Blue Life

Melika Daliran Mayab
Tehran, Iran

Brief introduction of mosaic art

One of the branches of art that can be used in art therapy but has been neglected is mosaic art.

In mosaic art, pieces of ceramic tile are broken with pliers and put together according to a real or abstract design and are glued to a base impregnated with wood glue.

One of the positive points of this art is that it works with tangible pieces of tile, which are placed next to each other like puzzle pieces based on a pattern. The mosaic process strengthens the sense of touch and sight and also improves the range of motion of the hands and their adaptation to the senses in children and people with special needs. Even working with tile pliers is very enjoyable and calming.

I got positive feedback using this technique with my clients. Mosaic art allows its creator to add a new objects at any time, even diverse objects such as pieces of glass, beads, bracelets, various stones etc.

About my artwork

The name of my artwork is “Blue Life.”

Like the mandala that follows regular circles, my mosaic art follows an underlying order, with a difference that there are points of disorder in the order. Pieces of tile are broken and put together regularly, but among them there are small pieces of mirror of different sizes.

The existence of these irregularities reminds me of life. We all constantly try to manage our lives in the best way according to our wishes and planned schedule, but sometimes unintentional things happen in our lives that prevent the continuation of this regular course. Moments of life can go on in a way we did not expect at all. Things that seem unpleasant at first can take a while until we look back to review the past, and despite all the problems, from afar we see beauty in general and we are proud of ourselves for our endurance and not being disappointed. This is what I tried to show in my artwork.

The large mirror in the middle of the work is a symbol of the present. I look in the mirror and wonder, "Have past small problems changed me right now?"

The reason that I chose small mirrors for around the artwork was that, having problems and clutter in life like a mirror causes us, for a few minutes, to look at ourselves and the path we have taken.

The color that I chose for this artwork was blue because blue is always a symbol of peace for me. I am Iranian and I always like to use a symbol of Iranian culture in the artworks that I produce, so next to the pieces of tiles and mirrors, I used blue beads in different designs and dimensions, which are called kharmohre, they are produced only in Iran. Kharmohre color is known as Iranian blue.

One of the traditional beliefs in Iranian culture is that these blue beads in the house cause disasters to stay away from the inhabitants of that house.

Melika has a bachelor's degree in psychology and is currently a master’s student of Exceptional Children Psychology at the University of Tehran. In addition to learning psychology at the university level, Melika has been studying and interning freely with various professors in art institutes for several years, and never gives up learning. Melika has always believed in the effectiveness of art therapy techniques and uses them to help others live healthier and happier, as well as doing research and translation in this field. Melika is currently doing expressive art therapy with exceptional children and adults.

Blue Moments

Dillon Lewchuk (MA, BA, B.Ed, C.C.C.)
Victoria, BC

What defines good mental health?

A supervisor asked this poignant question at a recent group supervision I attended. I quickly tried to formulate my words but all that came out was a stumbling, unclear definition. The supervisor provided their response as, “an individual’s ability to give and receive love, to find meaning and pleasure in their work and the ability to play to experience joy.” I reflected on this definition for the month of December.

 As a mental health professional, during these unprecedented times, myself and many others have rose to the occasion to meet the needs of the community. In my reflection, I was able to give and receive love throughout the pandemic via outside walks, Zoom get-togethers and writing letters through the mail. I always have and continue to find so much meaning in the work that we do as art therapists and value each day I get to provide services. However, it struck me that I haven’t truly played. Of course, I’ve made art, but it was always for a specific outcome. I haven’t truly engaged in play in two and half years. This holiday season was the first time in those two and half years that I took a full week dedicated to playing. I was able to fill up my cup and spend hours with loved ones playing cards, board games and building puzzles. I simply existed, in the here and now, and nothing mattered other than focusing on the aspect of play.

 So, I ask of you this: when was the last time you truly played? And as you reflect, I challenge you to carve out some time and re-engage with our human need to simply be curious and play.

Dillon (he/him) is a queer, (dis)abled art therapist and counsellor currently living and working on the unceded traditional lands of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples of Vancouver Island. He currently provides art therapy and counselling services for The Men’s Therapy Centre, Human-Nature Counselling Society, Pearson College & Joshua Tree Learning Centre.

The goddess with, within and in between

Nicola Shaw (BA, PGCE, DCAT)
Oliver, BC

In these relentless times; pandemic, climate crisis, forced migration, inequality on so many levels… there is a call for stillness and reflection.

A much-needed pause to regain perspective for each of us on our sacred inner warrior and our strengths. ‘Waiting’ and ‘limbo’ can slowly shift towards a coming ‘power’ and ‘resurgence of energy’, similar to the seasonal changes of Mother Earth from her Winter layers to her Spring anticipations.  

These winter goddesses were captured with, within and in between the frozen ice on Lake Gallagher, B.C.

Nicola Shaw is a qualified art and design teacher (PGCE University of Cambridge, UK), professional art therapist (DCAT Canadian International Institute of Art Therapy, CiiAT), photographer (BA, Nottingham Trent University, UK), and instructor with CiiAT: specialising in Eco Art Therapy and Therapeutic Art. She is also ane experienced school counsellor/art therapist (elementary, middle and high school), and a European Federation of Art Therapy ethics committee member. Nicola is UK/Austrian, living in Canada.

Five works from the series ‘Unbroken Circle’

Irit Epstein (MA, MFA)
Toronto, ON

These works are from my series 'Unbroken Circle'. The paintings draw upon memories of separation and loss during the time of the pandemic. The work describes the bridge between light and darkness, in an attempt to examine the seam between the two. The paintings represent the passing of time and evolution of one’s identity while contemplating the questions of our existence.

Irit Epstein was born in Israel. She has over 20 years of experience as an art therapist, working individually and in groups with children, adolescents and adults. As an artist, Irit has exhibited in Canada, USA, Israel, Mexico, Italy and Germany. She earned a Master of Arts, Art Therapy from New York University, New York, NY, and a Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art (HDK), Berlin, Germany. Irit is currently living and working in Toronto.

State of Being

Sarah Quiles (BFA)
Oakland, New Jersey, USA

State of Being is a set of two 68 inch x 96 inch sheets, onto which my own body has been traced. Using my body as a canvas to map out anxiety, layers of thread and string of various colors are woven into the sheets. In an effort to explore anxiety as both a psychological and physical feeling, both Outer and Inner maps depict the simultaneous feeling of anxiety taking up space around and inside of me. The textile nature of the work speaks to how anxiety can become one with ourselves, that the anxiety no longer becomes just a feeling but a state of being; one that we can not always so easily shift out of. It begs the question: not only how does anxiety look, but how does it feel? My interest and pursuit of art therapy widely informs my practice, in which I often explore providing form to my emotions and experiences. Ultimately, this work hopes to validate my own hardships while simultaneously connecting with the public about a societal struggle. 

Sarah Quiles is a senior BFA student studying at The College of New Jersey. She works as a multimedia artist and utilizes sculpture, video, installation, textiles, drawing and painting for her work. With a fine arts major, psychology and deaf studies minor, she is pursuing a professional career of art therapy. Born in Ridgewood New Jersey, Sarah grew up in Oakland and became interested in the arts from an early age. Although her interest in art was neglected during high school, her use of art as a catharsis in her personal life drew her back towards her passion in college and sparked an interest in art therapy. She's participated in a solo exhibition in October of 2021 called State of Being. She is currently working towards a group exhibition in May of 2022.