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UPDATED 20th November 2019

I’ve been meaning to create an article using the artwork from the children at Nissi Rephidim Care to explain some of the different types of art available to everyone to try!

Finally it’s completed and I’d love your feedback! All the art work from the children is for sale. Please message me directly on aliya@amazingartsociety.com to place and order and organise shipping. All profits go directly Nissi Rephidim Care.

See if you prefer the “masters” of the style or the children’s’ fresh approach!

Non Objective Artwork

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Lots of us may have been lucky enough to have drawn a swirly-wirly line on a piece of paper and then filled in all the created shapes with different colours or different patterns. If you’ve never tried it, you must! It seems simple enough and it is. For a particular age bracket, who remembers using the computer program Paint to fill in the spaces? Believe it or not, this particular style of art has a name: Non Objective Art. This style of art was popularised by Lawyer turned Artist Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944). However the first artist to name this style was another Russian, Aleksandr Mikhailovich Rodchenko a dedicated leader of the Constructivist movement.

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At first glance it’s easy to say, these are all abstract pieces however there is a difference. I was curious what makes Abstract Art different from Non-Objective Art? After a bit of research I’ve learnt the difference comes from what inspired the piece. If the piece is inspired by (a) reality then the artwork is abstract. If the piece is without recognisable forms and created “out side” of (a) reality then it is non-objective. If you would like more information about Non Objective Art have a look here.

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Abstract Expressionist / Action Painting

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Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) an artist who died in a car accident from drink driving aged just 44, was famous for bringing the abstract expressionist movement to the forefront of art history, sensationally taking the spotlight away from France and placing it firmly on North America, particularly New York.

Action Painting typically is spontaneous in creation: unplanned drips, splashes, pours, dribbles and daubes of paint form energetic, passionate and emotionally charged paintings.

It is often commented that these styles of paintings are ‘easy to create’ or look messy, I would have to agree that they are. However, after studying the way that Pollock created Blue Poles Number 11, there seems to be some method in the madness. Anyone can splash a bit of paint onto a canvas however creating a balanced composition, an ‘all over’ approach and a random style is much harder than you think.

For example, the eyes with the brain love to recognise patterns. It’s part of the problem solving/creative function of our brains. Sometimes the brain creates a pattern where there isn’t one: I call these coincidences. Making a visual piece of art that has no pattern for the brain to follow is extremely difficult as the brain is often able to create a pattern out of nothing. The best action paintings, or abstract impressionist paintings are the ones I feel captivate and keep the viewer looking for a pattern, without giving them one.

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Art from memory

David Hockney (1937- present) an iconic British Artist has been quoted as saying “We see with memory”. I’ve spent a couple of days thinking about how memory affects our perception of our surroundings.

A piece of art drawn from memory will always be a perception of a moment which has passed. Our emotions will have evolved over the period of time that passed in between the event and the time the piece of art was made. Hard feelings soften or fears and concerns grow depending on the person. Also memory is one of our worst recordings of what happened as it’s always tainted with our perceptions of morality and personal bias.

This is why I believe that every portrait is part self portrait. I’ve been lucky enough to have posed for art classes and I’ve always seen a striking difference in the way people have drawn my face or my body, often I can see a similarity with their own faces and bodies in the sketches or paintings. This is completely independent of their ability to draw.

Remember a model can be portrayed in the same class, in the same pose in an infinite number of ways, even when all the artists are focussed on the same, one instance. The artists are drawing with a mix of the present moment (the subject in the room) and also all their memories of what they think can be put into a piece of art. Experience comes with time mixed with effort – In contrast – Disappointment comes from time mixed with lack of effort.

A piece of art created by a person, even when focused on a subject outside of themselves is still a mix of energy between the subject and the artist. This magic blend is what creates a style. Many artists are recognisable by their style; I imagine this is the special and unique display of the play of energy between artists and subject. It’s a fascinating phenomena and I would love to introduce it to you.

If you have never attended a life art class, I invite you to the classes I hold in Madrid.

