This week, I hoped that Heather would be interested in decorating the birds she painted orange last week. When I arrived, I could tell she was in good spirits as she greeted me with a big smile—a good sign. After lunch, we moved to the back deck, our usual spot for art projects. I laid Read More
Author: Hetty van Gurp
8 Orange Birds
When I found a package of eight wooden birds at my local Dollar Store, I thought Heather might enjoy painting them. I poured orange paint into a small saucer and handed Heather a brush with a large brush end. To my surprise, Heather began painting one of the birds, carefully covering it entirely and even Read More
Celebrating Small Victories
Last week I was encouraged by Heather’s willingness to create a small drawing using a few marker colours. Today I brought some new brightly coloured markers hoping she would be interested in drawing again. I sat beside her and drew a few simple flowers while she watched with some interest. When I handed her a Read More
A Nice Surprise
Heather was in a happy mood today. She was receptive to a walk around the corner and a stroll in the back garden. It marked a promising start to the day.While it had been a month since Heather was willing to even look at art materials, I decided test the waters. I handed Heather a Read More
The Many Faces of Dementia in Canada: The Landmark Study Report #2
A new report released by the Alzheimer Society of Canada on January 22, 2024, highlights the diversity of people living with dementia in Canada. Read report here: Landmark Study Report
How a Rare Dementia Transforms Patients into Artists
July 13, 2023 UCSF-led research reveals brain changes that promote visual creativity.For decades, doctors have noticed a rare burst of visual creativity that occurs among a small number of patients with dementia, echoing the same strange phenomenon among patients who have had a stroke or other brain injury. Now, a collaboration of 27 scientists led Read More
The Arts as a Medium for Care and Self-Care in Dementia: Arguments and Evidence
Leaving aside questions about effectiveness, the discussion so far highlights five good reasons to support the arts for people with dementia: Full article here: The Arts as a Medium for Care and Self-Care in Dementia: Arguments and Evidence – PMC (nih.gov)
The Transformative Power of Art
The Transformative Power of Art as a Therapy for Dementia Patients (voisefoundation.org)
Plasticine Sculptures
It’s been quite a while since I last shared anything. Over the past several months, I’ve regularly offered art supplies to Heather, hoping to coax her into joining me in drawing, painting, or even just coloring. Regrettably, I couldn’t seem to spark her interest in any form of artistic expression. But I wasn’t ready to Read More
Circles
Heather has started layering colours in her art. This is a new phenomenon as she was previously very careful to not mix or blend colours on her canvas. In this piece of art, Heather began by making a yellow circle with a marker. She then drew additional circles within the yellow one, sometimes covering an Read More