Deanna
Since September 2007 I have been helping out at Gawith Villa at rather irregular intervals, bringing intellectually-disabled clients to an art studio. I functioned basically as their art mentor, helping them as they go about drawing, painting and writing. Last year, there was Deanna, Sheryl and Cuong. When I resumed in August this year, only Deanna remained. Still it was a tremendous journey and one that through its ups and downs, brought me joy.
Deanna must present an interesting case to therapists and doctors. She is not afflicted with Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy or other common intellectual-disorders. She is also not wheelchair bound. Seen from a slight distance, she looks physically alright. The people at Gawith Villa explained to me that when she was young, she was placed in the Kew Cottages (an organisation that looked after the intellectually-disabled, it has since been closed down), although she was not diagnosed with any of the illnesses. In the Cottage, the care that was given to the children was apparently really bad. Deanna started out being fine, developing like most children would. However, being immersed in such an environment she started to pick up behavioural traits from others and forming them to become her own. Now she does not speak at all, preferring to use hummings and body language (like stamping her feet, tapping her head or pushing things presented to her away) to express herself.
I first got to know of Gawith Villa through my university's careers website. Taking half a year off studies, I decided to look for something to gainfully occupy my time in Australia. I thought: hmmm maybe there is something I can learn here and give back through service. At that time I was a lot more focused on the latter. Through time I realised that the people I was 'helping' with my able body and mind actually thought me infintely more about life in return.
Sounds like one of those 'cliched' stories with some moral saying attached at the end? Pause and push the cynicism aside for a while. Because it really is true. This world thinks that only the famous, well-off and well-connected have much to teach us about living on earth, so much so that they shape the choices we make. Yet wisdom reveals herself differently... in places found by those who fully seek her. I did not really search for wisdom when I began volunteering for I thought it was me who had much to give. God changed this perspective of mine and showed me wisdom's way.
Deanna loves drawing circles and spirals. Give her a piece of paper and a marker, colour pencil or crayon and she immediately responds by drawing these exuberant circles all over the surface. I realised a certain trend in the way she draws. When she begins she tends to do a scribble over the paper, almost like claiming the territory. She also usually draws in the part of the paper closer to her and draws in other parts when you point them out to her.
She also hardly takes the colouring tools by herself. I would either pass a colour to her or let her pick a favourite between a choice of 2 or 3 colours. Then with colour in her hand, it is get-go from the start. She will just draw and draw and draw. Sometimes the circles spill out of the border and Deanna will begin colouring the table beneath. Sometimes she will deliberately draw circles in the corners, tight concentrated circles, almost like she is marking out a frame.
There are scenes of dense whirls of pure colour. No shading. Sometimes the pressure is hard and the line is bold, assertive and confident. Sometimes a bit of pressure is released and the line becomes light, almost whimsical. The layers of colour build one on top of the other.
Ask her what the image means and she will not explain. Ask many of the clients what their image means and they may not give an answer that can satisfy the curiosity of a curator or art historian. I remember the bunch of us art mentors coming together to select artworks for an exhibition (Art, I Like It! now on at Malvern and Prahran town halls). Being the quiet subdued me, I watched and listened as they made curatorial decisions. I realised how truly difficult it is to make 'sense' of the mass of artworks in the studio - sense that is sense to us.
The clients hardly ever speak of how they feel when they make art. It is instinct. Crayon, brush, paper and go! Many of the mentors said likewise of their experiences. Not like us who think: oh if I draw a rose this way, it will look like a carnation.
This is not to value the clients' works as more 'pure or true to nature' than ours. It is simply a way of expression that can change our mindsets the more we allow ourselves to understand.
And what a process of engagement it was! Over time I found that I could call the works Deanna produce almost my own too. The execution is purely hers. But the choice of paper, choice of colouring material and choice of colours were all offered by me for her to make.
This made it such a joy. I could be a part of her discovery of art! I could be involved in the act of self-expression. =)
Yesterday something inconceivable happened. Deanna seemed rather moody, choosing not to colour anything. She placed all the markers back in the box and insistently pushed the paper away. She had scribbled spirals in yellow ink and had decided that that was it.
But she kept on sitting next to me instead of moving to her favourite massage chair a distance away. She looked on as I helped Kattie draw Christmas cards for Marina and Anthony.
Then she started drawing, nearly an hour on.
This time she was drawing long relaxed vertical wavy lines that are reminiscent of streamers! Marina was so delightfully taken aback that she said - Deanna you're drawing a party!
It was colourful. Instead of limiting a piece to the usual 4 - 6 colours, Deanna was using the whole palette available. There was even blue, a colour she does not fancy using much.
With heavy strokes she would press the marker tips strongly unto the surface. The result was vibrant and energetic.
I felt such joy and almost a tinge of pride to see how far she had come. And it was also officially my last day (though I intend to visit at least once more).
