As of this October, clients at the Llanishen Dental Centre in Cardiff will be treated to a visual feast while they wait for treatment. The walls are now filled with music paintings. Each painting depicts one square metre of abstract explosions of shape, pattern and colour, created to distract and make people feel good.

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Examples of Shaun Ray's music paintings ©Shaun Ray

Practice owners Rhys Loxton and David Morgan, knowing that there is increasing scientific evidence of art having measurable positive effects on health, invited local artist Shaun Ray, a champion of art, health and wellbeing, to put on a rolling exhibition of his work and make the experience of visiting the dentist refreshingly new.

Dr Loxton said: 'I want our clients to always have the very best and as we come out of COVID restrictions, these paintings really brighten up the environment; they're wonderful'.

Artist Shaun Ray has, until recently, run workshops for older members of the community, but COVID lockdown stopped all that and sent him back into his studio, where he, like so many artists, has been afforded the luxury of time to create.

Shaun said: 'I'm so happy that my work can be seen in a health setting. Art should be seen more in real places, not just in galleries and museums'.

Staff at the dental centre have also benefitted from the colourful new artwork. A dental technician said: 'On the first day it was a pleasure to be able to have a different conversation with clients. People really like [the art work] and it's great that a local artist gets a chance to show off his work'.

www.shaunray.wixsite.com/musicpainting