Creating a piece of Art to inspire, soothe, brighten someones day.

So for those curious about the piece 'Starburst' I posted on facebook the other day, here is a little more info on why, how and where for......

The piece is a three dimensional mixed media 4x4ft canvas for a Charity - Leonard Cheshire Care Home in Tunbridge Wells. A group of artists that I'm part of were asked to put proposals forward for a piece 'out of our comfort zone' so instead of my usual silk painting and knowing I had hoarded all sorts of bits over the years (hate waste - love to recycle), saying to myself 'that would look nice collaged' this is what I created! Off cuts of silk layered up creating deeper and deeper colours, off cuts of mount board cut into shard shapes then collaged with the silk, Shards cut from old cds for a bit of 'Starburst' bling. All recycled apart from PVA glue and varnish.

And this is why...... James Chinnery the man with the vision sent us this

~~~~ARTIST'S WANTED

PROPOSAL: To fill the halls and corridors of Seven Springs, with life and wonder, colour and mystery.

SEVEN SPRINGS: is a Cheshire Leonard home for the permanently disabled, the majority being wheelchair bound for one reason or another. I’m sure all your creative minds can imagine the cause and effect, be it illness or accident for example, but if you cannot, here’s a helping hand:

IMAGINE: most of you sitting here today and reading this can no longer walk and reside almost permanently in wheelchairs. Those of you who can, say about 2, shamble and sway, unsure of your footing. One of you is permanently horizontal. Some of you can speak and have normal conversations, others can just about say hello, while still more can only grunt and gesture, miming. Some others are totally silent. Some of you understand where you are and why you are the way you are but some of you do not. Some of you can use your hands: to smoke, read, eat; some of you though can barely move your arms, let alone feed yourself, let alone wipe your own arse. Some of you are resigned to your lot, while others have come to accept it and try to live on; some of you are angry, sad, depressed; while some of you are happy and content. Some of you are artists. Some of you do literally nothing all day. You sleep and eat and shit and wait. And wait . . .

Seven Springs: is a warren of corridors on two levels. Styled in magnolia, they are huge, anaemic and almost soulless. Unending, it seems at times. Just imagine a hospital corridor covered in magnolia instead, to make it seem less like a hospital corridor. There are meeting rooms, a Chapel (good excuse for someone to try out a religious motif, daring perhaps for an atheist!), dayrooms, a large dinning room, a fairly impressive stair case or two, an entry hall . . . and not forgetting the corridors!~~~~

How could i not be part of it?  I immediately wanted to do something inspiring and uplifting. Starburst came straight to mind... an Explosion.... a Firework...Rose Windows in Churches... wonderful things that make you look up, engage and smile.

I am always reminded by how happy it made me when a customer I hadn't seen for a while mentioned about a piece of my Art she has had in her home for years 'I look at it every day and it makes me smile' Wow I thought if I can make someone at Seven Springs smile each day maybe I've made a difference.

If you'd like to see my piece alongside all the other artists that took part the canvasses will be on display from 1st June 2018 at the G&C Gallery Tunbridge Wells as part of the Tunbridge Wells arTWorks Open Studios Trail, before they go to Seven Springs for permanent display.

https://www.gcgallery.co.uk/index.php/the-day-gallery/

http://gb-eventer.com/event/artworks-artists-group-studios-trail-in-tunbridge-wells

https://www.leonardcheshire.org/support-and-information/disability-care-and-support/care-homes/seven-springs