HSE heroes and the next chapter.

Whats been happening over the last few months? Silly question I know. From gardening to painting HSE heroes.

Time is flying by. I can’t believe its been July since my last blog post. I really do need to get better at this.

This day last year we were off on our incredible trip to China, we had no idea what was to come next. Here we are in lockdown bounce around.

Lockdown, well to be one of the lucky ones, I spent most of it in the garden tending to the flower beds, resurrecting the greenhouse and in doing so nurturing the soul there was also some art done during Covid.

Although at first, it was difficult to gather the where with all to step into a creative zone. However, one brilliant initiative came onto my radar. It was set up by Tom Croft, a wonderful artist in the U.K. #PortraitsforNHS heroes was born. The simple but powerful idea was to offer a portrait for an NHS hero, free of charge, either nominated by a loved one or by the worker themselves. Tom asked if other artists wanted to get involved and my goodness they did. It grew legs. You see, I think kindness and gratitude grew these legs and to be an artist I knew it was a wonderful way for me to acknowledge and thank those in the front line.

Heres what Tom says on his website about the inspiration in setting up this initiative,

“So I thought about it. What is the point of a portrait? It is an artistic representation of somebody, in my case a painting or drawing. Ideally with a good physical likeness. Then if it’s a good portrait it can go deeper below the surface and say more than just a snapshot. Done well it can be a more considered overview of them as a person and give a sense of the essence of who they really are. Character and personality can all be captured or referenced in a successful portrait. No selfie, no filters and often not smiling. In the past portraits have been seen as a status symbol, or produced to celebrate someone, mark some significant achievements, milestones and potentially to elevate that person in the eyes of others.

It also immortalises people, as the portraits are likely to live far longer than the subjects.

So who should be immortalised today? Who should line the walls of galleries and have future generations look back on as the people who really made a difference and stepped up, in our latest darkest hour. The people who put self interest and self preservation to one side and literally risked their lives knowingly on a daily basis for our well being. The NHS workers. Absolutely.” Tom Croft 2020

I contacted Tom and asked his permission, as you do, for me to give it some legs and adapt the #PortraitsforHSEheroes for our HSE heroes,Tom was delighted and so many incredible artists got involved. It was such a nice way to spend some time during lockdown to distract myself in doing something for others.

Tom has gone on to develop an online exhibition and a book. So needless to say myself and Tom have been chatting and we think Ireland and the HSE should have similar. So plans are hatching for an online exhibition for Portraits for HSE heroes, watch this space.

More to follow on that.

Other news.

Other news, my exhibition in GOMA Waterford was wonderful, they treated me so well. Its a wonderful little gallery and super staff. You can go to my website and  view the Catalogue . A little gem in Waterford city. I have a body of work bursting through the studio walls, so I am open to exhibition opportunities, studio visits and online sales , cheeky! no reality. Check out my website for new work.

The opera festival is at a very reduced capacity this year, all online. Therefore the town which is normally buzzing for the festival is quiet. However, go check out some artists online and support them if you can. They really appreciate it.

In the meantime, stay safe, play safe and above all be kind to yourself,

Bernadette

In the studio.
In the studio. oil on canvas

 

 

 

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