Painting as a Response to Medical Experience: Creative Consideration as Care for a Carer

Pugh, Merili (2024) Painting as a Response to Medical Experience: Creative Consideration as Care for a Carer. Masters by Research thesis (MPhil), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

This practice-based research aims to understand how the two disciplines of oil painting and professional experience as a medical doctor might combine in a practice of care and influence a year of studio painting practice. This research aim is in response to a period of personal and professional burnout as an employee within a care institution. The objective was to create a series of paintings and responsive narrative prose during a period away from full-time medical specialist training, to reflect on the ways art and science can assist in rehabilitation and healing of the care provider. The main themes of this research explore notions of care, discipline (through both painting and research practice), and a change of perspective. This thesis is a combination of creative practice (oil painting, studio enquiry) and reflective writing. The research outcomes include paintings, narrative prose, and podcast recordings. New knowledge has been formed through the methodology and investigation process of this research project via the practice of painting discipline. Methods of research enquiry used include source review, oil painting, studio practice and reflective writing in response to creative practice. Studio practice methods included figurative drawing, figurative painting, clay figurative sculptures, and oil painting, specifically the atelier method of oil painting study. Reflective writing and creative studio practice formed an iterative cycle of thinking, analysis and responsive painting. The main significant insights were centered around viewing fine art practice as a discipline, how it affected studio production, productivity and a change of perspective towards clinical practice and self-care. The value and impact of this research is providing a case example of “caring for a carer” through painting and self-reflection during time away from clinical work, which could potentially be expanded towards developing painting workshops in medical CPD programmes. This research has found that a year of studio painting can serve as a vehicle for care and the restoration of well-being: caring for the other, the self and colleagues in the medical profession.