Synesthesia in Painting (in Chicago)

Chicago's Morpho Gallery will highlight the paintings of Tim Vitek from May 4th - June 5th 2013, with an opening reception on Saturday May 4th from 6 - 10 pm. As the owner of Grid Based Beats, a producer of electronic music and long-time visual artist, Vitek constantly explores the relationship between visual art, sound and sensation. The illusory properties of his visual pieces encourage a contemplation of what is materially present and what only appears to be present. Vitek's work revolves around a central principle: that sound and color share a measurable system, and that this system can be applied universally. Vitek's most recent sonic works will accompany the exhibition, allowing visitors a chance to experience the sensation of synesthesia for themselves.

Morpho Gallery is located at 5216 North Damen Ave. in Chicago.

Grandparents Workshop

While I was in elementary school, my art teacher used to teach me how to paper cut. It's really easy to practice paper cut. You just need to learn how to fold them properly and knowing the specific place to cut. Moreover, if you do not expect any specific shapes out of your paper cut, you can just fold the an uncut paper several times and cut it freely as you want, it will turn out to be some interesting shapes that you wouldn't even expect.

Crochet would also be an interesting workshop to do at the nursing home. Moreover, I found several variable workshop that are applicable. Here are some pictures I found on internet.

Covey's post

Storycorps.

I think the most rewarding, valuable part of working with the elderly will be hearing and reminiscing in their stories and memories. Rather than only listening to their wisdom and words, it would be very ideal to be able to document them through audible recordings, written documents, or art. Like Storycorps, people record the memories and significance of the elderly and create a compilation in order to honor the lives of people. 

http://storycorps.org

Making Sensory 4/9

Hi all, here's what you'll need for this week:

READ: Nagala'at + Katerina Seda essays
BRING:
1.) Your CTA U-PASS!
2.) Materials for sensory dough:
* small container of cream of tartar (from the spice section of the grocery store)
* 1 package of GENERIC jell-o ... whatever color/flavor you want to use
+
 * mixing bowl
* sturdy mixing spoon or spatula
* big glass/pyrex or microwavable measuring cup
* measuring spoons
* lightweight cutting mat / board
* a few cups of flour
3.) a Recording Device (- can be your laptop, iphone or audiorecorder for audio, camera or videocamera for visuals) + your sketchbook.

Act as if you are young

Article: Can the power of thought stop you ageing?

Ellen Langer in 1979 and today

     In 1979, Prof Langer conducted an experiment. Prof Langer recruited a group of elderly men all in their late 70s or 80s. They were not told they were taking part in a study into ageing, an experiment that would transport them 20 years back in time.The men were split into two groups. They would both be spending a week at a retreat outside of Boston.But while the first group, the control, really would be reminiscing about life in the 50s, the other half would be in a timewarp. Surrounded by props from the 50s the experimental group would be asked to act as if it was actually 1959. They watched films, listened to music from the time and had discussions about Castro marching on Havana and the latest Nasa satellite launch - all in the present tense. And she was determined to remove any prompt for them to behave as anything but healthy individuals. They weren't being treated as incompetent or sick.

But Prof Langer took physiological measurements both before and after the week and found the men improved across the board. Their gait, dexterity, arthritis, speed of movement, cognitive abilities and their memory was all measurably improved.Their blood pressure dropped and, even more surprisingly, their eyesight and hearing got better. Both groups showed improvements, but the experimental group improved the most.Prof Langer believes that by encouraging the men's minds to think younger their bodies followed and actually became "younger".

Nursing home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UFPr8VzMz8
-This one shows sports playing.
I researched some. Some like puzzles, some like gardening, some like chess and some like tasting extreme foods and some likes stories read/voices heard and others like dancing with you.

NURSING House project

I always make terrariums with my mother and grandmother in my spare time, we enjoy the time of making it.We chat and we enjoy the sunshine in the garden, sometime in a greenhouse. Therefore I think Making little terrariums for nursing house project will be a good idea. Making terrarium can be very easy and creative. It doesn't need to be fancy, what it need is the dedication of love.




 

Flour balloon dolls:

I used to do this while i was a kid, it is very entertaining  plus the touch of the balloon with flour, is very comfortable and easy to mold and play with.

The advantages an activity like this has for an elder is decorating and creating their own doll, which at the end will become a entertaining  massage stress ball.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blogmanualidades.com/wp-content/uploads/munecosdeharina.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blogmanualidades.com/munecos-de-harina/&h=280&w=425&sz=15&tbnid=qtnegNYy7ndNHM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=137&zoom=1&usg=__Ftn6wk2bfMAOJ-D-c8MRochXXF0=&docid=WUkicT_FtlfzqM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fHpjUau6OoT5ygGTvoDACQ&ved=0CDgQ9QEwAw&dur=1057

eraser stamps without carving

不刻之章

 

Differ from traditional eraser stamps, Kikyastamp teaches you how to make a eraser stamps without carving it. Kikiyastamp is an art brand which comes from Japan. It teaches people to rub the eraser until the eraser becoming the ideal shape. People can also combine different shape into one eraser stamps. Without using knife and carving, it is easier and safer for children and the old to make eraser stamps. Here are some examples.

Here is the video to teach you how to do it.

http://kikiyapon.exblog.jp/    the website of Kikiyastamp.
http://www.youtube.com/user/kikiyastamp/videos  the video collection

Activities in nursing homes

i am still very drawn to the idea of playing with touch and/ or sound. one of the activities that interested me was playing musical bingo. its where you have popular songs form their time and cards with the names of the songs on them so they can cross them out as they listen to the music. the other one in to have a bag of objects that they can touch and are encourage to make associations or link a memory with the object. this would help them remember the object they pulled out of the bag by the association they made to it.

Simple & Easy Origami!

By doing simple and esay origami, they can have fun and this can help elders to focus. Also after they finish doing origami, they can feel better about themselves because they accomplished doing origami.

http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-envelope.html 

Paper Marbling Art Book/Postcard Making

    The olders' shaky hands inspired me with the dripping process of water marbling art. In General, it doesn't require accuracy. It should be just a fun process of choosing different colors and randomly dropping colors. Of course, for more talented people, there could be advanced patterns involved.
   
 The result of marbling will be transfered on to postcard and paper which will be made into notebook later.
 

  A Blick paper marbling tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J410yQ7PI1E

Making Sensory 4/2

Hi everyone,

Really great work for the midterm projects and critiques so far. This week we'll begin work on our collaboration with nursing home residents. Here's what you'll need to do:

READ: excerpt from "CounterClockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility," by Ellen Langer (handout). This is an important reading - make sure to underline passages you'd like to discuss further.

POST: an idea for one sensory activity to do with nursing home residents. Include an image and any relevant hyperlinks (using the "LINK" button).

First, do a little research to see what kinds of activities are typically done with the elderly. Then think about what your own skills and interests are, and what kinds of activities you might enjoy when you're 80+ years old!

BRING: the following kitchen supplies to make a few variations on sensory dough. If you don't own all of these things, just bring what you have and we'll share:


* mixing bowl
* sturdy mixing spoon or spatula
* glass/pyrex or microwavable measuring cup
* measuring spoons
* lightweight cutting mat / board
* a few cups of flour
* hand lotion or latex gloves (the dough can dry your skin).