York Hospital nurse's NHS portraits 'took mind off work'

A nurse who has painted portraits of her colleagues has had the canvases exhibited in the hospital where she works.

Alice Evans Goodwill works in recovery at York Hospital and painted the pictures during her time off.

She has worked at the hospital for 15 months since graduating from a nursing course at York University.

Ms Evans Goodwill, 25, said: "I do find it relaxing - it takes your mind off work."

During the last coronavirus spike Ms Evans Goodwill, a staff nurse, also worked on the hospital's Intensive Care Unit.

She said: "When I painted my colleagues we were working in our usual place and I painted them before masks and everything.

"I think everyone has struggled at some point along the way but I feel very lucky to have been working with a such a great team."

The artist started by sketching her own hands as "I found the wrinkles, cracks and inconsistent skin tone interesting".

A self-portrait showing her eyes looking out from her hands is one of the pictures on show at the exhibition, organised by the hospital's arts team.

"Coronavirus brought a lot of uncertainty into our lives as our work changed daily and everyone faced the challenges of unfamiliar departments and new teams of people," Ms Evans Goodwill added.

"I began paintings my work colleagues as their expressions say a lot about them as individuals."

The paintings are to be displayed in the main corridor of the hospital until the end of November.

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