I was fortunate enough to meet and visit the studio of local artist,
Arthur Lee. Art and his wife, Christine raised their family in Medway and are now retired.
When I first walked into his studio, I was amazed at the talent and the
diverse style of paintings. From very colorful, whimsical landscapes to
life-like portraits of a few people I recognized, like Julia Child and Mother
Teresa.
I initially met with Christine and she informed me about
Art having Lewy Body Dementia, (LBD) and how it affects him. He may stop talking during a conversation and
not remember what was being discussed. He also may have uncontrollable shaking
of his hands or lose his balance. This is an everyday struggle for Art. Christine retired a little earlier than planned to be here for him. "Painting keeps him engaged", she said. If his hands are too shaky for painting, he has tools to help him or he may just paint with his fingers.
Art paints every day, for many hours at a time. This is his passion.
In addition to using his creative mind, he spends time with his family. His children and young grandchildren, have helped him with his illness.
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| Art and Christine have visited Scotland, where Christine's family is from. Many of his landscapes are influenced by his visit there. |
Lewy body dementia (LBD)
is a progressive brain disorder in which Lewy bodies (abnormal deposits of a
protein called alpha-synuclein) build up in areas of the brain that regulate
behavior, cognition, and movement.
A complex disease, LBD can present with a range of symptoms including problems
with thinking, memory, moving, sleep and/or changes in behavior, to name a
few of the physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms.
LBD also affects autonomic body functions, such as blood pressure control,
temperature regulation, and bladder and bowel function. Progressively
debilitating, LBD can also cause people to experience visual
hallucinations or act out their dreams.
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| Art in his studio |
Displayed on the studio walls is a colorful collection of Art's paintings, with stacks of finished canvases off to the side. He has an easel
with a hanging light bulb above and an array of paints, brushes & tools. Oil
paint is his choice of medium. What’s great about oil paint is you can leave, come back
hours later and the paint is still wet and usable. It takes quite a few days
for it to dry. The colors are very
rich and vibrant which gives such life to Art’s paintings.
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| Portrait of Elizabeth Taylor |
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| Art explained that this painting started with the pink dinosaur on the right, then worked from there. |
Art told me some stories about his paintings, some he did many
years ago. I found him to be very funny and witty. "I'm not afraid of bold colors, They should be afraid of me." Art had said to me.
While his portraits are from photographs, his landscapes are not planned. He starts with one image or idea then works off of that.
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Portrait of Mark Twain and Self Portrait.
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| Portrait of Art's Father-in-law |
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| A painting of Eilean Donan Castle, which is the Clan MacRae castle (Christine is also a MacRae) in the Scottish Highlands. Art used only his fingers because it was difficult for him to hold a brush. |
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| Portrait of Abraham Lincoln |
Art's upcoming exhibit:
The Artist's Studio and Gallery at Patriot's Place. Rt 1 Foxborough will host Art's LBDA fundraiser and art show on Oct. 5, 6-9 p.m.; Oct. 6, 12-9 p.m. and Oct. 7, 12-5 p.m.
Art’s family has made prints of his work and note cards. These are
all for sale as well as originals, 100% goes to LBD Association research.
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| Note cards made from Art's work. |
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| Christine and Art Lee on their wedding day 40 years ago. They were married at Medway Community Church. |
