One eye sees, the other feels

Second year art students, from St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge, have been working on a collaborative art piece on canvas with residents from Newbrook Nursing Home, Mullingar and Bethany House, Tyrrellspass.

Each student in the class paired up with a resident, to work on the themes of nostalgia and memory.

Over a number of weeks, students exchanged hand written letters and drawings with their partners in the homes.

They discovered common interests the project culminated in a visit by students to each of the nursing homes to meet their new friend sand finish their canvases together.

Shyness was replaced by laughter and chat within the first five minutes of the visit and some great stories were exchanged.

Students then presented their final pieces to their new friends to display in their rooms in the nursing homes.

“It was great fun! My new friend has great sense of humour! We both love cats!” said one student.

The students discovered that art truly has the power to connect and to quote the artist Paul Klee ‘one eye sees, the other feels’.

The students would like to thank the staff and residents of Newbrook and Bethany, especially Winnie, Alex and Audrey, for such warm welcomes and for facilitating the projects in each of the nursing homes.

The students hope the residents enjoy the paintings they created together.