Gilliflower Expressions

Art in the Community Project - Guidelines to Art information and a free teaching aid template!

NEWS FLASH After hearing about John Whyman's quest to teach the community to paint, John Hope-Hawkins of the Society For All Artists has been working hard for the past couple of years to produce a ready made teaching kit. The project is now called 'Guidelines to Art' enabling everyone to paint or to teach easily using this simple method based on carefully formulated templates. You can now buy them here http://www.saa.co.uk/artmaterials/guidelines-to-art-3665.html . ( go to Guidelines to Art via the link below). The great news is that this will be launched in London starting the 23rd of July!!! at the SAA , Arts for All Event. But before you do please read on and hear the amazing story of how it came about

to view the SAA Guidelines to art kit just SAA Guidelines To Art Materials click here

or

to view the SAA Arts for All event SAA Arts for all event click here


It has been my mission for a few years now to tell the world about this invaluable method of teaching art in the community by willing volunteers.

Please excuse some repetition here. Since I started this page , the method has been adopted by the SAA (Society for All Artists) as a result of the bursary they so generously gave me to help the Whymans with their project..... and now an easy to use kit has been created! The SAA have teamed up with the Sue Ryder Organization and this technique is now used in many of their centers. The Technique has also been validated by the University of Nottingham and will be launched at an SAA event in london 'Arts for All' . You can read more about this exhibition here http://www.saa.co.uk/AllAboutArt.aspx (again to view information about the the SAA Arts for All , event SAA Arts for all event click here).

I would like to thank John and Margaret Whyman for all their years of hard work and dedication, John Hope-Hawkins , his family and the SAA staff who have worked tirelessly , Stacey of Rochdale artist a all the Rochdale volunteers , for making this possible!

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The text below is the original text before the recent update

Below is the Story of 'Whyman's Way' and a free template for teaching watercolour to the frail in our community. Please feel free to copy the template and use the technique wherever you may be in the world, to take art into the community. The Society for All Artists has recognized the unique contribution of John Whyman's template and have awarded a bursary to further support his work. If you live in the Rochdale area and would like to volunteer, please feel free to contact me and I will send you some more information. If not feel fee to copy his templates to help you teach others.



Why is the template technique so much better than painting–by–numbers?

By forming the outlines of the subject the painter already has imprinted in the subconscious the shapes and areas in the composition. And this leads on to logical choices of colour and texture. This is a more mentally stimulating process than simply following a number order. From the outset, the neo-artist has ownership of the whole ‘canvas’.

John and Margaret Whyman have dedicated 17 years of their life to volunteer work, visiting various Hospices, residences for the elderly and Hospital wards.

They take with them a well established formula that involves a simplified technique of teaching painting skills specifically targeted towards adults who, for various reasons, such as frailty, disability, failing eyesight or arthritic hands, would find it hard to learn in a conventional way.

John and Margaret have supported volunteers from the group, Rochdale Artists, to do the same work. But the demand for this service is greater than the supply of volunteers and many who would benefit greatly from all that art can bestow are denied the life changing opportunities they could experience. More volunteers are urgently needed.

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Pablo Picasso

Creating art is not just a pastime, especially for those who we are trying to reach.

Painting a picture instills more than visual satisfaction. The whole process is a social event. Participants benefit from a sense of belonging to a group or community, positive group dynamics and raised spirits, fighting off the blues of illness, loneliness and the low self esteem of a reduced or a perceived redundant role in society, i.e. joy and happiness a sense of fulfillment and achievement.

And as if that was not enough there are more practical benefits from learning art this way. Learning a new skill or keeping cognitively active is good for the brain and the body. For example, studies have shown that playing chess on a regular basis has a role in healthier longevity, J Genet Psychol. 1969 Sep;115(1st Half):143-8. Longevity of outstanding chess players. Barry H 3rd.

Keeping the brain stimulated and exercised, sharpens the faculties, helps with rehabilitation and convalescence and encourages gentle movement in the joints that (in some cases) may not otherwise be used.

These benefits are reciprocal, and contagious, bringing great joy to the volunteers, family, friends and care workers. Society in general can only be a better place with so much constructive activity.

Here is just one reason why, John and Margaret, have dedicated so much time to doing this volunteer work in their retirement.

Edith is in her eighties, is wheelchair bound and has lost most of the fingers of her left hand. But she can’t get enough of painting watercolour landscapes and has gained a great deal of pleasure building up her own gallery of work. Her new found talent puts her in the social spotlight. She is a regular member of John’s group and would love to have more regular visits.



(In Memory of Edith who sadly passed away)

What John provides

John supplies each volunteer with a pack of all the necessary equipment and paints.

{Feel free to create your own template from this example. In the near future we hope to be able to provide packs of ready cut, paper, boards, mounts and may be even the other materials and equipment. However John cuts all boards mounts and paper himself at the moment. So for now we have to wait until we can find a way of mass producing the supports to make life easier for you.}

He prepares stretched paper, taped to a board, for each student and makes a mount to frame their finished work.

He also provides a simple step by step guide, a painting to copy and a template to draw round. Plus paints , brushes and pencils.

The volunteers take a small group and staff member/s through the painting process step-by-step.

The result is a finished and mounted painting within an hour or more, dependant upon the ability of the group.

At the next visit another template is used. Approximately 60p covers the cost of the paper, the mount and the paints used.

Here is an example; the images are deliberately simple and bright to suit the physical abilities of the frail, who usually have limited dexterity, eyesight and concentration.