The ladies by the sea
In 1999 I spent three months on the hospital ship Anastasis while it was anchored in Conacry, Guinea in West Africa. I am a trained operating room nurse and was able to practice my profession there together with healthcare personnel from all over the world. We performed surgical interventions that we rarely or never do in Norway. One of the things I remember best is when we made a new nose for a patient who had been bitten by a hyena. While the working days were busy, the weekends were used for recovery and new experiences. One Sunday we went to Grande Passe, an archipelago outside the capital. Here were beautiful sandy beaches and sea as far as you could see. While I was sitting in the sand and enjoying the impressions, three beautiful African women suddenly stood in front of me. With camera in hand, it was easy to capture the moment. Today Anastasis is history, but Mercy Ships, as the organization is called, has received new ships. Global Mercy is a new purpose-built hospital ship that offers free surgery to those in need. It has 6 operating theaters and room for 200 patients in its wards. This painting is found on board the ship, painted after my own photo taken on the beach. The painting has been given as a gift to Mercy Ships.
Technique