Whilst researching memory I came across an interesting article here from Harvard Medical School about how to preserve and improve your memory as you age. I imagine personality to be a bundle of thousands of memories displayed in the way a person behaves. If memory deteriorates then you could say part of a person’s persona dissolves. Anyone that has known a person that has been affected by Alzheimer’s disease or dementia can understand how devastating this can be. One of the most easy and fun ways to keep your memory is to keep learning new things.

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I imagine the children at Nissi Rephidim Care have drawn scenes from their lives, with bright colours and happy memories. These children are vulnerable, no family to speak of and only the care and support of Daniel and his team. I find it incredible these children can laugh and smile, draw images of a scene in the street and their schools where they play games and with footballs. It’s clear to me that Daniel is doing whatever he can to create happy memories for these children.

Collaborative Art

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There are some wonderful collaborations which have been recorded in history, you can read about them here .

Whilst researching articles on how collaboration can affect he brain I found this. An article written for The CEO Magazine, explaining that :

When it comes to cooperation and collaboration, this means there are deep seated, neurologically-based differences in our perceptions, assumptions, and selection of which stimuli we act upon and which ones we overlook.  To be effective as part of a team, or any relationship for that matter, it is critical that we understand what drives our impulses and what drives the impulses of others.

Karen Gordon, http://media.the-ceo-magazine.com/guest/neuroscience-and-collaboration-understanding-brain-better-people-management

How does this relate to the artwork from the Children of NRC? Remember, these are vulnerable children, they are more susceptible to emotional and behavioural problems. Having no roots means they are untethered, without a family structure it will be difficult for them to understand social and family hierarchy. Often orphans or children from broken families have no good role models to look up to and have no encouragement on how to look after themselves and then others.

It is vitally important that a sense of collaboration and community is instilled in them at a young age in order to help them integrate into society as they get older.

From personal experience I understand what it feels like to be alone in the world, without strong family connections or good support from peers, it’s easy to fall into bad habits of drugs or damaging relationships. All because of growing up in non-collaborative environments, I’ve excelled in competitive markets (I’ve been very successful in my sales career), but that takes a toll on more fulfilling relationship types – partnerships. It’s taking years of personal development to overcome these tendencies to be a loner, to be an outsider, to give up even before starting, and now I to try my absolute best to bring and support others together in a group. It’s still a bit lonely sometimes working on my own, which is why I so actively seek collaborations and ways to bring people together, even if I end up still being on the outside. My fragile hope is more people identify with this feeling and decide, like I do, to change the bit of the world they can in order to make it a bit easier, a bit brighter and a bit better for the future generations.

That’s why I want to do everything I can to support the work that Daniel creates through NRC: helping the children understand and enjoy working with each other on a something as simple as a common art project is absolutely vital to giving these children the best possible future.

If you would like to buy a piece of artwork in order to support the cause, please get in touch with me on hola@amazingartsociety.com or 00447826520059.

Knowledge is the key to success in life

Benjamin Franklin

UPDATE 4th November 2019

More to report! After more conversations with Daniel we are keen to put together a trip to visit the children in 2020. You can find a few more details on the MeetUp group here.

The artwork created by the children is for sale, prices vary and shipping prices are to be confirmed. When I visit I will be bringing pieces back in my luggage so perhaps with a bit of patience you could have a piece by June 2020!

Daniel is working with some respected organisations including The British Museum, Childrens’ Museum of Pittsburgh and Uganda National Museum.

In the meanwhile have a look at their most current portfolio of information:

First Published October 21st 2019

Exhibiting artwork from the Children of Nissi Rephidim Care

To support and care for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children throughout their spiritual, emotional, social and physical lives through strategic partnerships.

Nissi Rephidim Care Mission Statement

I first heard about Nissi Rephidim Care through a friend. We were organising a meditation MeetUp group in Madrid and thinking about plans for the future. My friend told me about a friend of hers that had been travelling around Africa and had visited Nissi Rephidim Care.

The organisation has plans to build a Vipawa Children’s Art Museum for the art works the children create with Kids Art Creations Program.

Of course at first I just wanted to book my flight and go and see the place for myself, however as always I didn’t want to travel on my own.

I will be organising a MeetUp group for June 2020 which will allow you to come with me so I have company and you can see the good work with your own eyes. Join the Amazing Art Society here and the event here.

