Christensen was searching for a form of relaxation when he picked up a paintbrush in his early 60s - and found a life-changing improvement in his mental health.
"Painting is so peaceful, to me it's like meditation. You are very mindful when you paint, you are concentrating on the paint and the movement of the brush. You're not thinking about anything else and that makes my mind feel very still and spacious."
Another benefit is he now sees beauty in places he previously saw as ordinary. He's always on the look out for inspiration or a new scene to paint and has learned that by just taking a moment to stop and really look around, there is beauty everywhere.
A mob of cows with their calves peacefully chew their cud on a sunny afternoon, the contrast of light and the shadows along the fern-lined bank of a meandering stream, even a friendly conversation between farmers at the stockyards invokes in the viewer a memory or a sense you instinctively know that very scene - and are somehow part of the story.
The Details
What: Our Rural Environs
When: January 31- February 18
Where: Feilding Art Centre
Entry: Free
