A Thirteen Hour Shift

Amanda says: "This is Claire, a theatre practitioner at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax, Yorkshire. Here she stands about to begin a thirteen hour shift, in her PPE.

I wanted to paint Claire in the style of a Vanity Fair cartoon. Vanity Fair magazine founded in 1868 by Thomas Gibson Bowles featured caricatures of well-known personalities, note-worthy scientists, sportsmen, writers, artists, politicians, and Royals of the Victorian and Edwardian period. I felt that portraying an NHS worker in this style too was an apt way to elevate an unknown hero into the spotlight for people to see and appreciate. And a thirteen hour shift certainly demands our appreciation."

Claire says: "I often work 13 hour shifts. I'm exhausted both physically and mentally."