Covid: Norfolk cancer patient's portraits of 'heroes' go on show

Chris Goddard started to paint the portraits while undergoing cancer treatment

A woman's portraits of "heroes" who helped her while she underwent cancer treatment during the coronavirus pandemic are being exhibited.

Chris Goddard, 69, from Thetford, Norfolk, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 20 November 2020.

While undergoing treatment, she decided to paint the masked faces of those who had helped her on her journey.

Mrs Goddard, who was given the all-clear this week, said it was to thank them as well as therapy for her.

"It's been an all-round wonderful experience," said the married grandmother-of-three, who has a fourth grandchild on the way.

A video showing images of all 71 of the portraits she has painted, plus photos of her presenting them to her subjects, is being shown at community arts hub Harrods of Hingham.

One of Mrs Goddard's early portraits was of her consultant, Balendra Kumar, at West Suffolk Hospital, where she said the treatment was "magnificent"

Mrs Goddard, whose paintings include this portrait of operating department practitioner Dani Benedict, said she was inspired by artist Tom Croft's book Portraits for NHS Heroes

Mrs Goddard said although she had taken up art classes a few years before, she had never drawn people before, so that provided a "challenge" for her

Mrs Goddard said when she has presented people with their portraits, including West Suffolk Hospital staff nurse Lorna Young, there had been a real "buzz. "It's more to do with the recognition than the portraits and I'm so happy to be part of that," she added

Mrs Goddard has painted 71 portraits, including Dr Martin Belsham, at School Lane Surgery in Thetford, and wants to get to 100

She has also gone out into the community to paint those who have "worked so hard throughout the pandemic", including teachers

And firefighters, whom she said she knows would have come to her aid if she needed them

Mrs Goddard, who plans to produce a book of her portraits, said everyone is wearing a mask because the theme is "a moment in time through the pandemic"

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