CC Young Celebrates Ageless Creativity

My first connection to CC Young Senior Living was through a watercolor class I attended with my close friends Rozina Vlasimsky and Jacque Wacker. Little did I know that watercoloring — and the fun we had at the weekly classes — would lead me to join Rozina in making CC Young my permanent home.

The Senior Scribblers writing group at CC Young is my newest creative outlet, and I love it. It’s my favorite activity of the week. My previous artistic efforts were hairdressing, crewel embroidery, needlepoint, dressmaking, gardening, and watercolor painting. It seems I have always enjoyed being creative.

During the last year, residents of CC Young had limited access around campus due to Covid-19 protocols. Many of us studied independently and used our newfound time to try new things.

I spent much of my time journaling and writing. Rozina used her paintbrush to vent her frustrations during quarantine. Her use of vibrant colors conveys her emotions. Her oil painting, “Hope,” represents hope for post-pandemic days: The open window and blooming flowers suggest better times on the horizon.

I recently met Ruby McLeod, a new CC Young resident who transitioned to the Campus during the pandemic lockdown.

During our celebration of Texas’s great state fair, Ruby entered a butter sculpture and created a bust from four pounds of butter. It was amazing!

I’ve come to learn that Ruby’s artistic ability surfaced when she was a young girl growing up on a farm. Ruby would draw pictures on baby watermelons that took on lives of their own and brought people from all over town to see.

During the lockdown, Ruby decided she wanted to try painting portraits. She ordered a video series by a portrait artist and proceeded to teach herself. On Good Friday, Ruby shared her talents with the residents, creating a chalk drawing of Christ on the cross synchronized to music.

Bobbie Mankey is well-known in our community for her love of books, stories, and history. When a coffee table book about famous houses in Texas caught her eye, she began recreating images of each of them.

“I’d sit at my dining room table where I had the best light and had the television on in the background to keep up with what was going on in the world and lost myself for hours of pure bliss,” Bobbie told me.

To date, Bobbie has created 18 gifts for each member of her family.

Creating art during this time of isolation has been a comfort to many. If the events of 2020 helped you find your creative voice, consider entering your art or writing in CC Young’s Spirit Is Ageless Art and Writing Contest. You’ll love seeing your work in the Gallery — and hearing our compliments!
For more information, visit www.ccyoung.org/events.