Mock Client Sam: 2: Circus Animal & New Career

If you were a circus animal what would you be?

SAM: If I were in the circus, I would be the lion.  All I want is to lie in the sun with my family, enjoying some fresh meat once in a while.  Instead, I’m poked and prodded by the trainer, forced to jump through hoops.  Sometimes the hoops are on fire.

 What are your feelings about starting a new career?

SAM: The thought of starting a new career scares me to death.  I’m a sculptor, that’s all I know.  I would not even know where to begin.  I get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it.  I do not have any other valuable skills, and don’t know how well I could work with others.

Mock Client Sam: 1: Clinical Art Therapy

For Clinical Art Therapy, we are given a bare bones description of a "mock client" (we have 3 choices, choose one) whom we then "flesh out" with our own details.
I chose Sam, male, 50, sculptor, has wife and a son he's estranged from.  Recently learned he has cancer, depressed.  I added details: was unfaithful to wife in past, family found out, hence his estrangement from son. Sam and wife worked it out, but marriage has been very strained since.  Sam has brain cancer, unusual behaviors, went to doctor, found out he has brain cancer.

Directions for first assignment: create an artwork of choice, and if you were a tree, what would you be?

"Precious" Mixed Media on Paper

This piece was created for Clinical Art Therapy class, 2nd semester of the MAAT program at St Mary of the Woods.  

The directive was general- create a piece that reflects your idea of art therapy.

The specific technique is new, one that I am really enjoying, mixed media with chalk pastels.  I created a sketch, then a foundation of values using acrylic paints.  Then I finished the piece using graphite, chalk pastel stick and chalk pastel pencils.  The piece was sealed with matte spray sealant.  

The title of the piece is "Precious".   The piece reflects client  / therapist interaction; large eyes and hands & small mouth symbolize my views of the therapeutic platform.  

MAAT St Mary-of-the-Woods January Residency Art Pieces

 These pieces were created during the January residency starting semester two of the MAAT program at St Mary of-the-Woods College in Indiana.  At the conclusion of our first gathering, we created small "stones" to carry with us through the semester and inspire us with a personal message or thought when things become challenging, stressful, etc.  (Not if, when).  My personal goal for the semester is to just Be in the moment, experience and enjoy the process.  This is something I've wanted to do since I graduated from University of Tennessee with my BFA in the late '90s. 

My "stone" shows a man blissed out in the moment of creating music, on the backside it says, "Dont Worry" and "Sheer joy"

During the second day of the residency, we had art creation time, and were given the directive to create a piece that reiterates or elaborates upon the intention of the stone.   

On the final day at the conclusion of our Clinical Art Therapy class, we created group art pieces.  Starting with an independent piece that we then tore into chunks, we shared out our chunks, then created another independent piece using the group's pieces.  My final work depicted a man sailing away on his journey.  All the little flying creatures are my cohorts flying off to their various corners of the world, from California to Florida to Hong Kong.  

"Now What" Pastel & Ink Self-portrait

"Loss" Drawing

This is a personal piece created September 2013 after the school year resumed.  It reflects my grief over the changes in the Special Education program where I teach, and the "emotional tone" of the building in general.

Shadow Self Collage Box Project

  

This piece was created as an assignment for the 1st semester Master of Arts Art Therapy program at Saint Mary of the Woods College.

The directive was to create a box that reflected both our external and inner or "shadow" self as they relate to our role as an Art Therapist.