say to support staff “well you did it all!” It’s not easy but with my limited experience if one is sufficiently patient, a service user will independently make marks and I believe a deeper level of trust is created. I may be new to the ward but I have witnessed how this deeper layer of trust comes into play.
Pam, a service user who finds it almost impossible to operate independently on any level, may not remember that the work on the wall is hers, but because of what I describe as trust, she is more easily able to accept the information from me when I tell her that 'it is her painting from last week.' I believe this happens because she has witnessed complete honesty from me at all times and in all ways and this honesty or trust sits deeper in her than does her normal day to day processing. She has built up an opinion when I have asked her repeatedly to hold a brush, make a mark, cut a line, to take a break and drink her tea or to comment that her appearance is smart. Therefore she is able to accept the information as truth and feel momentarily good about herself. Feeling good, is the ultimate goal of my project. Its formation is delicate and can be easily broken! Hence my irritation when well meaning support is provided in totally the wrong manner.
As a newcomer to dementia I was delighted to find a new publication from Dementia and Imagination, entitled “Research Informed Approaches to Visual Arts Programmes”, which became available online in February 2017 (http://www.artsforhealth.org/resources/dementia-and-imagination.pdf ) It provides guidance on conducting art interventions with those living with all levels of dementia. Thankfully it concurs with my instincts and it has given me confidence to gently challenge staff by asking them to join in by painting pastel squares, which gives me a cue to say that "it's important that staff don't produce the same work as service users" and it has also provided me with a checklist to ensure that the ‘Living Art Wall’ project is conducted on a level that meets current expectations.
