Life Lines

Well another week - another painting from my art therapy class. This week we were working on the theme of life lines and the work was split into two parts.


We started by looking first at different ways of making lines on the paper with paint. The idea was to paint very freely making marks with lots of random objects - rollers, brushes, straws, sponges or palette knifes. We were working to a piece of classical music too which really helped me loosen up and I think put that sense of movement into the painting. I did get rather carried away and did most of mine with my hands in the end - which was lots of fun.

I think I just love making a mess too!

After this first stage we took a moment to look at the picture we had made and look for the natural lines and shapes that had occurred. We then re-worked it concentrating on the lines and paths in our own lives. Does that make sense..?

I'd like to write a bit more about this because I think it is art therapy in the more traditional sense that people imagine. I'm finding myself becoming more and more interested in the process of therapy through art and maybe this could be a career I might like to think about for the future.

I'll pick out a few parts to explain in more detail.

Here I am in the centre of the painting with the many different lines and paths leading away. There are those I have taken and possible paths for the future.

This dark circle represents the past. My hand prints are on either side of this shape and this is me attempting to push the past away. Really a representation of me wanting to block negative thoughts and unhelpful memories from the past.

This dark red area at the bottom of the painting is the dark and negative place I can find myself in when I get low in mood. The wavy path here flows straight from the past to this awful place. Kind of like snakes and ladders - this is a snake and it shows that dwelling on the past is a slippery slope to this dark and negative place.

You might be able to see a path on the right which leads up to a yellow area. This represents a bridge into a much more positive and happy place. I often express creativity and joy from painting and being expressive as a bright yellow area.

Here is another image of the happy bubble. This is vibrant and creative and the place I want to be. Attached to this are white areas and bubbles which represent positive and nurturing relationships in my life - especially friends.

There are many crisscrossing lines and paths in this painting between these different sates which I feel represent the experiences I have had and will maybe go on to experience.