Artists in Parkes have captured the calm, uplifting atmosphere of the natural environment in new artworks made for the Parkes Hospital. The artworks celebrate wellbeing by exploring the relationship between the natural environment and our life cycle by reflecting imagery that is uplifting, nurturing, light and colourful to create an oasis of calm for people during their hospital experience.
The project was initiated by Arts OutWest in partnership with the Lachlan Health Service and Parkes Shire Council. Bathurst based artist Maralyn Nash facilitated the workshops over six mornings during May and June.
The 12 workshop participants sketched and photographed plants, flowers and scenery which were developed into a series of completed art works. Workshops included outdoor excursions to bushy parkland areas around Parkes. Participants experimented with watercolour and acrylic paints and adding collage papers and fibres to pastel and charcoal drawings.
One artwork from each participant will be gifted to the Parkes hospital. “It felt like a release to start drawing without having to prove anything,”’ said one participant. “I find nature so healing to draw,” said another. The creation of artworks for the Parkes Hospital has been an activity in response to the Lachlan Health Service Culture and Arts Working Group. The Lachlan Health Services Project team engaged regional arts development organisation Arts Out-West to integrate culture and arts into the Forbes and Parkes Hospital redevelopments. The NSW Government provided $113.7 million to redevelop the Forbes Hospital and build a new Parkes Hospital. A component of this funding was used to help deliver the Lachlan Health Service Culture and Arts program.