Last week at St. Francis

My last week at St. Francis was very slow. I had some last minute sketches due for illustration so unfortunately I didn't contribute to the project this week but two of my regulars came and painted. I really enjoy the women who come back to paint with me and tell me about the recent drama at St. Francis and what they're doing. The one woman who is very spiritual painted the leaf with the tri-color background and said it was meant to represent change. I thought it was really beautiful they way she explained it. The other woman just painted the flowers for fun and talked a lot about her family, health, and clients who had recently been discharged for negative behavior. It was bittersweet to say its my last time, but I'm excited to finally begin putting all these little pieces together to make the collage for St. Francis. Now only to find a surface big enough....

Week 10 at St Francis

This week at St. Francis was a little quieter than usual but I got quality time with two people, first a young child and then an older gentleman. I forgot to take a picture of my painting, but today was the first time I traded a painting for a painting so I can't take a picture because I don't have it. I usually just encourage people to  keep them if they wish and tell them its okay either way because I want to give them freedom to make choices and I want them to be relaxed. Today was different because it was the first time a kid joined me and she really liked my painting of a cat so I thought it would be nice to give it to her and in exchange she gave me her painting. I asked what it was but she said it was a secret. She reminded me of my niece a lot and was so playful and rambunctious it was fun to mess around and paint with her, she did lose interest rather quickly and soon after an older guy came and joined me and painted the heart painting. It was the first time anyone used any of their own materials and he had a black sharpie that he used at the end for the finer details which I thought was interesting. Overall it was a nice morning, and it was weird how the two interactions were so polar opposite. St. Francis keeps me on my toes! I told my sister about the experience and how the little girl reminded me of her little girl and it inspired her to donate some of her old baby stuff to a shelter. 

Week 9 at St Francis

This week at St. Francis was great as usual. I did have a little bit of communication issues with a woman who wanted to paint with me but was deaf. I wrote to her on a napkin though about who I was and what I was doing. She wanted to keep her paintings which is why there in a separate photo from the rest that were made on Wednesday. Another woman painted with me who was really nice that I talked to a lot. She told me about where she went to college, her career, her daughter, her fear of the mountains and how that fear brought her to Florida prematurely and now she didn't have a job or a  place to stay other than St. Francis. I talked to Will as usual but he's only painted with me once. He recited me some poetry and invited me to Spy to see him play. I went with my friend Chase that night and he played me a GD song that I requested. It was a great day at St. Francis!

Spring Break/week 8 at St. Francis hopefully make up for week 6 I missed

Spring Break at St. Francis was really quiet. The lady and man who said they would come back to finish their paintings didn't finish them. The woman who painted her soon to be grandsons name was there and talked to me about her health problems and her stress but wasn't up to finishing. The man who painted the she-devil just wasn't there anymore. My friend Annabel came with me and painted though which was really cool. She was really inspired when I told her about the project and wanted to be a part of it at least for a day. It was nice catching up with Will and some of the other regulars, but it was overall pretty quiet.

Week 7 at St. Francis

I unfortunately missed week 6 but intend on making it up and going twice this week but haven't made it a second time yet. I'm really excited I get to extend this project for a longer period of time.

This week I only painted with two residents but Will also hung out with us even though he didn't paint this time. He was writing a poem/song and asked me to do a painting for it. He recited it to us and it was a really lovely poem about his surroundings at St. Francis. He's really grateful for his place there and it came through in the poem. He said he was going to write a second copy for me so I could do a painting to go with it.

The women who painted with me wanted to do a little plaque for her soon-to-be grand baby. She wants to give it to her daughter to hang in his nursery. We talked a lot and she misspelled it a bit, so she still needs to touch it up the next time I come to paint. She is the sweetest, most excited grandma ever. She told me all about her daughter, her boyfriend, and baby plans.

The gentleman that painted with me was really interesting. He joined us about halfway through my time and started on a she-devil. I forgot my radio this time and he played Mazzy Star on his phone for us which was cool. He told me about how hes been a resident a few times and has been kicked out a couple times at St. Francis. When he has no food he likes to come here. Speaking of food it was really cool that the cooking certification class was making corned beef and cabbage for the holiday and the residents were super stoked.

Last day at St. Francis

Today was my last day at St. Francis. I posted a picture of all the paintings we made during my time. Of course there were other paintings that residents made, but some they wanted to give as gifts or keep for them selves. As a parting gift and as part of my project, I want to combine all of our paintings together into a larger piece for St. Francis House.

