Bea Back

Bea's Back! (Tomasito photo 2009)

Bea Thomas is BACK!

She has been back with us two sessions now and is getting wild with Crayolas!

(Why should kids have all the fun?)

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Bea Thomas

Bea Thomas, June 2009. (Tomasito photo)

One of our workshop's most dedicated artists, Bea Thomas, had to go to the hospital a week or so ago and has not been back with with us since-- so today I visited her in the therapy room.

She gave me one of her signature bright smiles when I told her we had missed her.

And we have.

Good for you, Bea!

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Proud Al

Proud Al

Al is holding our big papier mache bowl filled with papier mache fruit/rattles--most of which he had a big part of making from start to finish.

Al is one of the most faithful participants in our Creative Workshop--and we can always count on him to be appreciative of all our efforts. His only criticism is usually "It's BEAUTIFUL!"--and that is a criticism every artist is happy to hear!

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Frog and Friend

Frog and Friend (Brian Wilson)
(Tomasito photo, 2009)

Papier mache is a lot of fun--and mask making with papier mache is fun for the artist and fun for the person wearing the creation.

A mask I made a while ago seems to be everyone's favorite. It seems that almost all of us want to be a frog at least part of the time and putting on this mask brings out the amphibian in everybody.

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Ambulance

Fire Truck and Ambulance with VIEW (Tomasito photo 2009)

There is another more shadowy side of a care center, of course, which is always a present possibility for those of us working, visiting or living there.

Dial 911 and those "Nice Young Men with their Clean White Coats" --or emergency uniforms in this case-- are right there to aid and assist some faltering senior citizen.

This photo was taken recently from our apartment balcony one very nice day here in Escondido, CA, USA--it it you get a glimpse of the fire truck and the ambulance parked in front of the care center along with the splendid view of the distant hills.

Sometimes those who have come to end of their days "running and playing in this beautiful world" will be taken on one last voyage and then will be "grass in the field" as the poet says.

In the mean time, doesn't it put a bit of creative edge on life--a modest sense of urgency perhaps--to make one more good, creative statement--even if it is in evanescent papier mache and watercolor?

We lived, friends--we LIVED!

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