Resident Amazes With Stunning Paintings!

02/18/2019

After a 16-year break from art, Derrick Waller, resident at Saxonwood Care Home in Battle has re-ignited his creative flair since participating in the art sessions. The staff are delighted to see such beautiful artwork produced by a resident.

Derrick had a long career as an artist and illustrator and regularly exhibited work. Sadly, following the loss of his wife, he lost his creative passion and no longer felt inspired to continue his artistic practice. His daughter tried to encourage him to attend local art classes, but he was not interested. Then at the beginning of last year, he moved to Saxonwood Care Home where Creative Minds artist Sarah Bryant persuaded him to join her art session. For the first time in 16 years he picked up a paintbrush again, and has once again become immersed in his creative practice. With a sparkle in his eyes, Derrick proudly shares the artwork he produces with residents at Saxonwood. All thoroughly enjoy viewing his diverse collection of work, which includes paintings, sketches and ceramics.

His daughter Susan has said; “My sister and I are thrilled to see him producing such beautiful artwork again.”

Creative Minds artist Sarah says; “It is a pleasure and privilege to work with Derrick and to see him creating stunning artwork again. To see the impact our sessions bring to clients, such as Derrick is so empowering. Knowing that you can make a difference gives me incredible job satisfaction,”

Our first ‘Art Trip!’

06/27/2017

Sarah F, Our Creative Minds (CM) Artist based in Woking organised a very successful art trip recently with one of her clients to the Lightbox Gallery in Woking. Sarah chose the Lightbox because it is a wonderful setting and very accessible for all with a fabulous selection of exhibitions throughout the year. The residents Edna, John, and Betty from Grey’s Residential home, along with their Carer Sophie had a superb afternoon and can’t wait to do it again!

The trip began with a visit to the Ingram Collection. Here the wide variety of works on display had something for everyone, and each resident had their own personal favourite piece. Discussion about realism, surrealism and abstraction was sparked, and Edna was particularly drawn to the abstract. She fell in love with this fantastic piece by William Gear (pictured below).

Edna commented on the experience: “Marvelous! What a wonderful afternoon and seeing this marvelous art, I hope we can come again.”

Betty’s favourite piece was ‘On the Table’ of the Ingram Collection. She also enjoyed the Ruth Borchard portrait collection, and liked how the individual artists portrayed themselves – their dark sides, and sadness – in their works.

For many of the residents, this was a new opportunity and ultimately a unique chance to experience art in a different way. Our art sessions aspire to encourage active participation and help clients to create beautiful work. This trip fostered a different kind of involvement in art – one of observation, thoughtfulness, reflection, and discussion. We are delighted to have discovered a new way for residents to enjoy art, and we aim to take the residents of Greys Residential Home on another art trip in the near future and encourage other CM Artists to organise similar art trips for their clients.

John also enjoyed the experience; he found that it brought back some happy personal memories. Though he previously preferred to watch his loved one draw, during the two years that Sarah has been delivering art sessions with Grey’s she has seen John experiment with every medium and shy away from nothing. One of his beautiful charcoal studies is now a permanent fixture on the lounge wall. At the Lightbox, Sarah and John were both intrigued by the variety of work created by Sidney Sime, and John was particularly taken with a painting of London taxis (pictured below).

CM artist Sarah said: “It was such a joy and privilege to bring about and organise this trip as an alternative art session, watching these wonderful folks absorbing the art on display, the intrigue, the questions, the pleasure.” The trip was a great afternoon, topped off by tea and cake in the café to end the day.

We hope that this is the beginning of many more art trips for care homes organised by CM Artists across the country. Art trips are yet another way for us to enhance our service and to ensure that art is truly accessible to everyone.

Thank you for reading.

Beautiful acrylic paintings by a talented resident artist!

05/31/2017

As CM Artists we’re always discovering talented artists among the many participants we deliver sessions to on a daily basis. We’re often surprised by the skill, the detail, the experimentation and the creativity we see from the participants in our sessions but the artwork that we have seen created by Ian, a resident artist at Sunrise of Weybridge left us stunned!

Since attending the art sessions Ian has created two beautiful acrylic paintings on mdf, one of Littlehampton and one of Burano, a Venetian lagoon in Italy.

Ian tells us:

“My interest in drawing and painting started when Sunrise Weybridge formed an art class/group, some five years ago. Although I have no formal art training I have found art enjoyable, satisfying and sometimes frustrating as I suffer from being colour blind and in a wheelchair.”

“With help from the Sunrise Activities team and Sara Hurley’s (Creative Minds) art classes over the past few years I have painted two acrylic paintings.

“The first of these paintings was based on a photograph that was chosen as the vibrant colours complimented the colours of two other paintings/pictures which are to be hung, along with my painting, on a wall in a recently purchased retirement flat by a member of the Sunrise Weybridge activities team who had asked me to paint the Littlehampton water front scene for her.”

