Millcreek Senior Center Art- Mindfulness Class

Millcreek Senior Center August 2017

Creative Mindfulness: Using Visual Art to support mindfulness

Throughout the ages, art has been synonymous with healing and has in many cultures held a key role in many ancient spiritual and religious healing rituals. Traditionally, art has also been held as a hallowed and fundamental part of society and culture. However, the role of art is changing. It is my hope that as the role of art changes in our society that you will learn new ways to change your perception and participation of the arts.

Today the value of art-making is in increasingly under scrutiny and often dubbed an unnecessary and unimportant luxury. Art is being slowly removed from school curricula and faces defunding. Often art is quarantined in the halls of museums and available only to the select few who have the luxury to go out of their way to be involved with the arts.
The benefits  for seniors, include reduced stress, and increases in relaxation, energy, self-esteem and even cognitive functioning.

“Mindfulness is a way of learning to relate directly to whatever is happening in your life, your sketchbook is a tool for taking charge of your life, a way of doing something for yourself that no one else can do for you — consciously and systematically working with your own stress, pain, illness, and the challenges and demands of everyday life

As art’s role in contemporary society is increasingly questioned, another topic has enjoyed a surge in popularity: mindfulness. Contemporary psychology has seen a substantial increase in the study of mindfulness—in 2012 alone over 500 scientific articles on mindfulness

So what's this class about?

This class is about incorporating the many forms of art into a daily routine that ensures a holistic lifestyle. The primary focus is incorporating and using  the visual arts by keeping a sketchbook.

The sketchbook is just a tool to use and record your thoughts. It forces yourself into a greater sense of mindfulness. It’s about mindfulness in a fun way.

My personal application is presented in my blog, “ An Easel A Brush and the Bus”  

http://easelbrushbus.blogspot.com/

Throughout this blog I use public transportation to free myself from the needed attention to driving myself to various locations to make sketches and take time for mindfulness observation.

Art is so important in my life I also have another blog,  Wasatch Art, http://wasatchart.blogspot.com/  the theme of this blog is modeling the role of art in times of socioeconomic and political transition.

Suggested materials for using the visual arts to create your own mindfulness path.
1. Sketch book, Any type will do, from a inexpensive note book to a nice sketching journal book.
2. Minimally a pencil, and or pen
3. Additionally soft pastels
4. Watercolors and or gouache

The use of all of the above will be demonstrated in the class.

Art Classes 2017 Spring & Summer

Plein Air classes
Adults & Parent Child opportunities

All plein air classes will be based on art as an integral part of life. The classes are for artists and non artists alike. The classes are based on a reflection of the past and will create a sense of present adventure.

 Instruction provided for the student will assist the student to create their own artistic journey of incorporating art and recreation. Best stated the intent and purpose is to develop a holistic incorporation of creativity into one's lifestyle.

The plein air experience:
The idea is, pre photography images of places and things were only experienced either first hand or by viewing drawings and paintings. Many early images of the American landscapes were created by artists accompanying government survey crews as the maped the American west.

The artists were explorers and travelers as well as painters. So students taking part in the plein air experiences will be taught how to create their own adventures by creating images throughout their travels. The thought and opportunity of travel and exploration will vary greatly for each individual. For some the opportunity for distant travel may be possible. For many though travel and exploration will be enjoyed closer to home. It is the close to home exploration that we will develop in the classes and workshops. The focus will be incorporating art into a daily lifestyle. And the opportunities for creating art in our Wasatch front are endless.

Adult class Guardian and Child art class,

Keeping a sketchbook, Summer art activity for both adults and children,

This class is unique because it engages the student in daily interactivity followed up and supported by a weekly class gathering.

This class instructs how to have a daily activity for both students and guardians to enjoy all summer. The fundamentals will be taught and then the students will create work throughout the week to bring to the next class for discussion and personal assistance. Each week techniques will be demonstrated. The key purpose is for the individual to have a daily activity to enjoy and a group to then engage with each week. This informal class will provide a structure for individuals to make friends and form relationships with others of like mind regardless of age and or ability.
The class will be held outside weather permitting and when necessary indoors for demonstrations and studio work.

About the class:
It was the concept of painting outdoors with a group of friends capturing images of common life breaking away from the societal accepted norms, the  polished works of art of aristocrats kings queens and political and business leaders that launched the plein air movement in Paris in 1860.

The impressionist movement and Its originators were artists who rejected the official, government-sanctioned exhibitions, or salons

The Impressionists started as a small group of friends who aimed to capture the momentary, sensory effect of a scene - the impression objects made on the eye in a fleeting instant. To achieve this effect, many Impressionist artists moved from the studio to the streets and countryside, painting en plein air.

 They were not accepted by the mainstream art establishment but soon began having their own art shows and making art history.

 So the question is what will you make your adventure and own personal art experience?
Schedule forthcoming (please contact for more information)

 Kenneth Lund
wasatchart@gmail.com

Adult class
Parent Child Classes