Recently part of the Swan River Personal Care Home (SRPCH) walls got a whole new facelift that reveals a breathtaking view for the residents who live there. Valley artist Melanie Bird has painted a mural for the residents at SRPCH and their visitors to enjoy.
“A family of one of the residents reached out to me to see if I would be interested in doing a mural at the SRPCH,” said Bird. “This family knew me well and knew that I was an artist. They had also seen some of the mural work that my sister had been doing in care homes in Winnipeg and wondered if that was something that I could do as well.
“Once they knew I was interested they got the approval from the SRPCH to proceed.”
The scene painted on the mural had to be something that resonated with the Valley and the residents. It was decided that painting a farm scene would be best suited and draw out the best engagement amongst the residents.
“It was collectively agreed between the family that approached me, the residents, board and staff, that the painting should reflect the scenes of the Valley, as well as be something that the residents would connect to,” said Bird. “Something that would conjure up fond memories for them.
“From there we determined that a farm scene, which included several farm animals, that was set in a valley would be perfect. I did a couple of small mock-ups for them to choose from and with a couple of tweaks and additions, I was ready to get started.”
It didn’t take too long for Bird to finish the mural once she started. She even took extra measures to make sure the mural was well protected and could be enjoyed well into the future.
“It took me about seven days to paint,” said Bird. “Once the paint cured for a few days I did a few layers of a protective coating just to make sure the painting would be something the residents, staff and visitors could enjoy for many years to come.”
The feedback Bird has received about the mural at the SRPCH has been good. The residents enjoyed the process of watching her create it and have been engaged with it ever since.
“So far all the responses have been very positive,” said Bird. “The residents seemed to really enjoy seeing the animals begin to emerge as I was painting, I think that was what they connected with the most. People also commented on how much they liked the vibrant colours of the painting as well.
“It was such a joy to see the residents light up when they would see the painting as it progressed. It was also fun to hear their comments and suggestions along the way. I couldn’t possibly paint all of the things they suggested but it was neat to know that they were connecting with what I was doing and it seemed to be something that they truly enjoyed.
“A few of the residents would sit on their walkers or wheelchairs and watch what I was doing for hours, sometimes even fall asleep as they watched,” said Bird. “One of the favourite things that residents liked to comment on was what colour I was going to paint that tractor. Some thought it should be green and others thought red, in the end, I chose red simply because it stood out better against the green background, but it gave me a good chuckle listening to their opinions on the matter.
“It was also a pleasure to see some familiar faces from the community and connect with people who were once actively involved here in the valley and were now residents at the PCH.”