Here is the first of Ian’s paintings of Littlehampton, with work in progress photo’s taken at each stage of painting…

“The second painting, of Burano Island, in the Venetian Lagoon, Italy, was chosen by a member of the Sunrise Weybridge activities team, as the vibrant colours of the boats and houses in the scene, matched those used in the kitchen of her home.”

We feel so privileged to see such talent in the care homes and other venues we visit!

Many thanks to Ian, a truely talented resident artist, for sharing the progress of his paintings with us and thanks for reading.

Joyce Shares Her Artist Story

04/19/2017

We encounter so many residents with incredible life stories like 97 year old Joyce Cheverton, a resident at Nightingale Hall Care Home in Richmond, North Yorkshire. She’s an inspirational artist and is still creating wonderful artwork today! Here’s Joyce’s artist story including photos of her artwork.

Born in Harrow in 1920, Joyce showed remarkable artistic talent from an early age, producing saleable oil paintings while still at primary school. She studied for three years at Harrow College of Art and stayed for a further year as a tutor.

During the war years she taught art at the girls convent school in Willesden. When the sirens went she took her class to Willesden underground station which served as an air raid shelter. Joyce’s shelter sketches are some of her most poignant works.

Joyce met and later married David Cheverton, a young RAF officer, in a class of RAF officers she was instructing in the art of camouflage. David became an architect after the war and later a vicar. Joyce supported his ministry with her art.

Throughout her life Joyce was prolific in many forms of art – oils, water colours, posters, engravings, Lino cuts, wood block printing from blocks she carved herself, book illustration and cover design. She painted a huge four wall mural for a London cafe and designed a lounge for a Cunard liner. David and Joyce retired to a bungalow he designed in Preston-under-Scar. Their son Mark and his wife Lottie founded an Art College in Leith which flourishes to this day.

Here are photo’s of Joyce’s art over the years, her artist story…

Lesley (our CM Artist based in Middlesbrough) commented…”I am always amazed at the beautiful art that the residents at Nightingale Hall Care Home produce. Every session is individual and inspiring; not only do the artists excel but those who have never painted before have a breakthrough in something new and lasting.”

“The residents have already created beautiful soft pastel birds, abstract watercolour Kandinsky Circles, acrylic cherry blossom trees. Last week we used an intense pigment called Brusho and made some stunning bunny bunting to hang across the fireplace. I look forward to many more special moments at Nightingale Hall.”

We look forward to seeing more wonderful artwork created by Joyce and the residents in their Art Sessions. You can see some of the artwork Lesley mentions on our facebook page www.facebook.com/creativemindsan

Thank you for reading, we hope to inspire you with many more resident artist stories!

Nightingale Hall Care Home is owned by Wellburn Care Homes, see their website for more details: www.wellburncare.co.uk/

Gorgeous Daffodils Adorn The Seaton Hospicecare Window!

04/19/2017

The residents from Thornfield Care Home (Seaton, Devon) with help from Maria, CM Artist have created a wonderful daffodil window display for the Hospicecare shop in the town centre. The Art Project has taken the residents around 5 sessions to complete and the result is marvelous, its bright, cheerful and inviting! The Major and other Councillors hope to make Seaton a Dementia Friendly Town and Maria has offered to talk about art and the benefits for those with Dementia at their next town meeting.

Maria comments… “Everyone was so pleased with how it looked, and the manager of the shop and the Thornfield manager came down to look and we were so chuffed everyone said it was fantastic. We are hoping to be invited to create more window displays this year.”

Here are some of the Art Session photo’s followed by the final window display.

This Spring window display was created by residents living at Thornfield Care Home in Seaton in conjunction with artist Maria Bowers from Creative Minds.

Thornfield specialises in dementia care and is rated “Outstanding” by CQC.

Thornfield is part of Cannon Care Homes who also own The Check House in Seaton and Silverleigh in Axminster.

Thornfield Care Home would like to thank Louisa Dayman and the staff of Hospicecare for their continued support and involvement including the Spring window display.

www.cannoncarehomes.co.uk

With thanks to Barbara Carter Thornfield Care Home for all her ideas and enthusiasm to arrange this project and Carrie Kelf – Pitts (Registered Manager)

Thanks for reading!

Intergenerational Art Sessions at Appleby!

03/24/2017

Since the beginning of 2017 Sarah, our Woking based CM Artist has been delivering weekly Art Sessions to Appleby House care home in Epsom, Surrey with one important difference; local primary school children have been in attendance too! Children from Epsom Primary School have been attending the weekly sessions to help the Appleby residents with their art and to collaborate to create wonderful Art Projects.

The intergenerational sessions have been an amazing success and its been great to see young and old generations interact with one another, creating a stimulating and engaging environment for all. “The children have become more comfortable and confident around the residents, it is great to see how some children take the lead when working with a resident and sometimes the resident will take the lead but great to see them working together. The sessions always create great discussions between the residents and children”, Jacqui the Activity Co-ordinator said.

