Creative Blog 6 ~ Healing Wall Tiles and more

Healing Wall ~ Clay Tiles

As I was contemplating and researching art in healthcare facilities programs for my assignment this week, I found a hospital that had a healing wall made out of clay tiles.  Each tile was for someone who was sick or had been ill in the hospital and was made by them or their family. 

I was so excited when I saw this and thought what a great idea for the art on the walls for the healing environment at our center we are creating.  We have been having music and art healing gatherings on Sunday nights and people from all around the world send us their prayer requests.  I decided to make some healing tiles this past Sunday night for a couple of people who had sent in their prayer request.

 Joke, from Holland, I emailed her about the healing tiles and asked if she could make a drawing of a tile, email it back and I would make her tile for her.  She sent right back her picture (see below) for her tile so I had her tile to make and one for a dear friend. 

At the healing gathering myself, Rachel, Kayla (5yrs ) and Isaiah (7yrs) all made healing tiles.  Kayla and Isaiah made one for their young friends who are sick (see below). Rachel’s tile was for her dad who has been diagnosed with the beginning stages of Parkinson’s. (see below her drawing and tile)

I wanted to start with a smaller group first and next week I plan to invite the people who are there to make a tile for themselves, a friend or love one who is ill.  I realized by having the people who come to our gatherings from the region make healing tiles the community is becoming involved.  I also realized, when the picture from Holland came, that the clay healing tile project was not just for the local community but for the community around the world.  So this week I am going to respond to all the prayer requests that come in by sharing the vision for the healing wall/tiles and invite them to sketch a picture of their tile and we will make them.

As I made the tiles I found myself praying for the person.  The tile I made for my friend was in pink and turquoise background colors, her favorite colors.  I took a palm branch (symbolizing victory) and pressed it into the painted clay tile.  The pattern that emerged from this looked like a sun with rays; this was totally an unexpected design.  It reminded me of the scripture, “The son of righteousness will rise with healing in His wings”, and so I wrote it on the back of her tile.

I have posted pictures of the tiles made below, they are at the green ware stage and still need to be glazed and fired in the kiln. I will post again next week the tiles made from the people at the upcoming healing gathering and around the world.  I will also post more on the concept as I meditate and research about healing walls this week.

Healing Garden

The healing garden we will be creating out on the balcony is starting to come along; I am in the beginning stages of designing it on graph paper and have chosen a few plants.  I am trying to work with medicinal plants for healing that do not require much water like Aloe and others.  I have also researched some options for planters, seating, lighting and art for the outdoor walls.  I hope to have some drawings for the garden next week. 

Large ~ Tree of Life

I did some sketching and started building a small proto type with clay using the coil hand building technique.  I am using the clay tree for my assignment this week so I thought it would be good for me to create a smaller tree to get some ideas for the large tree of life.  See the pictures below; the tree is in very beginning stages have not started to sculpt yet.  I also discovered some pvc piping in the basement of our center, perfect for the base of the Tree of Life.

Ocean ~ Backdrop (curtains)

I have not made a lot of progress on this during the week but I did get the idea to think of the curtains across the back wall as a back drop.  I also decided to have the backdrop be clear and then create the blue colors with lights hidden in the soffits.  There will also be small fans mounted in the soffit to create movement in the backdrop.

These are some of the things I have started to create this week for the healing environment.  The healing wall clay tiles for the art on the walls of the center have been my main focus this week.  My plan is to create a community project with the tiles during the meetings and pottery classes we are having at the center next week and through March.