Our member Sally Shanley has brought us, for our March talk, her hospital colleague Mr Steven Snooks: surgeon, barrister, minister, artist – and West Ham fan.
After decades as a surgeon, including 10 years as West Ham's surgeon. Steven is recently retired from the NHS and now from the private sector.
Cancer surgery is a difficult environment in which to communicate. There's an art to saying the right things, and to listening.
A lifelong, self-taught, painter, Steven asked himself how he might use visual art for wellbeing after surgery, both observing and taking part.
He started a mindful art group in church – Steven is a lay minister. Then he began giving patients small paintings, for the feelgood factor and to help them visualise their treatment as a process.
One landscape represented the thicket of a diagnosis; another, a way out; a river, a journey; a beam of moonlight showing the way forward. One patient had two paintings, one representing a city in the midst of Covid, the other after vaccination, which helped her cope with the fear of moving forward. Another patient's painting gave her a mountain to climb.
Some paintings are done in response to situations, others selected for patients. Some patients see in them what Steven does; others, something entirely different.
But they all helped the person come to terms with what was happening in a way that was supportive. And visualisation proved a powerful tool for 'survivorship', helping people move on after they have been discharged.
Our ever-lively Q&A discussed art in the pandemic, information overload, the newly-refurbished Turner galleries at Tate Britain and delved into Steven's polymath life.
In his 50s, just to stretch his brain, Steven did a law degree part time and was offered three places at Bar school... but he found legal practice hostile work against the relative kindness of his medical practice, to which he returned full-time.
So what of retirement? Well, Steven is now studying for a fine art degree and finding oil painting very different, and considerably messier, than watercolour and gouache.
And West Ham? His new grandchild has already been to a match...
A big thank-you to Steven for an interesting and insightful talk, to Natasha for standing in with WI news and notices (get well soon, Heather) and to Celya for the eagle-eyed purchase of our magnificently-sturdy new screen.
March coffee morning
Our March coffee morning is a week later than usual, on Friday 31st. Venue: The Nunnery Café, 181 Bow Road, opposite Bow Church. Meeting times flexible: join us at 10.30 if you're an early bird or 11.00ish if you prefer
We make a return trip to an old favourite, The Nunnery Café , Bow Road, part of Bow Arts. There's an exhibition to view and why not browse the shop, featuring a hand-picked selection of beautiful prints, pottery, clothing, books and other unique products made by Bow Arts artists.
Buses: 8,25,276, 488,205,108, 425, D8
Bow Church DLR, Bow Road, District Line
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