Unlocking Creative Freedom with a Versatile Easel
Anita works with disabled artists at a collective based in Hertfordshire and often experiences the transformative power of artistic expression firsthand.
“There are times when you’re working with canvases and paint and paper and brushes, and everything’s fine on a single plane, and then all of a sudden, anybody, whether they’re able-bodied or not, needs something more than that. That's where the Freasel, a revolutionary easel by DEMAND, has become a game-changer in our art therapy sessions.”
Adaptability Meets User-Friendliness: A Perfect Combination
Many of the artists working with Anita require a high level of postural support and often can’t sit upright to be able to reach a traditional easel.
“What we’ve found more recently with our artists, because of the way that they want to explore their own passions, we’ve been stretching ourselves and them to reach bigger canvases and all together, make more of what they can do. The beauty of the Freasel lies in its unmatched versatility. It adjusts effortlessly to accommodate any size canvas, allowing artists to explore their artistic vision on a grander scale. And by having an easel, which is so versatile, and incredibly useful, because it can go in any shape, take any size canvas, can lift up high, fall down low at the drop of a hat, and is so incredibly user-friendly, it’s entirely transformed our painting class.”
Most artists painting in the group aren’t able to communicate verbally. Artistic expression has the potential to enrich their communication beyond what’s usually possible.
Painting Without Boundaries: A Newfound Independence
“I remember, it was one pivotal moment, when we were painting Elaine’s rainbow painting, which was actually where Elaine was saying, “Are your arms getting tired, and do you want to stop now?” Because I’d been holding her canvas for about 20 minutes, in various different places. And you know, she was becoming discouraged, because she was worrying about me.”
“By having a canvas which is being supported so beautifully by this wonderful easel, she’s entirely free to paint for as long as she wants, and in whatever way works for her. And so, immediately then, the relationship we have within the class isn’t so much supporter and supported, it’s actually entirely about being independent, and actually completely in your own zone, which is really something you would always want for anybody, really.”
A Collaboration of Passion and Innovation
Anita reached out to DEMAND’s design team in 2010, and the process of finding an accessible solution alongside the artists began.
“Our journey with the Freasel extends beyond a single tool. It's a testament to the collaborative spirit between DEMAND and our art therapy program. I think when we started we didn’t think that we’d ever get anything quite so good. And I don’t mean to be rude, but actually it’s hard, when you make a great DEMAND—excuse the expression—on somebody to come up with something so clever. DEMAND has managed to do just that, to bring it back to being very grounded. It’s not going anywhere fast, but it’s extremely easy to get close to the chairs, and it works extremely well in lots of different classes, so we’ve had all our ambitions realized, which is fantastic. It makes a huge difference.”
DEMAND's dedication to accessibility extends far beyond the Freasel. Follow us on instagram to find out more!