![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Gracie2 on October 8, 2001, at 15:21:39
I work part-time painting murals and just scheduled an interview for a job painting at an institution for "disturbed" teenagers. The woman I talked to said that the locked wards are rather dreary and they would like murals to brighten the place up. The problem is, all the murals I've done up to this point have been for small children. The kids in this institution are from 11 to 17 years old. Here are some other guidelines I have to follow:
-nothing trendy that will be out of style in a couple of years
-nothing that might need a copyright, such as a particular sports team or musical group
-no wild colors and patterns or subjects that could over-excite; they want something "calming"
-they would like different murals for the "boy's side"
and the "girl's side"I am just stumped. I'm guessing that the average teenage male in this institution would like a mural of Limp Bizkit playing in a field full of pot leaves and cavorting naked women, but I am thinking that the staff would frown on this idea.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated, for the girl's ward or boy's ward or both.
Thanks-
Gracie
Posted by susan C on October 8, 2001, at 15:34:25
In reply to HELP! Need ideas from creative types, posted by Gracie2 on October 8, 2001, at 15:21:39
Boys side, inside of wc/lavatory ... just joking,
The Cascade Mts, or the rockies,
inspiration from national parks, throw in a couple of vague wildlife, like a distant grizzly or owl, kind of like those hunt for the hidden picture things...very subtle...distant horizans but a mix of close and far...
Girls side, a drive in restaurant aka grease...rollerskating waitresses...to die for cute guys 'hanging out' no just joking
the ocean...waves, birds, beach, distant horizans...
lots of sun, like classic early morning or evening, with the just right light.... cloud shapes, vegetation could be realistic or more abstract...how much space do you have?
mouse with a paint brush and beret
susan C >
> I work part-time painting murals and just scheduled an interview for a job painting at an institution for "disturbed" teenagers. The woman I talked to said that the locked wards are rather dreary and they would like murals to brighten the place up. The problem is, all the murals I've done up to this point have been for small children. The kids in this institution are from 11 to 17 years old. Here are some other guidelines I have to follow:
> -nothing trendy that will be out of style in a couple of years
> -nothing that might need a copyright, such as a particular sports team or musical group
> -no wild colors and patterns or subjects that could over-excite; they want something "calming"
> -they would like different murals for the "boy's side"
> and the "girl's side"
>
> I am just stumped. I'm guessing that the average teenage male in this institution would like a mural of Limp Bizkit playing in a field full of pot leaves and cavorting naked women, but I am thinking that the staff would frown on this idea.
>
> Any suggestions would be much appreciated, for the girl's ward or boy's ward or both.
> Thanks-
> Gracie
Posted by dreamer on October 8, 2001, at 15:52:29
In reply to HELP! Need ideas from creative types, posted by Gracie2 on October 8, 2001, at 15:21:39
Hi....G
What a task eh.
Maybe something abstractish like Rothko (not sure how to spell name)
Subtle simple with boyish colours + girlish colours something to escape into but not so challenging lines 4 boys curves 4 girls ????
Stain glass effect simple shapes gradient colours with painted spotlights....errrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Nothing textural smooth 3 dimensional tangable. Nothing that shouts.
The representation of real world difficult maybe gradient subtle background using floating positive quiet words .
Maybe I'll come back on this one.dreamer in thought
Posted by dreamer on October 8, 2001, at 16:10:31
In reply to Re: HELP! Need ideas from creative types, posted by susan C on October 8, 2001, at 15:34:25
> Boys side, inside of wc/lavatory ... blocked n broken
Castinettes or theatrical jockies,
>
> inspiration from nautical pirates, throw in a couple of rabid wildlife, like a hesitant grizzly or fleeting fowl.
>
> Girls side, a dribbling taurean waitress with greasey hair...rollerskating wearing a dress to die for .Flute playing guys 'genitals hanging out' smoking.
>
> the ocean...waves, birds, beach, distant horizans...Neptune Venus a black hole with a hand waving from within.
