Back in April and during the first lockdown of the Coronavirus Pandemic, an artist called Tom Croft organised a scheme to link up artists and NHS workers in order to have their portrait painted and then gifted to them as a little thank you. I thought this was a brilliant idea and couldn’t wait to participate.
My cousin, Rhonwen, in Liverpool linked me up with a young trainee Nurse, Megan Cavanagh and following a few emails back and forth, we agreed on a powerful photo reference that Megan had had taken at the end of a particularly difficult shift. I was taken aback at Megan’s stories of what she was experiencing on the Covid wards and determined to try and produce a painting to show the physical and emotional toll this horrendous virus was taking on our NHS Heroes.
My portrait titled ‘Meg’ has now been included in a book by Bloomsbury Publishing due to be released on 12 November showing a selection of the participating artists’ work and telling the emotional stories behind the paintings.
Today’s Guardian newspaper has also featured an article highlighting some of the NHS heroes’ portraits and both Meg and I are chuffed to bits that her portrait has been included amongst the selection.
The book’s proceeds will go to the NHS and I hope it raises a fortune for them! 🌈💙
I had only just finished reading the article – then read your blog. Well done. An excellent piece of work – you’ve really caught the exhaustion of Meg.
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Thank you so much Graham – Meg’s emails to me of her experiences nursing on a Covid red Ward were heartbreaking – I’m so pleased that people will be made aware of how hard it’s been for our NHS Heroes and glad that my painting caught a little of the toll it has taken.
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