In February this year, I set out to complete the 30-day Bikram Yoga challenge—90 minutes in a 40°C studio every day. I was feeling strong, even managing a double session at one point. But on day 17, everything changed. Sudden, intense pain in my back made it hard to breathe, and I ended up in hospital with pneumonia.
 
Recovery has been slow, and even now, months later, I’m not quite back to full health. The experience forced me to step away from my usual routines—work, gardening, cooking, and my ambitious large scale drawing exploring Britishness and Identity. But rather than stop creating altogether, I found new ways to express myself. I started making art about my present: how I felt, what I was experiencing, and the reality of being unwell.

I let go of worrying about scale or outcome and just made. I filled sketchbooks from bed, drew on my body with henna, wrote prose and poetry, created illustrations and abstract work, experimented with digital art, printmaking, collage, photography, and knitting. Colour became important in lifting my mood. This period of creativity felt quite different from my usual practice—more experimental, more expressive and immediate.
 
I said to myself I will stop doing this when I feel better.  By August, I realised I wanted to move on to new work. That felt like a sign of recovery. So, I decided to stop making art about illness and instead share and reflect on the journey. I created an installation and a zine to capture this chapter, sharing it with others at my studio. The conversations that followed were powerful—one visitor said, “That really resonates with me. It’s really good.” We looked at each other and both said “Hmm, that’s really bad”.  It’s not something anyone wants to experience. I am so aware many people face far greater health challenges, and all being well I will regain my health at some point, at least I hope so. 

​The installation has been packed away now, but the zine still exists. I’ve shared copies with friends who supported me, and I’m delighted that the Wellcome Collection purchased one for their extensive zine library on wellness.  My studio is already transforming, with new work taking shape on the walls. I’m still managing my health, but I am better than I was, and I’m looking forward to pain-free lungs, returning to yoga, and applying all the learning from this suprising period of creativity. 

​Thank you to all my friends during these most difficult times, for the tea, the cards, the check ins and food, yarn and patterns.   Extra special thanks to Luke without whom nothing would happen and with all that happens is done with and received with love. 
 
My Zine ‘Better than I was but still not well’ can be purchased from my Etsy shop. 

​The last year has seen a new category to my art work, one which I call ‘Lockdown Art’.  I have never produced so many sketchbooks in one year, not even in art school.  They are full of drawings of me and Luke and our house and the Shouty cat.  I even resorted to using myself as a life model in the absence of life drawing sessions.  I made large charcoal drawings of my naked body, something I’ve never done before which felt interesting and odd and also kind of freeing, especially having hit a rather significant birthday in 2020.  I took lines for walks around my house, drawing Luke at work and the cat in his many sleeping spots, I opened cupboards drawing their contents, drew the views from my windows and sat on the doorstep of my house and made collages of my street and through the backdoor of my garden.  It’s been fun to explore my world in this way and these sketchbooks will be an interesting diary of this time.  But having explored all the nooks and crannies, I also now feel really ready and my pencils are itching, to go outside and draw the rest of the world. 
 
Salina will be teaching collage workshops for adults online during February half term.    
 
Photo collaging from my doorstep 

This blog post original appeared on the website of Blackheath Conservatoire on 27/01/2021 www.conservatoire.org.uk/latest/news/292-lockdown-blog

This week I delivered 18 online workshops!  I am living on Zoom.  
 
I’ve lost track of the number of online workshops I’ve delivered since April or the number of students I’ve taught.  I’ve spent more time with students than I have friends and family, and people I previously saw once a week, have now become firm friends. 
 
I’ve taught ages 6 -12 with parents joining in the classes and adults, bound to the same desk all day, ready for the opportunity to be creative.  I’ve covered a wide range of subjects and mediums and had to be more inventive than ever in terms of my teaching practice.  
 
A big difference is the amount of art I have done and the variety of it.  I wouldn’t normally draw or create along with my students in the studio, perhaps I might have done a short demo to show techniques or mediums.  But on Zoom I’m drawing along with my students.  For me it means I’ve drawn subjects and styles I wouldn’t normally even think of, which has been great fun.  
 
A benefit of online classes throughout this time has been the social aspect.  Its really nice to spend evenings drawing with others with a glass of wine all from our own homes, which creates a certain intimacy and encourages some lovely chats.  And without needing to commute I’ve even found time to attend a few online life drawing sessions for myself.  
 
I teach illustration online every Thursday evening with the conservatoire, come join the fun and don’t forget that glass of wine! 

Blog originally posted on 21/01/2021 on The Conservatoire website - artists blog www.conservatoire.org.uk/latest/news/292-lockdown-blog