Here are some wonderful photographs taken by our friend Gareth Pugh of a intergenerational session at Appleby House on the 1st March. The session was inspired by Matisse’s cutouts and the children and older adults had a wide selection of colourful pre-cut shapes to chose from to create their art.

Sarah, our Woking based CM Artist has delivered several intergenerational Art Sessions to Appleby House, and says “I am so pleased to have suggested we combine the Art Sessions with the children’s visit to Appleby House. Art breaks down so many barriers for young and old alike, however apprehensive either party is at first the moment the colour appears the generations melt away and young and old just share the moment. Its a joyous experience each and every week no matter what medium i offer them and that joy stays, you can feel it settle into the very construction of Appleby; its walls, the staff, the art. I hope i have the privilege of continuing to run these sessions for a very long time.”

Tracy an Activity Co-ordinator at Appleby House remarks, “The intergenerational sessions work amazingly well with the children enjoying the interaction with the residents. Sarah is brilliant because she leaves the residents and children to create for themselves, knowing when to help!”

Here are some more photo’s of some of the artwork created in the previous inter-generational sessions at Appleby House…

Stained Glass Window Art

Tree and Birds Collage

Mark Making Books

Commenting on the impact the Art Session have had on the Care Home, Jacqui says “During the sessions you see and hear lots of conversation and laughter, conversations have increased and the residents feel good and look uplifted after the sessions. The art created at these sessions will add to the existing art, which will go onto improve our environment. We are trying to put photographs onto canvas to show how amazing the sessions are and we feel the photographs capture the magic created more than words can say.”

James, the Director of Creative Minds comments “The intergenerational Art Sessions delivered to Appleby House are having a fantastic impact on the residents. It provides the residents with the opportunity to interact and communicate with the children and for the children it provides them with an opportunity to support an older adult with their artwork and in a way learn about the effects of dementia and ageing, which is important for children to have an awareness and appreciation of.”

We hope that this will be the start of what will be many intergenerational Art Sessions delivered to care homes across the country. Watch this space.

Care Home Open Day 2016!

08/15/2016

On Care Home Open Day (CHOD) last year, we opened the amazing Appleby Tate gallery at Appleby House Care Home in Epsom, arguably the first art gallery in a care home setting, along with other Art Sessions taking place across the South East. Since then our community of artists has grown dramatically and so this year CHOD was even more eventful and jam packed! We had various Art Projects taking place throughout May and June in preparation for their unveiling on CHOD and Art Sessions taking place across the country on CHOD itself.

Here’s some of the wonderful artwork created by the residents in our Art Sessions for CHOD 2016…

Jubilee House Care Home (Care UK) in Godalming, Surrey celebrated Care Home Open Day in Wonderland, creating a fabulous Alice in Wonderland display! The residents enjoyed creating all the elements of the display with the help of Sarah, our experienced Creative Minds Artist. The residents had a wonderful array of activities running throughout the day, everyone enjoyed a BBQ lunch and it was great to see the staff in costume. The Director of Creative Minds, James Cropper and the Mayor of Waverley, Councillor Chris Storey dropped by to admire the display. Congratulations to Totka the manager and the team for organising such a fantastic event.

The residents at Wellesley Road Care Home (Shaw Healthcare) in North London created personal story pictures using images sources from the internet. It was great for the residents to reminisce about their childhood and the bygone days of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. All the artwork created by the residents in the sessions was put on display for CHOD for visitors and relatives to see.

Sunrise of Fleet (Sunrise Senior Living UK) in Fleet, Hampshire had some very productive and fun sessions making artwork and props for their “Best of British” theme for Care Home Open Day. All the residents were involved in creating different elements of the display from the bunting to a life size figure of a Grenadier Guard. The “Best of British” themed day was a great success and enjoyed by all who visited the home on CHOD.

The residents at Grosvenor Park Care Home (Bupa) in Bexhill, East Sussex had a big tea party planned for Saturday to celebrate the Queens 90th and Care Home Open Day so they made a collage using pictures of the Queen through out her life. The residents made little crowns our of felt and sequins and stuck on union jacks to further decorate their pictures. Everyone was very impressed with what had been achieved and no sooner had the picture been finished it was on display for all to see.

The residents at Puttenham Hill House Care Home (Bupa) in Guildford, Surrey enjoyed creating the props for their ‘Day at the Races’ Theme for Care Home Open Day. They loved decorating their hats, making felt brooches and flowers for the winner’s enclosure, as well as a large horse and jockey sculpture. Everyone worked really well as team to create all the props for CHOD and from what we’ve heard they had a lovely day!

Finally all of the artwork created by the residents at Greys Residential Home in Woking, Surrey was framed and put on display for CHOD for all the visitors and relatives to admire. What an amazing variety of work they’ve created!

All of the residents featured in this blog post have given their consent.