CK: Please tell me a little about your background-how you got into art, your favorite forms, etc.

VO: I have loved art as long as I can remember. I lived in the art rooms when I went to high school.

I bought my first 35mm camera during my senior year of high school and fell in love with photography. I studied photography in college and for many years after that, did freelance photography work.

As far as other forms of art are concerned, I really have no real favorite. Most of the art I create can probably best be described as tactual collage. The pieces can be inspired by something I wanted to photograph, paint or draw but because my audience includes people who are blind, textures, sounds, and scents are added to communicate the ideas to them.

CK: What brought you to being a paraprofessional?

VO: It was a case of going where life takes you. My daughters attended a wonderful preschool and occasionally I helped out as a substitute teacher. A few years after my children had gone to elementary school, I heard that their former preschool needed to hire someone to work with a blind student. I was just available at the right time. When Melissa went to kindergarten, I was asked to continue on to the public school with her.

CK: Tell me about how you first got involved with doing art with Melissa.

VO: Preschool is all about hands-on experiences. I have a true fondness for preschool art projects. They are just fun and usually silly which appeals to my sense of humor. Unfortunately Melissa did not share my enthusiasm. It wasn't easy to win her over, but after a good deal of trial and error she was hooked. We came up with ways to keep her hands clean so she could see and added textures and scents to projects. The changes were met with a lot of excitement from her classmates which helped sway her.

I began "illustrating" a lot of her kindergarten classwork. The more pictures she was exposed to, the more interested she became in making her own. When I was moved into an office outside the classroom and I began to create tactual pictures for my door.

I think being able to share in conversations about this art has been great not only for her but for other students as well. Many of the students think about making their classroom art projects accessible to Melissa. Some students have come to me for advice on ways to make their drawings tactile. Several students have learned some braille as well. It is amazing to me how such a small thing can alter the way people look at the world.

CK: Did you try to research information about working with blind students, or just make it up as you went?

VO: Honestly, I make most of it up as I go along. I get an idea and start experimenting. I try to have several back-up plans for blind students. You never know how much they have been exposed to art or what their skill level might be so my first priority is for them to have fun. If it is too frustrating, you will lose them. The end result is not as important as the process. They will improve with practice and if they are having a great time they are more likely to stick with it.

I do look online to see what I can find on blind artists. It is always good to expose yourself to new ideas. Sometimes they come from other artists and sometimes they come from walking through Home Depot. You just never know.

My ideas usually start with a material I'm dying to use or something I desperately want to make. I play with it until I get it out of my system. At the moment my house is covered in several versions of tactile translations of stained glass. It may end up on display or it may sit for awhile until the kinks are worked out. I am lucky to have children who have learned to live around the art.

CK: How did the art teacher at the elementary school react to your suggestions?

VO: I have to admit I had a bit of an advantage with our elementary school art teacher. We have children who attended preschool together so we have known each other a long time. Her main concerns in the beginning were how are we ever going to include this child in traditionally two-dimensional art forms and won't the other children want all the adaptations she has. My answers to those questions were we'll figure it out no matter what, and of course they'll want them!

The art teacher brings me the project and I come up with ways to make it work. We take one concept at a time, one project at a time and try to approach them all with enthusiasm and a sense of humor.

There is no bigger thrill than figuring out a cool new way to adapt an art project. Our art teacher is very used to me bounding in with my arms full of unusual materials followed by me excitedly explaining how we can use them. Thankfully she finds me amusing! (or maybe she's just very kind)

CK: What belongs in the art cabinet of the teacher/parent of a blind or visually impaired student?

VO: Craft glue ---- thicker and much easier to work with than the more commonly used white glue. Things don't slide around as easily.

Craft foam with adhesive backing ---- the child can create shapes and stick them down without getting frustrated by glue. It is a great way to get them started. If they aren't good with scissors, you can cut the shapes or purchase ready-made foam shapes.

Regular craft foam is very useful in teaching drawing. Lay a thick piece of paper over the top of craft foam and draw. You will end up with a raised line drawing that is a mirror image of the original.

Hot glue gun ---- The fastest way to make raised lines. Great for outlining drawings they need to paint or color in. They draw, you hot glue the lines.

Fabric scraps of various textures ---- felt, fur, lace, and assorted trims.

Assorted natural materials ---- pebbles, small shells, twigs and dirt. Great for landscapes.

CK: Describe 3 projects you've done with blind students that they seemed to enjoy the most.

VO: I created masks with a group of blind teenagers and it went very well. They used a plaster mask and decorated it to reveal something about themselves. It was interesting to see the things they felt defined who they were as people.

Landscapes are great to do because they invite so much discussion. I like to create imagined landscapes rather than trying to recreate an actual place. Doing that allows everyone to participate. (Some children have more exposure to the great outdoors than others.)

One of my favorite experiences was an art project involving an entire grade level here at school. We made masks celebrating Art Beyond Sight Month. A burlap mask depicting an animal, a person, or even an alien was created and then tactual elements were added to it. The students had to figure out the most important details to make tactual so that blind people could understand what the masks were. They did an amazing job! Our blind student served as artist/consultant. We had the chance to share them with blind people from all over the state at the White Cane Safety Day celebration in Hartford.

CK: Now, tell me a disaster story.

VO: The worst disaster was trying to adapt a project for a study of Mondrian (a Dutch painter, 1872-1944). I thought it would be a good idea to add different things to each paint color to create texture. When the paint dried all the beans, peas, and rice fell off. It was not attractive! We went back to the drawing board and used fabric squares and rectangles of varying colors and textures. The result was pretty cool. Disasters happen ... laugh and move on.

CK: I don't think you've mentioned working with clay, yet it seems a natural medium. Any thoughts or experiences regarding clay?

VO: I have used clay, but only as a part of something else. Polymer clay is what I use most frequently in this way. You mold it, bake it, and it's ready to be added to what you are creating. Limited time is a big problem with art projects so creative shortcuts help.

The students have done clay sculptures in elementary school. To include a blind student usually requires shopping for models. Many sighted students would use a picture for visual reference, so I try to provide a tactual reference. It gives me an excellent excuse to have a wide variety of toys in my room. I have it all from alligators to zebras!

CK: Have you ever worked with a low-vision student? Is working with high contrasting materials easier for them?

VO: I haven't tailored a project specifically for low-vision students, but I have worked with mixed groups including low vision students. I try to have a wide range of materials available and they can choose what works best for them. Granted they were older students, I would be more likely to suggest high contrast materials to younger students.

CK: Any words of advice for an art teacher who is working with a blind or visually impaired student for the first time?

VO: Relax and have fun. Don't get locked into one approach to anything because that is a guarantee it will not work. Anything can be adapted!

The National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut would like to thank Verna for her energy, her creativity and her dedication to bringing the world of art to blind students.

Resources:
The Crafters Division of the National Federation of the Blind holds on-line classes, discussions, shares project ideas, etcetera.
http://krafterskorner.blogspot.com/

BlindArt is a charitable organization based in the UK whose aim is to encourage participation and interaction of the visually impaired in the sighted domain of the visual arts.
http://www.blindart.net/home

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is committed to making their programs accessible to all visitors. In addition to using Braille labels, large-print booklets, and verbal imaging tours, there is a collection of objects that can be touched.
http://www.artagogo.com/commentary/artforblind/artforblind.htm

Art Beyond Sight claims to be a one-stop resource for bringing art and culture to people with visual impairments.
http://www.artbeyondsight.org

The following is a home-schooling site with project ideas for parents of blind and visually impaired kids.
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/artideas.htm

For more information, E-mail us at: info@nfbct.org