AGE is only a number for residents of a Flintshire care home.
The sprightly pensioners living at the Llys Eleanor Extra Care Housing in Shotton got in touch with their artistic side to create a multitude of impressive and thought provoking works.
The elderly residents worked alongside professional artist Felicity Owens to create a collection of vibrant paintings, drawings, collages and photographs which are now on display in the Education Gallery at Clwyd Theatre Cymru, Mold.
The 10-week project organised by Engage Cymru and Flintshire Council was part of a wider-Wales research project to explore the health and wellbeing benefits that galleries and the visual arts can offer to older people who may not have had access to galleries or creative arts activities in the past.
Age Cymru co-ordinator Angela Rogers said she was blown away by the standard of the work produced.
“I couldn’t get over the quality of the work,” she said.
“They took photographs of some of the pieces they had created to make lovely calendars which they have all got hanging on their walls, but they are good enough to sell.”
The participants included people with mixed abilities, mobility restrictions and dementia.
Before they started work on their masterpieces the residents visited another art exhibition at Clwyd Theatre Cymru to gain inspiration.
Angela added: “Quite often in care homes, no matter how good they are, people can get a bit bored and a bit lonely if they are not engaging in some activity, but the people who took part really enjoyed it and struck up friendships with people they had never spoken to before.”
The care home’s activities manager Julia Griffiths and assistant artist June McHenry worked alongside the group each week helping to document and record the project.
Angela added: “This project has formed part of a strategic programme of work aimed at addressing many of the challenges which face older less mobile people and helping to broaden access to galleries for a wider audience.
“We will share what we learn from this project extensively across the arts and health sectors in Wales, the UK and internationally.”
The exhibition runs until April 26.