NHS

Portraits for NHS Heroes was an incentive started on Instagram by artist Tom Croft at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.  The aim was to encourage artists to draw or paint portraits, free of charge, for our hard-working NHS workers. I was delighted and felt very privileged to complete 4 pieces of work for 4 separate NHS workers.

A portrait for Andrea - Staff Nurse in Oban, Scotland

Andrea works in a rehab ward for the elderly and stroke patients. A few words from her.

“When Covid-19 broke out the ward became a ‘red (Covid) ward’ which was new and very different for everyone so didn’t know what to expect. The pace of the ward became so quick with all showing different symptoms, some more ill than others….wearing PPE was very scary for us and of course for the patients too. Thank you so much for the portrait - I love it and it really depicts a very sad and frightening time in my career.”

This was a portrait for Heather - an ICU nurse in Manchester

“Hello Carole. I just wanted to say how amazing the portrait is and how flattered and overwhelmed I am that you took the time to paint me; it means a lot. There are little things I love that your captured, such as the collar of my uniform where it sticks out slightly (I must iron it f rom now on rather than shoving it in the dryer and hoping for the best), how you got the colour of my hair and my eyes look amazing. My mum and husband also love the portrait. My mum was thrilled I had my eyes open (long standing family joke is that most pics of me my eyes are shut!) Thank you again.”

A portrait for Sarah - Community Nurse in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

“Coronavirus for me has been a weird experience - it has been pretty bad in our community, especially in care homes as nurses have been going daily into the unknown. Seeing the devastation that this virus has caused has been heartbreaking, families not able to be with their loved ones in their final moments has definitely been the hardest. The biggest worry for me has been the worry of me taking the virus home to m two very young children who have kept me going through it all. I feel like I have neglected them a bit throughout all this but luckily they are extremely resilient and have been keeping me going through this horrible time. I wanted a picture drawn of them as a memory of this difficult time and to show them when they are older. Thank you so much Carole, The drawing is amazing; you have such a talent.”

A Portrait for Professor Peter Rea - ENT Consultant, Leicester

This particular portrait is a very special one to me. I am a long-standing sufferer of Meniere’s Disease and have been treated by Professor Rea for the last 5 years. I am now pretty much cured thank to his expertise - I was delighted to give something back! This is a drawing of Peter’s wife and mother-in-law. In his words:

“Wow! I have tears in my eyes. You are so talented and this is simply stunning. It has such significance on so many levels and the special link is with you and my mother in law - she had only just had the same injection you had a few minutes before the photo was taken which is the icing on the cake! Thank you so so much.”