The Glenner Alzheimer's Family Center in Encinitas recently welcomed Betty Sturdevan into its community. Betty is an accomplished artist whose paintings and sketches hang in homes and offices throughout the world. She grew up in Southern California, attended the Art Center School in Los Angeles and traveled extensively with her husband in the Marine Corps, drawing inspiration for art projects at every place they lived and visited. Eventually, she came home to Encinitas.
Betty prefers to work in watercolors, oils and pastels. Sketches of animals at the San Diego Zoo and paintings of flowers are among her favorite subjects. She says it takes "practice, practice, practice" to learn to draw and paint well.
"I love art because it loosens you up and makes you see things," she said. "You have to look at what you're drawing. You have to think about what you're doing."
Betty now helps our participants use art to express their passions and to help them pay close attention to the colorful world around them. Here are some snapshots from Thursday's art lesson we thought we'd share.
