It’s an isolation project with a difference. Retirement village resident Sonia Benesovsky wanted to do something with her time during lockdown and thought she’d brighten up her shed at the same time. 

“I used to say to my husband, when he was alive, I’m going to do something on that shed one day, and then it was either too hot or too something,” Sonia said. 

“But this year I thought, with my husband departed, I’ve done a lot more art work, so now that I have a cupboard full of paints I’ll do something. And I just let my head go a little bit. I’m not much of a gardener but I can paint. I think it improves the place a bit. I really enjoyed the process and it adds more interest to my garden area.”

The scene was inspired by a scene from a book coupled with her childhood memories.  “I told my sister it may be somewhere we went when we were children,” she said. “ It might be. I don’t know. It’s just my imagination.”

Word of Sonia’s talent has spread quickly and she’s had calls to do more work: “I’ve had friends say, oh, I’ve got a shipping container in my backyard if you’re interested.”

But she’s happy for now going at her own pace.