One particular area of learning has been with acrylic paints. As they have been slowly reintroduced to common art, I’ve felt really fortunate that I get to have this experience painting with the community. Coming into this internship during a pandemic I was experiencing an altered state of the program with its limited choice of materials in order to follow disinfecting practices for Covid-19. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the pandemic and how this would alter the full year. Getting to see the paints back in action feels like a step towards normalcy for the community, and to me it is an exciting new experience!

As an art therapist, it is important to consider the appropriateness of the media that you offer to each client. You consider whether the client could benefit from less or more restrictive choices, sensory-based materials, precise or fluid materials, and so on. It has been really informative to see the community work with acrylic paints and understand what makes this medium such a favorite at common art. It seems that the fluid and buildable nature of the acrylic colors is much preferred to the structure of sketching with pencils, for example. This has prompted me to consider the ways in which paints can sometimes be more inviting to clients for a number of reasons. I encourage the reader of this blog to consider what materials you would find most comfortable; what would it feel like to sit down with a graphite pencil and piece of paper? What if you sat in front of a canvas and easel? Personally, I feel that drawing can be more intimidating whereas the fluid and kinesthetic experience of paints can feel more welcoming of experimentation.

Something important that the acrylics have taught me is to consider the cultural role and societal perceptions of different media. For example, for artists in this community it is affirming to work on a stretched canvas with an easel. It elevates their work and sets a tone for the value and importance of their creativity. The canvas is something that many people equate with artists and valuable paintings.  When we bring this into common art it creates a proper space for the community artists to feel honored and seen.

I have spent a lot of my time in the last month working one-to-one with community members to create acrylic paintings, collaborating on the drawing underneath, and practicing painting techniques. This has been a really lovely way to engage in relationships while building on an arts practice. In my last two weeks at common art I would like to continue exploring the use of acrylic paints and invite community members to collaborate on larger paintings. I know there is still much to learn even in the little time left as my semester draws to a close.

-Isabelle Olsson