Loddon woman's charcoal art helps combat chronic illness

Lu Johnson lives with her wife Kol Johnson in Loddon and first discovered painting as a means of escape from her history of debilitating illnesses in 2021.

Lu Johnson creates charcoal artwork to help deal with her mental and physical illness (Image: Lu Johnson, Accessible Art)

However, as Lu's health continued to deteriorate - now requiring she has to use a wheelchair to get around - she found it harder to work with her paints.

In March 2023 however, she picked up a piece of charcoal to experiment with and has never looked back.

The 40-year-old autistic artist said: "Creating helps my mental and physical health because I'm bed-bound about 90pc of the time.

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"But when it became too difficult to paint - mixing colours and washing brushes - I was really upset.

Lu's first piece in charcoal of her wife, Kol Johnson, with her late father (Image: Lu Johnson, Accessible Art)

"Charcoal is much easier for me and it's now become my passion."

Kol added: "She always has charcoal on her hands, face and even the dog sometimes, but she loves it.

"Her first piece was of me and my dad, who I lost when I was 10, which came out amazing - I cried so much when I saw it."

Kol Johnson, 50 with her wife Lu Johnson, 44 who live in Loddon (Image: Kol Johnson)

Lu has received hundreds of requests from people on her social media channels - Accessible Art - from around the world, to have her reunite them with long lost family members.

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"I enjoy it because I can bring people back together" added Lu.

Lu said that her work helps give people a voice and feel heard (Image: Lu Johnson, Accessible Art)

"I like the fact I can make people happy and put a smile on their faces. It also lets me express my emotions and feelings regarding my mental health as well.

"I'm building up a mental health series of pictures and have had lots of people wanting to volunteer for it."

One of Lu Johnson's drawings (Image: Lu Johnson)

Kol added: "So many people don't have a voice and Lu is helping them express how they feel as well."