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As we get older, most of us spend time in various waiting rooms, usually associated with health issues. Often these places feature locally produced artworks that grace the walls and give us something to look at and can be a welcome distraction to playing with our phones. The standard of these artworks can vary immensely and they either attract our attention for a period of time, or receive a passing glance. I’ve seen some inspiring artwork and others that I would categorize as ‘terrible’. People waiting to see a health professional are often anxious, why then hang artwork that’s only going to increase their anxiety? Of course, there are waiting rooms devoid of anything creative. What does one look at to ease one’s anxiety?

Art has the potential to relax and calm, especially art that is appropriately chosen. 

I have examples of my artwork in our city’s (Launceston) major hospital and at a  doctors’ surgery and plans to feature a collection of recent work in a medical centre later this year.

I believe that art in a waiting room needs to be ‘curious’ as well as calming, as this a  ‘different’ audience than one would expect  in an art gallery. Artwork can be offered for sale, but it’s rarely sold. It’s more about a public service than a commercial venture. What examples of artwork should be found in a waiting room? Obviously, the art on display needs to be calming and engaging, not upsetting or alienating. Triggering one’s curiosity will go a long way to relieving stress and anxiety. How does one do that? A warm, bright colour palette can certainly uplift one’s spirits, but there is another way, one I call ‘Where’s Wally Art’. In book form, ‘Where’s Wally’ has long been a hit with children as they pour over the illustrations to find ‘Wally’ or other specific subjects. Adults like such challenges too!

 Stones From Anniversary Bay, WIP. Coloured Pencils and Ink, 82 x 56 cms.

I’m taking a different tack by creating seemingly ‘mundane’ drawings of objects such as beach stones, hundreds of them. The rational being that people will stare at such drawings for long enough to take their mind off their anxiety. They will ‘see’ things ‘hidden’ in the stones, or simply look for things that aren’t really there, but their imagination tells them other-wise.

I have included a photo of a drawing that I’m currently working on of beach stones from Anniversary Bay in North West Tasmania. Interestingly, I have found creating this particular drawing extremely therapeutic and hope its audience will feel the same. At 82 x 56 cms, it’s a reasonably large drawing, but I’m also considering one mush larger and more detailed to increase the ‘curiosity’ level.

Hopefully, on this occasion, ‘mundane’ will prove to be an attention-grabbing artwork in an anxious environment.

Richard