When I think of Peter Max, I think of the psychedelic sixties and how the Pop Art Movement swept the country! Peter Max’s vibrant, recognizable images are perfect for a collage project for people with dementia/ Alzheimer’s because they are so upbeat and enjoyable to use as inspiration. In this painted collage, I took images and ideas from Peter Max paintings and combined them to make a fun and simple art workshop. This one was particularly well-received and my senior artists chose to work long after the actual class was over. They really got into it and that made me so happy! I might add that Peter Max is still producing art today, and I love artists that keep working in their later years. I read that he still gets excited when he approaches his studio in New York each day. Take a look online at some Peter Max paintings and they will give you some really “good vibes”!
HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Watercolor Paper (11x17″….I get mine from S&S Worldwide)
Cardstock ( 8 1/2 x 11″ ….white, royal blue and neon reddish pink)
Neon colors of paint…..(I chose yellow, pink, turquoise, orange, green)
Paintbrushes
Glue…. and foam brushes to apply the glue
Two Peter Max Collage Templates printed out from this blog
CLICK HERE to PRINT TEMPLATE #1
CLICK HERE to PRINT TEMPLATE #2
STEP 1: Print out the templates and Xerox images on the white card stock.
STEP 2: Trace off single stars from Template # 1 onto the royal blue card stock and cut them out.
STEP 3: Cut out the images so that you have a collection of items to choose from to create your collage. (NOTE: I also printed out actual Peter Max Paintings on the card stock and cut them into smaller pieces to apply to the collage along with spear shaped pieces from the pinkish red card stock.
Steps 1, 2,and 3 for Peter Max Collage Project which involves the preparation of pieces to apply to the collage.
STEP 4: Arrange your images and apply them to the watercolor paper with a foam brush and glue. Then turn paper over and smooth so that images adhere to the paper properly.
(NOTE: Supervise closely when applying glue to ensure safety!)
STEP 5: Add paint to accent your images and create a visual impact. Make sure to add lots of color to your background! (I kept asking my artists to “add more color” because they were a little timid at first.)
( Here, steps 4 and 5 are shown for the Peter Max Collage. The artist is adding color after applying
images with glue to the paper.)
BELOW ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WORK DONE BY PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER’S or DEMENTIA:
This artist is in the later stages of Alzheimer’s.
This artist has a brain disease that inhibits the ability to read and causes trouble in finding words to speak.
This artist is in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s.