Chris Sargent
Make a Mark and Make Your Mark – Veteran Art mentor
After recently completing an art degree on painting, drawing and print making I undertook my speciality which was the psychology of art and how colour can recover memory and how important it is.
I spent most of the 4 years researching how art can help people right from the off. I was lost for many years as a veteran and I found the degree enabled me to find myself and it focused, not just on my wanderings, but it also made me realise that I am not the only one who has done military service and are lost to. I used the degree to hone that and find a way of helping veterans with PTSD mainly.
I started the art class for Exeter to help with rehabilitation and focus for those suffering in anyway. I never had a strong plan for the classes but knew that art was a strong medium, it has a very strong and scientific background for creating dopamine in the brain; like anything creative. On my degree I developed 2 practices and wanted to introduce the class to colour. Due to COVID and having to deliver this on an online platform I used professional artists online to deliver the tutorials and it was a revelation, and it enabled the class to undertake different mediums, connect, have a chat and maybe do some art.
I don’t have words to describe the progress the class has made. I feel quite emotional about it. The thing that touches me is that these are real people, I haven’t got people coming to these sessions who are pretending to be anything. These are real people who gel together and they all want to do art. I am so proud of what these guys do. A lot of their art work, I can’t do and a lot of their work is better than mine as I am trained in print. I didn’t train in watercolour and neither did these guys and they took to it.
The thing that makes me more emotional is we have been doing this over lockdown and every one of these guys turns up every week. They are clearly engaged with the art but I think its more about the group. It’s very personal to me. These sessions are encouraging you to make a mark, it’s not about me training you to be an artist, if someone wanted to join, I would say it enables you lose yourself for 2 hours in mark making, across numerous mediums.
There is no right or wrong and I would encourage anyone to come in and engage with the group. Everyone who comes into the group has something to offer which is unique to them.
If you can sign your name, you can paint and that’s the key.
Mal
Former Royal Marine
I find the art class brilliant. I was almost dragged in and pushed as I have always felt frustrated as I feel I can’t draw, Its one of my failings, it makes me frustrated, I know what I want it to look like but I can’t make it look like people or things, but if I can smash the paper with colour, it all makes sense to me.
The art classes are a good laugh, it’s a small group, but it’s really tight, we really are a supportive and a tight group and some of the things I do they still all say it is good, though I feel different about it, but we support each other and tell each other the truth when we talk about it; which is good as you need to know the truth and can learn.I did the Hub one because that’s what I feel about the Hub;I don’t know where my mind would actually be if I hadn’t joined the Hub
THE BADGE
Abstract. Royal Marine Corps colours, green for the beret and the badge. Acrylic and trowel (no brushes)
I saw another picture by someone else in the art class with a beautiful green beret and thought I would like to have a go of that, but to me I can’t draw so thought I would have a go at abstract. It’s got the Corps colours and green for the Royal Marine beret and the badge.
The picture represents 23 years of my life wearing the Royal Marines beret and badge. I joined the Corps at 16 and I am very proud of my service and that’s what the picture stands for, for me. I found making the image surprising easy. I could see everything in my mind, but the only thing I wasn’t sure about was how to make the green into some shape. In the end I thought it doesn’t matter, I can make a green splodge as long as its big enough to take the badge. I like it.
I HAVE LIVED AND I AM
Watercolour and brushes
It is the plainest picture I have ever done, but for me I have never drawn a tree like that before. I feel hopeless at drawing but we were under pressure and I was amazed at the result, we only had 15 minutes, afterwards I was totally amazed with what I had done. I like the picture for the simplicity.
I take a lot of photographs of dead trees because I love the image of dead trees. I think they are still alive and are still alive to tell you a story, what they have been through and what they are now. I managed to make a picture that looks like a dead tree and I love it.
I didn’t have time to think about making it because we were under pressure to do it; I went for it really. I am not sure I could ever achieve that level of drawing art again.
