Health & Fitness Guide - Aspire Magazine

England’s Art TrailSandy BellJoanna FairleySandy Bell is a painter and illustratorworking mainly in acrylic, making themost of the medium to provide detailwhen creating works inspired by nature.She concentrates mainly on wildlife,including exotic animals and birds,but also on native species, domesticpets and landscapes, along with anoccasional still-life.Living in the countryside not far from theairport just south of Bristol, Sandy wasthe driving force behind the creationof the local Arts Trail, which will becelebrating its 11th anniversary laterthis year.She has galvanised artists in the area tomake the Chew Valley Arts Trail one ofthe most popular events of its kind.Tel: 07832 386591Email: tintinna@aol.comI am a member of The Leicester Society of Artists and the Leicester Sketch Club. I find takingpart both stimulating and supportive. I have always loved art from an early age but have beenpainting more seriously for about fifteen years. I enjoy the medium of watercolour as I likethe way the colours flow together and produce interesting and dramatic effects. I try to paintatmosphere usually using the ‘wet into wet ‘ method.I was brought up in Scotland and many of my paintings are inspired by the Scottish scenery- Lochs, mountains, trees and sky. Rutland also offers wonderful opportunities to paintlandscapes and the view from where I live is a permanent inspiration.Email: joannafairley@googlemail.com | Phone: 01572 737889 | Mob: 07565 996612If you’re feeling creative and have always wanted to give painting ordrawing ago, pick up some supplies and try your hand at creating yourown work of art. Painting is a great hobby to have throughout the yearas it can be enjoy indoors or out; hobbies come in all shapes and sizesand are great for keeping our minds active, stimulated and creative whileaway from work. A recent study suggests that engaging in a hobby, likeknitting, making a patchwork quilt, or even reading a book can delay theonset of dementia. In the study from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, nearly200 people ages 70 – 89 with mild memory problems were compared toa group who had no impairment. Researchers asked the volunteers abouttheir daily activities within the past year, and how mentally active theyhad been from 50 – 65-years-old; those who had been busy reading orengaging in craft hobbies had a 40% reduced risk of memory impairment.You don’t have to travel far to find something of beauty worth painting,as local parks, churches and trails are guaranteed provide a great placeto start. If you’re looking to travel further afield, the glorious scenery ofScotland and the sunny south coast are fabulous for painting, drawing andmore adventurous activities to combine with your art.As most of us now own digital cameras, with access to instant images ofthe landscape we’ve just captured, we often ignore the true beauty anddetail when admiring views of the countryside. The only way to trulyappreciate the beauty in our everyday lives and our surroundings is topaint it. Taking time to delicately paint or draw the landscape before youis the best way to truly take in your surroundings and ensure you noticeevery detail of what’s right in front of you.The closest many of us come to including art in our holidays is by visitingnational galleries and museums, and taking in the most famous pieces ofwork. With over eight million visitors each year, The Louvre (Musée duLouvre) in Paris, France is the most visited art gallery in the world. Hometo 35,000 works of art - including Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ – it’s nothard to see why it attracts so many art fans each year. The Louvre beats thenext most visited art gallery by over two million visitors; The MetropolitanMuseum of Art in New York welcomes over six million visitors throughits doors each year, closely followed in third by The British Museum inLondon, which sees over 5.8 million people looking to soak up some art.The art world can be intimidating, but there’s something in every artgallery and museum that everyone can enjoy. In fact, a recent study byHarris Interactive found that people are happier when they spend moneyon experiences rather than material purchases, which is why the admissionprice to any art gallery is money well spent. Many art galleries andmuseums are busiest at the weekend so if you want to take your time andenjoy looking at the art in a quieter setting, it’s best to avoid the weekendcrowds.As well as being a great place that inspires everyone, whether you’re sixor eighty-six, art galleries are also great places to spend quality time withfriends and family, in an inspirational and educational setting. Many of thelarger galleries and museums are also free to visitors, so they provide youand your family with a great way to spend some quality time together forvery little money.Aspire would like to encourage our readers to get out and about intothe region, and beyond, this summer and discover some of the fantastic,creative works of art being created by independent artists in studios andworkshops across the country. Locally, you can visit these websites to findout more:• Open Studios Northamptonshire - www.openstudios.org.uk• Rutland Open Studios - www.rutlandopenstudios.co.uk• Leicester Society of Artists - www.leicestersocietyofartists.co.ukFor those who want to travel a little further afield, just type ‘Open Studios’into your preferred internet search engine and get clicking!French-Impressionist(Living artist)Sally-Elizabeth Darleywww.sallydarley.co.ukSue GoodallI am aprofessional artistwho is passionateabout producingbeautifulpersonalisedartwork especiallyfor you.The mediums Imainly specialise in are colour pencilsand Biro pens. I enjoy experimentingwith new and interesting modernmaterials and creating realistic pieces ofartwork.I have recently completed my firstbook cover commission for a children’sbook and am interested in doing morework of this kind. New oil paintings ofendangered species.Tel: 01947 600842Email: igoodall@btinternet.comwww.artistsuegoodall.co.ukPatricia FergusonPatricia has been working as an artist/printmaker sincethe 1980s after completing postgraduate printmakingat Wimbledon College of Art.At present she works from her fully equipped studio atMaplebeck Press, where she also runs print workshops,as well as teaching part time on the B.A. Fine Artcourse at Nottingham University.She has exhibited widely and has work in numerousprivate and corporate collections. Her work isfigurative and portrays the stories and relationships inour every day lives, where the ordinary can becomeextraordinary.Patricia Ferguson, Maplebeck Press, Maplebeck,Nottingham ng22 0bsEmail: pf@maplepress.co.uk16 ASPIREASPIRE 17