The fine art of enjoying life

Gary’s been making art since he was a boy. Murals, landscapes, wildlife – anything to do with nature is his thing. Now living at Narrandera Homestead Care Community in rural NSW, Gary’s become our ‘resident artist’ and is sharing his passion with residents and friends.

With no formal training, Gary says he’s lucky to be able to draw anything from memory and then paint it. His love for drawing was inspired by his father’s natural talent for the arts. At the age of six Gary’s school teacher encouraged him to draw on the blackboard in the classroom. As he grew up, whenever something caught his eye Gary would take a mental picture then go home and begin creating.

“Both sides of my family were farmers – orchards and beef cattle – and I developed a love of wildlife from being on the farm,” says Gary.

“It makes me feel very proud that I was asked to donate art works.”

Sharing his love of art with others

Since moving to Narrandera Homestead Care Community in 2021, Gary has been instrumental in encouraging fellow residents to take an interest in art and birdlife.

A keen breeder of birds, Gary’s taken responsibility for caring for Narrandera Homestead’s pet rosellas. Together, Gary and team member Cassy installed a bird feeder in the gardens, and it’ become a hive of activity for residents who like to save apple cores and fruit peels for the birds.

“Feeding the birds gives me great pleasure and I love seeing the birds come towards me to receive the food, whether it’s an apple, a thistle or seeds,” says Gary.

“Cassy supports me by making sure there’s seed within reach for me and shows a great interest in my care of the birds and progress.”

“She makes sure I have the right tools and a place to work, sometimes giving me paint brushes from her own art supplies.”

Gary’s feathery friends are a welcome inspiration for his artworks, with different types of birds he sees in the garden often featuring in his drawings. And residents and families are benefiting from his talents. Gary creates a new artwork each month to publish in the Care Community’s newsletter, and residents enjoy using prints of his drawings as colouring in sheets.

“My art is a work in progress, and I enjoy working on it,” says Gary. “I’m glad other residents enjoy my pictures to colour as an activity.”