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Foundations of Arts Therapy

First we will explore what Expressive Arts Therapy is and then the specifics of our approach and what's important

Activity: Dialoguing with materials

Observing your process and the inner dialogue that occurs between you and the art material

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Each media you use in art making has its own specific qualities and therapeutic benefits. Every client will also have their own preferences and reactions to the materials depending on their sensory profiles. It is a subjective experience for each person, but there are some materials that help to sooth through flow, or help to express through line and pressure. Some are easily controllable, others are not. It is essential to understanding the qualities and potentials for each material. They play a MASSIVE role in therapy.

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Create an abstract picture from each media (colours/lines/shapes), and then follow it with a figurative drawing (drawing something in its true form). Be sure to experiment.. blend, mix, try a gradient of colour, outline in black and colour in.

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As you are creating, notice the inner conversation that happens. Do you like it/not like it? What is the feeling as you use it?

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After you have completed the image, jot down words or phrases in your journal that describe its qualities:

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  1. Think about your senses (how does it touch, smell, sound, look?) 

  2. What do you like/don't like?

  3. What does it remind you of?

  4. How did it feel using it?

  5. What is challenging about using it?

  6. What does the material want to do? 

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Oil Pastels

Chalk Pastels

Pencil

Lead pencil

Texter

Charcoal (hard compressed and soft willow)

Watercolour paint

Acrylic paint

Pouring paint

Gouache

Collage 

Clay

Meet The Fundamentals Team

Ipsarty Arts Therapy acknowledges that we live, work and come together on Gubbi Gubbi country. We pay our respects to all Gubbi Gubbi peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of this beautiful and abundance land, and elders past, present, and emerging and extend this acknowledgement to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People visiting this site or accessing our musings.

We pay our deepest respect to the oldest continuing culture in the world, acknowledging that sovereignty of these lands was never ceded.

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©2019 by Ipsarty.

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