Many staff reflected on how the Beatles’, ‘Here Comes the Sun’ would be played over the PA system every time a COVID-19 patient was discharged so that everyone at the hospital could share in this meaningful moment.  This inspired the background for my canvas in which a sunrise appears over the shoulder of one of the doctors.  This communicates the hope that is always present amongst the staff and patients and the idea that even in the darkest times, the sun still rises and there are always brighter days ahead.

I chose a doctor and two nurses as the focal points of the artwork.  The doctor’s portrait was enlarged to anchor the painting and because his contemplative gaze into the distance draws the viewer in and commands attention.  In fact, when I photographed him during his shift in the Emergency Room, he said, “I’m just thinking about all the things I have to do” and his posture and gaze definitely reflect his commitment to his job.  

I placed the nursing colleagues in front of a glowing sun, encased in a circle of water to create a secondary focal point and to act as a visual reference to the “Here Comes the Sun” ritual played during the pandemic.  One of the nurses spoke of the dedication of her colleagues in the face of uncertainty and the other nurse has been in her position for over 30 years and reiterated those sentiments as well.  Having them in the centre of the artwork reflects this camaraderie and the dedication that is so apparent among all staff at St. Mary’s.

I placed one of the clinical aides in the upper left corner of the composition peering into a patient’s room, as she often did at the height of the pandemic, when entering a room was fraught with risk and required meticulous procedure and full PPE.  Her love and compassion for patients was clearly evident when she spoke candidly with me about her experience as a clinical aide.  This comes through in her portrait, especially in her eyes – the only part of the face patients could gauge the emotion of their health care professional.  Her commitment and pride in her job is truly inspiring.  The vertical lines in the door frame around her image lead down to the next portrait in the artwork.

The next portrait is an RN on the Vascular Access Team and was the first person I photographed at the hospital.  I appreciated her openness about her experiences and her transparent emotion when communicating about how COVID impacted her and her work environment.  I also learned that her mother was a nurse during the SARS epidemic and how this helped her navigate the current pandemic.  

Below this RN is a doctor, shown with a stethoscope around his neck and his kind, blue eyes definitely draw the viewer into the canvas.  Many staff spoke highly of his sunny disposition, kindness, and impressive work ethic and he kindly allowed me to photograph him for inclusion in this piece.

The chaplain at the hospital is painted above this doctor and is shown holding one of her patient’s hands and providing comfort.  Her role at St. Mary’s is indispensable and she provides much needed reassurance, empathy, and support to so many patients. It was an honour to hear her stories and see her interact and provide active listening and such care to a patient.

At the bottom left of the canvas is a Food Services aide, shown washing dishes in preparation for the dinner rush.  The entire Food Services team was so welcoming to me and I appreciate their willingness to allow me to come into their space and photograph their instrumental role at the hospital.  All of the portraits are surrounded by water to symbolize the looming pandemic and the overwhelm that constantly threatens healthcare workers and the larger community.  I painted some of the dishes floating away to reflect this overwhelm.

Directly to the right of the Food Services Aide are some of the members of the Emergency Department in a huddle.  They are positioned just slightly out of reach of an incoming wave, symbolic of the constant storm that can arise at any moment in the Emergency Department.  Illustrating them in a circle with their arms around each other shows the importance and power of teamwork and support, especially when you are in the shadow of a storm.  Their body language is a telling reminder of the strength and resilience of the staff in Emergency and their reliance on each other during unpredictable times.

To the right of the ER department is the crouching figure of another nurse.  I was deeply touched by his transparent communication of the struggles that he and his family faced during the pandemic, particularly his physical separation from his daughter and wife due to him having to isolate for 4 months.  I placed him under the crest of a wave to demonstrate this isolation and the emotional toll the pandemic had on staff members, especially in relation to them often having to quarantine themselves from their families and friends. 

A member of the housekeeping team is shown above, cleaning a stretcher.  She is an Environmental Service aide and spoke openly about the arduous task of sanitizing the hospital and the instrumental role housekeepers played in comforting patients during their daily cleaning jobs, especially since patients were not allowed to have visitors at the beginning of the pandemic.  Her reflections shed light on the importance that the Environmental Service Department had and continues to have on the successful running of the hospital.

Another nurse peers out above this housekeeper and is in the middle of putting on her PPE, a common sight now.  While photographing her donning her PPE, I asked her about the rows of brown paper bags I kept seeing pinned up in all the hallways.  She explained how the rows of paper bags with staff members’ names scrawled across them were a new addition to the halls since the pandemic.  These curious bags house the PPE and changes of clothes for staff, especially since so many would have to change their clothes upon entering and exiting a patient’s room.  During our conversation, she offered much insight into the changing demands on nurses’ roles when the pandemic hit and shed light on how vulnerable both staff and patients were during the initial onslaught of COVID.  Her dedication to her job and compassion for her patients was touching.

A clerk in the Stores department, rises above the waves on the top right, gathering supplies such as toilet paper, masks, and gloves, of which there was an extreme shortage of at the outset of COVID-19.  Masks cascade down from the shelves to show the chaos of acquiring these supplies in the early days.  The staff in the Supply department are responsible for supplying all of the materials and needs of the hospital and without their creative solutions during shortages, the doctors and nurses would not have had the necessary PPE and equipment needed to effectively do their jobs.  Her illustration of this supply chain emphasizes the importance of this department in the protection and functionality of the hospital.

A member of the Food Services department is the portrait in the top right corner of the composition..  She is shown rinsing dishes and is one of many key players in the kitchen at St. Mary’s.  I chose to have the water spill over the tub and down the side of the supply shelf to show the interconnectedness of the hospital departments and the general strain that all staff were under during this time.  

The interplay between the cresting waves, calmer waters, rising sun and staff in this artwork reflect the ebb and flow of emotions and changing job conditions and protocols experienced by all during the pandemic.  All of these portraits reflect many of the jobs and departments at St. Mary’s that showed so much sacrifice and courage in the midst of a tumultuous time.  And despite the unpredictability of the pandemic and the darkness that threatened to block out hope, they are a reminder that you can always count on being able to say, ‘Here Comes the Sun’.