Elgin nurse's isolation art aids Dr Gray's and ambulance station
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AN ELGIN nurse shielding from coronavirus is making her lockdown artworks pay to aid her local NHS colleagues.
Fiona Watson (53) has raised £1880 in less than a fortnight through online raffles to win her vivid "coo" paintings and donations to her JustGiving page.
Currently undergoing treatment for secondary cancer, Fiona got out her paintbrushes as a form of therapy while isolating in Elgin.
Her painting of Highland coo "Hope" with a rainbow background raised £500 overnight recently when she was urged by a friend to raffle the "bright and cheery" artwork, selling 100 lucky squares at £5 each through Facebook.
All the money is being split between Dr Gray’s Hospital and Elgin ambulance station, where her paramedic husband, Bryan, works.
Astounded by the response, Fiona got to work on a second coo – "Faith" – upping the number of lucky squares to 200, which sold out this morning. The winner will be announced this weekend.
She is now working on the finishing touches to a third painting, "Charity".
Fiona was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and has been living with secondary cancer since 2014. She is taking early retirement on health grounds and is receiving targeted therapy injections and oral therapy at home.
Her illness prompted her decision to self-isolate at her father-in-law's house – who is currently stranded in New Zealand due to the lockdown.
A nurse since 1983, the family has a further NHS connection as son Lewie, an actor, has returned home from London to take up a temporary porter job at Dr Gray’s. Their second son, Keir, is at university.
Fiona said: "I took a class on painting coos two years ago and since then I have painted them for family and friends. I've painted them as wedding presents and a retirement gift, and I've also done a few dog pictures.
"I just happened to paint this coo, and put a rainbow on it which is such a major symbol of hope at this time. It's art therapy for me – and I really didn't expect this response. It all happened overnight and I'm quite overwhelmed. I didn't expect to be painting a whole series.
"I think they're happy pictures. People seem to find them bright, cheery and hopeful."
All money raised from the painting raffles will go to support frontline staff at Dr Gray's and the ambulance station.
Fiona is pondering ideas for future fundraiser artworks – which so far include "Love", a Florence Nightingale themed tribute, and a salute to Captain Tom Moore, the 99-year-old who has raised more than £28 million for NHS charities through laps of his garden aided by a Zimmer frame.
Fiona said she would love to donate some future funds to Elgin's Maryhill Practice, where she was based before her retirement, and will do so if the JustGiving total hits £2500.
She added that coronavirus affects everyone to a great extent but for people who are immunocompromised the impact could be "catastrophic".
"I've never let cancer stop me from doing things. But at the present time I simply wouldn't be able to do all this without my wonderful network of friends and very supportive family," she added.
"Someone I knew always said 'you have to find a sparkly moment in every day. That's what I'm trying to do."
To support Fiona’s fundraiser visit her JustGiving page here.
