HUDSON – Bill Sullivan spent years working as a mechanical engineer.

It was a career he believed was “the best choice (a person) could make,” because it “generates enough stuff up in his mind. … (Things) just are going to come so easy to him.”

In his spare time, Sullivan was an avid fisherman, a passion that stays with him despite not being able to spend as much time fishing anymore. Now, he paints them instead.

While Sullivan said he did very little painting previously, Sullivan can call himself an accomplished artist through the help of the Blessed John XXIII Day Away art program, “Creative Memories.”

The program is a volunteer-run, social respite care program. Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia in its early stages are placed with a volunteer on a one-on-one basis from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Wednesday at Mission Pointe in Hudson.

Participants face a “very active day,” according to program director Nanci Rydstrom, a few hours packed with light exercise, singalongs, bingo and, of course, art.

“It’s really not about the art as much as the memory that it might evoke,” Rydstrom said. “We try to get a story from them as they’re doing their art, and they’re always with a volunteer. The volunteer will put down what they’re thinking about while they’re doing their art so it becomes a memory that we created.”

On Wednesday, May 15, the program held a Tea and Art Show to showcase artwork participants had created over the last year. The event also coincided with the program’s fifth anniversary.

Participants complete different crafts each week, but once a month, they create a watercolor painting.

Tanya Prather, a local artist, is a Day Away volunteer who coordinates the art program. Prather said that each month the group has a theme tied into the calendar in hopes of evoking memories about holidays and times past at the specific time of year.

“One of the things that they do is look at the calendar and think about what kinds of things happen this time of year, what kinds of anniversaries or events are we celebrating, and so the theme is usually tied into that,” Prather said. “In terms of process, usually I have several different things from them to choose from. Part of really keeping and maintaining skills is the ability to have choice and really keep it their own.”

Volunteers have participants choose pictures to trace instead of starting with an empty page, which Prather said can be a little overwhelming. Then the artists fill in the picture with their own colorful details, which Prather says uniquely characterizes each piece.

“It’s amazing how each individual’s piece really reflects who they are,” Prather said. “Everybody has their own style. Even years later, I can go back and I can pick out who did which one without the name just based on how they did it. It’s really amazing.”

Rita Clark, a volunteer at the Day Away program, expressed a common sentiment among volunteers and family members alike: While most individuals had little to no artistic experience before joining the program, they surprise themselves and their loved ones with what they produce.

Jennifer Janiak can be reached at 594-6549 jjaniak@nashuatelegraph.com.

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