Art at Work Exhibition - Raising Funds for Elliscombe Garden Project

Art at Work is a collaborative project between residents of a care home and its staff, borne out of a common desire to make the gardens surrounding the home more accessible.

Somerset care group Aurora Care Ltd acquired Elliscombe House at Higher Holton near Wincanton in 2012. Converted to a care home in 1985, it has been dear to the local community for many years.

Aurora Care is fully committed to the improvements at Elliscombe House. Having already invested a substantial sum in the refurbishment of the home, it has recently been successful in obtaining planning permission for the upgrade of various facilities around the home.

The garden project is a prime priority; giving residents access to the outdoor facilities of the home in a way that has never previously been possible.

Built in 1906, the gardens were laid out in classic Arts and Crafts design but have been neglected over the years.

"More than seven acres of grounds with stunning views cannot be accessed by the residents here due to lack of suitable paths," explained Neil Watkins, husband of Elliscombe House Matron Carol Watkins and the founder of Art at Work.

"After years of tending their own gardens, it is frustrating for them not to be able to walk around outside, admire views, look at flowers - all things we take for granted - because of uneven ground, broken paths and overgrown shrubbery."

A level smooth-paved path has been laid around the perimeter of the building already, enabling residents to walk around and for those in wheelchairs to be pushed, and this has proved a real enhancement to life at the home, with many residents being able to enjoy the views and walk in the garden for the first time.

The residents have big plans for the gardens: a pond with a duck house, open air outdoor care area, shaded seating areas, bird and bat boxes, an aviary, raised beds so that residents can tend plants themselves, fruit trees and plenty of safe paths.

An artist in ceramics and wood, Neil got to know a resident of Elliscombe House who has been a well known artist since the 1950s when she co-founded the Bruton Art Society. Joy Barnes, 101 this year, sold her lifetime collection of art at auction in 2012 for close to £1m - items included a selection of works from her own studio as well as Chinese ceramics and works of art from the Chinese Tang dynasty to contemporary ceramics by Edmund de Waal, Hans Coper and Lucie Rie; and British sculpture by Bernard Leach, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Elisabeth Frink, Michael Ayrton, Paul Mount, Reg Butler and many more.

Joy studied at the Chelsea College of Art in the 1930s where Henry Moore and Graham Sutherland were her tutors. She is still painting and selling her work.

This inspired Neil to hold a meeting between Elliscombe House residents and staff to discuss what they wanted to see in the gardens and grounds; and what they thought of hosting an art exhibition at Elliscombe to raise funds.

"I was really amazed at the diversity of talent and the gifted people living and working here and at the other two Aurora Care homes," said Neil. "I discovered we have a lace-maker, spinner, weaver, published poets and authors, and textile designer working for the company; and a quilt-maker and professional wildlife photographer known to us who are happy to support the project by exhibiting.

"It has been wonderful to witness people working together in a different way - someone you work with each day yet have no idea they had such a talent."

Art at Work - Saturday 24th to Sunday 25th August

The residents' fund needs to raise a significant amount of money to fund the landscaping work, so a gallery show, Art at Work, will be held on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August, 1.30pm to 5.30pm.

As well as poetry recitals by authors Michael Forester, Jacqueline Haskell and Sally St Clair; there will be demonstrations of spinning, quilting and lace-making, exhibits of pencil drawings, oil, and watercolour paintings including the work of Joy Barnes; photographs by National Geographic Explorer and professional wildlife photographer Victoria Hillman, and artists who work with ceramics, textiles and wood. A feature of the exhibition will be paintings and diaries discovered in storage in the attic at Elliscombe, with a history of the house.

Some exhibits will be for sale on a 50/50 split between the exhibitor and the Residents Fund.

All are welcome to join us for an interesting and enjoyable afternoon to raise funds for this worthwhile cause.

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