>
> lots of icecream, lickey glassy , with the just right bite.... loud chocolate shapes, vegetables could be added for health...how much space do we have ......infinate?
Posted by Hod Putt on October 8, 2001, at 17:04:25
In reply to HELP! Need ideas from creative types, posted by Gracie2 on October 8, 2001, at 15:21:39
Check out some of Paul Klee's work. Very subtle grid patterns and hue and value changes. His paintings are very warm and soothing. Klee does wonders with light gradually moving from out of the shadows. I know you don't want to reproduce someone else's work but his paintings may give you some ideas to work with.
Posted by KB on October 8, 2001, at 22:16:08
In reply to HELP! Need ideas from creative types, posted by Gracie2 on October 8, 2001, at 15:21:39
Ask the kids!!!
If you give them some type of theme, even very
troubled kids can come up with some great ideas.
For instance, with my group of teen felon girls, I had them each create an image/message for future girls in the same situation and then we attached them all together, quilt-style - something like that could easily be painted.
Posted by Noa on October 9, 2001, at 15:44:22
In reply to Re: HELP! Need ideas from creative types, posted by KB on October 8, 2001, at 22:16:08
> Ask the kids!!!
I agree. And, is there a way to involve them in the actual production?
When asking the kids, it might help to have some ideas to give as choices if they have trouble conceptualizing some of their own. I think some optically thought provoking images would be interesting to them--like optical illusions (a la Escher, for example).
What a job! Good luck with it.
Posted by Noa on October 9, 2001, at 16:12:38
In reply to Re: HELP! Need ideas from creative types, posted by KB on October 8, 2001, at 22:16:08
Another optical illusion artist--Magritte.
Posted by robinibor on October 9, 2001, at 17:00:15
In reply to HELP! Need ideas from creative types, posted by Gracie2 on October 8, 2001, at 15:21:39
I have always loved A Sunday on la Grande Jatte...the picnic scene by Georges Seurat. You could do takeoffs showing more girls' activities in one and boys' in the other.
And Georgia O'Keefe's clouds are another favorite.
Or how about going medieval?...Camelot. Castles and minstrels and princesses for girls. Armor and horses and forests for boys...if indeed you are being instructed to be sexist about the themes.
Posted by Gracie2 on October 9, 2001, at 17:17:34
In reply to Re: HELP! Need ideas from creative types, posted by KB on October 8, 2001, at 22:16:08
Susan - liked all your ideas but thought the 50s-type diner idea was excellent, just excellent. Hey maybe even the boys would like it if there were enough vintage cars and enough cleavage on the rollerskating waitresses.Dreamer - are you talking abstract shapes like Kandinsky? I also like the idea that Susan had too about the ocean, beach, birds, etc. Sounds very peaceful. But about the loud chocolate and the glassy licky things, I don't know how that would go over at the staff meeting. I can picture the room going silent and everybody just staring at me.
Hod Putt - I don't have Paul Klee in my limited library of art books. Will have to make a run for the Borders. I was going to go anyway and look through some books on murals, might buy one if I see stuff that just really knocks me out.
Noa & KB - when I scheduled the interview I asked the woman I talked to if I could meet the kids because I had the same idea about getting them involved, listening to their ideas and maybe even having them paint. In fact, I was kind of surprised that they just didn't let the kids do the whole thing themselves, although I won't push that idea too strongly or I will be out of a job.
I really like the idea of the girls coming up with a positive image or message for future girls,
maybe kind of like that commercial, What's Your Anti-Drug? And then painting it on the wall in quilt-fashion. Very cool.Well if you come up with other ideas fire 'em at me, the staff meeting is not until Thursday afternoon.
Thanks again-
Gracie
Posted by KB on October 10, 2001, at 9:28:07
In reply to Thanks to creative types, posted by Gracie2 on October 9, 2001, at 17:17:34
Anotther thing we had luck with (with our male teen felons) was giving them a quote from a poem and then having them create a mural around that -
one summer we used "my soul runs deep like the rivers" from Langston hughes.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Social | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.