Marion Griese
Special to Niagara Now/The Lake Report

Up until last March, before restrictions were put in place, I was volunteering with Therapy Tails every week, visiting the residents at Pleasant Manor in Virgil with my dog Oliver.

I witnessed how much joy these seniors got from petting and cuddling with our big, gentle golden doodle while talking with me.

I have missed my visits and my conversations and I can only imagine how much more difficult it must be for these and so many other residents in our community who have been isolated for months.

While looking through one of my old sketchbooks last summer, I came across this quote by Picasso that I had jotted down: “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

These words had rung true for me back then, but now they seemed even more relevant. As an artist and arts educator, I was inspired to create an art project that could help uplift, inspire and connect with others.

This past fall I had the opportunity to share my “Spark Joy Postcard Project” at Culture Days in St. Catharines. More recently, my Grade 1 to 3 Wheatley School students completed the same project as their first art lesson of the year.

With much enthusiasm, they each created two colourful, original postcards based on the work of abstract artist Romero Britto. Then they wrote personal messages of hope and encouragement on the back. One card was meant for a loved one, while the other was made for the residents of Pleasant Manor.

I can’t wait to deliver these postcards to my friends at Pleasant Manor.

And I’m also touched and encouraged by the joy I witnessed in my students as they created these colourful cards, knowing they were going to grandpas and grandmas who needed a smile at a difficult time.