Bespoke artwork celebrates life and surroundings at Morningside residency
AN EDINBURGH care home has been captured in a striking new piece of artwork created to give residents and visitors a unique view of the place they call home.
Cluny Lodge Care Home, owned by Elder Homes Ltd, commissioned local artist Clare Bevis to create the bespoke piece for its reception area.
The artwork depicts the Morningside home and its surroundings, bringing together architectural details from across the large building which cannot easily be seen from a single viewpoint.
Clare, who had previously created artwork for Elder Homes Director Stephen Dodds, spent time walking around Cluny Lodge before starting the piece to identify the details and features which were important to capture.
Clare said: “Cluny Lodge was a perfect subject for my art style. I wanted to keep the quintessential feel of the home and its surroundings through the use of soft pastel colours.
“You can see that the piece moves from day to night, which was a little detail I included to show life around the clock at the home.”
The artwork, which took around eight hours to complete, is Clare’s largest piece to date and combines a range of different materials and techniques.
Fine liner and super-fine pens were used for the main drawing, alongside digital techniques and giclée ink to introduce additional colour and detail.
Now installed in the reception area, the finished work gives residents, families and visitors a complete view of the home as they arrive at the main entrance.
Clare added: “It’s such a big building and hard to see from one viewpoint, so I think the artwork gives guests and residents a full picture of where they are as they come through the main door.
“To see the final piece in the home brings a smile to my face. I’m so happy I was asked to create this for the residents to admire as they pass through reception.
“I spoke to a few residents who told me they once loved to draw and paint and were enjoying viewing my piece when it was installed. It was lovely to hear that it had already got people talking.”
Stephen Dodds, Director of Elder Homes, said: “We wanted to create something that reflected the character of Cluny Lodge and would become a real feature for residents, families and visitors to enjoy.
“Clare has captured the home in a way that simply isn’t possible from any single viewpoint, while including the details that make it so recognisable to the people who know it best.
“Creating an engaging environment is an important part of life at Cluny Lodge, so it has been great to see residents stopping to look at the artwork, talk about it and, in some cases, share their own memories of drawing and painting.”
The commission is part of a wider focus on creating a stimulating and engaging environment for residents at Cluny Lodge, with activities and experiences tailored around individual interests and needs.
Cluny Lodge recently retained the highest possible rating for supporting people’s wellbeing following an unannounced inspection by the Care Inspectorate.
The home was awarded a score of 6 – Excellent for “How well do we support people’s wellbeing?”, alongside scores of 5 – Very Good for leadership, setting, quality assurance and the quality of its facilities.
The home follows a holistic approach to residents’ health and wellbeing, with its team including in-house physiotherapists, social and leisure staff and nutritional support workers alongside its wider care team.
Residents have access to a wide range of activities, outings, concert and events aimed at providing social, mental and physical stimulation.
Founded by Loren and Julie Hufstetler in 1984, the family-owned Elder Homes has spent over 40 years providing individualised support and compassionate service to seniors requiring assistance with daily living.
To find out more about Elder Homes, please visit: