2024

A look back at our 2024 sessions at The Lighthouse of Houston. Every piece here was made to be touched — raised, layered and textured, so it can be explored by hand as well as by eye.

May 2024 Tactile Flower Art

Our May session explored tactile flower art — raised petals, layered textures, and pieces built to be read by hand.

A silvery painted board decorated with flowers made from bottle caps and marbles, a shooting star charm in gold, and small brass feather charms scattered across the surface.
A worktable with bowls of bottle caps, beads and glass gems sorted by colour, plus scissors, ribbon and craft sticks, while artists work on boards in the background.
An artist and a volunteer paint a wooden board together at a table set with paper plates, glue and a paintbrush.
A finished board with flowers built from flattened bottle caps and a glass gem centre, resting on a table beside trays of buttons and glass beads sorted by colour.
An artist paints a wooden board yellow at a table with paint bottles and paper plates, while others work on boards further down the table.
An artist uses a small heat tool to dry a board freshly painted yellow and dotted with bottle caps and glass gems, at a sink counter set up as a drying station.
A volunteer helps an artist apply purple paint to a wooden board with a foam brush.
A volunteer sorts bottles of craft paint into small trays at a counter, preparing colours for the group to use.
Artists at a table painting and decorating boards with beads and glass gems, with cups, paint bottles and paper plates spread across the tabletop.
A volunteer helps an artist trace lines with paint on a clear plastic tray fitted to their wheelchair, working alongside other volunteers at nearby tables.
A close-up of art supplies on a table: two painted boards, palettes of blue, purple, pink and orange paint, and a plate of bottle caps and glass gems ready to be added.
A table covered in painted boards and paint palettes in orange, pink and blue, with beads, gems and bottle caps set out for decorating.
A group of artists at a table painting boards in blue, green, purple and yellow, with paint bottles, trays and a decorated board with pressed flowers in the mix.
An artist presses beads, gems and small metal shapes into wet paint on a yellow-painted board, with a plate of extra materials nearby.
A finished purple board decorated with rows of glass gems in blue, green and pink, plus glass shell shapes, arranged in patterned columns.
A finished yellow board decorated with bottle caps, glass gems and a gold feather charm, arranged in a loose cluster near the top.
An artist holds up a finished board decorated with bottle caps and glass gems in blue, orange and pink.
A finished purple board covered in bottle caps arranged as two flower shapes, one in teal, magenta and green, the other in green alone.
An artist holds up a finished board covered in a dense cluster of glass gems and feathers in red, green and yellow.
Three artists and a volunteer hold up their finished boards side by side, each decorated with a different arrangement of gems, buttons and painted flowers.
An artist and a volunteer hold up two finished boards together: one painted yellow with gem flowers, the other painted dark with layered flower shapes in blue, white and yellow.
An artist holds a finished board painted cream and decorated with clusters of glass gems in red, green and pink.
An artist holds a finished board painted purple and decorated with a cluster of glass gems and buttons in teal, pink and cream near one end.

April 24 — Mother’s Day / Spring Flowers

For April we made Mother’s Day and spring flower pieces, with bottle caps, marbles, buttons and brass charms set into paint and paste.

