Pictures Painting 1,000 Words

From digital imagery of a baby’s brain “hearing” for the first time; to photos of Hear and Say children across the ages; to glittery craft creations of all shapes and sizes – the walls of our centres are a treasure trove of masterpieces.

One particularly striking series of artworks on display at Hear and Say in Brisbane was painted in 2014 by 24-year-old Sarah Norton, a past graduate of Hear and Say’s Early Intervention program.

Titled Outside Silence, Life of Cochlea and Sound’s Journey, Sarah said the triptych reflected different stages of her journey using two cochlear implants to hear. Read on for Sarah’s explanation of each work:

Left: Outside Silence

“A vivid movement of sounds that are silent. This painting is what the world looks like to me with no sounds, just lots of movements in an everyday world. I always explain that it’s like when people who are blind hear things, it’s colourful to their eyes. When people who are deaf see things, it’s colourful to our ears. This painting gives an understanding of how time without sound enables me to enjoy the views and silence.”

Middle: Life of Cochlea

“A cochlea transforming the silence of sounds into a colourful visualisation. This painting is a representation of sounds becoming a colourful world. It transforms from silent sounds to colourful sounds.”

Right: Sound’s Journey

“A soundwave on the final journey to reveal the magic of the sounds. This painting really speaks to my inner self, reflecting that we all are not perfect but we can take every special moment to listen and hear the beauty of the sounds, which brings life to my family and friends. I’m always excited to hear music or laughter that brings joy.”

In addition to her creative pursuits, Sarah is currently studying Civil Engineering (Honours) at the Queensland University of Technology and working part-time for global mining services provider, Thiess. She continues to visit Hear and Say for audiology support with her cochlear implants.