ART THERAPY Sept-Dec 2019_Artwork 2
ARTWORK_13
Materials: Charcoal
This image was produced when my mental health took a downward turn suffering badly from anxiety. The anxiety prevented me from sleeping, it created physical effects like continuous hard thumping rapid heartbeats, butterflies in the stomach impending doom etc. The blk and wht drawing using charcoal represents a visual imagery of my anxiety. The large shadowy figure is my anxiety monster attached to myself creating horrible effects on myself.
ARTWORK_14
Materials: Charcoal
Charcoal doodle of all my thoughts, emotions and feelings cause of my anxiety filling the bottle to bursting point. I use black and white to create negative imagery.
ARTWORK_15
Materials: Charcoal
Quick self portrait of myself , heart enlarged in chest into throat suggesting the pounding heartbeats I feel when anxious. I left my eyes blank suggest blinded by my anxiety.
ARTWORK_16
Materials: Fine liner pen and watercolour pastels.
This was created during a time when I was actually feeling positive for once. It is a positive image of nature in full bloom. The growth of the flower from right to left symbolises my personal growth into something beautiful and positive. Interestingly the therapist noticed the colours in the background in particular reference to the rainbow seems to jump out to the point it appears to be the foreground and the outlines more background especially as I haven't coloured them in. Perhaps a subconscious decision.
ARTWORK_17
Materials:Ink.
Serendipity (happy accident). This image was done by purely by chance, I was using black ink for another artwork and happened to wipe my thumb onto this piece of paper which I scrunched up and about to throw away. This was until the therapist thought it was an interesting piece with the thumb print unique to myself, looks like a bit like a leaping fish. It also suggests the things you think are not or the least important are actually more important than you realise and more meaningful.
ARTWORK_18
Materials: Watercolour pastels.
Simple image of a flame flickering back to life. Felt at the time anything was possible. Not so much now.
ARTWORK_19
Materials: Black in and watercolour pastels, tissue.
An experimental image painting background colourful and on top have ink blots on top. Blobbed a few dots of ink onto page folded it and back resulting in an intense blot ink shape in the centre of the colourful image. Created the texture surrounding it using tissue to wipe away excess ink. Positivity the colour and negativity the black both occasionally meet together.
ARTWORK_20
Materials: Black ink, pen and pastels.
Again I experimented with ink blots based on The Rorschach test which uses blots like this in various ways in Psychology such as determining a persons character traits or personality etc. With the shapes of the blobs I tried to make sense out of each shape. But looking back at it from a distant, to me looks a bit like a man with muttonchops.
ARTWORK_21
Materials: Black ink, and pastels.
Again more experiments with creating ink blots I am fascinated by the uniqueness of each blots. Combined with colours to make it all stand out more. At the time things were looking more positive hence the use of colours but still have a way too go and other things to come indicated by the black blobs.
ARTWORK_22
Materials: Water colour pastels.
This image was based on my irritated and frustrated feelings. I vented these in a productive and less harmful way to express myself and let the negative feelings drain away resulting in the abstract images use of angry brush strokes and paint flicking.
ARTWORK_23
Materials: Black ink, pastels. Tearing of paper
Still venting my negative energy I created more abstract pieces with pastels and ink. This time I tore at the surface leaving the negative shapes. A satisfying process indeed and each shape the tear are unique.
ARTWORK_24
Materials: Black ink and pastels.
Again therapeutic way of venting negative energy. Last piece of work
Overall
The 12 sessions I had been given had been very useful indeed to help express myself and have a therapist aid in exploring areas in more depth. I have been given tools to aid in help making my mental health better in times of trouble. However it would have been more effective if I was given the help when I actually needed it and not several months down the line but the strain of resources for mental health is clear. Only will they assist is if you are at breaking point but even then you still have to wait for appropriate help. I am grateful for what I had been given, however I have since been discharged and honestly I am unsure where to go next.
