Resident: Trish Stonehill's story

63 year-old Trish has been painting since she was in her twenties and is a talented artist, producing beautiful, expressive pieces that burst with colour.

However, Trish's dedication to her passion isn't as straightforward as it sounds. Trish has Cerebral Palsy and has lived in a care environment for most of her life. Her movements are limited by the condition, meaning that painting for her is even harder than it is for most people.

She can make some controlled movements, such as squeezing a ball between her arms, but painting is a lot trickier.

To tackle this, Trish has developed her own painting technique where she uses her head instead of her hands, as her head is the part of her body that she has the most control over. She holds a paintbrush in her mouth or wears a specially-made headband, created by one of her art teachers.

As you can tell, Trish is very determined and very patient woman.

Her interests extend to many other things, such as quizzes, music and going on trips away, but art is her real passion. When asked why she likes to paint so much, Trish explained: “I like the colours. It’s something I can do.”

Sharon Rickman, the Activities Coordinator at Corrina Lodge Care Home where Trish lives, says: “Painting is a bit of freedom for her. It's the one activity where she's completely in control. She finds it very therapeutic.”

Trish's artwork is not only beautiful to look at but is an inspiring example of someone pursuing a passion, no matter the setback.

Keep on painting, Trish!