Abstract
The experience of loss and bereavement is a normal and universal human experience. However,
despite its prevalence, the psychology community’s understanding of it continues to change and
evolve. This research sought add to the literature on bereavement by exploring the lived
experience of bereaved adults through using an art-based research (ABR) model. The researcher
worked with six adults who had experienced the death of a loved one. Through the use of the
third hand technique as developed by Kramer, the researcher and co-researchers collaboratively
created portraits of the co-researcher’s deceased loved ones. The research was inspired by the
researcher’s experience working with grieving adults and the realization that many adults were
hesitant or unable to engage in artmaking yet could benefit from participation in a creative
process. The researcher was inspired by collaborative art processes utilized in research of other
fields and the use of the third hand technique within the field of art therapy. This research is a
synthesis of these techniques applied to work with bereaved adults.
