Art in Healthcare: August 2013

Monday, 19 August 2013

Why charities need patrons

As Art in Healthcare appoints a new patron, Martine Foltier Pugh considers the relationship between charities and patrons.

In July last year, AiH trustee Gavin McEwan wrote a blog about the role of a charity’s board of trustees, how they safeguard the organisation’s activities, its legal and financial accountability. It would be fair to say that despite their considerable governance and managerial power, the identity of the trustees often remains largely unknown.

It would be equally fair to say that the exact opposite is true of the patron. Recently, prominent painter and Royal Academician Barbara Rae RA CBE RE who featured in the ‘Artist Uncovered’ blog of March this year, accepted Art in Healthcare’s invitation to be their patron. This is a good opportunity to reflect on what the role means.

Mull Ferry by Barbara Rae watercolour, 105x88cm

Art in Healthcare collection

Historically, it has long been the privilege and the pleasure of wealthy individuals to fund artists and the art world would be much depleted if for instance, the Medicis or the Steins had not supported and commissioned great works from da Vinci, Michelangelo or Picasso. Patrons were not only influential through their financial support but also in terms of taste. They were the trendsetters of their time.

The idea of patronage has evolved since and today what charities look for in a patron is an individual who not only commands public attention, but is also passionate about what they stand for and can promote and lend credibility and weight to their cause. The royal family is a good example of such patronage.

I asked Barbara Rae what this appointment meant for her and she replied:

“Besides being an important charity in itself, without one like AiH hospitals would be barren, antiseptic places. It is essential patients and visitors have some visual stimulus that lifts the spirit, takes their mind off their immediate health problem, even momentarily.In ward or waiting room art can make the difference between gloom and hope. A good art image is always superior to a No Smoking sign.”

Ballachulish 1 by Barbara Rae monotype, 87x70cm

Art in Healthcare collection

With this statement, the artist not only captures what is at the heart of the AiH vision, it also reveals her enthusiasm for it, her love of colour and sense of humour.

To be a patron has a definite air of glamour about it. But like any other ‘job’ it depends on a good relationship between the two parties to fulfil their mutual expectations and any appointment will be preceded by an exchange of documents that spell out clearly what is required from each party. Typically, these documents will outline how to maintain the flow of communication with regular updates from both sides, how many events the patron will be asked to attend per year and how the charity will make use of the patron’s name and picture.

The roles of the board of trustees and of the patron may be poles apart yet the charity’s performance depends on this disparity. The trustees ensure the long-term good practice and sustainability of the organisation and this in turn guarantees the backing of high profile patrons who are mindful about with whom their name is associated. The board of trustees and the patron are as interdependent and complementary as Yin and Yang.

Magic Happening no1 by Alan Davie gouache, 93x81cm

Art in Healthcare collection

This appointment is a momentous occasion in the history of AiH as Barbara Rae is only their second patron. Their other patron, Alan Davie, was appointed by Paintings in Hospitals in the mid 1990s and stayed with AiH after its creation at the start of the new millenium. This new development also indicates a significant period of growth for the organisation as it continues to expand geographically and in its range of services.

Martine Foltier Pugh is a freelance writer and visual artist based in Edinburgh.

With thanks to Barbara Rae.

Royal Academy http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/
Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers http://artmondo.net/printworks/workshops/re.htm
Royal involvement with patronage http://www.royal.gov.uk/charitiesandpatronages/royal%20involvement%20with%20charities/royal%20involvement%20with%20charities.aspx
The House of Medici http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Medici
The Stein family http://www.sfmoma.org/about/press/press_exhibitions/releases/862
Yin and Yang http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/taoism/ataglance/glance.shtml

Sunday, 4 August 2013

Artist Uncovered: Leo du Feu

Martine F Pugh catches up with landscape painter, nature lover and bird fancier Leo du Feu

At the height of summer and in this year 2013 of Natural Scotland, it seems highly appropriate to keep our focus on the artists in the Art in Healthcare collection who find inspiration in nature and Leo du Feu is the perfect choice.