A wide view of the studio, with artists and volunteers gathered around several tables working on painted wooden boards and sorting craft supplies in bowls and trays.
A wide view of the studio from a different angle, showing artists and volunteers seated at tables covered in paint bottles, plates and finished boards.
Several artists work at a shared table, pressing gems, buttons and bottle caps into freshly painted boards, with cups, paint bottles and bowls of small decorations spread across the tabletop.
A wide view of the studio, with artists and volunteers gathered at several tables, sorting decorations into plates and working on boards painted blue, pink and yellow.
An artist presses glass gems into wet paint on a purple-painted board, with a volunteer helping steady the piece and plates of blue and pink paint nearby.
A volunteer helps an artist decorate a yellow board with bottle caps and glass gems, with a plate of extra decorations set within reach.
A volunteer holds a plate of decorations while an artist presses beads and gems onto a purple board, with bowls of glass gems and gold charms on the table.
A group of artists at a table decorating boards with gems and glitter, with paint bottles, cups and a finished dark board decorated with a blue gem flower.
A wide view of a table where several artists paint and decorate boards in orange, green and blue, with paint bottles, trays and finished pieces spread across the surface.
A volunteer helps an artist paint a wooden board blue, with a finished piece decorated with pressed flowers nearby and paint trays set out on the table.
Two artists at a table, one arranging glass gems on a plate, a volunteer nearby holding a small plate of decorations.
A volunteer helps an artist press bottle caps and gems onto a small purple board, with a plate of extra decorations on the table.
An orange-painted board decorated with glass gems, a crescent moon charm and small gold star charms, with a paintbrush and glue tray resting beside it.
An artist decorates a green-painted board with buttons and small charms, with bowls of gems and a finished lavender board with pressed flowers nearby.
A wide view of the studio, with artists and volunteers gathered around several tables decorating boards with paint and small charms.
A volunteer helps an artist dry a freshly painted blue board with a heat tool at the sink counter, while another volunteer looks on holding a wooden board.
A volunteer helps an artist decorate a purple board with glass gems, with paint bottles, bowls of beads and a finished piece nearby on the table.
An artist presses paint and small charms onto a board decorated with buttons and gems, with paper plates of paint in red and pink set out beside them.
An artist decorates an orange-painted board with buttons and gems, pressing them into wet paint with a foam brush and glue tray on the table.
A wide view of the studio, with artists at several tables decorating boards while volunteers set up more materials at a table in the background.
A wide view of the studio from across the room, with artists and volunteers at tables and shelves of supplies along the back wall.
A group of artists and volunteers at a table, several arranging gems and glitter on painted boards, with cups and paint bottles spread across the tabletop.
A wide view of a table where artists arrange gems and buttons on plates, with aprons and bags hanging on hooks along the wall behind them.
A wide view of the same table from a slightly different angle, with artists sorting decorations into bowls and plates while others work at a nearby table.
A wide view of the studio, with several groups of artists and volunteers working at tables across the room, one board visible with blue and green paint.
A textured turquoise board with combed ridges, decorated with brass feather charms, small silver flower studs, a green glass gem and dabs of white glue drying between them, resting on a paint-splattered wooden support board.
An artist dries a finished turquoise board with feather charms and a green glass gem using a heat tool at the sink counter, with a bin of glass marbles nearby.
A group of artists and volunteers seated around a table covered in newspaper, sharing a printed flyer while a painted board and craft supplies sit among glue bottles and paint trays.
The same group at the table from a slightly different angle, with a volunteer passing a flyer across the table and craft supplies spread over the newspaper covering.
A wide view of the studio, with artists at several tables and bins of ribbon and craft supplies lined up along a side table in the foreground.
An artist smiles at the table, working on a small painted piece, with the busy studio and other artists visible behind them.
A wide view of the studio, with bins of ribbon, deco mesh and craft supplies in the foreground and artists working at tables further back.
A pink-painted board decorated with a red heart, painted green stems and leaves, and flowers made from glass gems, rhinestone florets and small charms including a crescent moon and a ribbon pin.
A volunteer helps an artist paint a wooden board in blue and green, with a plate of decorations, feathers and paint trays spread across the newspaper-covered table.
An artist holds up a finished board decorated with a dense cluster of glass gems in blue, green and pink at the centre.
An artist and a volunteer each hold up a finished board: one covered in bottle caps and gems arranged as flowers on a pink and purple background, the other with a shell-shaped flower on a purple and blue background.
An artist holds a finished board decorated with bottle caps, shells and feather charms in pink, purple and blue, arranged as a flower against a graduated background.
An artist holds up a finished board painted in shades of purple and grey, decorated with glass gems and feather charms.
An artist holds up a finished purple board decorated with a flower made from painted metal charms and glass gems, joined by a beaded stem.
An artist and a volunteer stand together, the artist holding a finished board decorated with a purple flower made from charms and gems on a purple background.
An artist holds a board covered in glass gems, charms and small trinkets pressed into a white and blue background.
Two artists and a volunteer each hold up their finished boards, decorated with bottle caps, gems and painted flowers in green, purple and orange.
An artist holds a board painted in shades of purple and grey, decorated with glass gems, a metal ring charm and feather charms.
An artist holds a finished purple board decorated with a flower made from painted metal charms, gems and a beaded vine connecting two flower shapes.
An artist and a volunteer stand together, the artist holding a finished purple board decorated with a flower design.
An artist sits with a finished board resting on a wheelchair tray, decorated with bottle caps arranged as a flower in green and pink.
Two artists hold up their finished boards side by side, one decorated with butterfly shapes on a green background, the other with flowers made from bottle caps and gems on a yellow background.
A cream-painted board with a black cat silhouette and hand-painted hearts, decorated with bottle caps, a heart charm, a maple leaf charm and a red donut-shaped bead.
A pale blue and purple board decorated with glass gems, a bottle cap, a fabric flower and a small heart charm, painted with soft cloud-like brushstrokes.
A silver-painted board decorated with flowers made from shell-shaped charms, glass gems and gold star charms arranged in a symmetrical pattern.
Two artists hold up their finished boards together: one with a pastel cloud design and gem flowers, the other with a black cat silhouette and bottle cap flowers.
An artist sits with a finished purple board resting on the table, decorated with buttons, glass gems and small charms in teal, orange and pink.

