[Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Blind artists develop a deft touch for making paintings

[Lisa Yayla]

Asbury Park Press, New Jersey
Sunday, February 26, 2006

Blind artists develop a deft touch for making paintings

By Terry Gauthier Muessig

MIDDLETOWN - These art students learn how to create artwork by using their sense of touch, not their sense of sight.

"I want my student to feel the art," said Susan Ferraro of Spring Lake.

"I'd sure like to see what I'm doing," said Frank Arnone of Shrewsbury, who is legally blind. "I never painted before, but, I heard this was a lot of fun, so I joined."

The 87-year-old man said he was having a lot of fun and would take Ferraro's word that his work was good.

Ferraro is conducting art classes at Camp Happiness in the Leonardo section of Middletown. Camp Happiness is the year-round day camp and summer retreat for the New Jersey Blind Citizens Association. The camp offers blind and visually impaired citizens weekly daytime programs.

Ferraro has a master's degree in orientation and mobility from Pennsylvania State University in Philadelphia. She also is a volunteer art teacher at St. Lucy's Day School for children with visual impairments in Philadelphia.

"There is no reason a blind person cannot enjoy the arts," she said. "That is a misconception. You don't have to have sight to appreciate the arts."

The classes are held twice a month on Tuesdays at the camp on Burlington Avenue.

The program is funded by the Community Foundation of Monmouth County, a division of the Community Foundation of New Jersey based in Morristown.

Jennifer Anderson, the coordinator for the county division, said the foundation gave a $5,000 grant to the association for this program.

The program is twofold for the camp and the foundation, Anderson said. The foundation helps fund programs locally, and the camp's executive director, Douglas Scott was looking to implement new programs at the camp.

The idea of having the art class for the blind began a few months ago when Ferraro called Anderson for another project she was trying to get funded. However, their conversation led to Anderson asking about the possibility of Ferraro doing something locally, such as the art class at Camp Happiness.

"I have always wanted an exciting program for our folks here," Scott said. "I wanted something, something for our folks other than bingo."

The program started Jan. 17, with Ferraro teaching eight people.

"This program has brought life into their day," said Claire Butler of Hazlet, the camp's program coordinator.

After the first lesson, 12 more people signed up for the art classes. Originally, the program was scheduled for 11 a.m. on the days Ferraro was at the camp. Now, the program is held at 11 a.m. and at 1 p.m. to accommodate all the budding artists.

"I figured I'd give it a try," said Marvin Zaentz of Holmdel. He lost most of his sight 15 years ago due to retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive degeneration of the retina.

"It (painting) is extremely interesting," he said.

The lessons begin with a discussion of what Ferraro has planned for the class and gives a little history and background information on the topic.

The first class was about fruit. Ferraro brought bananas, oranges and apples to the class for the students to touch and feel the shapes. Then, the class painted still-life pictures of the fruit.

The second class was a self-portrait lesson.

The pictures were on display at the camp. Charles Blood drew his portrait, including his eyeglasses and his mustache.

Blood, Middletown, has been a member of the camp for about five years.

"I have always been interested in painting," he said.

At one time, he considered being a medical illustrator, he said.

Blood has had eye problems all his life.

"I was born premature," he said.

His left eye is a prosthesis, and he always has had only slight vision in his right eye. In recent years, his right eye has deteriorated, and he suffered a hemorrhage in the right eye about a year ago.

When the art class was being offered, Blood decided join the group.

The self-portraits were not as hard for the group to paint as he imagined, Butler said.

The art-class assistants helped the artists make ovals out of pipe cleaners. Once the ovals were done, the artists then glued the ovals onto a piece of construction paper.

Butler explained Ferraro's lesson. The artists were told to feel the pipe-cleaner ovals and to gauge where they thought the middle of the oval would be. That is where the ears should be. Once the group found the center, the rest - drawing the eyes, noses and mouths - was a lot easier.

Most of the artwork is done with objects, glue and, of course, paint.

On Valentine's Day, the students used paint, pipe cleaners, twigs, foam letters and shapes and snippets of lace to create holiday artwork.

"I need help getting the glue on my heart," said Betty Fenton of Asbury Park.

She was referring to a heart she made out of a pipe cleaner. With a bit of assistance, the instructor moved the glue container closer to Fenton and told her to put the glue on the pipe cleaner.

"I guess my age made my sight deteriorate," said Edna Doucha of Red Bank. "I bought my first piano at age 88; I might as well start painting at 96."

Doucha said she has never had a desire to paint before, but everyone else at the camp was having fun, so she decided to join the group.

"We have a lot of programs here," Scott said.

The facility is open to blind and visually-impaired adults free of charge. The facility has a van, in which they pick up campers throughout Monmouth County.

For more information about the camp, call (732) 291-0787.



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