September 27, 2016
By: Sheryl Wilde
Every child is an artist until he’s told he’s not an artist. At Mountain Shadows we wholeheartedly agree with this statement, originally uttered by John Lennon in the 1960’s. And recently, at Mountain Shadows Outreach Services, we invited our clients to tap into their inner-artist and unleash their full creative potential at our first ever Paint n’ Sip event.
“The Paint n’ Sip event was awesome!” says Chantell Harris, LVN/Assistant Program Director. “About 30 of our Outreach clients participated and they were all so involved and proud of their work.”
Sangria (fruit infused water) flowed freely, sparking our clients’ creative juices. “We offered three art groups, based on our clients’ abilities. Our most independent group created a beautiful portrait of a Japanese-styled tree with a sunset background. The mid-level group created a multi-colored owl face. Those clients needing more assistance were provided hand-over-hand help in creating a beautiful 3D sunflower.
“It was so cool to see the clients’ faces when they saw their finished artwork. They realized they have the ability to create beautiful art!
“One client was so excited and so proud of her work, she couldn’t wait to take it home. She hung it in her living room.
“Another client, who is somewhat set in her ways, refused to participate at first. But after 10 minutes, she saw how much fun everyone else was having and she said, ‘Fine! I’ll do it then.’ And she did it! She did it her own way. Using only red and black colors, she created a beautiful owl and she LOVED it!!! She wouldn’t stop showing it off to everyone after the event.
“I love Mountain Shadows. Working here has been a life changer for me. The entire staff – we’re all here because we care. We love the clients. Our work is not just a job; it’s a way of life.
“Every day we create memories. Every day I see breakthrough behaviors from our clients. We change our clients’ lives. For example, at the Paint n’ Sip event, I was standing next to one of our clients who is not normally very involved in projects. As everyone was working on their projects, she looked at me and quietly said two words, ‘Help please.’ But those two words were a HUGE deal! She had never said anything before!”
It has been said that art is the voice of the heart. At Mountain Shadows we believe all voices are meant to be heard. So we listen with great joy to each and every heartbeat – and we are ever grateful for the unique words of beauty our clients share with us.
Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. ~ Edgar Degas