Retirees heal through weekly painting classes

When 85-year-old Gerry Fairbanks sits down in front of a blank canvas, she says her paintbrush might just as well be a magic wand.

“Painting is magic to me,” she said during an oil-painting class Dec. 27 at Cypress Court retirement community in Escondido. “To start off with a blank page and all of a sudden you have something? That’s magical.”

Fairbanks started painting about 20 years ago when she began losing her hearing. It was one of the few recreational activities she could enjoy without the necessity of sound. She’s now a regular at the weekly oils classes led by art instructor Janice Eakin. On Thursday, Fairbanks was painting a violin with a pair of songbirds perched on its neck. Among her fellow students, she’s known for her beautiful birds.

Fairbanks now has a cochlear implant, which has improved her hearing, particularly in quiet spaces like the painting class. She’s one of many Cypress Court painters who, in spite of physical limitations, have found unbridled freedom through a paintbrush.

Eakin’s students include residents who are recovering from strokes, battling hand tremors and arthritis and suffer from failing vision, among other age-related issues. Some are novice painters, some are accomplished. All share the same desire to create in whatever ways they can. Case in point: Former student Louise Nielson, 100, who learned to paint with her left hand after a stroke disabled her right. She passed away last year.

Judy Lucous, wellness director at Cypress Court, said she’s inspired every week when she visits the painting class.

“I love how everyone interacts with each other and how they inspire the other residents here,” Lucous said. “It