OUR WINNER Justin James!
Here are Justin’s words about his powerful and inspiring work:
“I created this painting to reflect the reality of mental health — those days when it feels like we’re on the inside looking out. It’s a perspective many of us know, a sense of disconnection as we watch the world move by. But those moments, as challenging as they can be, are often our mind’s way of telling us to pause, to practice self-compassion, and to focus on what we need to heal.
For me, painting has been a powerful way to express the emotions I carry inside. It became my lifeline during the toughest periods of my life — after enduring a brain injury and later a stroke, both before the age of 49. Art has been my therapy, a way to release feelings I couldn’t always articulate.
This piece is not only a reflection of those struggles but also a gentle reminder: it’s okay to step back, to honour our emotions, and to give ourselves the care and space we need to heal and grow.”
Ellie Goodliffe
Alcohol ink on copy paper.
Dementia and losing the fight to maintain connections. A lonely place the mind becomes.
Lauren Whyte
Vegetarian Breakfast, my favourite pick me up meal.
Andzelika kukstaite
I created my artwork in my sketchbook, this art piece that I have drawn represents a woman who has been struggling with mental health and has turned into almost a whole tree, the butterfly is a white butterfly, which represents healing, purity and innocence, which keeps the woman who she is and not to let go of herself. I like to include that it doesn’t have to be a woman, the meaning of the artwork, for me, means mental health is a struggle, and losing yourself in it, can affect us deeply to the point we are wrapped around with tree vines or the tree itself.
