Senior ‘artist-in-residence’ shares her skills in Tualatin
TUALATIN, Ore. (KOIN) — Maxine Labs is a skilled decorative painter who has traveled the country learning new techniques. These days, though, she’s sharing her knowledge and love of art at her home in the senior living community, Brookdale River Valley Tualatin.
Before moving to Brookdale, Mickie — as she’s known — taught out of her home and the Beaverton senior center. Now she occasionally teaches classes on decorative painting at Brookdale, where they’ve dubbed her the artist-in-residence.
“The most important thing to learn when you’re painting is what this brush is, what it will do for you and not to paint like this but move your hand from your shoulder,” she said.
Her room at Brookdale is jam-packed with her art supplies, training books and many of her own creations, mostly Christmas and Halloween themed. Those creations range from wall art to painted furniture, even the sweatshirt she was wearing — for which someone offered her $100.
“They’re really funny,” she said of her fellow residents.
Mickie has macular degeneration, so she doesn’t paint for pleasure often these days. But she loves it when she plays a role in creating new artists.
“They do want to see, and they want to try. Some get frustrated, and most take to it beautifully. They just pick it up and do it.”
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