Rodney Stevens
An innovative portrait project at Uniting Caroona Yamba by renowned local artist Harry Westera is uniting residents and staff, fostering a friendly community and preserving precious memories.
After studying at Art College and gaining an honours degree in Art History and Theory, Maclean based artist Harry Westera has painted the official portraits for the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of Southern Cross University, been a multiple finalist in the Northern Rivers Portrait Prize and held many exhibitions of his work.
When his wife Grace, a Pastoral Carer at Caroona Yamba suggested he volunteer he took up the opportunity, and in 2 years he has hand drawn 91 portraits of residents, 52 of which adorn the walls of Caroona, with more being added regularly.
“I thought, why not, and at the same time I could draw some portraits as a point of engagement with people…the more I have done this the more I have enjoyed engaging with people and getting to know them,” he said.
“Grace approaches the residents and says, ‘Harry really likes to draw portraits, will you sit for Harry, he really needs the practice’, he laughed”
Mr Westera said he had always enjoyed taking the time to get to know the subjects of his portraits.
“I’ve really become aware that everybody has got a story, you dig a little bit under the surface, and it is so interesting, hearing about people’s lives, their backgrounds, where they grew up,” he said.
“I think they love it, and I love it…it’s not just getting to know them and doing the drawings, I can now say that they’re my friends and I say hello to them each week.”
When the CV Independent visited Caroona, Mr Westera was drawing his 91st portrait of resident Cliff Wood.
He said during the portrait sittings he has met people including a former building inspector, several retired cane farmers, a librarian, an Australian representative runner, and now he knows most of the residents at Caroona.
“It’s not just about me getting practice and it’s not just about them having a visitor, it’s a relationship,” he said.
When the portraits are drawn, Grace talks to the residents to compile their story, which is put on the wall next to each picture.
“I ask them what is important to them, because when people get older and they move into aged care they’ve often suffered a lot of losses, they’ve lost their home, maybe a spouse, their independence, their driver’s licence, even bits of their story…they just become a face in the crowd,” she said.
“I like to bring out who they really are, sometimes it helps staff to get to know them quicker, other residents get to know them, it helps them feel valued and for new residents they feel this is a place I can be me.
“Some people as they enter aged care, they actually lose bits of their memory, so this is a way of reminding them who they are, reminding them of their story.”
Caroona Yamba Service Manager Debra Smith said the initiative ticks all boxes for her as a manager.
“The secret to providing real quality aged care is about knowing your resident, the more you know them the more you can meet their needs, the more you can be friendly, and you actually give them their story back, they’re not just a resident because people know them,” she said.
Mr Smith said staff held a competition to get to know the residents better by matching their portrait to their story.
“For visitors its also given them the chance to not be so intently focused on their relative, they’ve got the wall to talk about, I’ve also seen the doctors stop and read the stories and they say, ‘I didn’t know that’,” she said.
“It has opened up a whole heap of friendliness and open talking which I find exciting.”
For more information visit the Harry Westera Art Facebook page.