“The Brush's Footmarks”: Parents and infants paint together in a small community art therapy group

Abstract

The paper is essentially a description of a field study bringing an ethnographic and participative approach to the exploration of a small, community art therapy group in which mothers and their young children paint together. Parent–infant psychotherapy; the importance of attunement and attachment between infant and caregiver; the intersubjective world of the infant and how the art-making process can enhance this, form the framework for the research. The ideas of Stern and Trevarthen on vitality and “vitality affects” and Stern's concept of “now moments” are important to the study. Videotapes showing the interaction of six mothers and their infants as they painted together were reviewed with the participants and this in turn was recorded. These were analysed using Macleod. The findings show how painting with each other draws the mother and child together emotionally and positively affects their relationship. They also reveal the importance of colour; the significance of containing mess and chaos; and the symbolic meaning of the paintings in this context. The video interaction technique, as a positive reflective space for the mothers, is considered. It has potential for the art therapist as a sensitive therapeutic tool in working with the relationships of mothers and young children using art materials. The paper concludes that the creative, sensuous activity of painting experienced together by the mothers and young children promotes new and positive connections.

Keywords:

• Infants
• parents
• painting
• video-interaction

I would like to dedicate this article with thanks to all those who have been part of the group, to those who still are and to Penelope Hall, Art Therapist; Ann Pringle, Sharon Fielder and Tory Holt, Health Visitors; and Caroline Page, Nursery Nurse.