Artsparks Review January – March 2018
Artsparks is led by Artist in Residence, Mary Chamberlain and brings a series of regular creative workshops to young patients (YPs)on the Children’s Ward. The intention is to allow children to enjoy the freedom to produce their own artwork in a safe, supportive and non-judgemental setting. Workshops take place in the playroom or bedsides and they are supported by Play Specialists Lynn, Jo and Rachelle. This project is fully inclusive, building relationships with many of our regular patients. The children are looking at ‘MY Big Planet Earth’ as the overarching theme and focussing each month on elements in nature. For January, the focus has been on birds. Participants have looked at peacocks and pheasants using paper and collage, also owls and swans using mixed media, canvas and air drying clay. Mary has been demonstrating how to stretch canvases using linen or cotton duck canvas which shows off the images particularly well.
Mary says “It has been brilliant working with the children using different materials and beginning a new year with an exploration of the beauty of our world.” A YP came into the playroom with his brother and their parents. He was very keen to make an image of a rainbow, and to use the glitter in his image. His brother wanted to make an image of a Neon Cat who is a character from Netflix and has a rainbow tail. He chose white paper to make his image on and acrylic paint to fill in the colours. He then chose to make an image from his imagination on canvas based on The Wimpy Kid books which he enjoys. Following this, he chose to use the coloured pencils to create a comic book. The comic tells the story of captain underpants, the YP spoke of not wanting to go home but being able to carry on making artwork.
Top: Air drying clay painted swans made by patients, Middle Left: Glitter glue rainbow, Middle right: Neon cat with rainbow tail. Bottom Left: Captain Underpants front cover, Bottom Right: YP with his comic books.
Furthermore, a long term patient on the Children’s Ward worked with the artist over a number of weeks and produced a collection of beautiful artwork. In a January workshop, she decided to have a go at creating a 3-D relief image based on a peacock. She drew out the main image and with help from Mary, glued this to paper on board and then made the body 3-D by creating a slit and gluing it, then covering with newspaper. The YP carried on with creating the peacock during the week with her mother and showed the artist her beautiful finished artwork at the next workshop session. Following on with the theme of birds, the YP looked at producing an image of an owl. She wanted to focus her piece on the owl’s head and to use the feathers on her image. She worked steadily and in a focused manner, and was engaged in making her art.
Top left to right: Pink Flamingo with stitch outline, Colourful, textured Peacock, Watercolour fox, Owl head with feather outline all made by a long term patient
The flamingo & the ostrich were subjects of the final workshop in January. The YP wanted to continue with the embroidery idea from a previous week and Mary had brought in the threads and needles for this. She chose to draw out an image of a flamingo in pencil on prepared cotton duck canvas. She stitched the outline with a needle and thread and painted the inside pink. In a February workshop, the theme was cats and dogs which included looking at foxes as well as lions and tigers. The YP spoke of how she loves seeing the paint run and move on the canvas and Mary showed her a new technique of stretching watercolour paper. The artist brought a fox image along to the workshop that was very fluid and the materials used ran into each other. The patient chose to work from this image and Mary demonstrated how to stretch watercolour paper. They then did a trial piece to explore how the paint responds when working wet on wet and also to experiment with blowing with a straw. The YP worked enthusiastically using the paint on this trial image and so, when ready, she stretched another piece of paper and used pencil to sketch out the fox. As this didn’t go quite to plan and it’s difficult to rub out without the eraser highlighting the mistake more, she started again. This time she bravely chose to go straight in with the paint. The patient spoke again of her pleasure in seeing how the paint runs and of how she loves watercolour paint, the effects they produce and using them in landscapes.
“My daughter has enjoyed her time with you so much. She has learnt a lot and has found a creative side to her she didn’t know she had. Thank you for making her time in RUH bearable. She always looked forward to Wednesdays. Her artwork is incredible, and has helped her through a very difficult time. Thank you so much.” Parent
A YP took part in a Artsparks workshop with her mother and was keen to try out the air drying clay by making a model of a swan. The artist worked alongside her step by step, making one at the same time and explaining once dry, she could paint it.
First stage of clay swan figures
The patient said that she loved art and especially using colour. After she had finished her swan and was waiting for it to dry she created a canvas from her imagination using pastels and water-soluble ink blocks (which she hadn’t used before) and acrylic paints.
“My daughter loves this workshop! She is so happy to take part in the playing and not only lying in a bed! THANK YOU!” Parent
Left to right: Clay model of a cat and young patient (YP) working on a stretched linen canvas
In a February workshop, a patient wanted to make an image of a cat in clay and chose an image to work from. The artist, Mary worked with her and Norland’s Nanny Lois also, showing the stages. Once done, she was keen to try the coloured pencil and created an image of a flower on canvas. Left: Cartoon image of a cat
One patient joined the table in time to see another finishing her canvas piece and was interested to try too and to use the coloured pencils. A YP joined the group and made a clay model of a cat, with whiskers and a collar! In the last Artsparks workshop of February, patients looked at Lions and Tigers. The artist was setting up the space beginning to stretch the linen around the backing board for the corridor when a patient joined the playroom to make art. He was keen to show her how he could make an origami dog and made 2 versions of different sizes. Another patient joined them for a while and had a go at drawing a face from his phone. Mary talked him through dimensions. He wasn’t too pleased with his work though and after a while, chose to create from a cartoon image of a cat.
“Wonderful that siblings were able to take part - thank you. Both girls have never used clay or water soluble colours before. Thank you.” Parent
In March, the main focus has been to create a background landscape for the stretched and sized linen canvas, and to collage the printed works produced from previous Artsparks sessions. During one session, a YP was keen to work on the canvas. His dad also joined and sat with him. He began by using paint on the birds in the sky and then worked on the mountains, drawing another in and using the paint to create a two-tone effect. Mary worked alongside him filling in the sky. He left at one point for some procedures and returned afterwards to continue. Young patient (YP) with watercolour painting
Once he had finished the mountains, they discussed the colour for the sun and Mary mixed the paint which he then used to complete a very orange sun. The collage canvas piece will be worked on and developed by the patients and their families on the Children’s Ward with the guidance of the artist. An exhibition of the artworks created from the workshops will also be displayed in the Artsparks gallery. In between working on the canvas, A YP showed Mary how to make starburst flowers and whilst putting the flowers together, they had good conversations about making art. One patient was engaged with playing with the toys in the playroom, but when he saw the artist using the oil pastels, the YP decided to have a go and they made backdrop images (with a red circle on a yellow square). Mary explained to him how the process worked: that they would use the colours to create shapes and patterns and then cover them over with acrylic paint. The artist showed him one she had prepared earlier and he worked into it using the side of a ruler to scratch out different shapes and his name. His parents sat with them and joined in too. The workshops encourage family and friends to get involved and it is wonderful to see the children proud of their artwork. Top right: Starburst flowers, middle right: backdrop images and pattern image, right bottom: YP with finished artwork, left bottom: YP painting canvas
Group Collage Canvas
Artsparks has reached 52 patients, 11 members of staff and 12 parents/visitors so far this year. (January – Mid March 2018) The project is kindly funded by a St John’s Community Grant and the materials are funded by Bath Decorative and Fine Art Society (NADFAS). Number of patients reached
A young patient’s (YP) drawing
Contact: Arts Programme Manager, Hetty Dupays: hetty.dupays@nhs.net Marketing & Programme Officer, Jessica Shoemack: jessicashoemack@nhs.net Art at the Heart of the RUH Estates and Facilities Directorate Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust Combe Park Bath, BA1 3NG Tel: 01225 824987/825558
Web: www.artatruh.org
Charity No. 1058323
@artatruh