As she was leaving she stomped either foot once, making it sound like she was saying byebye. Cute! hahahaha
As for me, I told Marina I was going to take the works home. Keepsakes. Reminders that art can bring life with it.
Deanna must present an interesting case to therapists and doctors. She is not afflicted with Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy or other common intellectual-disorders. She is also not wheelchair bound. Seen from a slight distance, she looks physically alright. The people at Gawith Villa explained to me that when she was young, she was placed in the Kew Cottages (an organisation that looked after the intellectually-disabled, it has since been closed down), although she was not diagnosed with any of the illnesses. In the Cottage, the care that was given to the children was apparently really bad. Deanna started out being fine, developing like most children would. However, being immersed in such an environment she started to pick up behavioural traits from others and forming them to become her own. Now she does not speak at all, preferring to use hummings and body language (like stamping her feet, tapping her head or pushing things presented to her away) to express herself.
I first got to know of Gawith Villa through my university's careers website. Taking half a year off studies, I decided to look for something to gainfully occupy my time in Australia. I thought: hmmm maybe there is something I can learn here and give back through service. At that time I was a lot more focused on the latter. Through time I realised that the people I was 'helping' with my able body and mind actually thought me infintely more about life in return.
Sounds like one of those 'cliched' stories with some moral saying attached at the end? Pause and push the cynicism aside for a while. Because it really is true. This world thinks that only the famous, well-off and well-connected have much to teach us about living on earth, so much so that they shape the choices we make. Yet wisdom reveals herself differently... in places found by those who fully seek her. I did not really search for wisdom when I began volunteering for I thought it was me who had much to give. God changed this perspective of mine and showed me wisdom's way.
Deanna loves drawing circles and spirals. Give her a piece of paper and a marker, colour pencil or crayon and she immediately responds by drawing these exuberant circles all over the surface. I realised a certain trend in the way she draws. When she begins she tends to do a scribble over the paper, almost like claiming the territory. She also usually draws in the part of the paper closer to her and draws in other parts when you point them out to her.
She also hardly takes the colouring tools by herself. I would either pass a colour to her or let her pick a favourite between a choice of 2 or 3 colours. Then with colour in her hand, it is get-go from the start. She will just draw and draw and draw. Sometimes the circles spill out of the border and Deanna will begin colouring the table beneath. Sometimes she will deliberately draw circles in the corners, tight concentrated circles, almost like she is marking out a frame.
There are scenes of dense whirls of pure colour. No shading. Sometimes the pressure is hard and the line is bold, assertive and confident. Sometimes a bit of pressure is released and the line becomes light, almost whimsical. The layers of colour build one on top of the other.
Ask her what the image means and she will not explain. Ask many of the clients what their image means and they may not give an answer that can satisfy the curiosity of a curator or art historian. I remember the bunch of us art mentors coming together to select artworks for an exhibition (Art, I Like It! now on at Malvern and Prahran town halls). Being the quiet subdued me, I watched and listened as they made curatorial decisions. I realised how truly difficult it is to make 'sense' of the mass of artworks in the studio - sense that is sense to us.
The clients hardly ever speak of how they feel when they make art. It is instinct. Crayon, brush, paper and go! Many of the mentors said likewise of their experiences. Not like us who think: oh if I draw a rose this way, it will look like a carnation.
This is not to value the clients' works as more 'pure or true to nature' than ours. It is simply a way of expression that can change our mindsets the more we allow ourselves to understand.
And what a process of engagement it was! Over time I found that I could call the works Deanna produce almost my own too. The execution is purely hers. But the choice of paper, choice of colouring material and choice of colours were all offered by me for her to make.
This made it such a joy. I could be a part of her discovery of art! I could be involved in the act of self-expression. =)
Yesterday something inconceivable happened. Deanna seemed rather moody, choosing not to colour anything. She placed all the markers back in the box and insistently pushed the paper away. She had scribbled spirals in yellow ink and had decided that that was it.
But she kept on sitting next to me instead of moving to her favourite massage chair a distance away. She looked on as I helped Kattie draw Christmas cards for Marina and Anthony.
Then she started drawing, nearly an hour on.
This time she was drawing long relaxed vertical wavy lines that are reminiscent of streamers! Marina was so delightfully taken aback that she said - Deanna you're drawing a party!
It was colourful. Instead of limiting a piece to the usual 4 - 6 colours, Deanna was using the whole palette available. There was even blue, a colour she does not fancy using much.
With heavy strokes she would press the marker tips strongly unto the surface. The result was vibrant and energetic.
I felt such joy and almost a tinge of pride to see how far she had come. And it was also officially my last day (though I intend to visit at least once more).
As she was leaving she stomped either foot once, making it sound like she was saying byebye. Cute! hahahaha
As for me, I told Marina I was going to take the works home. Keepsakes. Reminders that art can bring life with it.
