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Young patients create bedsheet painting

Patients past and present at C.S. Mott Childrens' Hospital have created a new art form -- bedsheet painting.

One hundred sixty-one physically challenged children have recreated the 1884 impressionist work by Georges Seurat titled, "A Sunday Afternoon of the Grande Jatte." The painters' names are listed on a plaque next to the work.

The project, which took three months to complete and toured almost every area of the hospital, was led by activities therapist Adrienne Rudolph.

Rudolph began her career as an art teacher in Ohio, and said she was inspired by an artistic undertaking such as this one.

"The idea of pointilism is spectacular," Rudolph said, referring to Seurat's artistic style. "It was perfect for what we wanted to do. Physically challenged children could partake in the project for however long they wanted to. It was very inclusive."

The pointilist technique involves the use of tiny dots to form larger shapes. Rudolph began by outlining the work on a bedsheet, almost exactly to the scale of the original, which hangs at the Art Institute of Chicago.

She then taught the group of painters about shadow, anatomy and the elements of color. "They were delighted to learn so much about the process," Rudolph said.

The painting process involved a variety of interested young participants, ranging from a 32-month-old leukemia patient to a woman in her 20s in need of a heart transplant. Rudolph taught quadriplegic children to paint while holding the brushes in their mouths and using the movement of their necks.

She recalls a patient whose fingers had been amputated, who instead painted with her toes, a young girl with cancer that painted up until the moment of surgery, and a blind child who placed dots on the sheet while listening to a description of sunshine. Rudolph stressed the individuality and motivation that each child brought to the project.

"Our project is really a tribute to these people," Rudolph said. "Several of them are not with us anymore. The children are so delighted with their accomplishment -- it was such a positive thing, and resulted in an enchanted, magnificent work of art."

Students seem to share Rudolph's opinion. "It attracts a lot of attention," said LSA first-year student Rebecca Pinc. "It's a wonderful recreation, and really makes you think about all the amazing people that brought it to life."