Fostering the artistic talents of Huntleigh Home residents across the board comes easily to recreation officer Phillippa Nonoa.
Phillippa initially came to Huntleigh Home as a volunteer after she had spent some years caring for her mother.
“My own daughter was grown up and I was looking for a meaningful role. To test the waters, I volunteered at Huntleigh Home for six months. I met recreation team leader Annelize Steyn and gained an appreciation of the holistic and self-motivating approach Enliven’s philosophy of care offers its residents,” says Phillippa.
The Karori local soon realized she could combine her care experience, her background in floral art merchandising, and kindergarten teaching, in a permanent role at Huntleigh Home.
“Phillippa quickly grew in confidence as she saw her understanding of elders’ physical needs enabled her to adapt resources to suit, such as an easier way of making pom poms which were then made into poi,” says Annelize. “While her music skills are great too, art is her passion.”
More than three years on, Phillippa’s weekly art class is going strong.
“Chalk pastel is one of my favourite mediums,” says Phillippa. “It’s demanding of the artist, but I like to be able to move it around the paper until it’s right.”
The members of the Huntleigh Home art class also enjoy the challenge of pastel, as well as using different materials too.
“Over a year we repeat the same subject such as flowers or fruit but explore different mediums, black and white, pencil and watercolours. It’s all about capturing the line and form.”
Phillippa finds it really encouraging when the members of the art class keep up with their art out of the actual class.
“They do some homework in their room, and it really makes a difference to what they’re working on,” she says. “During the class I also like to leave them to it, go and have a coffee and when I come back see what they’ve achieved, and it’s magic!”
Enliven is always on the lookout for great people to join the team. If you, or someone you know is looking for a role in aged care, visit www.enlivencentral.org.nz/work-with-us or email: .
