Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Painting blind
A great way to start 2K8 - Happy New Year!
Painting in the Dark: Amazing Blind Artist John Bramblitt
10/25/2007
Step into 36-year-old John Bramblitt's studio just outside of Dallas, Texas, and you'll discover an array of vivid, beautiful oil paintings: The silhouette of an upright bass player in shades of blue, red, and black. A row of burgundy wine bottles. A close-up portrait of skateboarder Tony Hawk. A luminous cityscape of Dallas at night, rich with glowing light and color.
His work, full of emotion and somewhat reminiscent of Van Gogh, is striking enough to hang in any art gallery. But it's even more remarkable once you learn that Bramblitt completed all of the paintings without ever seeing his own canvas – the talented artist is legally blind.
When nerve damage caused Bramblitt to lose his sight several years ago, he was angry and depressed. "I felt like any chance for me to do something new or to improve myself had gone away," he says. He could no longer read books, and would get disoriented just walking around his own house. The familiar streets he'd walked every day were full of danger. Losing his vision was like being dropped into the middle of the ocean without a life raft.
But through his paintings, he has found a way back to shore. "Art helped me break this destructive cycle, it gave me control back, and most of all it gave me a way to express how I felt," says Bramblitt.
Before going blind, he had never attempted to paint. So why start then?
After losing his abilities to read and write, "I needed to do something creative to let all of the images out of my head," he says. So each day, he began painting oil on canvas, using his own special technique in which he coated the canvas with puff paint to indicate which areas he would fill in with particular colors. More than a simple hobby, it was a way for him to cope with what he had lost – and eventually, it worked.
About six months after he started painting, "a sense of calmness came over me like I had never felt before," says Bramblitt. "I paint everyday, and so everyday I have something good to look forward to."
For Bramblitt, his paintings also serve as a way to show the sighted world what he is capable of. "People say that ‘seeing is believing,' and if you can't see, then you can't fully understand something," he says. "I wanted to produce artwork that was obviously visual, so that people would understand that perception has little to do eyesight, that it is one's mind that lets you understand the world."
His artwork helps to connect him, both to the world around him and to his fellow human beings. On his website, Bramblitt claims that art "is one of the few ways that we humans can produce something that has a meaningful effect on another's life. Art does not feed or clothe us, but it gives us a connection with our fellow man that we cannot live without."
It also creates a link back to the visual world that he has lost – and he can show others the way. Bramblitt has led many workshops for art classes and nonprofit organizations, and the response to his teachings has been overwhelmingly positive. Even some sighted artists who are "looking for ways to develop a more emotional connection with their art," have come to him for guidance, says Bramblitt. He also holds regular exhibitions at art galleries, both around Dallas and elsewhere – his paintings are always in high demand, and it's not hard to see why.
Currently, Bramblitt is finishing an undergraduate degree at the University of North Texas, and he plans to attend the school's graduate program in creative writing. A creative writing program may seem removed from his artwork, but as far as he's concerned, the two genres are intimately related: "I have learned more about painting from classes that I have taken in writing than I have ever learned from books on painting. The reverse is true as well – painting has improved my writing tremendously," he says. "In any art, the idea is to make a connection with an audience, to express some idea, emotion, to share a feeling."
But no matter what he does in the future, says Bramblitt, he will never abandon painting. "It is through painting that I most clearly experience life."
To learn more about John Bramblitt and his paintings, visit his website and watch this amazing video of him at work.
Original story by Kathryn Hawkins
Painting in the Dark: Amazing Blind Artist John Bramblitt
10/25/2007
Step into 36-year-old John Bramblitt's studio just outside of Dallas, Texas, and you'll discover an array of vivid, beautiful oil paintings: The silhouette of an upright bass player in shades of blue, red, and black. A row of burgundy wine bottles. A close-up portrait of skateboarder Tony Hawk. A luminous cityscape of Dallas at night, rich with glowing light and color.
His work, full of emotion and somewhat reminiscent of Van Gogh, is striking enough to hang in any art gallery. But it's even more remarkable once you learn that Bramblitt completed all of the paintings without ever seeing his own canvas – the talented artist is legally blind.
