Louise: Women Of The NHS

I am currently working on a larger-scale painting of Louise. Louise is a nurse who works in Norwich, and this painting forms part of my Women of the NHS series.

The Women of the NHS series explores the diverse narratives within healthcare. I engaged with female NHS workers across a variety of sectors and locations, conducting interviews and creating a podcast series alongside visual artworks. This collaborative process explores the complex interplay between gender, knowledge, experience, and power in contemporary society, using the NHS as a mirror through which wider social issues can be reflected.

This painting has been created using oil paint and has allowed me to be more experimental with my process. I have been placing the painting on the floor before working on it upright on an easel. With the painting laid flat, I have been pouring thinned oil paint mixed with a large amount of Zest-it and encouraging the colours to merge and blend together naturally. I originally used this technique for the underpainting and have since continued layering it throughout the green leafy background and across the decking. I only want to suggest the shapes of the leaves and decking, allowing these elements to remain gestural and fluid. In contrast, other areas of the painting, including Louise and her clothing, are more heavily worked and carefully rendered.