AN ARTIST based in Newport has shared the heart-warming story of how her childhood cuddly toy helped her reinvent herself after a nervous breakdown.
Wendy Beere was given Percy, a knitted bunny rabbit, when she was four years old, and when she suffered a breakdown in 2009, she turned to her old friend for comfort and inspiration.
After being diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, she began posting pictures on Instagram as Percy, using him as her ‘voice’ to reconnect and heal.
She soon discovered the world of plushies, in which people from around the globe bring their cuddly toys to life through social media.
Mrs Beere fell in love with the idea, and began drawing the other characters she interacted with through Percy, and forging bonds with other people in the USA, Canada, Germany and beyond.
At Newport’s annual Art on the Hill festival this weekend, she told the Argus the plushie community helped people through difficult times by channelling their feelings through their cuddly companions.
“I would get these beautiful letters from people who had been through traumatic circumstances,” she said. “They were telling me their stories.
“People use it as a way to get over trauma.”
Mrs Beere, who is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and moved to Newport in 2021, said she was “very passionate about helping people” and has set up a charitable foundation to fund a travelling international exhibition of plushie art.
Art on the Hill is a much-loved weekend celebration of creativity in Newport and its residents, comprising exhibitions, live performances, and open house events.
This year’s edition will continue into Sunday with a full programme of activities based around the Stow Hill and city centre areas.
Mrs Beere was appearing at St Mark’s Church, next to the Civic Centre, where another artist, Jill Powell was also exhibiting her work.
From Cwmbran, she was displaying her custom-made pet portraits, which she said always bring out an emotional response when they are presented to their owners.
Ms Powell also specialises in automatic painting, in which the artist tries to create works without thinking about what will appear on the canvas.
“You don’t engage your brain, you don’t really think about it,” she told the Argus. “It sort of evolves, and it’s a way of painting your feelings.
“It tells me how I’m feeling inside.”
Art on the Hill continues on Saturday evening and concludes on Sunday. For full information about all the weekend’s events, visit www.facebook.com/AOTH.NP20
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