Hadleigh Nursing Home resident Anthea enjoys her VR experience

Lifelong painter Anthea du Rose was able to satisfy her thirst for arts through virtual reality during a respite stay at Hadleigh Nursing Home.

Anthea, who was taught to paint by a famous Dutch artist and has two of her works on display in Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, was taking part in a pilot scheme run by VR company Oroi.

Accessing scenic tours aimed at improving the emotional wellbeing and cognitive functions of older people, Anthea was delighted to go on a virtual tour of the Louvre Museum in Paris, experience a concert by the famous Monserrat choir in Spain and take in the cultural sights of Jerusalem.

Anthea studied at Birmingham School of Arts and Crafts before moving to South Africa with her family for nine years where she taught children art in a private school.

She returned to England and started painting classes in Ipswich and was taught by Dutch painter Cor Visser. He was a great teacher and really helped her on her way to perfecting portraits and selling them.

Everyone at Hadleigh Nursing Home had a real pleasure looking at some of her pictures.

Author: Stephen Pullinger