The birds are singing their songs in my sketchbook today

"The birds
are singing
their songs
today in my
sketchbook"

When one of the patients
in the renal dialysis unit
at Inverclyde Hospital
was asked if he would like
to participate in an art project
with Art in Hospital
his immediate reaction
was 'go chase yourself!'
He was laughing as he told me.
The problem was, he said,
all the others then started painting
and one in particular persisted
in asking him to join in.
In the end,
he'd finally said 'go on then,
give me the stuff'
and then added under his breath
'thank goodness
she persevered in asking me.'

During a conversation
several months ago with Dr Mun Woo,
Associate Specialist in Renal Medicine,
she told me about taking the Artists
from Art in Hospital
around the renal dialysis unit
for the first time.
She had been interested to see
that rather than being alarmed by the
complicated tubes, blood and
machinery surrounding each patient
(as many medical students had been!)
the Artists' had wanted to work out
how best to work around
the dialysis machines
to ensure the patients had choices
and freedom to work.
Based on her prior experience and
understanding of the work of
'Art in Hospital' she had supported the
project within the Renal Dialysis unit
from its inception.
To have such understanding from a senior
medical Consultant seems to have been
crucial to the success of this project and
perhaps most interestingly to the
motivation of the patients taking part.
Many times, I heard
" As Dr Woo thought it was such a good
idea, I decided to give it a go."
"Dr Woo is interested in our quality of
life during treatment and I wanted to take
part to acknowledge that." Or even
"Dr Woo can be very persuasive!"
Maria Doyle, Sharon Goodlet Kane,
Belinda Guidi and Daisy Richardson
worked individually with patients during
their dialysis at Inverclyde Hospital over a
period of 5 months.This exhibition simply
marks a moment in that residency, which I
was priveleged to witness. It was an extaordinary
exchange of creativity.

Leanne has taken part in the project since
it began.
She comes into the renal dialysis unit
at Greenock hospital three times a
week, where her dialysis
can last for up to 5 hours.
She takes her sketchbooks home
after treatment to continue working
and shows them to her daughter,
who is now also keeping a sketchbook.
Leanne says their discussion is mostly
about techniques, animation and colour.
If her daughter phones whilst
she is on dialysis, it is often to discuss
a way of drawing, or a suggestion
for an animation idea.
It is a new, positive and inspiring sharec
vocabulary for them.
«Dialysis is something that happens
now « she says
«whilst making art.»

Each time I came into the ward
during the workshops, I was conscious
of intense concentration and quiet
conversations going on between artists
and patients.
As I watched patients creating work,
the questions I found myself asking them
were in relation to their art.
If dialysis came into our conversations,
it was often about the inconvenience
of right hands being hooked up to tubes
or whether they felt they had enough
energy that day to finish their painting.
I heard words like charcoal, acrylics,
line, form, animation, water colour
alongside medical vocabulary.
t somehow sounded a happier balance.
Christina had finished yet another
vibrant extraordinary painting.
The woman in her painting lazed
comfortably, unlike Christina, who was
standing by her bed in an
attempt to maximise the light and check
her colours were accurate as she made
finishing marks on her painting.
She turned her easel around to face
feedback from other patients and nursing
staff.
The reaction was immediate and positive.
«The nurses call me the arty farty one
now» she laughed «and I tell them I’m
very happy with that tttle.»
I overheard a conversation between
Christina and one of the nurses.
Christina was explaining her difficulty in
drawing the profile of a woman. The
nurse was asking questions about
the painting as she made her medical
checks. They were exchanging information.
They were equals

The concept of choices came up
frequently in discussions.
«There is very little choice
during dialysis» said Alistair.
«The treatment happens in a certain way
for a certain period of time. That’s hoz it
has to be.
During the art workshops however, we
were constantly being offered choices
by the Artists.
That’s very empowering. Whether it is
materials or choice of medium, their suggestions
and help are offered
as professional Artists.
There is a lot of respect around »
The nursing and administrative staff on
the renal dialysis ward had
undiluted enthusiasm for the project.
They had welcomed the Artists
more and more as they saw
the effect on patients
during the workshops.
One nurse commented that
the patients were so focused and engrossed
that their jobs as nursing staff
somehow seemed slightly easier
when the Artists were on the wards.
«No one wants to ask
the nurses questions
during art workshops,
their relationships
are rather with the
Artists.»

Myra ‘s work reflected her love for the
west coast of Scotland. She told me
she had been full of self trepidation and
doubt on first starting to paint. It had
been an even more frightening beginning
in this situation, she explained. «You are
lying there in the hospital bed knowing
that your body has failed you in some
way and at the same time you are being
asked to do something you might not
have done since school, something creative»
She told me those first few marks
she had made on her first blank sheet
of paper had been terrifying but now
she thought about her painting on the
way to dialysis and had her own sketch
book. She added «the artists have lifted
me out of failure and turned 4 hours of
failure into 4 hours of achievement. This
kind of statement was frequent. Wilma
told me «the Artists have inspired me to
make art part of my life now.»
There is so much to say about the
strength of this residency that it is impossible
to put into these few words but
I end with the words of one patient who
put his brush down to say to me
«This kind of work is
not a nice wee
extra. It’s actually the
difference between
coping and not coping»
Penny Rae
June 2013