Gina

Gina Helps

There are a lot of hard-working employees at the care facility where I hold my "Creative Workshop" like bi-lingual Gina. (In California bilingual means English/Spanish.)

Gina keeps things light and moving--crafts, discussions, personal care (shown above) holiday celebrations--she is on hand to plan and facilitate everything that comes up which can be labeled "activities".

Good going, Gina!

...

Looie

"Looie".

Here's Looie. (Tomas photo, 2010)

Louie sort of lives in a world of his own--but he enters the usual humdrum world of the rest of us during the two afternoons of the week when BINGO is played.

He plays seriously with a slight language handicap since the numbers are called in English and he is a Spanish speaker.

To make sure he has the right number he repeats every call--in English with a strong Spanish accent.

His hearing is not too keen either so he is often wrong but this adds a sort of odd flavor to the game which is missing when he does not appear.

...

Sleeping

Sleeping.

Sleeping is sometimes the best thing to do at a care facility.

Sometimes it is the only thing to do.

Time passes--hours--days--weeks...

...

Hiding

Hiding

It is a problem in a care facility.

There is no place to go to be alone when you want to be.

...

Artist Al

Al Carrillo at Work.

One of the pleasant surprises when I returned to the care home activities room after my vacation was to see Al painting in water color! This is one of the skills that he was developing before my vacation and I thought he would forget about it when I was gone--but there he was with a brush in his hand!

There is a big easel (for posting announcements) in the room and I have some thick-leaded graphite drawing pencils and I think he can reach large pieces of paper if I clip them to the easel so I will soon help him increase his drawing skills in large.

I am curious to see if he enjoys this.

...

Richard Lionheart

Richard Lionheart. (Tomasito photo, 2010)

Richard is one of the long-time residents (17 years!) of the care facility where I do my "Creative Workshop".

Richard, who calls himself "Lionheart" is a VERY born again variety of Christian.

He is studying to be a minister and he takes every opportunity of explaining that he has personally given his heart over to Jesus.

He expects The Lord to return in a cloud in the same manner as He left soon.

Richard says that he has clinically died three times and each time he was assured on the other side that his work was not done here and so he was resuscitated to be a living voice.

...

My Director's Mask

Masked Me. (Tomas photo, 7/14/2010)

I went by the old people's care home a few days ago--after a month or so vacation.

Nothing much has changed. Most of the same residents are there.

The Activities staff were glad to see me.

It was kind of good to see the people again--we have become sort of friends.

It has also been very good not to cross the street to do the art things for a while. The place is enough like a hospital that the sights and smells are not always so pleasant--but, of course, I HAVE chosen to be a volunteer there after all--so what did I expect?

Anyway, I have been working a little bit on papier mache--and I have spent some hours on my own mask. A mask to wear when I am directing a masked performance.

I made the mouth into a sort of megaphone--made the ear-holes large enough to hear everything around and opened the eye holes wider than on any other mask I have made.

I plan to make it a fairly comfortable wearing thing too--so I can actually enjoy putting it on.

I don't know when I will have the opportunity to actually USE it, but if I do I will be ready.

...

Bodhidharma and Smiley Face

Zen Master Bodhidharma Mask and Smiley Face Ballo0n
(Tomasito photo, 2010)

One of our all-time favorite people is this good old Zen Master--who maybe never even lived but who is nonetheless well remembered--the great Bodhidharma.

This papier mache mask based on an ancient artist's representations of his face hangs on our living room wall to remind us of the masters who have gone on but are not forgotten.

Best wishes to you too, traveler!

...

Bear Mask Finished

Growl!

I thought you would like to see this fine papier mache bear mask in its finished state.

This is how it was displayed in the Light and Life School Art Show a few weeks ago.

Amazing, isn't it how keenly kids pick up on new skills in art?

...