Last weekend over fifty galleries and individual artists took part in the ninth annual Edinburgh Art Fair. I was running children's art workshops at the fair - three a day for each of the three days. Exhausting work but I really love it.
Art in Healthcare
My workshops were organised by Art in Healthcare, a charity with whom I've worked a lot over the past few years. Scottish or Scotland-related artworks from the extensive and expanding Art in Healthcare collection liven up the walls of many hospitals and healthcare settings in the Lothians and beyond. Funds raised through donations and grants are used to run workshops with a big variety of healthcare groups. Some of my own AinH workshops have been at the Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital, with an older mens' group in Pilmeny, and with severely autistic children at St Crispins school.
I'm lucky to also be on Art in Healthcare's Arts Advisory Panel, duties including meeting regularly to assess the collection and to discuss possible new acquisitions and donations. View the AinH collection here - www.artinhealthcare.org.uk/gallery.php
You can find out all you might wish to know about Art in Healthcare online,
including the different ways you can support their valuable work - www.artinhealthcare.org.uk/support_us.php
An AinH blog post about my work - artinhealthcare-scotland.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/artist-uncovered-leo-du-feu.html
My post about my AinH Sick Kids Hospital workshop - landscapeartnaturebirds.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/painting-birds-in-royal-hospital-for.html
Edinburgh Art Fair
- kids are so uninhibited in their art, they have such creative minds and get so much enjoyment from it. They (mostly) haven't reached that stage that so many of us do as adults - the fear and embarrassment of our art not being quality, therefore not doing any art at all. A big part of art is about pleasure; the satisfaction and stimulation of creating, the joy of the materials. If a masterpiece appears at the end - great! - but aim for a masterpiece and it rarely will happen. Just as true for professional artists as for anyone else - you should see some of the pages in my sketchbooks! But it doesn't stop us from doing it.
Here are some of the pictures made over the weekend. Drawing, cutting, glue-ing, colouring. Many thanks go to the Edinburgh Art Fair, to Art in Healthcare and especially to the numerous Art in Healthcare volunteers and interns who were always on hand to assist with my workshops. Also to art supplier Great Art who provided AinH with a fantastic array of materials for the children to work with.
The Edinburgh Art Fair takes place at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange each November.
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