Throughout the country, especially in larger cities, older adults are finding more and more programs geared for their special needs. While I have many friends who are artists and in their eighties, with more energy and mobility than plenty of people half their age, there are plenty of older adults who need a jumpstart to leave their homes and make art! With this in mind, I developed a brand new program at The West Hartford Art League in West Hartford, CT geared for adults who may be returning to art after many decades or who finally want to try their hand at something new. My new class "Let Loose With Creative Aging" will run Wednesday mornings at the WHAL. Some unique aspects of this class is that caregivers can accompany participants to class and that individuals with early dementia can feel comfortable attending. For more information see http://www.cdiannezweig.com/workshops/

Creating Painted Papers For Mixed Media Collage Using A Painter's Putty Knife or Palette Knife

August 04, 2015 by Dianne Zweig

When I paint papers to use in Mixed Media collage, I use many tools and gadgets to create interesting textures and surfaces for my painted papers. A fun way to work is to apply paint with a painters putty knife of a palette knife. I have a very durable painter's knife that I picked up at a tag sale which has become one of my favorite tools. It is much stronger than some of the products out today, Try experimenting with applying one color at a time to your papers or see what happens when the putty knife picks up several colors in the process. After the painted papers dry, I am ready to tear them up and use in my next abstract collage.