Peake performance in art

Published on 09/07/2012 12:00

A CAPITAL pensioner has been highly commended in an awards scheme that honours creative work by people suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Elizabeth McBain, 71, was praised for her artwork as part of the 2012 Mervyn Peake Awards. The awards, organised by the charity Parkinson’s UK, are judged by the Peake family, in memory of illustrator, writer and poet Mervyn Peake, who had Parkinson’s. The awards celebrate creativity in the national categories of art, poetry and photography.

Chocolat author Joanne Harris presented Elizabeth with her certificate for her painting, Fenced In, at the London awards ceremony on Friday. The ceremony was also attended by Peake’s sons, Sebastian and Fabian, and his daughter Clare.

Elizabeth said: “I was absolutely amazed to be highly commended. I started the art group in my conservatory; we all have Parkinson’s and so do our teachers, but it really is amazing the work that is
produced.”