Carol Evans

62-year-old Carol Evans uses painting as a way of coping with the effects of her brain injury.

Twenty years ago Carol experienced a brain aneurysm, leaving her with memory loss and mobility problems.

“I was unable to spell or string a sentence together,” said Carol. “Walking in a straight line was difficult and I had to use two sticks.”

These problems remain an issue for Carol, however she credits her love of painting with helping her to cope with them.

“I started painting about four years after my brain injury."

I couldn’t believe that I could actually paint – I surprised myself and others around me!

“Painting helps with my hand-eye coordination. It has got me through the darker days and helped me come to terms with the way my life has changed drastically.”

Sadly, Carol now experiences rheumatoid arthritis in her hands which she says makes painting difficult.

“I still paint but it takes me longer to finish,” she said. “Mostly I do decorative paintings for myself and my family."

They all tend to have a tilt to the left because that’s how I see things.

I enjoy being creative and painting takes me to a happy place!