Mental Health and Art

Mosaic and Mental Well Being

The beauty of mosaic making is that is such an inclusive art form. As an artist it gives me a sense of well-being and as a teacher, I get an immense sense of satisfaction from seeing a tangible positive mood shift when working with others.

From my mosaic club students who come for a 2 1/2 hour fix of head emptying whilst mosaic making, to a 7 week course with participants in a residential rehabilitation unit - I see mosaic making giving much needed time out to all. 

We all need that time to just 'be' whether it be creative, sporty, cognitive or other ways of  'zoning out' we all deserve it.

 I love this mosaic which is to grouted next week. Produced at Lime Walk House in Macclesfield, this effective piece of artwork has been produced in just 12 hours (over a 6 week period) by a small group of people.

Winter Mosaic and More Programme!

It has been far too long since I caught up with my blog!

I won't bore you with everything I've been doing since my last entry but suffice to say I have been very busy!

The Macclesfield Town Mosaic is up and launched! It should be in the Macclesfield Express this week.

I have put some workshops on the website.  There is something for everyone, I think!  I have put a Little Creatives' Club on for £5 a session to make papier mache objects. That is nothing to do with the fact I need an excuse to make papier mache, of course.

We also have a mosaic club on a Monday night for those who wish to mosaic their own objects.

My head is exploding with ideas for my recycled art classes, Barnaby Festival and Bollington Arts Festival.  Whoever said Macclesfield was culturally dead should come for a weekend to see what we have on. Oh - wait a moment, a weekend wouldn't be long enough to fit everything in!

The moment I find the battery for my camera I will post new images!

Macclesfield Town FC Community Mosaic is Complete!

After months of hard graft by myself and hundreds of local people, the Peaks & Plains and Macclesfield Town FC mosaic mural is up!  


Tom and Mark from B. Melling put the panels up whilst I directed (and got incredibly sunburned!) and Sean finished off the grouting.


Lads from The Adelphi Mill group are cutting out the silhouettes of the footballers as we speak and they will go up tomorrow.

The North End Wall at the Moss Rose, Macclesfield

Tom and Mark putting the first and largest panel up...

...three down 35 to go...

Sean Lloyd of Cavalry Tiling showing the panel produced by Cre8 Youth group and Melanie Lloyd of Tameside Social Services Re-enablement team.

the lads are really motoring now... 

 

Sean putting the finishing touches to the logos. 

The completed mosaic from the right:

 The completed mosaic from the left side: 

The footballer silhouettes being cut out by Kieran of Adelphi Mill Properties, Bollington.

All the silhouettes are of actual players. They will be painted and installed tomorrow at the ground.

Macclesfield Town FC Community Mosaic - day 4

Well, that's another panel sorted...

...off to the David Lewis Centre this afternoon. 

This panel depicts the time in the 1900s when ladies were admitted free! I wonder if any men donned a skirt and tried to get in?

The other half of the panel shows the 1910 joy of the football club when they won the Cheshire Senior cup.