About Dorine Perach, M.A., A.T.R. 054-430-3874

Dorine Perach has worked in the U.S. and Israel for the past 20 years as an art therapist, art educator and artist. She uses an open approach to art, where she focuses on the process of creating art rather than the product. Most classes are mixed-media, enabling students to experience painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, woodworking, papier mache' and textiles.

In all the groups offered, art therapy techniques art utilized. Participants experience art-making to music, guided imagery, relaxation exercises and more. As students learn to reflect on their images, they will find that unexpected recognitions often form the leading edge of insight, learning and growth.

Qualifications and Experiences

• M.A. Art Therapy, University of Illinois
• Art Educator, W.B.American International School, Israel
• Art Therapist, Outpatient Mental Health Center, Ramat Chen
• Curator of art exhibitions, Goldsmith Center for Conservative Judaism, Kfar Sava
• Co-editor and Co-author of Advances in Art Therapy , John Wiley and Sons
• Park and mural painter, Eretz Yisrael Yaffa
• Camp Chi Art Director, Jewish Federation, Chicago

Call Dorine: 054-430-3874

dorine@artinenglish.com

Scrap Wood Sculpture Art Activity

Getting Started: For those of you educators who like to save and recycle, this is a good stand-by project that kids love. I have a few baskets of wood scraps that I keep filled. I keep wood glue on hand, which dries quicker than regular white glue, and a base piece of wood to work on. The topic follows kids imaginations.

Art Techniques: 3-d collage or sculpture
Grades: Kg - 12
Ages: 4 - adult

About this project:
A nice book to refer to is Beautiful Stuff! Learning with Found Materials by Cathy Weisman Topal and Lella Gandini.

Materials needed:
• Box of scrap wood
• Sandpaper
• White glue, or wood glue (wood glue dries faster)
• A large flat piece of wood to build on top of (optional)
• Small hand saw, hammer and nails
• Masking tape
• Acrylic paint in the primary colors, white and black
• Paint brushes and container water
• Paper towels
• Varnish (optional)
• Larger, thin pieces of wood to use as a base for the project
• Newspaper to cover the working surface

Directions :
This project can be divided into three sessions.

Session 1
• Empty wood scraps on center of work space.
• Have one bottle of glue for each student and one large piece of wood per student to use as a base.
• I begin by asking students to play with the wood and make different arrangements. I might play music in the background. Once they like what they see, they can glue the pieces in place, or nail them.


Session 2:
• When the pieces are firmly set, students may paint their project.

Session 3:
• Varnish the art piece.

Art Therapy Ideas:
An excellent book to refer to is: The Art of Art Therapy, by Judith Rubin. Once the art piece is assembled, I would take turns creating a story with young children, or encouraging older children to make one up by themselves. This art piece can also become part of a painting or drawing. If you have any small plastic people, a drama can be enacted on your art piece. Another sculpture can be made as well.