23. The Dover Humpback Oil, Acrylic & love on canvas - £1000 45cm x 60cm EVERY PENNY OF THE ORIGINAL ART GOES DIRECTLY TO - YOUR ART CONNECT CIC - Arts For Mental Health When I arrived in Dover, I met an incredible lady called Dawn, who runs Dover Smart Project, an organisation with a very similar mission to Your Art Connect, using creativity to support people with their mental health and wellbeing. We decided to team up for the event, collaborating with a local sauna and coffee shop on the seafront. Dawn even made it possible for me to bring my van right onto the promenade, which made setting everything up a dream. We had a fantastic turnout. Dover Smart Project brought along their own van, art supplies and plenty of enthusiasm, helping us create the collaborative masterpiece you see here today. For Dover, I chose to paint a humpback whale. Partly because I absolutely love painting humpbacks, but also because it felt strangely fitting for Dover. Huge, majestic ships are constantly arriving and departing its shores, much like these incredible migratory giants travelling vast distances across our oceans. There was another important side to the day too. Several mental health organisations came along, including those supporting people experiencing addiction. During my time in Dover, I met a number of people who were homeless and invited them personally to join us. Sadly, they didn’t make it to the event, but there were people struggling with addiction who did come by and were able to discover some of the incredible support available to them locally. That, for me, is a huge part of what these events were always about. Sometimes simply bringing the right people and organisations together in the same place can create a connection that might genuinely change someone’s life. I’m really excited to see what the future holds between Your Art Connect and Dover Smart Project. I have a feeling our story together isn’t finished yet. ❤️ Payment plans available at checkout