ALL COLOURS UNITED IN BATTLE
Abstract acrylics brushes
The look I was looking for was the top bit you have got WW1 and you have got a broken and damage tree, brown earth and a rifle with a helmet on top. I knew I wanted to draw poppies underneath but as I knew I can’t really draw and I couldn’t do poppies that well, I decided to do them in abstract. So I put them in squares, shapes, rectangles and I used white, brown and black as it covers all of the people who lost their lives in the war. I am trying to remind people of what happened in that war. WW2 was bad enough, but I think WW1 was the most horrific war in modern times that anyone has been through and the people who survived were the true veterans.
Once I had decided that I wasn’t going to draw the poppies and was going to use shapes instead, I was happy with it. The top bit took a bit more thought and thinking about how I was going to do it but I like the sky as well.
SMALL BLUE ISLAND OF CALM
Acrylic with trowels, drawing and paint
Samantha Sampson
A transgender female veteran transitioning male to female
The art classes have brought out my inner self.
Before I used to look at art and say how did they do it. You can look at a picture now and think they have done it this way or that way.
Perhaps one day I’d like the challenge of painting a portrait.
The art classes has comradeship and plenty of banter, we all take the micky out of each other, but we all give each other encouragement as well. If someone is struggling, we all chip in with answers and it gives you the confidence to do it. It helped me a hell of a lot going to the art classes, its helped with my mental health and it’s given me more confidence.
I look forward to Wednesday nights now, come half past seven you just forget about everything else for a couple of hours and sit down and paint. You can put all your troubles to one side and just concentrate on your painting. If you have a bad day, you can take a picture or bring up a painting and sit down and paint and draw and it takes all your troubles away. Once out of lockdown I would like to visit art galleries and see how far we have come with our art and how far we can go.
I felt honoured when I saw my pictures on display in the centre of Exeter, I was flabbergasted because I didn’t think my art was that good, but when everyone else chips in and when were all the same level, we have all come on leaps and bounds and its good to see your pictures out on display.
SAILOR SAVIOUR
Watercolour
It’s the first picture I have painted using a proper photograph. I tried to do it as I saw it with my own interpretation of the picture.
It’s of a light house in Plymouth I think. It was my first picture on my own (as in not with the class) which I done off my own back. It was to test myself to see how far I had gone and how much further I could go with the skills I’ve learned.
The image took a bit of thinking about but once you actually draw it first, then paint it, it’s quite easy. You have got to study it first before you put paint onto the paper. I really enjoyed doing it.
THE LONELY TREE
Watercolour and acrylic
It’s my interpretation of a lonely tree from all four seasons, it’s sort of like a stained-glass window of a church.
The image means ‘a year in the life of’; what you actually go through from spring, summer, autumn and winter.
All 4 seasons aren’t the same. Making the image took some time as you had to wait for each colour to dry before you put the new one on.
It was the most enjoyable one to do. I found using the watercolour and acrylic technique quite easy, I used a paint brush, sponge and colour pens. It took 3 hours.
THE 5th FORGOTTEN EMERGENCY SERVICE
Perspective drawing with watercolour and acrylics
A lifeboat going out on a shout. Once I saw the picture on social media, I thought that its really one of the unsung emergency services that are not spoken about much these days and they are still one of our emergency services.
It’s the people who risk their lives to go and save people out on the sea. It took a bit of working out as it was a perspective drawing with watercolour and acrylics and it took me another 3 hours, you had to draw it, paint it, wait till it dried, paint a bit more and when that dried do the spray at the end with the sponge and a white acrylic.
Watercolour and using acrylic are my favourite methods.
A WINTERS SUNSET
Watercolour
This picture is of a sunset over where I live and I took picture when I took the dogs for a walk. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to take a picture as I knew I wanted to paint it. The time of day and the change of the colour of the sky showing it was the end of another day. The colour of the sky was beautiful. Sunrise is better than sunset for me but the time of the day I took the dogs out, it was beautiful…. Just as the sun was setting.
The art class gave me the confidence to draw it and you use all of the techniques you have been taught. It’s very therapeutic, your mind goes into your heart and you forget about everything else and once you see the finished picture it reminds you of what you have done that day. If you have had a stressful day, you can get the paints out. I found make this quite easy, if I had done this at the start I’d be struggling, but 10 months later I can do it.
