The three group portraits feature ‘people at work’ from across all areas of the end-of-life hospice. They include nurses, the hospice cook, a counsellor, and volunteers from the Long Eaton Treetops charity shop and gardening team.
Matthew, 53, is a figurative artist with a unique style of painting with oil, acrylic and charcoal on plywood. He recently took part in the Sky Portrait Artist of the Year competition 2023.
The portraits took seven months to complete.
They were unveiled at a special event at the hospice during Hospice Care Week, an annual event to recognise and celebrate hospice care nationwide. This year’s theme, ‘People at Work’, highlights those who work in the hospice sector.
Matthew said:
I’m delighted to present the portraits to Treetops Hospice during Hospice Care Week which celebrates all the people who give their time and care to the local community.
“I’ve never painted such large portraits before so it’s been challenging to paint on this scale, but I always want to challenge myself as an artist.
“I hope that the hospice loves them and will hang them for the next 40 years!”
Treetops Chief Executive, Julie Heath, explained that the portraits were a wonderful way to help the charity celebrate their significant milestone:
We want to say a big thank you to Matthew for the portraits which are such a special gift during our 40th year.
“We’ve achieved so much over the last 40 years which we couldn’t have done without the dedication and commitment of all our staff and volunteers.
"To be able to immortalise some of them in paint is wonderful.
"We will proudly display the paintings for everyone to enjoy for many more years to come.”
Videos featuring Matthew and the portraits in progress can be found on the Treetops Hospice You Tube channel.
