This in from IW NHS, in their own words, Ed
Portraits drawn by patients at Sevenacres Mental Health Unit are on display at the Full Circle Exhibition Space, St. Mary’s Hospital.
The portraits are part of therapy led by local artist, Brooke Engledow.
Brooke came to making self-portraits when she herself was struggling with bouts of depression. She now visits Osborne Ward at Sevenacres once a week to spend time with patients and invites them join her, as a group, to draw portraits of each other.
‘Portrait therapy’
This activity is described as ‘portrait therapy’ and the time spent and experience of taking part offers the opportunity for participants to reflect, learn and understand more about the skill and process of creating a ‘likeness’ – in its many different forms.
Commenting on her own experience, Brooke Engledow, said:
“Portraiture is a process that involves oneself being seen by another. It allows for an awareness of one’s self through another’s eyes. There is something quietly fascinating about the way we impact on the people around us. Rather than relying on technology to convey our existence, there is nothing quite like the experience of making a portrait of another person or having one made of oneself.”
Brooke continued:
“The act of taking part and being together and sharing as a group over the two hours usually leads to a positive response to the way people are feeling.”
Community studio
Brooke has set up a community studio in Totland and has made parallel portraits of friends also experiencing difficult times and these also form part of the exhibition.
Collaboration with previous workshops
During the period 1986 – 2006 the artist John Fulford also held weekly portrait and drawing sessions at Whitecroft, Newcroft and Sevenacres. Included in this exhibition is a selection of the portraits made by participants of each other at this time and which are now part of the IW NHS Trust’s art collection.
Speaking about the drawing sessions, John Fulford, said:
“I hope people were able to gain a period of release for themselves from their immediate worries during the drawing sessions as they faced the problems of how to get a still life or a portrait or figure of a model onto a new support and then grappling with the use of either pencil, pastel or paint to do the job, together with the need to keep the model reasonably interested.”
Guy Eades, Healing Arts Director, said:
“Here at Healing Arts we are continually seeking to develop new ways for persons to recover and maintain their health that are supportive, meaningful and that give positive results. Making portraits of each other, even if individual’s previous experience in this area has been limited, has proved to be a very rewarding experience for those persons participating in mental health recovery programmes.
“This exhibition reveals something of the experience itself as well as the opportunity so enjoy some remarkable portraits in their own right. Entry is FREE and can be viewed 9.00am – 9.00pm daily at the Full Circle Exhibition Space, St. Mary’s.”
