Week 8: Acrylic Painting

I am back with another week of exciting research updates!

In the past weeks, the provided art materials were mainly colored pencils, crayons and markers. Since the participants have been advancing in their abilities, we upgraded to painting this week.

Many sources, such as the Alzheimer’s Association and my mentor, state that the activities in art therapy for Alzheimer’s patients should be adult-leveled. Assigning them child-like tasks may negatively affect their sense of dignity. Therefore, I’ve always been careful in picking each week’s activity. Do you still remember the project from the very first week? We did still life drawings of orchids more than a month ago, and this time, we painted flowers with acrylic paint on canvases. The main goal was to allow the participants to familiarize with painting techniques. For the project, we first traced flowers onto translucent paper with their pick of floral templates. By applying pressure, the graphite from the translucent paper was transferred onto the white canvas. Then, the participants were able to fill in the outlines with acrylic paint.

What surprised me was that, this time, they were very diligent in their work. In the past, some would take long breaks in between, while I had to urge them to return back to their art work. On the other hand, I only had to walk around the table to give words of encouragement with this project. This week’s diligence and engagement with the project resonates with the belief of Dr. Potts, a art therapy specialist, that the patients “can really lose themselves in the moment as they create.” I personally believe that they’ve made tremendous progress through this journey, not only physically, but also mentally. I hope that the improvement shows after conducting the final round of cognitive tests.

With one month left for Senior Project, I will also be starting my illustrated book regarding Alzheimer’s Disease. It might be a children’s book that educates Alzheimer’s disease through a biological stand point or a book geared towards adolecesce that focuses on portraying the social ills and issues toward the Alzheimer's community. All suggestions are welcomed!

Thank you for reading this week’s post.

Please take a minute to enjoy the beautiful artworks.