Tri-generational Art Therapy: Three's a charm

Facilitated by: Poppy T. Scheibel, M.S., ATR

“The best part is working with stories that can appeal to any person of any age,” said the 80+ member of the tri-generational art team. “I liked that it represented three different age groups: a youngster (12 year old), a younger mother (40’s) and an elderly lady who is also a mother.”

The Octogenarian of the group, with whom I have worked for one and a half years, suffered a stroke four years ago. She is wheel chair dependant and has no use of her left side. Her excitement and desire for making art and establishing relationships with people has not dissipated. In fact, this woman is more active, more passionate about life than many people half her age!

Adele (not her real name) draws on people and stories to inspire her art, with a special fondness for folklore and fairy tales. With several different aides and nurses who care for her, she experiences cultural diversity from one aide to the next. Yet there is a common thread that all of the health care providers have: “These are stories that can take place in any culture,” Adele offers.

The three-generational piece was incubated first by Adele. She chose a story that intrigued her: the old man who searched far and wide to find a treasure only to discover that it was in his own backyard the whole time. As the leader of our team, we consulted Adele for direction and use of our team creativity.

In a mixed media piece, Adele chose to work with her familiar use of watercolor and sponge, as well as use fine brush stroke with acrylic. The young girl, Brogan, (not her real name) painted the fish and bird after Adele’s encouragement. As a finishing touch, Brogan added charm by charm on the trunk for a resonating and shimmery effect that delighted all three of us. Both color and compositional layout were laid out by Adele and she said she liked the leather cut trees and limbs I had made.

In Adele’s art making, she makes all of the decisions. With limitations on her physical movements, I try to maintain our 2 hours a week where Adele is always in the driver’s seat. She is the director, the composer, the leader, the choreographer, and the one who controls her artistic greatness during our sessions. And like a good leader, she asked us each time, “what do you think we should place here?”

Through well known stories and artistic reenactment on the canvas, Adele feels that we are all connected. “Like the old man and the treasure, fairy tales and folk tales are based on human life.” The three of us agree that the most meaningful part of the tri-generational art making was that we each brought a different perspective to the canvas and we were able to integrate those perspectives into a cohesive piece. That connective spirit warmed all of our hearts!

Visit Poppy T. Scheibel's site at www.artherapywithpoppy.com