Art and Alzheimer

I had the opportunity to visit an Alzheimer daycare this week.  One of the clients there used to be an art teacher.  He comes to the daycare for others to care for him but he also comes to do what he has done for years...teach art.  When I came in, he and three other people were painting with watercolors and using markers.  It was remarkable to me.  Each person was very carefully and thoughtfully painting their pictures, and they were beautiful.  One was flowers, another leaves, a Christmas tree scene.  The art teacher had drawn a tree with hearts using markers.  The line work was gorgeous.  It was so amazing to see people who have lost so much of their abilities in their thought processing, still able to create things from somewhere that Alzheimer can't reach. The essence of who they are is there inside and in the process of creating something we get a glimpse of an area that only God can really see now.  It also reminded me that each one of these people are no less valuable today than when they were 5 or 25 or 35.  They are just as precious to God now as they were the day they were born.    

The Letter P Sketch

Next I will paint it and add the lines and letter in photoshop.

A Thanksgiving Book For Children

How Many Days To America by Eve Bunting is a beautifully written picture book for Thanksgiving.  I read the story to a group of fourth graders and they were enthralled.  It is told from the little boy's point of view and the words and illustrations fit hand in hand like a glove.  A book I will be adding to my collection this fall.

Pumpkin pie anyone?

Fall Illustration Promotional

Now that I finished the last illustrations for the book, I have had time to create a fall promotional.  When my kids were little, we took all four of them to a pumpkin patch every fall. They picked out a pumpkin they could carry and we took them home and painted them. Sometimes they even added hats and wigs.  We had so much fun every year.  I never outgrow pumpkin painting! I hope they never do either.

Frederick

Frederick was one of my favorite picture books growing up. I actually think of it quite often because I relate with Frederick so much.  While all the other mice are busy doing important jobs, Frederick stores up words and colors.  No one sees any validity to what he spends his time doing.  Even Frederick doubts the importance of his creative tasks.  Then, when winter strikes and all the food the other mice have stored is eaten and gone, the days are filled with grey and misery. Frederick then shares all the words and colors he has stored and gives something that fills their souls and hearts.
Yes, I love that story!   (previous blog)

EMBRACE THE CHANGE

Very fitting for this situation--being forced to create a whole new blog--Embrace The Change, even though at first it is VERY uncomfortable...and I might mention time consuming!!!

My old blog:www.mrossillustrates.blogspot.com