Lucy Rowland, Jungle in the Pharmacy Staff Room
Jungle in the Pharmacy Staff Room
When the Grange first opened, there was no designated space for pharmacy staff to spend their breaks and so the team changed a store room into a staff room. As part of this process, the pharmacy team approached Studio Response to explore ways of working with an artist to create an environment which would better support staff wellbeing. Illustrator Lucy Rowland was invited to undertake this commission, with a brief from the staff to create an artwork both tropical and bright.
Speaking about staff wellbeing and this artist commission, pharmacy manager and principal pharmacist at the Grange, Leeanne Lewis, said: “Pharmacy staff at GUH were starting to get frustrated that they did not have anywhere to take a break.This was affecting staff wellbeing, so we created a staff room, which was not part of the original plans. The room was created from our original store room, previously stocked with medicines. The room had bare walls and looked very clinical. We worked with Studio Response to scope ideas from staff and considered how to make it a better environment to support staff wellbeing. The pharmacy does not have any windows, so staff wanted a tropical and bright mural for the room and we were excited when we saw Lucy’s work.
“She really has fulfilled the brief. The mural on the wall is exactly what staff envisaged and working with her has been very energising. Her enthusiasm for art has been infectious. It has been fascinating watching her paint and the level of detail in the mural is breath-taking. Lucy understood what staff needed. The room is much less clinical and now bold and bright. With the year the NHS has faced it is so encouraging knowing people care and want to make a safe space for staff to rest and take breaks.”
Working collaboratively with the pharmacy department, Lucy created “a view to another place” with a hand-painted jungle scene and papercuts featuring animals. The colour palette runs through the corridors and other areas in the department. Lucy said: “Painting at such a large scale was a real learning curve – I have discovered a new area of my practice and found a really meaningful way I can use my love of colour and pattern to brighten people’s day and a space.”
Pan agorodd Ysbyty Athrofaol y Faenor am y tro cyntaf, nid oedd lle penodedig i staff fferyllol fynd i gael saib felly aeth y tîm ati i newid storfa yn ystafell i’r staff. Fel rhan o'r broses hon, cysylltodd y tîm fferylliaeth â Studio Response er mwyn archwilio ffyrdd o weithio ag artist i greu amgylchedd a fyddai'n cefnogi lles staff yn well. Gwahoddwyd y darlunydd Lucy Rowland i ymgymryd â’r comisiwn hwn, gyda brîff gan y staff i greu gwaith celf oedd yn drofannol a llachar.
Wrth siarad am les staff a’r comisiwn hwn, meddai Leeanne Lewis, rheolwr y fferyllfa a phrif fferyllydd y Faenor: “Roedd staff fferyllol yn Ysbyty Athrofaol y Faenor yn dechrau mynd yn rhwystredig nad oedd ganddyn nhw unrhyw le i gael seibiant. Roedd hyn yn effeithio ar les staff, felly aethom ati i greu ystafell i’r staff, nad oedd yn rhan o'r cynlluniau gwreiddiol. Cafodd yr ystafell ei chreu o'n storfa wreiddiol, oedd yn llawn meddyginiaethau cyn hynny. Roedd waliau’r ystafell yn noeth ac roedd yn edrych yn glinigol iawn. Buom yn gweithio gyda Studio Response i hel syniadau gan staff ac yn ystyried sut i'w wneud yn amgylchedd gwell i gefnogi lles staff. Nid oes gan y fferyllfa unrhyw ffenestri, felly roedd y staff eisiau murlun trofannol a llachar ar gyfer yr ystafell ac roeddem wrth ein bodd pan welsom waith Lucy.
“Mae hi wir wedi cyflawni’r brîff. Mae’r murlun yn union fel ag yr oedd y staff wedi’i ragweld ac mae gweithio gyda hi wedi’n sbarduno. Mae ei brwdfrydedd dros gelf yn heintus. Mae wedi bod yn hynod ddiddorol ei gwylio hi’n paentio ac mae lefel y manylder yn y murlun yn syfrdanol. Roedd Lucy yn deall yr hyn yr oedd ei angen ar staff. Mae'r ystafell yn llawer llai clinigol ac erbyn hyn yn feiddgar a llachar. Gyda'r flwyddyn y mae'r GIG wedi'i hwynebu, mae mor galonogol gwybod bod pobl yn poeni ac eisiau creu man diogel i staff orffwys a chael saib.”
Gan gydweithio â'r adran fferylliaeth, creodd Lucy “olygfa i fan arall” yn darlunio jyngl wedi'i baentio â llaw a thoriadau papur yn cynnwys anifeiliaid. Mae'r palet lliw yn rhedeg trwy'r coridorau ac ardaloedd eraill yn yr adran. Meddai Lucy: “Bu rhaid i mi ddysgu’n gyflym wrth baentio ar raddfa mor fawr - rwyf wedi darganfod maes newydd ac wedi dod o hyd i ffordd wirioneddol ystyrlon o ddefnyddio fy hoffter o liw a phatrwm i godi gwên a bywiogi ystafell.”
About the artist | Yr artist
Lucy Rowland is an illustrator and pattern designer with a passion for uncovering hidden histories and stories about places and people through colourful, decorative images, patterns, and scenes, often using papercuts and painting. Lucy has previously worked for businesses bringing pattern and illustration to brands and buildings, as well as developing her own practice, which focuses on homeware exploring stories from the past. Lucy recently graduated from Cardiff School of Art and Design.
Mae Lucy Rowland yn ddarlunydd a dylunydd patrymau sy’n angerddol am ddatgelu hanesion a straeon cudd am leoedd a phobl trwy ddelweddau, patrymau a golygfeydd lliwgar ac addurnol, yn aml trwy gyfrwng toriadau papur a phaentio. Yn y gorffennol, bu Lucy’n gweithio i fusnesau gan ddod â phatrymau a darluniadau i frandiau ac adeiladau, ynghyd â datblygu ei harfer ei hun, sy'n canolbwyntio ar nwyddau cartref gan archwilio straeon o'r gorffennol. Yn ddiweddar, graddiodd Lucy o Ysgol Gelf a Dylunio Caerdydd.