Help wanted with panel painting

Hospital Art Australia Incorporated, based at St Huberts Island, is looking for people who have suffered cancer to help paint a panel.

The panel, which celebrates life after cancer, will be one of 36 panels taken to Mt Fuji in Japan by cancer survivors.

The panels will then be given to a hospital at the base of Mt Fuji for the enjoyment of patients.

Hospital Art Australia Inc started after a group of Americans from the Foundation of Hospital Art came to paint Gosford Hospital and St Vincents Hospital in Sydney in 1999.

Convenor Ms Pat De Carle said she was fortunate enough to arrange for this to happen with no cost to either hospital.

"I realised just how much hospitals and nursing homes benefited from both the therapy and the joy of seeing something bright on their walls and so decided that I would continue with this idea after the Americans went home," Ms De Carle.

"The result is that we now have painted over 90 nursing homes in Sydney, Central Coast Newcastle Lake Macquarie and Adelaide."

The group supplies a pre-drawn canvas, paints and easels that are colour-coded free of charge.

"This means that, with help from diversional therapists, residents are able to paint a real picture on real canvas that they will see hung in the place where they now live," Ms De Carle said.

"Over the years, we have also painted in 12 of the state's hospitals including North Shore, Sydney Adventist, Albury Base Children's Hospital and Muswellbrook.

"More than 4500 canvasses have been hung.

"We have over 50 volunteers who do a wonderful job for us.

"Each Friday. we all gather to finish off the paintings from the nursing homes before they are hung."

Ms De Carle said anyone who has had cancer was welcome to come in and paint, knowing that they are not alone.

Cr Chris Holstein will open the proceedings at 10am.

The event will take place from 10am to 2pm on Friday, July 29, at Erina Fair outside the ABC studios.

Press release, July 20 Pat de Carle