Ruth Ball’s residency took place across three wards at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, specialising in care for those living with dementia, and recovering from strokes and other traumas. Sessions took place in the morning, to provide an activity for patients outside of visiting times in the afternoon. Ruth was supported by a member of staff from the Bdc, together with ward staff that included nurses and student nurses.
Ruth prepared two projects for the participants, introducing various different artistic techniques. The first project used paper leaves that the patients could colour in with felt tip pens. For the second project, Ruth introduced printmaking techniques using gel plates and different coloured inks to create prints of real leaves and paper templates onto Japanese paper. Some participants were able to create collages and build layers of colour, which gave very exciting results.
Participants really enjoyed seeing the details from the real leaf prints, and Ruth encouraged them to rub and trace their fingers over the leaf to feel the veins and edges as part of the printing process. This proved a very tactile as well as visual experience for participants, as some patients were visually impaired and also deaf, so touch was crucial to their engagement in the activity.
The processes that Ruth taught the participants produced lovely professional results, so that even those who had limited arts activity experience or lacked confidence could enjoy the process and see the results they’d achieved. Participants enjoyed making decisions about what colour ink to use and selecting which leaves and paper shapes that they wanted.
The time spent with the participants during the activities provided valuable social interaction. Occasionally patients were reluctant to try the activities themselves, however they watched while Ruth demonstrated the printing.
Ruth and the support staff witnessed first hand the positive effect the printmaking and collage techniques had on the participants: their confidence grew with the assistance of the artist and their focus and concentration improved as they worked on their artwork.
“I think it’s a jolly good idea to be doing things like this, it brings you down being ill, but this has taken my mind off it. It’s good to talk to someone different too, you don’t want to bother the nurses.”
– Participant
“It’s good therapy, I’m striving to be as good as Picasso, it’s better than sitting around.”
– Participant
“I used to love to do things like this but now I can’t. Can I do another leaf in gold? Aren’t I cheeky!”
– Participant
“It’s been good for the patients, it gives them something to do as the days are long. It entertains patients. It’s nice too that they have something at the end which they can give to their families.”
– Healthcare Assistant, Royal Liverpool University Hospital
“Many patients suffering from dementia have post operation delirium, so to be able to calm them is important.”
– Healthcare Assistant, Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Ruth’s legacy artwork for the Royal Liverpool University Hospital was based on the printing activities undertaken with participants during her residency, and conversations that took place about memory and treasured moments. The final artwork, made from enamel on copper, was installed in August 2018.
‘Traces’ by Ruth Ball (2018)
“During my residency with dementia patients on the wards, I used simple printmaking techniques to develop the creation of small artworks at the bedside. Taking print traces from leaves proved very popular and really engaged everyone who took part. We made cards from the artworks which could be given out to family and friends enabling the sessions to be shared. In developing designs with the patients, the processes opened up conversations and by chatting together we celebrated not just the visual imprints of leaves but more importantly their traces of memories, stories from their life and treasured moments of remembrance.”
– Ruth Ball