A Hint of Red, West Coast Canada 22x29cm, acrylic on card

image courtesy of the artist

Leo’s name has come up before in this blog in the post ‘Art in Healthcare Reaches Out’ dated 27 November where I reported on the workshops he led for Art in Healthcare in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. To inspire the young participants he had specially chosen the painting of a bird from the AiH collection. This choice was not random as Leo is himself an enthusiastic birdwatcher.

Coastal Defence, Aberdeenshire 50x50cm, acrylic on canvas
AiH Collection

Leo du Feu who has just turned twenty-nine, is a full-time artist who paints in the great Scottish landscape tradition and like many artists of his generation his talent is many-sided. Full-time really means full-time as his website and blog reveal the diversity of his practice.
As well as a painter with an impressive list of exhibitions and awards to his credit, he is also an educator who gives talks and leads workshops in healthcare settings, for local authorities and art groups, and also for Historic Scotland in his home town of Linlithgow.

The Old Manse, Orkney 15x21cm

private collection, image courtesy of the artist

The nineteenth century Romantic landscape painters could rely either on private wealth or on generous sponsors to pay for their travelling expenses. But their present-day counterparts have to vie for a limited number of travel scholarships and Leo has deservedly won a number of them that have taken him on journeys around Scotland and across Canada. Leo has already had one book published Sketches from Canada and a second Landscapes and Birds of Scotland, an artist’s view due to come out in October, will be accompanied by a solo exhibition at the RGI Kelly Gallery in Glasgow.

His paintings, mostly acrylic, range from postcard size to several metres high such as the four paintings commissioned by the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, now on permanent display in the foyer of their new Crawford building.

detail from the series Through the Telescope, acrylic on canvas,

UK Astronomy Technology Centre, image courtesy of the artist

His close-up studies of birds are on an intimate scale. They convey his fascination for them as he endeavours to “get a bird right” and his knowledge of their anatomy and behaviour. On the other hand, his landscapes of spectacular hills and skies, intense wooded areas and coastal scenery, allow his lyrical temperament to come through with dramatic light effects and compositions which allude to the land of dreams.
His blog ‘Landscape, art, nature, birds’ eloquently records the observations he makes during his frequent trips around Scotland, including to the Highlands and islands, filling up his sketchbooks with drawings that he develops later back in his studio into paintings. Increasingly Leo also completes finished watercolours out in the field. His style is representational and this reflects his deep respect for his subject matter.

Common Gull, Larus canus 14.5x21cm, acrylic on card

private collection, image courtesy of the artist

The importance of sketching can never be overstated. Professional artists need to sketch like athletes need to exercise and even if nothing in particular catches his attention while he is out and about looking for material, Leo will nonetheless stop in his track and “force himself to draw and see what happens”. The accumulation of sketches and notes altogether add up to a very personal database of marks, colours and sensations that he retrieves later in his studio to produce the artwork. Then the creative process really begins.

Isle of May Puffins blog post, June 2013

image courtesy of the artist

I particularly like the recent blogs he posted during his week-long trip to the Nature Reserve on the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth. They are a very entertaining recollection of observations and anecdotes with photographs and sketches that will delight everybody. I can’t decide which of his chance meetings I prefer, the rock pipit aka lbj for ‘little brown job’ or the preening terns he captured in mid contortions!

There is no doubt about it, Leo’s success is due to both his talent and hard work and through his skilful use of social media he is also able to reach a wide audience for their enjoyment.

Martine Foltier Pugh is a freelance writer and visual artist based in Edinburgh

With thanks to Leo du Feu for his information. You can follow him through his website and social media pages:

www.leodufeu.co.uk
landscapeartnaturebirds.blogspot.com
facebook.com/pages/Leo-du-Feu/175954912506839

https://twitter.com/LeoduFeu