Down to a fine art – residents at a care home in Edinburgh picked up their pencils recently and welcomed local artist Jennifer Thomson for The Big Draw Festival 2019.
Care UK’s Murrayside, at South Beechwood, joined in the celebrations by creating works of art around this year’s theme ‘drawn to life’. As well as leading a drawing class for residents, Jennifer also unveiled a special work of art entitled “Edinburgh Zoo Queue”. In memory of her late father, the print has been donated to Murrayside, and will now be displayed in the home for visitors and residents alike to enjoy.
Launched in 2000 as part of the ‘Campaign for Drawing’, The Big Draw promotes drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention, and has encouraged over four million people to get arty since its inception. This year’s theme celebrates the benefits of creative activities, especially drawing, on health and wellbeing. 2019 also marks the bicentenary of John Ruskin’s birth, founder of the Guild of St George, the charitable education trust behind the initiative.
Michelle Reid, home manager at Murrayside, said, “Here at Murrayside, we firmly believe that activity-based care is essential in supporting residents to lead fulfilling lives, so The Big Draw is a fantastic initiative for us to get involved with.
“Drawing is an accessible activity that people of all ages can enjoy together, so we were delighted to welcome Jennifer Thomson back to Murrayside to join us for the occasion.
“Art has proven benefits for older people, by offering the chance to tap into happy memories and an alternative way to communicate emotions and thoughts, which Jennifer’s masterclass certainly demonstrated!
Michelle Reid
Michelle added, “Everyone had a wonderful day, and we are proud to be displaying Jennifer’s print in our home for everyone to see.”
In Scotland I attended Dunfermline High School from 2010 to 2016 and Edinburgh Napier University from 2016 to 2020, emerging with two Advanced Higher and five Higher qualifications from the former and graduating with an undergraduate bachelor of arts honours degree in journalism from the latter. After two years away from further education due to the coronavirus pandemic, I'm going to be studying the MFA Photography course at York St John University in England from 2022 to 2024. I've achieved The Duke of Edinburgh’s (Bronze) Award and received grade five level certification for electronic keyboard from Trinity College London. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, writing, watching television series, listening to music and going to the cinema as well as catching up with friends, travelling by railway and hostelling overnight and overindulging in food and drinks in a pub or restaurant then having to go to the gym to burn it all off again.
By studying journalism and photography, my aim of practicing photojournalism professionally will hopefully be once step closer. Both are partial artforms requiring the rest of the work to be undertaken by the audience, the specialism of photojournalism, however, providing each of its two parts with greater context. Exploring photographic techniques (aerial, timelapse, editing) through a variety of journalistic styles (features, poetry, songwriting) will allow me to develop my portfolio, hone my camera skillset and narrow my focus further in anticipation of working life. Without a global pandemic to deal with this time. Fingers crossed.