My last day went really well, I mostly painted with Rachel and Dustin. They had some unfinished paintings and I warned them I was pretty sure today would be my last day and to try and finish any painting they were donating to the project. They seemed sad they couldn't continue painting but I told them that the next group of students may have projects that they could get involved in, and that seemed to spark their interest. 

We talked about education and career goals past and present. They also both stressed to me that they felt pressured or pushed into pharmaceutical drugs as young children for mental health problems they didn't believe they had, which I thought was interesting and sad. We talked about music and our paintings a lot too. 

I can't wait to combine all these together and will post a picture of it soon!

Fourth trip to St. Francis

My fourth Wednesday went really well. Lisa came back and painted with me again. It's really nice when people come paint more than once because I feel like they really appreciate the opportunity or experience. Rachel also painted with us and a young man named Dustin. I like that our canvases are small because some people who come early can start a second one or people who come half way through still have time to get started. 

I also think having the radio has been really beneficial to this project because it gives everyone something to talk about when conversations fall flat. We talked about Michael Jackson, different genres of music we prefer, concerts etc. Aside from music we talked about our families, and where they are, or where everyone was from. 

I always tell people to paint anything they want and that if they want to keep it or donate to my project they can and I've been happily surprised that most people let me keep them . It's also really nice when people ask me for advice on there paintings.

Third visit to St. Francis

My 3rd week at St. Francis was the best so far. I painted with Lisa again and she finished her painting for her fiance and started a second one. I really got to know her  more and about her personal life because it was just us together painting for the most part. It was really sweet when I saw her Friday for a few moments after we were done with our proposals and she high fived me and was excited to tell me about scoring a cashier position at Walmart.
I did find out about a new rule that technically could interfere with my proposal. The lady in the office told me when I checked in if I'd like to be a little warmer I could set up my painting session inside the dining area, instead of the picnic table, and Wednesday at 8 am it was a bit nippy, so I did. And a woman came in who said she was too tired to paint because she couldn't sleep on the street, and was trying to get a bed. She told me that they were going to talk to her and try to help her but that she couldn't be on the property unless she was a resident at 8 am. (I think its okay 9-4pm or something like that). Anyway I wrote in my proposal that anyone who wanted to, could paint with me, whether it was staff, volunteers, residents, or passersby. So I told her she could sit with us and I was sure it would be fine. She was so nervous though that she went and asked staff to make sure and they came back and told me the rules about homeless people who aren't residents and not to invite them inside.
Will, the guitar player, also did a painting with us and it was really interesting and abstract. I would like to get to know him more but I don't want to just ask questions outright and am hoping he'll open up naturally.

Second Visit to St Francis

Today I came to St Francis with my project permission sheet filled out and got it signed by the administration.
The Project I'm taking on was inspired by my first visit when I sat around the picnic table in the courtyard and talked with residents and passerby I really felt that I could help by creating some time for them to relax and create and listen to music. I brought my radio from home, and a relaxing CD (Railroad Earth: Last of the Outlaws), several 5x7 inch canvas boards, acrylic paint (primary colors+b/w), some brushes, party cups for water, and sarongs to protect there tables.
I invited any staff, resident, volunteer, or passerby to join me and paint. I informed them that they could make anything, they could keep it, or donate it to St. Francis and that at the end of my time I would create a larger piece out of all our little pieces. And I told anyone who didn't finish I would save there piece and they could meet me back next Wednesday to finish.
Since it was a frosty 37 degrees this morning the staff encouraged us to paint inside instead of outdoors in the courtyard, but I hope next week the weather is a little warmer and we can paint outside.

Two painters decided to make a gift for a loved one this coming Valentines Day.

And everyone else who painted(including me!) was willing to donate there painting to my project for St. Francis. Many didn't finish in the two hour time but seemed excited to meet me back next Wednesday and I made sure to tell them what time.

We talked about many different things, including the food at St Francis, artists that were related to us, our jobs, music, and loved ones we were hoping to see this coming Valentines Day.

February 3/First visit to St Francis

My first morning at St Francis went really well. I spent most of my time conversing with people who were hanging in the courtyard area and at the picnic table. I sketched some of the people I talked with and Sylvester, a black and white cat that also calls St Francis home.

I mostly talked with men, but I did sit with one lady for a while and she seemed very reserved but complimented my hair. We mostly talked about prison, college, child support, baby mamas, drugs, Christianity and hope.