Mother, grandmother, retired teacher and counsellor Wendy Pearse was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease seven years ago, managing the disease in the meantime with medication and exercise.
More recently, Parkinson's has led her down a path she had never considered - painting.
On Friday, Wendy helped to open the latest exhibition from participants of the Painting with Parkinson's art program, including her own work, a scene in the New England National Park, capturing wedge-tailed eagles flying in a moody blue sky above a lone tent.
What was a "happy memory" from a trip long ago, is now a painting on the wall at the exhibition at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Acton.
"I'd never had any art lessons in my life and as child and young person I'd never even been to an art gallery," Wendy, 77, said.
A little over a year ago she joined Painting with Parkinson's, an innovative art program for people living with the disease.
Founded in 1994 by Cook artist Nancy Tingey, the program is based in the ACT and runs studio sessions at the Botanic Gardens and also Greenway Views in Tuggeranong. The Canberra Symphony Orchestra regularly provides musicians to the sessions.
Wendy has found it all to be a pure delight.
"Experience and talent has nothing to do with what you get out of Painting with Parkinson's," she said.
"It's really about the feeling that you're there immersed in the ambiance of the room and the music and the colours.
"It gives me the essence of happiness. It's something to look forward to and something to love. And if I hadn't had Parkinson's disease, I would never have had this wonderful experience."
Nancy Tingey was at the opening of the exhibition, Banksia Views, on Friday morning, saying she started Painting for Parkinson's almost 30 years ago for her husband Bob. He had been diagnosed with the disease at the age of 46 and died aged 77 in 2017.
The painting program has never been prescriptive. It was just about encouraging people to make "one mark". And then another. And then see where it all led, like watercolours bleeding across paper.
"He was a scientist and had never painted before," she said of her husband. "His doctors believed being involved in the painting program probably extended his life by 10 years."
Painting with Parkinson's facilitator Ian Bignall said the program was about drawing out the creative side.
"What we're trying to do is encourage different parts of people's brain to react to their feelings and emotions and express themselves in a different way," he said.
"Some people are quite experienced artists before they come to us, and some people have never touched a paint brush since they were in primary school. So, we have a place for all of them.
"We don't teach painting techniques as such. We just try to provide the stimulation and environment to make it work."
Mr Bignall said when someone in the group produced their own artwork, it was magical.
"You can just see the light in their face," he said.
- The Banksia Views exhibition by Painting with Parkinson's is at the Visitor Centre Gallery at the Australian National Botanic Gardens until June 29.
