Young Maida Vale artist on why he’s drawing for the NHS: “my mum had the coronavirus”

November 2020

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Young artist Finlay Kennedy has been joining in the community quest to fill the halls of St Mary’s Hospital with colourful creations to encourage and send warm wishes to the Frontline staff . On Finlay’s daily ‘scoot’ for exercise he came for a quick door step interview with Maida Unveiled…

When and why do you like to draw?

Everyday.  I draw whenever I can.  Sometimes I try and draw during breakfast and dinner but Mum doesn’t like that.  She likes me to do it afterwards.

Drawing is one of my favourite hobbies. I like to draw because it makes me feel calm and still.  Its fun too because I can get all my ideas on the paper and also play with them.  People really like my drawings, that makes me happy and proud.

How long have you been an artist?

Roughly about 5 years.  I love drawing.  Painting is too tricky for me – I cant get the details I want to do right, when I paint.

Am I right in thinking you are 7?

YEAH ?

What message are you trying to bring with your artwork for the NHS?

Really because … I‘ll tell you why, I am really doing the artwork because my mum had the Corona Virus,  and they helped my mum, and she is recovering. That’s why I really doing the drawings.

What is your favourite thing about your drawings for the NHS?

I really like drawing the banners which say NHS on them  … the doctors and nurses are the leaders rallying behind their banner, and they are going to war against COVID.

What sort of drawings do you usually do?

I really like creating Magic Mini  Worlds, with lots and lots of tiny detail and action and different things to look at.   My favourite things to draw are battles. Medieval battles, with castles, knights and sometimes dragons.  I especially like drawing medieval weaponry like trebuchets and swords, crossbows. Sometimes I draw inventions.  Once I drew a massive rainbow factory, where all the colours went in and got sorted out and then the rainbows got spat out at the top.  Everyone really liked that one.  My Mum got that framed and it is in my bedroom.

How did you come up with these ideas?

Um, my mum says I am very imaginative.  The ideas just come into my head, and so I draw them,  and then as I draw things they kind of come to life.  Like when I draw battles I imagine being the people in the drawing and imagine the action that is happening around me as I am drawing it.

What do you want to be when you are older?

I really want to be a game maker or designer.  I would like to create all the characters in the game, and work out what they do in the game, and sell the game in the shops.

My brother and I often invent games, we talk about them and then I draw them – then we play them.

Have you decided what you would call the game?

Something like ‘Clash of Empires’ ….

Me and my brother really like playing Clash of Clans.

Finlay continues to contribute his masterpieces, much to the joy of the frontline staff.

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