can a mentally challanged person be a good artist?

[princee18]

hi all
my younger sister is partially mentally challanged but i have noticed that she is quite intelligent in arts.She does painting and uses beautiful colors and imagination in that.Her choice of dresses is also very good and makes nice color combinations with her dresses.Can she be a good artist? if so, how can i help her for her further development?

[Josephine]

absolutely!! i would just encourage her to do art more, introduce her to different mediums and encourage her to paint from life. good luck!

[Princess2008]

Yeah I agree she needs encouragement and maybe help build her confidence by assisting her and complimenting what she can do etc, good luck

[Dee Jordan]

Mental Illness affect the brain much like Brain Trauma. I have a left frontal lobe TBI. I was a dominate left brainer before my accident in 2001. As you may know left brainers are not creative at all (most of the time) As a result of making my right side strong to compensate for the left I found my creativety. Art is encouraged by my neuro physicologist on a daily basis. It another form of emotion, release and communication. Encourage her to go for it. Expose her to as many mediums as she can handle, but try not to overstimulate her or pressure her. Best of Luck! Would love to see pic of her work as well.

[Mandy Lawrence]

Hi Princee

Yep, your sister can be as good, if not, better artist than anyone else. Everyone's art is unique to them and creativity is a great way of expressing the self as well as being positive distraction and therapeutic.

As I don't know your sister is hard to say how best to encourage her. If she likes painting then buying different coloured paints and paper (maybe different textures too) might be a good place to start. Playing and exploration is fun and so different materials could be interesting to her. Again, I don't know her so wouldn't want to assume anything.

Does she have an interest in other pictures? I ask this because maybe buying magazines or books of art might stimulate her. Give her ideas. Just a thought and feel free to ignore it.

Some people find nature a good source of interest and ideas. My friend paints outdoors. I don't know if that would be too challenging for your sister but she might like that.

Hope some of this helps and doesn't sound patronising and more so I hope your sister continues to enjoy doing arty stuff and it helps her. :>)

[Margaret Hamilton of Slackstitches]

From an experience I have had with my sister I would say simply never criticise or restrict.
At school my sister had a wonderfull sense of colour and was very bold in her style while a bit abstract. This was the 70's and not what was being encouraged at school. She stopped due to criticism from the art teachers.
Some 10/15 years later an American child was all over the press for their painting style and making a fortune, very similar style to my sisters.
Luckily being from am artistic family she got back inti it again.

[Mandy Lawrence]

Actually, having re read the question and relating it to myself. I have to say "No". ha! ha!

Still, is fun to play at art. for me that is what it is about.

[princee18]

thanks a lot for your suggestions.I will try my best to expose her to various seminars, exhibitions and other mediums where she can get motivation and inspiration for her work.