Art creations at a Memory Cafe by Rev. Dave Hendra – Chaplain for Dementia
Loads of brilliant things happen at our memory cafes. This one is about painting and dementia…
Recently an artist through MAST (Mayflower Studios) came to run a spring art workshop for us. Lots of coloured paint, paper, and perspex were scattered around the tables as guests chatted and caught up at the Make & Brew Café, on St James Road. (Unbelievable cakes and great coffee by the way).
One of the guests – a person living with dementia – slowly picked up a paintbrush, carefully dipped the tip of the bristles into a small tub of white paint, and then leant over the perspex surface, poised to paint. After about half a minute, wavering without starting, the guest asked a volunteer next to them “what do I do now?” They had a gap in their memory. The volunteer suggested they press the brush onto the surface and then move the brush in any direction they liked.
The guest slowly and carefully lowered the bristles to the surface and began to trace a line. As they moved the brush they began to rotate it, drag, change direction, rotate back again. And then they stopped. This first line took about two minutes, but was done with such care, and such deliberate attention. Followed by a pause, a change of brush, and a change of colour. Over the next half an hour a brilliant abstract painting took place.
While this guest made their masterpiece, their carer was able to share what life was like, what was hard for them and for this person living with dementia. It seemed to be a very helpful conversation. This kind of scene repeated itself across the room.
It reminded me of what is so good about Caraway: Working together with other organizations (like MAST), and carried by so many brilliant volunteers, people living with dementia, for a few hours, have the chance to explore something new – to reconnect with known movements – and carers can share and support one another from their shared experience.
I was inspired by the way this man living with dementia took so much care over that painting. Just glimpsing his movements gave me perspective on all the rushing around I do. I learned something from him, and for half an hour the peace of it stuck with me, until I jumped in the car to wrestle the traffic on the way home.