Images Dated 4th August 2021

04/08/2021DonatedPainting

Pictured: John Waterhouse and DLH Care Support Worker Laura Walker
Staffordshire-basedand highly-acclaimed artist, John Waterhouse, has completed work on acompletely unique painting, inspired by families at a local children? hospice.

Theaward-winning artist is one of Britain? most talented and high-profile oilpainters, producing an array of stunning landscape and portrait paintings inhis own very distinctive style. Following a career working with young offendersas an Art Tutor at a high-security prison, John is now a full-time artist,exhibiting work in many of the UK? most prestigious galleries.

Johnvisited The Donna Louise Hospice at the start of 2020 to meet with families whorely on the hospice? services. He also had the opportunity to hear about theart therapy offered at the hospice and the profound impact it has on so manyfamily members.

John commented, ?isiting the children? hospice and havingthe opportunity to meet and speak with some of the families they support gaveme a real insight into the amazing work the hospice does. As one family told me ?t? like a big pairof hands holding us and helping us through??
John continues, ? am absolutely delighted and honoured tocreate this painting and to donate it to the hospice ?it? such a wonderfulplace and its services are much needed.?
JaneJones, Head of Care, added: ?ometimes there are no words to express thechallenges that the children, young people and families face. Art and craftactivities are really important forms of therapy as it allows them to expresstheir feelings in a fun and creative way. We were delighted to welcome John tothe hospice and are absolutely thrilled that he has used his incredibleartistic skill and talent to create this painting.?

Earlierthis year The Donna Louise was amalgamated into Dougie Mac Hospice. Nowoperating as one hospice, Dougie Mac will offer a broad spectrum of palliativeand end of life care services for children and adults across Stoke-on-Trent andNorth Staffordshire

© Stoke Sentinel

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Part of the Better World festival, Every Other Seat is a pop up exhibition of seats designed and adapted by artists commissioned to create a response to the impact of the pandemic on the arts.
Artist Julie Gould is seen with her artwork for the festival. Julie said After a truly difficult year of COVID-19 affecting the Arts and our own well being, art found many ways to help us cope with lockdown, isolation, stress, and the everyday problems that we were all faced with. This had a positive outcome on my own art practice, previously with the demands of everyday life I always felt that I had to put my artwork as second place, fitting bits in now and again when I had a bit of spare time. Still working as a key worker but suddenly not being able to go anywhere made me explore portraiture, practicing how to achieve skin tones and proportions.
This was at a point where online art suddenly came to the forefront, encouraging the everyday artists at home to join in.
Sky Portrait Artist of the Year introduced Portrait Artist of The Week, streaming a live painting of sitter every week painted by one of their past artists from the show; encouraging all artists to take part, paint along and send in their submissions. This gave me a focus and I found support and encouragement from an online community of artists globally who also were joining in.
Another major art project, Portraits for Heroes, initiated by artist Tom Croft was to offer free portraits by portrait artists matched up with NHS workers. This became a massive success resulting in a major exhibition and book published.
My seat reflects the importance of all artistic online support to everyone who was able to take part and gain a purpose through art during this difficult time.
When commissioned for EOS I wanted to include a portrait of someone from Stoke on Trent who has been at the forefront of this pandemic. My first thought was of Lara Baxter, Senior Sister on the COVID ward at the Royal Stoke. Lara who also draws, said that it calms her completely when immersed in her drawing.
My seat is a combination of thanks to the true hero? of this pandemic and the online Arts who helped to keep us sane'.
Lara said I have been working in Critical Care for just over 25 years now and the Covid pandemic has been the hardest most challenging nursing endeavour I have ever dealt with and still continue to look after. It? been physically, emotionally and mentally demanding for all of us at the UHNM. Everyone has been effected by this Covid pandemic. I hope that the patients infected eventually start to slow down. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Julie for painting my portrait and highlighting the truly amazing work that all NHS staff and NHS has done in saving the many lives during this outbreak'

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Donna Louise Armstrong is doing a wingwalk and Phil Williamson (wearing Kilt) and John Cashman are doing the worlds fastest zipslide to raise money for Poppy Scotland
Picture by Contracted Freelance Andrew Neil