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MAY 2006

Matisse newsletter about Roocci's trip to Asia - May/June Edition

In April of 2006 I visited an orphanage in central Asia. I went as part as an international team, with the idea of mural painting on the walls there with a fellow artist.

The orphanage experience is one I will never forget and was deeply impacting. We painted murals to brighen up a main corridor. We were also able to hold a couple of supervised painting sessions where the children painted stencils. In any other 'ordinary' setting this would kids 'do' but here it was quite extraordinary. The children live in conditions deprived of 'normal' everyday activities we take forgranted. Not only that but the children had all ranges of disabilities, making it incredibly special to see them so involved in the painting. I learned that no matter where, that kids are still kids across the world and that kids LOVE painting.

Painting is so healing and crosses all language barriers. For the older guys I was wondering what to do while we painted the mural. I would have loved them all to paint but we only had one ladder! So we set up some stencils so that everyone could get in on the action. The care and the concentration from grown men as they painted in the animals so carefully was so amazing.

I believe art and the simple act of decorating a wall with a mural can make a significant change for those in need. Hopefully we can do more of this kind of trip in the future.

Here are some pictures from the trip. Our heartfelt thanks to Matisse who supplied all the paint. The children absolutely loved the qualilty and brightness of the colours and we had heaps left over so those left behind could do it again.