A LOCAL artist has created a series of Swindon-inspired paintings for a new community art gallery at Great Western Hospital .

Artist Tim Carroll is behind the inaugural GWH exhibition, entitled Streets of Swindon, which features four canvasses depicting the town centre, St Margaret’s Road, the Town Gardens, and Regent’s Circus.

Tim, who has exhibited his work in a number of galleries including The Victoria Art Gallery in Bath and The Royal West of England Academy in Bristol, said he has combined observation with imagination by putting figures in recognisable local settings.

Tim, who studied Fine Art at university said: “Artwork can be very therapeutic, which is why it makes such a difference in a hospital environment.

“I have never exhibited in a hospital before so it is great to have the opportunity.”

The community art gallery is situated on the ground floor along the corridor by the Emergency Department, and its aim is to put greater emphasis on community artwork and provide a platform for local people to get involved with art in hospitals.

Jane Coleborn, chief pharmacist and chair of the Arts Committee at GWH, said: “The use of art within hospitals is recognised as providing considerable benefits to patients, staff and visitors, which is why we have always worked to make art a prominent feature of GWH.

“There are already a number of individual artworks on display across the hospital, and we have a dedicated exhibition space on the ground floor where we display a range of artwork, most recently an exclusive exhibition from the Victoria and Albert Museum.”

The Arts Committee are calling on patients, staff, visitors and local people to contribute pieces of artwork for display. The works can be anything from photography to digital prints, paintings and even poetry, as long as it is in 2D form.

For more information, email Rose Leather at rose.leather@ gwh.nhs.uk, call 01793 605277 or visit www.gwh.nhs.uk.