Live painting sessions in Leeds hospital atrium

An artist will be creating paintings live in a Leeds hospital from tomorrow.
David StarleyDavid Starley
David Starley

Professional artist David Starley will hold the first of three sessions at the Bexley Wing, at St James’s Hospital, tomorrow from 10am, bringing the beauty and splendour of Britain’s woodlands to the modern building.

This is the first time the Bexley Wing – home to the atrium gallery, a regularly changing exhibition which helps raise money for the Yorkshire Cancer Centre Appeal – has hosted this type of live painting by an artist.

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David, from Saltaire, near Bradford, has had his work displayed in a range of galleries and was recently Artist in Residence at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Harlow Carr Garden, near Harrogate. He uses traditional oil paints, applied with a knife rather than a brush, to produce a textured image.

He said he was relishing the opportunity to bring his art to the hospital and is already seeing a positive response.

“This is a very large space indeed, but having experienced a joint show with the Aire Valley Arts Group at the hospital some years ago, I was totally bowled over by the response of the public.

People who understandably have serious matters on their minds clearly found much pleasure in looking at, and talking about the paintings.”

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As well as carrying out live painting sessions tomorrow and on December 8 and December 20, between 10am and 3pm, David’s work can be seen in a wall of trees in the main atrium in the Bexley Wing, which can be viewed every day.

The exhibition runs until the end of January 2017.

Donations for the Yorkshire Cancer Centre Appeal will be collected during the sessions.

David is also donating 25 per cent of sales made during the exhibition to the appeal, which has raised £10m for the Bexley Wing, including towards improvements to the environment.

Yvonne Holmes, who organises displays at the atrium gallery, said: “It’s a delight to have David as our first live painter. There was a fantastic reaction to his first session with many people being fascinated to see his painting technique. The atrium is already home to live piano playing and that also goes down extremely well with patients and staff.”

For more: www.davidstarleyartist.com