"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