Richard has always loved art.
At Kapara, he shares it
Kapara resident Richard Freeland has spent decades visiting the world’s great galleries, so a recent visit to the Monet to Matisse exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia was a chance to see some familiar names.
Kapara residents, including Richard, at the Monet to Matisse exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia, part of our Social Experiences program.
Coming to art later in life
Richard grew up in North Queensland in the late 1940s and 50s, when children still used slates and slate pencils at school. Art was not a strong part of the curriculum.
“We used pastels, but not like the pastels of today… very hard and scratchy,” he said.
He liked art, but the distance to school and family commitments on the farm left little time for it. He later worked in microbiology, allied health and social policy, and raised a family with his wife, Lesley.
Art came back into his life after he retired. Richard found a TAFE-trained artist who understood new learners and introduced him to oil painting, drawing and life drawing. He also joined the Sydney Urban Sketchers and Sydney Sketch Club, spending weekly outings sketching railway stations, churches and historic buildings with friends.
Studying together with Lesley
After the couple moved back to Adelaide in 2019, Richard and Lesley both enrolled at the Adelaide Central School of Art, where Richard completed a Graduate Diploma in Visual Art.
When Richard moved to Kapara, he joined the art group. The Art Group leader, Christine, turned out to be one of his fellow students from the school.
“I never expected to find one of my old classmates leading the art group here. Painting alongside Christine again, and sharing it with everyone at Kapara, has been a real pleasure,” Richard said.
A day with Monet and Matisse
Richard knows the work of both artists from galleries around the world, including the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA in New York, the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, and the Prado and Reina Sofía in Madrid, where Picasso’s Guernica is held.
“I’ve seen Monet’s work in Paris and New York, but it was special to see it with friends from Kapara. Art still gives me something to look forward to, and I enjoy talking about it with people who love it too,” Richard said.
For Richard, a lifelong appreciation of art continues to create new experiences, meaningful conversations and connections with the people around him.
Social experiences at residential care homes
Art groups are just one of the many social and wellbeing experiences available across ACH Group residential care homes. From social activities and health and wellness sessions to live performances, cultural celebrations and special events, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.
Residents can meet new people, discover something new or reconnect with interests and skills that have been part of their lives for years. Family and friends are always welcome to join in and share in the experience.
Learn more about our residential Social and Wellbeing Experiences.