GILL
Veterans Partner
I am a partner of a veteran. I have always loved art as a child when I was at school. But as I got older, I never had the time to indulge in it and being part of this group has allowed me to forget everything else on the outside world, and just give up a few hours,1 evening a week and do something I really enjoy.
I found that I have still got a little bit of talent that I had as a child and progressed with it. Being part of the group and chatting as well, showing everybody’s work and discussing mistakes we have all made makes it is really encouraging. I feel I have definitely progressed. I don’t think I would have done it if I was on my own so being part of this group has really encouraged me to try things that are new and different to me.
CITY SCAPE
Watercolour, credit card technique
This is a city landscape done with credit cards instead of paintbrushes and I quite like the way it looks. This was a first attempt of doing something with a credit card instead of a brush and looking at the tutorial I thought i’d never be able to do something like that, but actually doing it was quite fulfilling and the fact that I was able to achieve it. It gives you time to chill out and be expressive with the art.
It gives me time to myself away from work and household chores to be able to relax and concentrate on something that takes my mind away from things. Whilst doing the image you get lost and time flies past; you don’t realise you are doing it and you are so engrossed in it and it is very therapeutic.
PEOPLE IN PASTELS
Pastels
This was a challenge where we threw the dice and you had to be given a medium to use. It was the first time I had used pastels and didn’t really know how to use them. I found the image on line, thought it was a colourful piece and tried to replicate it. I am quite pleased how this came out and how the medium of using pastels worked for me as well.
I followed the tutorial image using yellows, blues, oranges and whites, it was quite a fresh-looking piece. I wouldn’t have normally used these colours with a rainy picture but I would have used a lot of blue as I do like blue.
THORNY TREES
Watercolour, negative painting
We first drew the foreground and then painted the background. It was another good piece that engrossed you and you got absorbed in it for 2 hours and didn’t realise where the time was going so it was quite enjoyable.
The picture was again from a tutorial so it meant a couple of hours a night not just sat watching tv and you can indulge yourself doing something you enjoy.
A WINTER SUNSET
Rainbow trees watercolour, negative painting
We drew the trees for the foreground then painted the darker shades going back. Again, this was done over the weekend and the whole Saturday was practically gone by being absorbed in it.
This method I found easy and enjoyable but other ones that I have tried to do since then, I just can’t get the knack of and have struggled with, so need to keep doing it.
Gary CruwyS
Veteran
I did art in school, A-Level art and haven’t done it since. I Joined the Army and never thought I would ever do it again, I just never bothered. It sort of got me back into something I forgot I enjoyed. The art group itself makes you go into your own space and time, chilling out doing something I really enjoy.
To the extend my wife is even buying me Christmas presents which is art stuff; which is a win win. The art group is really good, it’s a small group, we have the veterans’ banter there and everyone is honest with everyone’s work.
What’s happened, including myself, is we’ve painted stuff and not been happy with it, posted it on the WhatsApp group, then everyone on the group comments on how good the art is; giving you a lot more confidence. It is also really nice to look at my art to see how it has progressed and I can see the difference in everyone else’s too. Everyone has their own medium they are using. Its brilliant, really good.
I would 100% recommend the art class to others, even if you are not a budding artist anyone can make a mark on a bit of paper, canvas or whatever it is. We have got people in the art group who can’t draw very well but are fantastic and amazing with abstract, like myself, my mind doesn’t work with abstract.
Everyone is different in their own way and the art group has helped everyone achieve their own style. I am very surprised with my own progress; I vaguely remember the art work I done when I was 16 and think because of that I never done art again, but now going back, the classes have given me confidence with the art work we have been doing and It has made me look at the artwork we have done in the last 10 months and think ‘wow, I quite like this stuff’. We now have got a few pieces hanging up in the house, which is even better. Seeing my work displayed in the centre of Exeter gave me a sense of achievement. It was nice it was displayed and told my parents it was there and they went to see it. Hopefully some of the public had a chance to see what we have done and yes, it’s definitely a sense of pride that other think our art it is good. A real sense of achievement.