Founded in October 2012 as a Community Based Organisation, Nissi Rephidim Care in 2015 became an NGO. The organisation has a great way of showing what they are doing and how they progress.

I liked their page on Facebook and within a day or two Daniel Atwenda sent me a message to say “Aliya thanks for the like and for reading and believing in us. It’s a pleasure …”

Here are a few screen shots of our conversation as it flowed:

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For you skeptics, below is the Registration Document for Nissi Rephidim Care as a NGO in Uganda.

Daniel has a plan and is doing what he can with the help of volunteers to realise it for the children. Reading what inspired him, it’s easy to want to help the cause:

Nissi Rephidim Care merged out of a deep desire from the heart of Daniel Atwenda who encountered with God speaking to him, a situation where innocent street children were being beaten on the streets of Jinja for begging in 2005 and that’s how God spoke to his heart to be the change these young lives need and share God’s love, through giving and acceptance.

Daniel Atwenda

As I read through the pages of work that has already been accomplished by Daniel I’m amazed. I’m not particularly religious, it’s difficult for me to pick one or any religion as an answer to my problems. “How can there be a God that allows all the darkness to persist?” However I am so grateful that people like him and his associates can create such wonderful projects, led with such power.

What I believe is that only some people, led by whatever higher power or inner pain, can choose to do things that help others.

I applaud Daniel for taking action on what he feels is his purpose: protecting, enabling and creating a better world for the children in his care.

Can you say you have created something with better purpose?

What happens next and how you can help.

I want to help Daniel because I have felt orphaned/abandoned in the past by family, friends, coworkers and society. This approach of enabling children through their creative talents in art resonates so hard with me that I feel like a part of me is already in Uganda right now and I need to go there to get it back. Maybe it’s my heart wanting children so much, or the desire to see how a broken family can function, or to see how people like Daniel continue to support so many when it seems as if they have so little.

As an example of first world problems manifested, all I want is to be useful somewhere so why not assist an Art Museum for Orphaned Children in Jinja Uganda?

If you want to join me when I visit in June 2020 Join the MeetUp event here.

If you want to buy a piece of artwork send me a message and I will add you to the waiting list, as soon as I have a selection of pieces available for dispatch I will email you the pictures and prices for you to choose from: hola@amazingartsociety.com

If you want to donate directly to Nissi Rephidim Care you can transfer money directly into their Charity Bank Account using these details:

• Account Name: Nissi Rephidim Care
• Account number: 6005038047
• Bank: Barclay’s Bank of Uganda

You can find lots of information about Nissi Rehidim Care on their Facebook page here. They have had over 3,200 checkins!

Their website needs work and they are looking for volunteers to help create it. If you want to help with the website send Daniel a message on his Facebook page here.

There is also a YouTube channel here where you can see a few videos of the children here.

Randomly this health and beauty website has more information about Nissi Rephidim Care here.

A message from Nissi Rephidim Care:

NISSI REPHIDIM CARE 

Nissi Rephidim Care invites you to partake with us in the Vipawa Children’s Art Museum Project (VCAM) Land fundraising campaign. The project aims at bringing children’s art to life, securing a rich heritage for African Communities.

Our goal is to raise 200 million Uganda shillings an equivalent to USD $55555.55 for securing 4 acres by the lakeside on which the museum structure will be constructed. Here is an artistic impression of a woodcarving prototype of it.

To contribute to VCAM project land of NRC, you can deposit money directly on our account. 
Ac/ Name: Nissi Rephidim Care 
Ac/ No: 6005038047 Barclays Bank 

For mobile money you can send a contribution to +256757204552 /+256783856775 under the name of Daniel Atwenda.

You can also contribute by visiting our offices on
Plot 7, Wilson Avenue, Jinja. 

We encourage you to continue to pray, participate, provide, recommend, and mobilise partners for this great work of giving children’s talents a home to explore, practice, learn, preserve children’s abilities, and build talent.

Visit and read from us at www.nissirephidimcare.org and like share our facebook.com/nissirephidimcare

To support and care for Orphans and other Vulnerable Children throughout their spiritual, physical, social and emotional lives through strategic partnerships.

Final thought:

Choose to learn about the world.

Choose to help.

Take Action.

Enjoy the good you did.