Wilmslow-based artist, Ross Constable, tells us his recovery story ahead of his exhibition at Hepplestone Fine Art Gallery this month.
Ross Constable made Manchester his home after studying Textile Design at Manchester Metropolitan University. After turning his hand to teaching for 15 years, a holiday to Thailand took a devastating turn that switched his entire perspective on life. Now, after turning to painting, through his upcoming exhibition at Hepplestone Fine Art Gallery, he shares a moving visual journey that not only charts his path from illness to recovery but also highlights the quiet and transformative strength of the natural world.
A double-dose of bad luck while on holiday to Thailand turned Ross’ whole life upside down: “I was bitten by a mosquito and contracted severe dengue as well as Japanese encephalitis and it just changed everything; I had lots of neurological issues and had now got severe Tourette’s, so I had to retire from teaching.”
“I felt like someone I’d never been before; I was extremely vulnerable. But it made me think of other vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those who are isolated or have no family and I realised how fortunate I was to have such a fantastic support network around me.”
“At first I felt like I had to get back to work and do all the things that everybody does in everyday life, but it became too much pressure, my fight or flight was on all the time and the thought of all of that was too much and it would give me literal fits,” Ross quickly realised during his recovery that taking it day-by-day was the only thing to do.
“When I stopped and took things slower, I found that the little things made the biggest difference. I also realised how brilliant nature is; the way it carries on doing its own thing, no matter what – this was such an escapism for me. It offers us pause and lets us reflect and take solace that what has been before, will be again. That simple message of renewal was the turning point in my recovery.”
Nature has been one of Ross’ biggest therapies during his recovery, and he hopes that his paintings can create more awareness about the power it can have in helping our physical and mental wellbeing: “Once you’ve gone through the rough winter and you start noticing signs of spring, it inspires hope and picks you up – these things have always been there, we just need to notice them more. Every year at this point, I like to reflect on everything and remember how I was feeling when I was ill compared to how I’m feeling now. I’ll also paint daffodils during this time, as they’re a sign of strength.”
Hepplestone Fine Art Gallery hosted its debut exhibition with Ross on 8th May in the Cheshire gallery. Ross hopes the exhibition will help to tell a story as his paintings reflect his journey of recovery, from the darkest days of his illness, followed by elements of hope, to his current understanding and appreciation of how lucky he is to be alive. The common theme throughout all the paintings is the role nature has played in aiding his recovery and the exhibition will showcase elements for each formative stage of his illness and recovery.
As a former art teacher, Ross is passionate about using his art as teaching: “I created an art pack that goes with the exhibition to give to the local community and schools and put it on my website so that people can learn what’s happened and how I’ve channelled my feelings into the artwork so that hopefully people can understand more.”
“Sometimes when you go to a gallery, you can get lost with the artwork and be unsure of what’s going on. But if you walk out of an exhibition feeling like you’ve learnt something, that’s so beneficial”
On Instagram @Ross34
