By Setarreh Massihzadegan
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Many who live at Linden Ponds claim they never use their kitchens, but the same cannot be said for Bette Paris Mohr. Her kitchen storage closet is neatly stacked with paper and paintbrushes, her dishwasher houses trays of paint tubes, and a large artist’s table stands ready for use in the corner.

From the moment she first looked at this apartment— the only one she saw at Linden Ponds—Paris Mohr knew it would be just right, particularly for its kitchen.

Inspiration at home
On the sixth floor of one of the community’s newest residence buildings, the kitchen’s large windows receive northern light, which is ideal for an artist because it means the studio stays in constant light all day.

“This is beautiful with the natural rock,” Paris Mohr says of the view overlooking Linden Ponds’ wooded grounds and granite rock formations. “It’s just inspirational to look out,” she says, adding that on a clear day she can just make out Boston’s Prudential and John Hancock buildings.

Boston is a familiar sight for Paris Mohr, who grew up in Melrose, Mass., before moving to California in her adult life. After 46 years on the West Coast, she recently made the move to Linden Ponds, where she is closer to her four sisters and one brother, who live in eastern Massachusetts.

Crafting art
Her scenery might have changed, but Paris Mohr has remained dedicated to  her craft: painting. She remembers first picking up a pencil to draw when she was in the fifth grade, and since then she has studied at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Though she works with oils and acrylics, she most often paints with watercolor and belongs to a number of watercolor societies.