A Guide to Art Therapy Materials, Methods, and Applications

A Practical Step-by-Step Approach

Ellen G. Horovitz

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781315457192
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psicología
• Subtopic: Capacidad creativa en psicología

Written by a well-respected author and practitioner in the field of art therapy, A Guide to Art Therapy Materials, Methods, and Applications is an innovative, comprehensive text that guides readers in how to use basic to advanced art materials and methods in a wide range of clinical settings. Through the lens of both developmental stages and assessment, the book offers practical, step-by-step instructions to incorporate these materials and methods into therapeutic work with clients of all ages and populations. In addition to such classic tools as drawing, paints, pastels, and clay, coverage of materials and special topics extends beyond the existing literature to include glass, knitting, quilting, wood burning, felting, digital applications, phototherapy, byproducts, and more. Unlike previous guides, this book specifies population benefits and contraindications for each material and technique. This research-based guide for using art materials in a safe and effective manner will be a welcome resource for students, seasoned art therapists, and mental health counselors.

1 Considerations on Safety and Art Materials

At the end of the day, the goals are simple: safety and security.

attributed to Jodi Rell, former governor of Connecticu

Regulation of Art Materials

When I grew up in the 1960s, safety regulations were lacking, to say the least. But times have changed. And while I still love the smell of gasoline and like toxic substances that challenge my health and safety, as an artist and therapist I need to protect my patients and/or potential consumers. Thus, it is important to have some facts on hand.

Consumer Protection

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, an independent regulatory agency charged with protecting the public from injury or death associated with consumer products) now oversees the labeling of hazardous products. That’s a tall order. The CPSC requires labeling of art materials that have the potential to cause chronic health effects under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) (Public Law 100-695).

Under the FHSA, an art material is defined as “any substance marketed or represented by the producer or re-packager as suitable for use in any phase of the creation of any work of visual or graphic art of any medium” (U.S. Code 1277). Children’s products that meet this definition include, but are not limited to, crayons, chalk, paint sets, colored pencils, and modeling clay. Thus, the CPSC recommends that parents/guardians purchase only those products that are labeled with the statement “Conforms to ASTM D-4236” and that do not have any cautionary warnings on the label. (The ultimate guide for arts and crafts is available as a downloadable PDF and thus I will only summarize its salient points here. See USCPSC, n.d.)

Considerations When Working with Children’s Arts and Crafts

Non-toxic art and craft supplies intended for children are readily available. But one should always read the labels and purchase only art and craft materials intended for children. For certain chemicals and exposure situations, children may be especially susceptible to the risk of injury. Since children are smaller than adults, exposures to the same amount of a chemical may result in more severe effects. Moreover, children’s growing bodies, including their developing brains, nervous systems, and lungs, may make them more susceptible to chemicals than adults. Differences in metabolism may also affect children’s responses to certain chemicals. All of these factors need to be taken into account when using art materials.

Children’s behaviors and cognitive abilities may also influence their risk when working with art materials. Children under the age of 12 are less able to remember and follow complex steps for safety procedures, and are more impulsive, making them more likely to ignore safety precautions. Thus, adult measures need to be in place since children have a higher risk of toxic exposure than adults because they are (1) unaware of the dangers, (2) not as concerned with safety precautions as adults, and (3) often more curious and attracted to novel smells, sights, or sounds. (Much like my own attraction to gasoline as a child.) (N.B.: Children do not have to be using the art and craft materials themselves to be affected; careless child or adult artists can accidentally expose other children to hazards. So be forewarned.)

Thus, adults need to model safety procedures, use appropriate safety gear and measures, and carefully read cautionary labels in order to protect their younger consumers. Children need consistent reminders of safety rules; there is no substitute for direct supervision. (Under the FHSA, most children’s products that contain a hazardous substance are banned, be they toxic, flammable, or other hazard identified in the statute. However, the Commission may exempt art materials that satisfy all three of the following criteria: (1) the hazardous substances are required for functional purpose, (2) the products are labeled with adequate directions and safety warnings, and (3) the materials are intended for use by children who are sufficiently mature (e.g., can read and heed such warnings — a pretty tall order for most children). Thus, I cannot emphasize enough that it is the responsibility of the art therapist to decide which products one can safely use with any population.

Types of Hazards

Mechanical Hazards: Strains, Breaks, Cuts, Crush Injuries, and Burns

Virtually any object can damage the human body. The most common injuries include cuts, scrapes, crush injuries, and burns. And because I will be covering burn survivors when discussing materials, one has to think about the psychological fallout of (for example) deciding whether or not to have lit birthday candles to celebrate a child’s birthday. (This actually came up when running a burn survivors’ group for children where the art therapists wanted to have a cake to celebrate one child’s birthday. First, we asked the patient how he felt about having lit candles. He wanted them. Thus, we used them but with caution.)

Chemical Hazards: Inhalation, Skin Absorption, and Ingestion

Chemical exposures can occur through breathing fumes and vapors, absorption through the skin, or swallowing. Admittedly, I “point” my brushes by placing them in my mouth. (While I am aware that, over time, exposures to such chemicals may combine to damage my health, this is not a method that I would teach a child or an adult. Instead, I would demonstrate how to wipe the brush head at a 45-degree angle (side-to-side) in order to avoid toxicity.)

Even adults may taste art supplies or chew on drawing implements. I once had a dementia patient who tasted her paint. As a result, we supplied her with pudding and water with food coloring to avoid any hazardous results. Art therapists need to think outside of the box and continually adapt to patient needs. Back in the 1980s when I first started out as an art therapist, I was working with a quadriplegic young girl who really wanted to paint. So, I affixed a paintbrush to her headgear so that she could readily paint on paper. In time, she became so adept at using the paintbrush that she asked to use it by holding the handle in her mouth. While not the most sanitary decision, she had greater control over where the paint went and therefore a more successful outcome. Today, there are even mouth-painting easels; but it seems that people still use paintbrush handles directly in their mouths to control the media. (You can find videos of motorized mouth-painting easels on the internet; see for example this one at the Spinal Cord Injury Zone: www­.sp­ina­lco­rdi­nju­ryz­one­.co­m/v­ide­os/­118­80/­mot­ori­sed­-mo­uth­-pa­int­ing­-ea­sel­.)

Figure 1.1 A young quadriplegic girl painting a clay object, using her mouth to hold the paintbr...