12/17/08

Steve

1. How long have you been working with the iXpress program?
I’ve been working with I Xpress for 5 years. With 4 different teachers.

2. Why do you make art?
I like art because I move my hands. I like paint to and make colors. I like to feel the brush to make different colors. I paint boats, buses, trees, houses.

3. How do you feel when you paint?
I feel great. I feel happy cause when you help and keep me on task I finish a painting. People tell me I do a good job.

4. What would you change about iXpress if you could?
I would paint more and faster.



Stacey


1. How long have you been working with the iXpress program?
3 years with 3 different teachers.

2. Why do you make art?
I feel happy because the pictures are beautiful and I paint well with my own hand. Impressionist paintings are easy for my hand and the colors are pretty. My favorite colors are purple and pink. I picked Monet’s garden for the purple Irises. I like to work from historic painter’s art. I choose the piece because the fall colors. I like to go to art because it is quite (sic). I like the music and my friends.

3. What would you change about iXpress if you could?
Nothing.

4. As an artist, what is your most important message to get across to your audience?
Nothing, I paint for me.








from the Southern Tier

JB is a skilled and thoughtful participant in Aspire's iXpress program in the Southern Tier. His choice to create with pastels allows this artist to work in ways that express an engaging confluence of personal process with media. The effects of layering, blending and stroking/marking convey visual depth as well as an immediacy of the experience of art-making. This artist is gifted with an ability to create in ways that offer fresh opportunities to the viewer for considering the ways that art may enhance our own ways of seeing and understanding each other, our experiences and the world around us.


"December Light", blue pastel, 6" x 6"


12/10/08

Cheryl

Recent works by iXpress artist Cheryl R. She primarily works with paint on canvas and loves to select colors mixing a la prima as she works. Most of her works are inspired by everyday people and places which are noted in her titles.


"Outside, Here", 2008, acrylic on canvas


"Untitled", 2008, acrylic on canvas




Loretta

We have another completed interview via Sonja, one of our speech therapists. This one is with iXpress artist Loretta here is what she had to say:

1. How long have you been working with iXpress?
Since I came to Brock almost three years ago.

2. Why do you make art?
It keeps my mind off of things that bother me. I think about the art instead.

3. How do you feel when you’re working?
Happy. It makes me think about happy things. Also, I can get my frustrations out.
Sometimes I get excited, too
.

4. What would you change about iXpress if you could?
I would like more help to be careful and not make mistakes about how I (use colors) and about fixing mistakes. I ask Jody, “What color should I use here?” and she tells me I should figure it out. She might bring me three colors and tell me to mix them until they look like I think they should.

5. As an artist what is your most important message to get across to your audience?
I like to do my own work. I can do it but it’s going to take me a little while. I worked hard at it. I want you appreciate me for who I am.





12/4/08

Anna

Within iXpress the creative process relies heavily on communication between the facilitator and the artist. As facilitators we want our artists to express to us in any means they can what their vision is so that we can help them to achieve that goal.

We work with a number of people who use alternative communication methods including Dynavox machines, sign language, alternative sign language and symbol books. Knowing our iXpress artists is the best way to learn what they're trying to say but sometimes we need to ask our talented speech therapists to help out. Recently, I sent a list of questions to the Speech department and asked if they would help work on these questions with some of our iXpress artists. Anna was the first one to complete the questions with speech therapist Martha. Anna has a Dynavox on her motorized wheelchair but she prefers her Bliss symbol book. The process of communication is slow but always worth it when we have a really meaningful conversation about her art.

Anna and I work as a team on her art from coming up with the idea to applying the paint to canvas. Anna uses a universal cuff to help her hold the paintbrush, it's like an elastic band that wraps around four fingers of the hand. This helps Anna work because she doesn't have to strain to hold onto the brush. When she works I am also there for additional physical support to help her raise her arm and move around the canvas. Currently, we are looking into more advanced adaptive equipment for Anna and artists like her so she can work more independently.




So, thanks to Martha for going the extra mile so we could all learn a little more about Anna. Here are her responses:

1. How long have you been working with iXpress?
I have been painting at Aspire for over 10 years.

2. Why do you make art?
I make art because I enjoy being creative and working on something meaningful.

3. How do you feel when you're working?
When I work on my art I am very focused and it gives me a sense of purpose.

4. What would you change about iXpress if you could?
I wish we had the time, money and resources so that I could spend more time working on my art.

5. As an artist what is your more important message to get across to your audience?
I want people to see that I do good work.

If you have questions for our artists, feel free to leave them in a comment and we'll be sure to survey our artists. Thanks for looking!