Aslan Shand
For someone that drinks the amount of tea that Saffron Shand does it was no wonder that it ended up becoming part of his artwork.
After his mum’s death in April this year, Saffron decided he wanted to ‘do some art for Mum’ and began a series of paintings in her memory.
‘It was during the COVID-19 lockdown and I had Saffron one-on-one, and we came back to the Red Inc house and he, just out of the blue, said, “I want to paint a picture for mum, and I want to paint a magpie, and I want it to have a pink worm”,’ said his carer Cheryl Bailey, who is also an art therapist and the organiser of the annual Red Inc art show.
‘Saff spilt some of his tea on the wing of the magpie he was painting and felt like he’d made a mistake.
‘I said “not at all” and we mopped up some of the liquid and then he took a brush and gave it a few strokes – it was fantastic.
‘From then on it became his trademark to put a little bit of tea on each picture he created. I would make up a special cup of tea for him to use on the canvas and he completed nine paintings at the time. It was a beautiful, and at times teary, expression of his grief’.
Exhibition Nov 27
Art forms an important part of the day support program provided to Mullumbimby clients by disability service provider Red Inc.
On Friday, November 27 they are having their annual, one day exhibition, which not only allows participants to exhibit and sell their work, but also raises much needed funds for the art program.
‘The artists get 80 per cent of the sale price, and 20 per cent goes to refunding the art program,’ said Cheryl.
The event will be held at 22 Tincogan Street, Mullum from 6 till 8pm. This year, Stone & Wood have donated beer for the opening.
As the art program is run on hope and the sniff of an oily rag, anyone with any art materials that they would like to donate to the program, please contact Red Inc on 5628 7056.
♦ Aslan Shand is the elder sister of Saffron
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