I found Mary ’ s creative process fascinating . I felt valued as she brought forth the ‘ true me .’” — Noel Cairney , ARTA member

Robert Michon | Communication Specialist , ARTA

Mary ’ s project affirms that my life gathers meaning from being an ‘ active learner ’ and by ‘ giving back ’ whenever possible .”

— Bernie McCracken ARTA Member

Looking back , as many poets and philosophers over the centuries have observed , our lives consist mainly of stories . The stories we tell shape how others see us , as well as how we see ourselves . It stands to reason that the older we get , the more stories we accumulate , and the richer the tapestry of our lives will become . But in reality , as people get older , many lose sight of that , and it can take a gentle reminder to realize that , like a fine wine , we get better with age .

Mary Whale is a retired gerontological nurse who spent much of her career caring for older adults of various ages . In addition to her nursing career , Mary has always been passionate about the arts , and about visual art in particular .

In geriatric rehabilitation wards , there are many quiet hours filled with rest and recovery , so in her own time , Mary began to draw her patients . “ Nobody ever bothered us ,” she says , thinking back on that time . “ Those sessions quickly became a kind of sacred space filled with trust and honesty . People started telling me their stories as I drew , and those stories began to influence how I portrayed them . I knew I wanted to record these stories , but I didn ’ t feel I had the means to do it right .”

In retirement , Mary was finally able to pursue that goal . She received a grant from the Edmonton Arts Council to paint the portraits of older adults in the community , to document their stories , and to share her findings with the greater public . The project , called Between the Lines , included twentyone subjects ( called sitters ), mostly aged 80 and older , but with diverse backgrounds . Just as she did when she was a nurse , she spoke with her sitters as she sketched , and stories naturally emerged to fill the time . Only now , the stories were recorded with help from a writer , her partner in the project , Laurel Sproule .

“ I just let the conversation flow naturally ,” Mary says . “ I asked some questions when I was curious ,

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