CALM
Watercolour
It’s a picture of my daughter and granddaughter looking out to the sea.
This image is one that I did outside of the art group, in my own time, and was taken from a picture of my daughter and granddaughter and to me it instils the calmness of looking out to sea and just relaxing.
I just love the picture because the image was from a photograph I actually found it quite challenging. I had to use and go back into all of the skills we learned in the art group itself just to create it and recreate the colours.
Plus, as it was a picture that meant so much to me I had to get it the best as I could.
REALITY
Watercolour and chalk
It is a Chinook helicopter coming into land in Afghanistan. It was an image that I literal done out of my head and it was using the methods we had learned in the art group with watercolour. I called it ‘Reality’ in Afghan with a helicopter coming in for a casualty and it was the reality of war.
I found making it very therapeutic. The image popped into my head one afternoon and I thought I wanted to try this. I got my paints out and tried to find a picture of a chinook online.
I found a basic image of one and drew that and I wanted to get the sand coming up so you can see it landing. It took me away for a couple of hours and it was good. Very good.
RESPECT
Watercolour
I stuck to black and red and its 4 poppies with a WW1 soldier overlooking a cross and a modern outline of a soldier overlooking a rifle on a helmet. It was the respect of remembrance.
It was another piece I done off my own back (but obviously the art group led me to do it) and it was something that I wanted to do and would be happy to put up on my own wall with the other military stuff that I have got. I looked around various images and found the WW1 and modern soldier and created the poppies myself. Now I have got it on the wall. I love it for me personally. Making it relaxed me and took me away from the here an now. Because I was painting the poppies, and what they represented, I wanted to do it justice, not just do a piece that I felt good with…something even my wife would like. And she does…it’s up on the wall!
TREES
Watercolour, negative image
This was done in the group making trees using negative image and also using the watercolours with negative image in the background I then used water to let the paint bleed and to give the texture for the trees.
We started the image in the art group in the evening and it probably took me about 3 hours because it was one I quite liked. I wanted to take my time over it and hopefully do it justice, so I created the background using the technique and was happy when it came into the foreground with the effect. Once again it took me outside of the art group into my own time and it relaxed me and it chilled me out; so that was good.
Thank you & Acknowledgments
Thank you to Chris Sargent
‘Chris, was the person who has taken all of us on this enlivening journey, never lost faith in us, and was with us all the way. Many thanks, Mal
I would like to thank Chris for bringing this together every week. I know I wouldn’t have made the time for art on my own and this group is an informal, relaxed way to do something I enjoy whilst chilling out to music and chatting to others. Something to look forward to. Gill
A huge thank you to Chris for getting me back into Art, for creating a great art group. Where every week we can just make our mark with no judgment, just encouragement. Thank You
May I say a big thanks to Chris out tutor for all his help, his comments and his whit to help us get this far. We could not have done it without him. A big thanks from the bottom of my heart. Samantha
Acknowledgments
This project was funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and by IICE at the University of Exeter. The IICE project, Understanding the role of culture and heritage in supporting veterans during transition into civilian life, was led by an interdisciplinary team from the University of Exeter (Sarah Bulmer, Anke Kark and Gabriella Giannachi, PI) in collaboration with the Hub.
I knew what the Hub was doing for me in relation to the way that my mind is. The background to the picture is how I see my mind. The gold rectangle in the middle, ‘the Hub’ is the controlling element and all we do with the Hub and the blue squares are little patches of calm that we can go to.
The background never changes because it can’t change, but I can move around the patches and find time of calm and that’s what came into my mind when I drew it. Once I knew what I was going to do I generally found it easy, that’s if I don’t have to draw anything. I knew what I wanted on the background and I knew I wanted it to look quite vivid and striking so I just whacked the paint on with the pallet knife and paint and then the rest of it I took my time and carefully put the rest on. Once I got to the blue squares in place it was calming down anyway.