Completed artworks for both 'Journeys & Travel' & 'Steps *MH'
- sarah816202
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
Retrospectively, both these themes, Journeys & Travel, together with Steps, the mental health topic for this month, carry an underlying thread that runs between them; for this reason, they are appearing alongside each other as a 'bumper blog'.
'Journeys & Travel'
Our journey and travel theme truly brought out the imaginative side of our creatives. As you will see and read, some connected deeply with their playful side, while others reminisced about past travels, beautifully sharing their memories through art and collages. Take a look at these wonderful pieces, and the artwork.
Noor - Awesomely imaginative, I absolutely love this picture, as Noor explained herself riding on a magic carpet, visiting the Taj Mahal. It also features bright sunny, seaside colours, which she drew at the top of her picture. Noor used acrylic paints on canvas for this artwork.
Phil - Fantastic piece of artwork by Phil, he made clever use of Google Gemini with all forms of transport, and chose to travel with some unusual travelling companions. He is also a great advocate for the sunflower lanyard for hidden disabilities, where he has kitted out the entire aeroplane interior with their logo. Great work, Phil, and entertaining when we spoke about your creation in the group.
Matthew - This is a picture of the caravan Matthew stayed in, when he travelled to Porthmadog for a holiday. The topic evoked his memory of travelling and staying in the caravan. He had a fantastic time. Thank you for sharing your memories, loved hearing about your travels and your stay in your caravan. It sounds like a great adventure! A black ballpoint pen was used.
Donna - Amazing artwork, Donna. I love how you are deep in thought, looking at the bus, aeroplane and ship, wondering where you will go next on your travels. This is a great picture that epitomises journeys, travel and adventure. The red suitcase is very striking; you would not lose that on an airport carousel! Felt-tip pens were used.
Andy - great pieces of artwork. Andy volunteers on our All4inclusion Travel group and is passionate about journeys and travel. The first of his pictures is of Lake Garda, he visited in September 2025. He said he enjoyed the scenery there. This sketch was made from the picture out of a calendar. Soft pastels and coloured pencils were used for this. For his second picture, Andy decided to make a photo collage of his travels he made over the previous 9 months. The view from his hotel while at conference, of Liverpool's Three Graces, the view from the San Antonio Hotel in Lanzarote and the Renon Cable Car, in Lake Garda.
I really love the view from the cable car into the valley, it looks so green, it looks like neat rows of vineyards on the left, the mountain backdrop is spectacular!
Alison - These are Alison's pictures, which she was working on during our art group session. The princess in blue was finished, and the one in green she was going to complete. There are some great details in both. Alison has been doing a lot of colouring since recuperating and her care team help provide her with materials so she can keep busy, she enjoys colouring. Both these were coloured in with felt-tip pens.
Noor - After travelling on her flying carpet to the Taj Mahal for her first painting, Noor settled down to paint some beautiful blooms with some fabulous colours, gorgeous Noor! She used her acrylic paints and some paper for these.
'Steps *MH'
Following on from travel and journeys, we now take 'Steps' for mental health. This artwork evolved and took on a different undertone, with a great deal more depth, as our creatives went on their own unique journeys, focusing on what mattered to them and their mental health. Take a closer look at the meaning behind each one.
Donna - For her first artwork, Donna drew a fantastic interpretation of a walk, with a changing emotional state. Love this, Donna, really detailed. My eye is drawn to the steps of your journey and the walk by the water at the bottom of your artwork; it looks very peaceful. And for her second artwork, Donna chose to produce an infographic of her favourite activities, on her handprint, painted with fabulously coloured nail varnish! Love how you have displayed this information, really clear. Felt-tip pens and graphite were used.
Phil - 'Steps to Positive Steps'
Great use of steps with some positive affirmations. Phil has visually demonstrated how valuable walking and movement are, and with a walk-and-talk support person to assist with mental health. I love the bright colours in his artwork. Fab work by Phil and his penguin's feet, they reminded me of the awesome film 'Happy Feet', a real blast from the past and a fantastic tribute to tappity steps too! Gel ink pens were used.
