EBC School Online Art gallery

Art Therapy at the Children's Health Council facilitates expressive, creative, and technical skills that allow EBC student’s to produce
artwork that they are proud of.

This year EBC students have worked together to display their art
in an online gallery as well as our yearly art show.
This is our art!

Click on Image or Title to view more artwork

“Reinventions” Project
Classrooms 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8

Inspired by Leonardo DeVinci, EBC artists worked “ahead-of-their time” to build solutions for the future. Just like previous innovators, EBC artists collaborated to create ingenious inventions from familiar materials. These inventions explore
the concerns, solutions, and whims of the next generation.

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Outdoor Artwork inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy 
Classrooms 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8

EBC School artists observed and discussed the artwork of Andy Goldsworthy after watching his documentary “Rivers and Tides.”  EBC artists then drew up proposals for their
own natural outdoor artwork and voted on their favorite plans.  Through communication and collaboration each classroom spent two art hours outside constructing their outdoor artwork. 

Joan Miro inspired Murals
Classrooms 4, 6 and 7

EBC School artists discussed the artwork, philosophy,
and anecdotal material of Joan Miro.  After practicing Miro’s techniques, the artists divided into groups and voted for
line designers, color designers, and background designers.  Through the teamwork of these artists,
six Miro-inspired murals were completed. 

Symbolic Totem Poles
Classrooms 1, 3, 4 and 6

Like native American story-tellers, EBC artists carefully captured their stories by drawing, sculpting, and glazing personally important symbols into their poles:  These totem poles tell stories though:
1) Personal Symbol 2) Family Symbol
3) School Symbol 4) and Nature or Spiritual Symbol

Art as Therapy

Art therapy facilitates Expression, Production, and Reflection. These activities have existed independently of each other for centuries.  But there is a special magic that happens when they are combined.

Children and teens are excellent candidates for the benefits of art therapy. Erikson and Peigat have asserted that childhood and teen years are a time for the search
of identity, and the formation of life skills. For these reasons art therapy with young people can be focused around ideas such as identifying life dreams, exploring values, and questioning family and societal culture. Art making naturally slows down the formation of ideas and beliefs, it insists on introspection, understanding, and clarity. Young people begin using art to see personal relationships objectively and from new perspectives. Young people begin using art to see themselves from
new perspectives.  

Art therapy also facilitates discipline and the “formation of life skills.” Therapeutic projects are not only designed to promote expression, but also productivity. Because art therapy is task oriented, it is an excellent venue for practicing “work.” The effort required to produce artwork requires goal setting, planning, production, and revision; these tasks translate beyond the art studio, into daily habits. A young artist who learns to plan, produce, and revise their artwork — becomes reliable, able to solve problems, and confidant in their abilities.  

Creating artwork during therapy provides the valuable experience that some problems are best “worked” through rather than worried through. One of art therapy’s most potent advantages is its ability to transfer energy and preoccupation outside the self. A young person not only learns to extract ideas and feelings from their mind into the tangible world, but they also learn that labor, accomplishment, and service provide some answers that talking and consideration cannot. Art making is
a special activity, when facilitated by a mentor who teaches expression, production, and reflection, it strengthens the creator; the creator is not “incapable” or “ill,” the creator is an Artist.

Shalene Hatton, MFTI, Art Therapist, Children’s Health Council