Expression beats depression is the motto of Dublin artist Deborah Donnelly. With words of encouragement for the absolute beginner, she smiles: “We’ll start with the Sea Scouts pontoon and then cover the canvas in blue tones for the sea.”
I learn that covering the canvas is crucial.
After painting some red blobs in the middle, I worry that my pontoon looks “a bit wonky”.
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But Deborah encourages me to enjoy the process.
A group of ladies out for a stroll admire our work as they pass by.
With a few simple strokes of the brush, Deborah explains how to paint an impressionist boat.
We are using oil paints because they are “very forgiving”, unlike acrylic which dries too quickly, and you can go over your work again to create texture.
Thirty minutes pass, and I’ve covered my canvas in hues of rich blues and green for the sea. This is a great stress-buster.
Deborah has seen first-hand the therapeutic power of paint, teaching art to a group with dementia at a community centre.
She revealed: “There are more and more people doing it now.
“When the patients started painting, what was really interesting was they calmed down.
“They held the brush like a child would, grabbing it like a fist, pushing the brush up and down.”
She added: “Tests have shown that the tapping of the paintbrush is very calming on the body.”
Many companies, including Zurich Health and Google, call on Deborah’s skills as part of their wellness programme for workers.
She said: “Big tech companies are ahead of the curve.
“I did an art class at the Mater [hospital] for psychiatrists... for their Christmas party. I found the doctors really needed it.
“They want to introduce it into the hospital system as a form of wellness.”
Deborah originally trained in textiles at NCAD, but for the last 27 years has focused on expressionism, painting animal portraits and sea swimmers.
She said: “I don’t know where I’d be without art, it’s so therapeutic. I think art saved my life. For inspiration, pick up postcards from the gallery. Just start playing, that’s what I encourage anyone to do. Adults need to learn how to play again.
“Painting is not about perfectionism, we need to let go. With art, it’s calming, the more mistakes you make the better it is. Colour therapy is huge. There’s a great saying in the Jungle Book, ‘If you’re going to be blue be bright blue’. I love the saying, ‘Everyone is born an artist, the problem is staying one’.”
THE VERDICT: I was expecting my finished piece to look like a toddler had gone to town on the canvas. So I was pleasantly surprised when Deborah uttered: “You’re a natural, honestly you should keep on painting, it’s great.” My masterpiece now takes pride of place in the sitting room.
I highly rate the process – you don’t have to be Picasso, the fun is in the messing up!
- For inspiration see www.deborahdonnelly.com
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