Introducing the current Ontario Art Therapy Association Board for the 2021-23 term and a well deserved thank you to the 2019-2021 Board. Sharing in this post a couple of photo collage pages from the recently sent out 2021 OATA Tapestry Newsletter.

For those of us who participated in this recent OATA group supervision online, Hannah generously gifted us through her words of guidance, gentle questioning and wise attunement. By creating this regulating space she transported us into a virtual art therapy capsule - an open-ended, art-making, and sensory space where self-directed expression, sharing and her community supervision approach are based on the ‘one-canvas’ supervision model.

Many links in this post were generously provided through the 2021 webinar series ‘Durham Indigenous Voices: Reconciliation, Resistance, Resilience, Resurgence’. I hope to honour and build on the knowledge the Indigenous presenters and educators graciously shared with us. The long-term aim and intention is to provide a living document where links and resources are collected and shared.

After seeing Patricia’s individual altered book images showcased on instagram, I was very excited about posting a story related to these meaningful reflective mixed-media pages. Patricia incorporates many layers of intention and depth of exploration within this project where source material and content are woven into response art by means of deconstruction, stratification and alteration. Patricia shares an excerpt from an assignment for her first year coursework in the Critical Disability Studies PhD Program.

This creative prompt is about noticing on a sunny day how light plays with the landscape around us. When we step into nature’s spotlight and that compositional frame is established, we can view the contrast of lit and shadowed images, the dance of silhouetted forms and the change, shifts and movements of dappled sunlight.

SEPT 2021… “The Art Hive at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute is back for autumn art-making! An art hive is a community art studio and a welcoming place to talk, create, connect, share skills and build community”

”I like watching people’s faces around art jewellery - there’s an excitement at finding that one of a kind piece that brings me just as much joy as it brings them. I love walking into my studio, having no clue what I’m going to make, and then finding a scrap from another project that inspires.”

… This is an invitation to focus in on ordinary items and spend some time noticing the understated or subtle beauty these objects provide us when we take the time to really observe - the colours, shapes, lines, textures, patterns and marks. Visual offerings.

Sept 3-18 2021 - Sharing news for the upcoming Antigonightfest where Kellie and Maggie Kat Anderson showcase their short film created in the laboratory at Stray Dog Art House.

“When it was time for the 100 day project to begin in 2021, it felt really hard to come up with an idea. So I leaned into the community aspect of the project and used a poster created by my friend and fellow Art Therapist Arielle Bush. I instantly saw it as a giant feelings chart, which is something I use with almost all of the kiddos I work with as a way to check in with their feelings during art therapy sessions”.

…an unplanned companion post to Brianna’s Ghosted-Feelings post that reinforces the importance of identifying and naming thoughts and feelings.

This post shares a few sketched moments when feelings were intense and I used quick marks, listed words, and simple materials to capture my wandering thoughts.

August 2021… Sharing Canadian Art Therapy Association’s wonderful new social media series: “Blue Blob Campaign”. Every Tuesday Instagram posts will be shared to raise awareness about art therapy.

”The fairy door project was a community based project which invited participants from every walk of life to externalize their wishes and intentions for their own lives”.

July 2021… Sharing CATA-ACAT news about upcoming 2021 virtual conference in November and their ‘Call for Proposals’ due in August.

…“The Creative Science Shop is a monthly studio online meet up welcoming an exchange of ideas, innovations, sceintific and artistic projects. This intergenerational group brings together passion in the arts and sciences from older adults, students and researchers.” — Retrieved From: The Creative Science Shop Flyer • Engage Living Lab Creatif • 2021

…“engAGE Living Lab is a Concordia University project where older adults and researchers connect online to share knowledge and creative expression through diverse activities focused on wellbeing and community building.” — Retrieved From: Engage Living Lab Creatif • Facebook Group • 2021

“My small creations began to accumulate around me; colourful little mirrors unapologetically reflecting parts of myself back. Inner landscapes became physical manifestations in the form of paintings, and at the same time of their inception, the very human need to connect on a deeper level with others began to bubble up inside of me.”

Sharing a project from the LTC art therapy archives this week. I thought it would be fun to showcase this creative story related to Seniors’ Month and Pride Celebrations in June.

Durham Indigenous Voices • Speakers Series • June through August 2021.

Sharing news and resources related to this four part presentation and discussion Each presenter emphasized the need for continued learning, ongoing awareness, and the need to be active as an advocate and ally.

“Fingerprints of a loved one can be a limitless source for art-making. They can become centres for flowers, the base for a burst of fireworks in the night sky, wings of a butterfly, or the bodies of snowmen”.