March 24 — Plaster of Paris Play

March was Plaster of Paris play: mixing, pouring, pressing and setting objects into plaster to create surfaces you can explore with your fingers.

A finished Plaster of Paris board with two textured circles filled with tumbled gemstones and beads, joined by a beaded flower vine with green leaf beads and small metal charms, resting on a cardboard box.
An artist mixes dry Plaster of Paris powder in a bowl at the worktable, with a small measuring cup and craft supplies nearby.
An artist stirs Plaster of Paris powder in a bowl, working carefully at the table with a measuring cup set beside them.
A volunteer helps two artists decorate a plaster board with green beads and small gems, with a bowl of wet plaster and colourful decorations spread across the table.
A volunteer helps an artist press beads and small charms into a plaster board, with a bowl of green beads and a bin of decorations on the table.
An artist pours a strand of purple beads onto a plaster board already dotted with green beads and small gems, with a bowl of wet plaster on the table.
An artist arranges purple beads on a plaster board next to a bowl of wet plaster, with green beads and small charms scattered across the table.
A volunteer helps an artist press beads into a plaster board, both working closely together at the table with a bowl of wet plaster nearby.
An artist works on a plaster board dotted with small gems and a red charm, with beaded bracelets and a paintbrush laid out on the table.
An artist threads beads onto wire, working at a table with a plaster board and a bowl of small charms and pendants nearby.
A volunteer helps two artists decorate a plaster board with green beads arranged in swirling lines, with a bowl of green beads and craft supplies on the table.
An artist presses green beads into wet plaster on a board, with a volunteer nearby and a bowl of green beads on the table.
An artist holds up a finished plaster board decorated with a spiral of purple beads, gold charms and gemstones pressed into the textured surface.
An artist holds up a finished plaster board with green beads arranged in curving lines around small gems and a shell charm at the centre.
A volunteer helps an artist mix Plaster of Paris in a bowl, with a finished board decorated with gold charms and beaded flowers on the table nearby.
A volunteer holds a bowl steady while an artist stirs wet plaster with a spoon, seated at a table set with a plaster board and craft supplies.
A volunteer helps an artist mix plaster in a bowl at the table, with a box labelled Plaster of Paris and beaded jewellery pieces nearby.
A volunteer helps an artist touch the wet plaster in a bowl, with a board and craft supplies on the table and a Plaster of Paris box in the foreground.
A volunteer helps an artist mix plaster in a bowl, with a board of pressed flower charms and beaded jewellery spread across the table.
A volunteer helps an artist mix plaster in a bowl at the table, with a Plaster of Paris box and beaded jewellery pieces nearby.
An artist presses small tiles into wet plaster on a board, with a beaded bracelet and paintbrush resting nearby on the table.
A volunteer helps an artist press blue beads and small gems into a plaster board shaped like a heart outline, with bowls of wet plaster on the table.
A volunteer helps an artist decorate a plaster board with blue beads arranged in a heart shape, with a bowl of wet plaster and small charms on the table.
A wide view of the studio, with artists and volunteers gathered around several tables working with plaster and beads, and aprons hanging on hooks along the wall.
A volunteer helps an artist decorate a cookie with sprinkles at a table covered in plaster boards, bowls and craft supplies, with others eating cookies nearby.
An artist sits at a table covered in puzzle-piece confetti and paint trays in red, pink and purple, with a finished heart made from pink and white puzzle pieces on a green background.
An artist paints puzzle pieces pink and purple at a table covered in newspaper, with several paint trays and loose puzzle pieces spread across the surface.
A wide view of a worktable covered in newspaper and paint trays, with a jigsaw-puzzle heart taking shape from pink and red painted pieces.

