Painting joy on faces of residents

They tell of lives well lived through the windows of ageless eyes, and of laughter, smiles, tears and memories.

BaptistCare Mid Richmond Centre is located in New South Wales in a peaceful rural setting of the stunning Richmond Valley at Coraki.

Perfectly reflecting the assigned topic of the 'older generation', the art project formed Ms Mikkelsen's final exhibition submission for her Diploma of Visual Art at Lismore TAFE in December last year.

With a creative background in stained glass windows and crafts, it was the first time Ms Mikkelsen has tackled portrait work within human subjects – the final result earning her a distinction in her degree.

“As it was a new initiative, it took some time to set up; getting permission from the management and next of kin meeting the residents and convincing them that they had something to offer,” Ms Mikkelsen says.

“There were a few modest comments initially, but once I'd explained they had lovely faces, and that I really wanted to paint them, the residents were very excited to be involved. They enjoyed the extra attention and were happy to see me,” she says.

Due to the responses from the residents, Ms Mikkelsen says it was overwhelming handing over the portraits. 

“One resident, Clare, was in tears when I gave her the artwork. She said she couldn't believe someone had taken the time to paint her. It was quite emotional for me also,” Ms Mikkelsen says.

Another featured resident, Nita Haynes, says it was exciting to be part of the process from start to finish.

“I feel very proud when I see my portrait up on the dining room wall, and proud of what Ms Mikkelsen has achieved by completing it,” Ms Haynes says.

Ms Mikkelsen was inspired to capture the personalities in her work, and the response from the local community in general confirms she has don ejust that.

After a brief exhibition at the TAFE, Ms Mikkelsen presented the residents with their portraits for them to keep or pass on to family members.

The collection is currently on display on the dining room wall of BaptistCare Mid Richmond Centre.

Kay Bruchet, the centre's recreational activity manager, says the concept has been well received in-home and such creative endeavours will be encouraged in the future.

“The residents were eager to participate, and were all very happy with the final result. And having seen the outcome, more residents have expressed interest in getting their own portraits done,” Ms Bruchet says.

Ms Mikkelsen hopes to spend some of her spare time revisiting the residential care centre to continue to connect with the community there. 

“It's such a lovely tight knit community where many of the residents have known each other their whole lives. Someone is always related to another by marriage or birth, and those connections make it special,” she says.