When nerve damage caused Bramblitt to lose his sight several years ago, he was angry and depressed. "I felt like any chance for me to do something new or to improve myself had gone away," he says. He could no longer read books, and would get disoriented just walking around his own house. The familiar streets he'd walked every day were full of danger. Losing his vision was like being dropped into the middle of the ocean without a life raft.
But through his paintings, he has found a way back to shore. "Art helped me break this destructive cycle, it gave me control back, and most of all it gave me a way to express how I felt," says Bramblitt.
Before going blind, he had never attempted to paint. So why start then?
After losing his abilities to read and write, "I needed to do something creative to let all of the images out of my head," he says. So each day, he began painting oil on canvas, using his own special technique in which he coated the canvas with puff paint to indicate which areas he would fill in with particular colors. More than a simple hobby, it was a way for him to cope with what he had lost – and eventually, it worked.
About six months after he started painting, "a sense of calmness came over me like I had never felt before," says Bramblitt. "I paint everyday, and so everyday I have something good to look forward to."
For Bramblitt, his paintings also serve as a way to show the sighted world what he is capable of. "People say that ‘seeing is believing,' and if you can't see, then you can't fully understand something," he says. "I wanted to produce artwork that was obviously visual, so that people would understand that perception has little to do eyesight, that it is one's mind that lets you understand the world."
His artwork helps to connect him, both to the world around him and to his fellow human beings. On his website, Bramblitt claims that art "is one of the few ways that we humans can produce something that has a meaningful effect on another's life. Art does not feed or clothe us, but it gives us a connection with our fellow man that we cannot live without."
It also creates a link back to the visual world that he has lost – and he can show others the way. Bramblitt has led many workshops for art classes and nonprofit organizations, and the response to his teachings has been overwhelmingly positive. Even some sighted artists who are "looking for ways to develop a more emotional connection with their art," have come to him for guidance, says Bramblitt. He also holds regular exhibitions at art galleries, both around Dallas and elsewhere – his paintings are always in high demand, and it's not hard to see why.
Currently, Bramblitt is finishing an undergraduate degree at the University of North Texas, and he plans to attend the school's graduate program in creative writing. A creative writing program may seem removed from his artwork, but as far as he's concerned, the two genres are intimately related: "I have learned more about painting from classes that I have taken in writing than I have ever learned from books on painting. The reverse is true as well – painting has improved my writing tremendously," he says. "In any art, the idea is to make a connection with an audience, to express some idea, emotion, to share a feeling."
But no matter what he does in the future, says Bramblitt, he will never abandon painting. "It is through painting that I most clearly experience life."
To learn more about John Bramblitt and his paintings, visit his website and watch this amazing video of him at work.
Original story by Kathryn Hawkins
// posted by jazzofonik @ 10:29 AM 
How to Care for an Autistic Child
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditThere is no uniform diagnostic for identifying what every autistic child should or can do. Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means that some children have vastly greater abilities in some or all areas than "classically" autistic children while still having the symptoms of autism. Autistic spectrum disorders include Pervasive Developmental Delay (PDD), Asperger Syndrome (AS), and Kanner-type (or classic) autism. There is no single test to diagnose autistic spectrum disorders, and no single cause has been identified. For many families, coping with the behaviors and abilities of their individual child is the most practical daily approach to managing and remediating this disability.
Steps
- If you have concerns that your child may be autistic, you should seek professional evaluation.
- Start keeping a notebook or journal about your child. A diagnosis of autism will require a developmental history. You may be asked to fill out questionnaires which ask about behaviors and development. Writing things down on a regular basis will help you remember when you noticed things. Keeping track of what works and what doesn't will also come in handy when you're trying to modify behaviors. The journal or notebook may also help start to identify patterns for difficult times and triggers for problems.
- Have the attitude that you're in it for the long haul. There will be days when progress is made and days when things seem to be going in reverse. Don't be discouraged. Sometimes finding out what isn't working can be as beneficial in the long run as finding out what does so you know what to avoid.
- Establish and keep a routine. Many autistic children are very independent, but rely on routine for security.
