Creative Blooms at Rondel House: Tiles, Acrylics, and Connection

Today at Rondel House, our group painted vibrant flowers—iris, tulips and more—on tiles using acrylics. Some participants followed step-by-step guidance sheets, while others got imaginative, putting their own spin on the designs with an array of bold colours. The room buzzed with conversation and support, as individuals complimented each other’s creations and shared in the joy of making art together.

• From an occupational therapy perspective, this session offered multiple therapeutic benefits. Painting supported fine motor and visual-motor coordination, as holding brushes and managing paint helps refine dexterity and hand–eye control (Schweizer et al., 2022).

• It also provided opportunities for emotional regulation and mood uplift through colour and creativity, which are recognised outcomes of arts-based interventions (Ciasca et al., 2018).

• Importantly, the group element encouraged social connection and peer support, which are well-documented benefits of community art participation (Stickley & Eades, 2013)

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• These findings align closely with Cole’s (2024) doctoral research, which evaluated the use of the Recovery Through Activity framework in occupational therapy. The study found that participation in meaningful activities enhanced individuals’ sense of identity, confidence, and social connectedness, supporting both personal recovery and wellbeing in community and mental health contexts (Cole, 2024).

References

Ciasca, E.C., Ferreira, R.C., Santana, A.M. & Forlenza, O.V., 2018. Art therapy for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias: a systematic review. Dementia & Neuropsychologia, 12(3), pp. 250–257.

Cole, S. 2024. Evaluating the Recovery Through Activity Framework used by occupational therapy in Mental Health Services. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University

University.Schweizer, C., Knorth, E.J. & Spreen, M., 2022. Art-based interventions with people with dementia: a systematic review of the literature. Arts & Health, 14(1), pp. 1–21.

Stickley, T. & Eades, M., 2013. Arts, health and wellbeing: a study of five arts in health projects. Arts & Health, 5(3), pp. 186–203.