Canterbury House care home resident shares his painting talents with schoolchildren

Aspiring Damien Hirsts and Tracey Emins from Hadleigh learned how to paint from an artist living at Canterbury House care home last week.

Colin King, 82, who has been living at the Hadleigh care home, near Ipswich, for four months, wanted to share his tips on how to paint and draw with pupils from Beaumont Primary School in Durrant Road.

Amateur artist Colin, who uses a wheelchair, said he enjoyed painting because it helps him forget about his disability.

He said: “I like painting because it occupies my day and makes me happy when I see the final painting.

“It is a skill I discovered I had when I was young so I wanted to pass on my knowledge to the school pupils to help them make the most of their talents.”

The work created by the pupils during Colin’s fun ‘masterclass’ will be displayed in a temporary gallery called Spring Flowers at Canterbury House so that other visitors can enjoy their work.

Canterbury House Manager Gerard Balo said: “We have a packed programme of activities which help our residents’ physical and mental well-being.

“We often organise intergenerational activities like Colin’s painting class as residents and the children involved benefit from this interaction.

“Colin is a great painter and we have commissioned some of his work to display in the home. We are so pleased Colin will be able to share his knowledge with the town’s future artists.”