GULWORTHY artist Colin Pethick has kindly donated a painting to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Derriford Hospital, in memory of his late wife Zheng Fu Pethick.

Zheng and her family are from Chengdu, south west China in the Sichuan province. Colin and Zheng met and married there in China in 2006 and had ten wonderful years together.

Zheng was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in December 2015 and sadly passed away in October 2017. Zheng was both an artist and a poet. While coping stoically with cancer, she had a favourite saying: ‘Life is not about length, but the depth of the awakening of the soul.’

The painting, which is now on display in one of the relative rooms in the ICU, is of Watergate Bay at dusk; it was a favourite spot for Colin and Zheng, where they shared many happy memories together.

Colin, who wanted to show his gratitude to the ICU and the staff who took care of Zheng, said: ‘We are so lucky to have the NHS, this was really the least I could do. The ICU gave Zheng time which was so important.

‘They gave her the chance to say goodbye to her brother who had travelled to the UK from Chengdu. The dedication and care from the doctors was incredible and the hospital bent over backwards to ensure that she was able to spend the last of her time at home, which is what she wanted.’

Colin described Zheng as his ‘muse’. He said: “‘Her legacy lives on through her artwork and through my own. It’s an honour for myself and my dear late wife to have the painting on display in one of the relative rooms.

‘Hopefully it will give people a sense of space that they can interpret and contemplate.’

To see examples of Colin and Zheng’s work, you can visit their websites: www.colin pethick.com and www.zhengzifu.com