Power of the smile

Quentin Blake is a delightful person, at least I feel sure he must be, judging by his work on show at Compton Verney in Warwickshire. Appropriately the exhibition is called As Large as Life, partly because they are large watercolours.

This short video clip shows his technique.


Each room has a themed series of works that have been commissioned by various health facilities, such as the St Vincent clinic for eating disorders in London or this Fire Eater for a hospital. The following has been taken from the Compton Verney website.

 
"Friends in the circus series - Ellington Ward in Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow.
This is an older adults’ mental health ward for which Quentin has made a series of pictures on a circus theme. The series of circus characters – jugglers, tightrope-walkers, fire-eaters and clowns – all of an older age group, forms a display which can be seen as celebrating the lifelong persistence of well-practised talents."

These works were commissioned by The Nightingale Project who aim to cheer up mental health facilities. I feel sure these wonderful circus pictures do exactly that.

And the most noticeable thing was the way everyone looking at the pictures was smiling. Hopefully those struggling with the despair of mental illness feel happier when they see these enchanting images.