Erin Hughes, who has an art studio in Llanidloes, took on the major commission at Newham Hospital which features landscape imagery based on green spaces around the east London borough.
She spent time meeting with patients and staff and discovering some of the natural scenery and beauty spots.
“It was really amazing to see how pleased the patients were seeing their artworks on the hospital wings,” Erin said.
OTHER NEWS:
“It’s an amazing new hospital ward. It’s state of the art and the level of care patients receive at their most critical time in life is incredible. The staff really make it a special place and it’s an amazing place for the community to have a new ward.
“[The art] contributes a sense of calm depicting special areas around the hospital. It was a really great project and there should be more artwork like this.
“There was one guy he was completely obsessed with polar bears. He had a debilitating stroke, and he had to stop work. He tried to see polar bears in the arctic but the day before he had a stroke and was then airlifted. He put a polar bear in a landscape in Newham. He was absolutely thrilled to see his artwork.”
The ‘Newham Horizons’ at the Gallions Reach intensive care unit and Upton Park respiratory ward are composed of framed fine art giclée prints and framed hand-marbled paper collages and vinyl. Erin wanted to use Welsh-based companies as much as she could on the project which involved a collaboration with Welshpool Printing Group.
Erin has worked on hospital art projects closer to home in Machynlleth where she depicted the rolling hills and waterways of mid Wales at the newly refurbished Bro Ddyfi Community Hospital.
“I’m always looking for more opportunities to work in hospitals,” she said.
“To see the impact it has, it removes the clinical feeling to help wellbeing and calm. It’s a really powerful thing. I’m really proud to be part of it.”