Barbara - 'Baby steps on road to recovery'
A really beautiful interpretation of the theme. Using human anatomy, which Barbara is the master at drawing, with an added plot twist. Of placing a small, next step painted in gold as an imprint. Demonstrating about being mindfully open to taking the next step and not underestimating its significance. Knowing how important it is and to do so is pure gold, no matter how small that step is, taking it is key, precious and shouldn't be taken for granted! The shadows and details of the veins are incredible. The bright red nail varnish is a great touch. Watercolour paint was used.
Noor - For her first picture, Noor used striking colours and shapes, I love this, she told us she'd been copying some fabric designs of William Morris, the artist, this was the inspiration behind her bird, tree, blue sky and seaside.
In her second artwork, Noor told us she had drawn a magic carpet, strawberries, flowers, birds and trees. The colours are beautiful. I could imagine restoring mental health, listening to the birds singing, eating healthy strawberries ripened by the summer sun and smelling the sweet scent of flowers. Felt-tip pens were used.
Vicky - This is brilliant. In the meeting, Vicky explained her MH self care is given 100% priority. In the collection of pictures, the first represents getting away for a holiday on a plane in the sun to relax. Secondly are ways she relaxes, cycling, birdwatching walking. Then, finally, she went onto explain how she incorporates Zumba as part of her work, but the exercise is really beneficial as the movement helps reduce her stress. Electronic games together with spending social time with a close circle of family and friends who are there for support too. It was great talking with Vicky about her MH self care and how she strongly prioritises her boundaries. This is something we should all be doing. Drawn using a black biro.
Matthew - This is a fantastic self portrait. Matthew, went on to explain that this is him when he is out enjoying a calm walk in his sensory garden, which is really good for his mental health. Drawn using black biro.
Sarah - 'Guided steps'
This iridescent acrylic piece is a symbolic representation of my mental health journey and the power of intentionally moving forward. The blue, textured figure navigates a personal landscape step by step, using a moral and emotional compass to guide the way. Though the path has side roads and roadblocks, the destination can and will be reached by facing decisions and their consequences. Set against a calming ocean backdrop and a grounded tree, the glowing golden compass represents inner strength and resilience. Finally, a vibrant rainbow and crystal border frames the scene like a protective arc, bringing hope and safety to the journey.
Andy - Such a beautiful photographic collage. Andy explained that these were some photos he took of a sunset walk from Brighton Sea Life Centre back to the Holiday Inn Hotel he was staying at when he was down for the UNISON Disabled Members Conference in 2024. He mentioned that he found the colours of the sky very beautiful and memorable at that time, great capture!
Helen - 'A different take on steps'. This is a powerful illustration of mental health, showing how many small steps it takes to progress, as well as the setbacks that can pull you down. Helen has created an incredibly imaginative interpretation of our mental health topic using the familiar board game Snakes and Ladders. The ladders, representing positive steps and board advancements, are highly encouraging, and staying away from those pesky snakes is key! It is a fantastic concept with a lovely choice of colours. The 3D ladders are my absolute favourite aspect, and this game could easily be built and played during a group mental health session. Coloured pens and marker pens were used to create this artwork.
Alison - During our art session, and her week, Alison had been working on two different artworks, a rabbit and Disney's Kanga. These are great. Alison consistently colours, it is something she enjoys and has kept her occupied while recuperating. Her progress has been outstanding, well done Alison, we are all really pleased for you. It has been fantastic for her to share her pictures with us in the art group.
An amazing array of interpretations for our 'Steps for Mental Health' theme. Everyone is on their own journey, finding personal ways to achieve positive steps forward. These artworks show that there isn't just one path to progress, but the overall message is that every single step counts, no matter how small. The imagination on display is fantastic to see! It's great to be able to include everyone's artwork.
Looking at both weeks, the art group has been incredibly busy, lots for you to browse, take your time and let me know your thoughts, leave a comment, drop a like. Do any of these resonate with you?
If you'd like to come along to an art session, we run them every Wednesday at 7:30 pm. They are really relaxed, use any media you wish, there are different topics each week, and write-ups are set out before the session or a quick recap at the start of the Zoom. Pop along if you are free, use the linktree
Some amazing pieces of work from Team Art
I have lots of favourites this week