A Care Home Sketchbook

Last month I had a week’s residency in a care home on the South coast of England- I was invited to fill a sketchbook with drawings of the staff and residents.

I was aware that I should approach the work without suddenly seeming to intrude into the lives of those who pass their time, or even their last days there. I thought it best to draw the grounds first, so that folk could see me from the windows and get used to my creeping around!

After a day or so, I asked if the residents in the TV lounge would mind my sitting with them and sketching, which I did.

The elderly have a habit of dropping off, which made for easy portraits…
………but on Wednesdays, the hairdresser came, which provided a more animated series of sketches.

One of the ladies invited me to her room to show me some drawings she’d done when younger and later on I was able to draw her room which was stuffed with mementos.

The staff, too, were important and I felt it was essential to capture the day-to-day hard work of running the home…..
….. and their many acts of kindness towards the residents,

I was touched by people’s friendliness and felt privileged to have the

opportunity to document such an interesting place!

Caroline Johnson, Rennes correspondent