Artist Laura Aldridge has been working on stroke and medicine of the elderly wards with Carey Moss and Kim McGovern, the only two activity coordinators at the Royal Infirmary. Patient profiles on the wards varies, but many of the patients we work with have memory loss, communication and language difficulties, impaired reasoning abilities as well as changes in visual perception. In addition on the stroke wards we work with individuals of all ages who are dealing with the emotional stress of having had a stroke.

At the beginning of a new workshop block we usually start with an activity that allows us to assess levels of dexterity, attention span, spacial awareness etc. This helps us to work out how to make the workshops relevant to all who take part. For this series of workshops Laura decided to begin with a block – printing workshop.

Each participant created their own printing blocks by cutting out foam shapes and sticking them onto wooden blocks. The blocks were then inked up with a particular colour and pressed onto paper.  People worked with four or more colours, building patterns and shapes. Some people created abstract repeat patterns, others made pictorial works.  One lady, who was leaving the ward to go home that day, made a work that ended up telling the story of her and her husband, where they live and about their love for each other. The artwork was tightly grasped in her hand as she left the workshop as she wanted to bring it home to show to her husband.

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