The original “El Duende Process Painting” was developed by Abbe Miller for neurotypical adults, as arts-based supervision for counselors and counseling students (Robb & Miller, 2017). My prior experience with the El Duende process included the steps of “layering/uncovering”, “recording through ongoing digital photography” and video, and “meaning-making” through discussion and reflection (Chilton et al., 2020, p. 1-2). I worked with paint as well as fabrics, oil pastel, and mixed media on a large surface and had the task of focusing on a different limb of the Expressive Therapies Continuum to create each layer. Time equivalent to at least one 60-minute session was devoted to creating each layer. In this case, the El Duende has transformed considerably from its origins. For this mini el duende task, I imagined being able to complete it in one 60-minute or 90-minute session, with time for reflection and cleaning up afterwards.
The core concept from the El Duende Process Process Painting that I decided to emphasize for working with children with conduct disorder was the layering element. The child would be tasked with using a different material or medium to create each layer. My hope was to restructure the “mini el duende” task to set up a young client for success. Young people with conduct disorder deal with impulse-control issues and if they were only given paint for this process, could struggle with using patience to wait for paint to dry in between each layer and could become disengaged. By engaging their cognitive strengths, the child could develop a better understanding of which materials can quickly and successfully layer over one another, based on that material’s properties. I really appreciated a suggestion from a peer to call this “the onion game” or the “onion project”.
This project can easily be adapted to the needs of a specific child and according to their level of stability at the time. If necessary, a lot of structure can be provided by outlining the step by step layers, such as: colored pencil layer, paper layer, ink/pen layer, paper layer, paint layer. The child will most likely stray from this and decide to experiment with their own layers. Collage is often considered a structured and safe task for clients. In the past I’ve found that by providing pre-cut figures, of people, animals, or objects set up the clients for success, and would be helpful to prepare for use in the paper layers. A focus on symbolism, patience, transformation, change over time can still be used. For example, I created my onion project on the front of a small envelope. The narrative story of how the layers develop over top of one another can be described in writing and placed in the envelope to send to a friend, parent, or family member. A quick photo is snapped in between each layer so that the child can view all layers that have been covered up in the process and reflect back to write their story.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Chilton, G., Linskey, K., Ohnstad, E., & Manders, E. (2020). A case of el-duende: Arts-based supervision in addiction treatment. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 0(0), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2020.1771138
Robb, M., & Miller, A. (2017). Supervisee art-based disclosure in el-duende process painting. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 34(4), 192-200. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2017.1398576