Adam's "Waves" T-Shirt (Black)

$35.00
Adam Arnsten Delli-Bovi was born on June 5, 1981. He has Down syndrome. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his mother and stepfather, and two cats. Adam works in a supervised work setting. He is currently involved with a self-sustaining flower bouquet business called Ability in Bloom.

He also enjoys many other community-oriented activities and has volunteered with numerous organizations. He enjoys being physically active and has an adult trike so that he can go for bike rides with his mom on the network of off-road trails available where he lives. He loves going for walks outdoors.

He also loves musical theater, orchestral music, and puppets (i.e., muppets.)

Adam does have significant intellectual disabilities so he needs a certain amount of support to participate in those activities in which he expresses an interest.

In October of 2011 when Adam was thirty years old he stated that he wanted to paint. He was provided with paper and paint, paintbrushes, and a jar of water. Acrylic paint was chosen because it is fast drying paint that can be diluted with water, but it becomes water-resistant when dry preventing the colors from becoming dulled or diluted. Depending on how much the paint is diluted a finished acrylic painting can resemble a watercolor or an oil painting or have its own unique characteristics.

Adam was coached to observe the colors and shapes that he saw while out walking each day. His painting efforts quickly evolved. Although Adam does not paint completely independently the paintings that he produces are his own vision and reflect his unique way of seeing the world.

Assistance during the painting process consists of asking him what colors he wants to use, squeezing out the paint onto his pallet, and mixing colors according to his instructions. He also needs help choosing what brush to use and reminders to use water to help the paint move around. Sometimes he needs help to recognize that a painting in progress needs to dry before he can continue working on it.

As Adam has continued to paint and develop his observation skills he has also become more enthusiastic about drawing and paying closer attention to the way things actually look. In addition, he has developed an interest in reading and writing.