February 24 — Love You To Pieces

Our February theme was “Love You To Pieces” — hearts built from puzzle pieces, with names and messages spelled out in raised braille.

An artist stands holding a heart shape strung with pink glitter puzzle pieces, a beaded braille bar reading LOVE running across the middle.
A volunteer helps a group of artists at a table covered in paint trays, cups and loose puzzle pieces in shades of pink, red and purple.
An artist arranges pink and purple puzzle pieces on a heart-shaped card at a table covered in newspaper, paint trays and a bottle of pink acrylic paint.
An artist paints red glitter onto a heart-shaped board at a table covered in paint trays, pink paint and scattered puzzle pieces.
An artist glues loose puzzle pieces onto a heart shape at a table covered in paint trays and pink and white puzzle-piece confetti.
An artist holds up a heart made from red and pink puzzle pieces with a beaded braille bar reading LOVE across the middle, in a room decorated with framed artwork.
An artist holds up a heart-shaped card covered with a pink and purple jigsaw-puzzle heart, a striped braille bar with a small red heart running across the centre.
An artist holds a heart-shaped card covered with jigsaw-puzzle pieces, a raised braille bar spelling LOVE running across the middle in raised dots.
An artist arranges pink and purple puzzle pieces onto a paper background at a table covered in acrylic paint and scattered pieces.
An artist adds red glitter puzzle pieces to a heart shape at a table set with paint trays and a heart-shaped stencil.
An artist holds up a heart made from red and pink jigsaw-puzzle pieces, with a beaded braille bar spelling LOVE across the centre.
An artist holds a heart made from pink puzzle pieces with a braille bar spelling LOVE across the middle, standing in a hallway near framed watercolour paintings.
An artist holds up a heart made from pink puzzle pieces, with a beaded braille bar spelling LOVE across the centre and a small red heart charm at one end.
An artist holds a heart made from pink and purple puzzle pieces framing an open centre, with a beaded braille bar and rhinestone trim across the top.
An artist holds a heart made from pink and purple puzzle pieces, framing an open centre with a rhinestone-trimmed braille bar and a small red heart charm.
An artist holds up a heart made from pink puzzle pieces layered over a purple and pearl background, decorated with a winged charm at the base.
An artist holds a heart-shaped card covered in a dense jigsaw-puzzle pattern in shades of pink and purple, with a rhinestone-trimmed braille bar across the middle.
An artist holds up a heart made from pink jigsaw-puzzle pieces with a rhinestone-trimmed purple braille bar and a small red heart charm, in a room with a puzzle-piece bin nearby.

More from 2024

A display table set with a purple cloth, showing a range of tactile artwork: a jewelled acoustic guitar, framed mixed-media pieces, a beaded keyboard, felt gloves decorated with charms, and a sign reading Creating With Blind Abandon.
A black infinity-symbol graphic with the Creating With Blind Abandon book cover on one loop and The Lighthouse of Houston logo on the other.
A pink-painted board decorated with a dark red heart, green painted stems, flowers made from glass gems and beads, small teddy bear charms, star charms and a crescent moon charm, with a pink awareness ribbon charm in one corner.
Two mixed-media boards side by side: the top board in blue and coral with a heart, glass gems, gold star and crescent charms and a small angel figurine; the bottom board in orange with more glass gems, gold charms and crescent moons.

January ’24 — Kids Free For All: Express Yourself

Our January session was a free-for-all — every artist chose their own materials and made whatever they wanted. Photos from this session are not yet online.

We meet once a month on a Saturday from 1–3 PM at The Lighthouse of Houston, 3602 W Dallas St, Houston, TX 77019. The program is free to all participants and no experience is needed. Phone: 713-824-8424 · Email: Creatingwithblindabandon@gmail.com