As housing director at Elim Shores in Eden Prairie, MN, Jason Nelson wears a lot of hats. He even put on a new hat as an art instructor.

It was a natural fit for Jason, who has a degree in illustration and minored in art history. He enjoys sharing his love of art with others and had a unique opportunity to do just that with Elim Shores residents.

“Many people have talked about the wine/painting events, and how residents might like that here at Elim Shores,” Jason says. “We talked about doing it a number of times, but I just had to have time to make it work. It is far easier to just paint a picture than it is to show others how to do it.”

Jason had to determine what to paint, how to replicate that painting and what kinds of paints and brushes residents should use.

Eleven residents participated in the art class, painting a wintery scene over the course of three hours.

Initially, many residents were hard on themselves and not impressed with their pictures.

“The next day, and afterwards, they had more appreciation for making images from a blank canvas by themselves,” Jason says.

They displayed the paintings during the Winter Carnival week and residents voted for their favorite pictures.

Jason believes the experience was life enrichment at its finest.

“Art is a way to express yourself, and a class like this lays the foundation for them to do more creative work like this in the future,” Jason says. “Bolstering their self-confidence by making something from nothing gives them purpose, as well as another tool to express themselves.”