Week 4

Josey's Bench

The outline of the woman, who symbolizes homelessness and hopelessness, comes to life. Josey is drawn to this scene in particular.  Josey paints this woman in silhouette.  She is faceless.  She exists but is not SEEN.

Week 4 Milestone: Collaboration

This portion of the mural inspired the most collaberation as all of the women identified with this image. As we add more layers of paint, we are constantly checking back with one another for advice and opinions for each section. Debra L. mixed the color for the woman's boots, which she named "drab". Deborah G. suggested that the bench be painted a brighter brown so that it is more distinguishable from the woman's cloak.

Buildings Dripping With Emotion

Patty said that all while she was homeless she never cried, but the buildings portray that emotion for her. She said that when she was homeless the buildings felt hostile and cold. She expressed that in her painting by the uninviting signage on the buildings and having the paint drip down the wall. The running paint symbolizes tears.

Be Strong; Love Yourself

These sayings inspired not only the woman in the mural, but the women in the room. The original idea for the tree of life included inspirational quotes to encourage the homeless woman on her journey to happiness.

Stepping Stones on a Journey To HOME

When she first came into the room Deborah didn't even want to paint. This week she helped other painters mix more intense colors, gave pointers on layering paint, and added some touches to the stepping stones that she has been working on.  Her growing confidence and painting technique were the stepping stones that led Deborah into a stronger sense of community with the other women.

Debra's Hand Holds the Key

Debra L. has taken ownership of the key and hand.  As she adds more detail, the symbol begins to mean more to her.  She realizes that having a home create options like the small luxury of painting your nails that were impossible during homelessness. 

The Key

"The key symbolizes having a place to call your OWN.

The key is having something that is YOURS alone!"

The women agreed that the key was the most important symbol in the mural.  The ribbons add a sense of individuality and identity- I am no longer invisible.

From Outside Looking In to Inside Looking Out

The mural now has a feeling of hope.  The scenes of loneliness have finally moved into scenes of belonging.  Because the women identified with the scenes in the mural it seemed a natural step to portray their own faces in the final scene. The group decided to put pictures of the participants in the windows of the building.

Comments

[Denishia Williams]

The painting seems so personal for the ladies to express themselves silently. Good job, " Ladies in Action" .