- Understand fixations. This can include stimming behavior[1] (staring at turning wheels, making repeated noises, etc) and topical obsessions (Star Wars, whales, the weather). Opinions vary on whether these behaviors should be tolerated, but controlled, or discouraged entirely. Tolerating these behaviors within controlled parameters can be a powerful tool in connecting with the child for educational, emotional, and social instruction. Relating new information to the child's interests may help the child be more accepting of new things. Using time to focus on interests as a bargaining tool may help when it comes to school.
- Find support. It does not need to be the caretakers of other autistic children, though that can be an especial help. Have trusted individuals who can provide childcare, a willing ear, or mentoring.
- See if your state department of health has a department for children with special health care needs. They may provide services on a sliding fee scale based on income. You may qualify for free services or reduced charges. (In Utah this department is by the University of Utah.)
- Understand the use of visual stimuli. Many times autistic kids are visually oriented. Sometimes nonverbal children are able to communicate using sign language or by pointing to pictures in a special book put together to help them communicate. Even autistic kids who speak may benefit by making a visual chart for the schedule for the day. If you're trying to teach your child how to do something it may help to make a picture chart. (Some autistic kids can even repeat verbal instructions word for word but still lack the ability to turn those instructions into actions in their head. Pictures may somehow help them to do that.)
- See if there are any early intervention programs available where you live. As early as 3-years of age the school district should be contacted to determine whether they have special preschool programs. Ask them for an evaluation.
- When it comes time for your child to start school, contact your school and request to have your child evaluated for special education. Make the request in writing. If school personnel aren't helpful, contact the school district. Obtain a copy of the special education rules for your state from the state office of education. Qualifying for special education opens the door to more services like speech and occupational therapists. When your child is evaluated and qualifies for special education, make sure you have your school set up an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for your child. That document is very important for getting the services and education your child needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that children with special needs receive an education.
Tips
- Try reading "Daniel isn't Talking" by Marti Leimbach, it is a (99%) true story, her story, just with the names of people changed.
- There are many more books available about autism than there were in the past. Check out Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Start to educate yourself. You're going to have to find out what is going to work for you and your child. The more informed you are, the better decisions you can make.
- Read some good theory based parenting books. (Parenting with Love and Logic & Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) are a couple.) The strategies may need to be modified for your particular child, but it will be helpful to have a good understanding of some good principles for parenting.
- Some kids respond well to vestibular stimulation. (motion) Pulling the child on a scooterboard (put a helmet on the child) or swinging in a hammock may help to calm the child down. There are special swings you can buy which can be set up in a door jam. (Great for rainy days when you can't go outside.)
- Tactile stimulation may help calm a child down. Playing with water or sand are great developmental activities for any child. Clay works well. (As long as your child doesn't eat it.)
- Make sure you feed your child on a regular schedule. Nothing will make a child with developmental difficulties cranky like not getting lunch or dinner on time.
- Activity using large muscle groups helps regulate mood. My son was having a very difficult time with behavior issues in school until an occupational therapist suggested a break every two hours to do some pullups or running. (He was about 7 years old.) The outbursts dropped dramatically. When behavior started to improve, the lenght of time between breaks was gradually increased. When behavior was difficult again, the activity breaks were increased. Taking the kids for a walk or to the park may help behavior at home.
Warnings
- Professional help can be expensive, and will not deliver a magical cure. (Always evaluate the advice you receive no matter what the source. Allow enough time to see if something works. If you try it and it doesn't seem to be working, though, it may be time to make an adjustment.)
- Don't spoil your child. There are a lot of spoiled kids who have disabilities. Special needs kids learn to manipulate just like regular kids. (Read the parenting books!) Set appropriate limits with appropriate modifications. Finding the right balance is probably one of the most difficult parts of having a special needs kid. (Don't worry, you have time to evaluate what's going on and make adjustments.)
Related wikiHows
- How to Praise a Child
- How to Enhance Learning for an Autistic Child
- How to Communicate With an Autistic Child Using the Picture Exchange Communication System
- How to Make a Behavior Intervention Plan for an Autistic Child
- How to Deal with an Autistic Sibling
Sources and Citations
- http://www.utahparentcenter.org/
- http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/sars/ Utah State Office of Education - Special Education
- http://www.essential-guide-to-autism.com/blog/2006/09/19/coping-with-aggression/ - Useful article on coping with aggression in autistic children
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Care for an Autistic Child. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
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