Stand 17 Pavilion - Vista Art

International artist Linda R Halbert BA will be this years judge for the art completion at the Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle show this coming 15th & 16th of October at La Finca Golf & Spa Hotel & Resort, Algorfa near Torrevieja.

Lin will also be doing two painting demonstrations, one in watercolours, the other in acrylics, and will be available both days for anyone wishing to try their hand at learning some simple painting techniques or to ask her for a few tips and tricks.

Lin runs art classes, weekend workshops and holidays from May to September in the stunning vineyard area of inland Spain near Pinoso in the region of Alicante.  This year there are no places, but please contact her by e-mail for information and dates for 2015. She's looking forward to having a chat with you! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The wonderful links between art and health

As an artist and teacher, I have been fascinated by art and it's links and benefits to health right from the very beginning of my professional career. Despite this fact, I find it interesting that I often still struggle with how to express  the “fundamentals” of art and it's health benefits and their effects on the individual to my audiences when giving talks and demonstrations.

I make great efforts in attempting to express and clarify the fundamental issues. I try to summarise the current knowledge about the beneficial connection between art and health and spend time identifying the most compelling next steps that are useful to take to improve well being though art.

I talk about how engagement with artistic activities, either as an observer of the creative efforts of others or as the creator of one's own artistic efforts, can enhance our moods, emotions and feelings of well being.  Take the view that ill health or disease is brought about by an imbalance between the physical, mental, emotional and social well-being of an individual and stress on any level can lead to massive imbalances.

Therefore, I often read reviews exploring the relationship between the creative arts and health, specifically the huge health benefits of visual arts therapy, in the express belief that I will one day discover what makes some people ignore their own need for happiness and good health.

I have read how chronic diseases has become a nationwide epidemic with cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death. In fact it killed over 17 million people in 2012 and It's widely accepted that many of the chronic health problems are related to stress yet our modern way of life seems to add extra stress with each generation.

I have personal experience of the amazing effectiveness of art in enhancing health and wellness in myself and my students over many years.

Art can help to restore emotional balance and can help in achieving control over pain. In addition, it has been shown that the meditative aspect of art in action can calm neural activity in the brain which leads to a reduction in anxiety.

It has been written many times how art can be a refuge from the intense emotions associated with illness, but I wonder why with all the information there is that so many don't want to acknowledge their need to reduce the stress in their lives that can lead to such terrible illnesses.

I read only recently how women taking part in a study focusing on cancer, described many extra problems they suffered because of their cancer, such as fear for the future, pain, sleeplessness, role loss, activity restriction, reduced self-confidence, and altered social relationships.

Only the other day a close friend told me how her mother is very upset about her cancer reducing her social life and love of an active life in her community.

I have read how people creating works of art in different types of mediums, such as textiles, card making, collage, 3D work, watercolour, acrylics, were helped in dealing with some of these side issues relating to their health problems.

These are a few  examples of how art has helped many of my students and I have experienced their joy so many times throughout my career, I find it amazing and rather sad that more people don't try art for themselves. What is it that holds them back?  Beliefs that they are not creative, fear of being ridiculed or criticised or just too scared to try a new and yes maybe challenging, experience.

If more people could only get passed that which is holding them back, they would soon come to realise how it takes their minds off their health issues and everything else for the duration of the project, thereby giving them relief from their worries and much needed peace of mind for that period of time.

It gives them a sense of achievement, time and again this simple feeling make them so very happy.

It enables them to be themselves without the cancer or anything else defining who they are. It has amazed me many times, I came to realise how important this is, though personal experience as well as though my students.  

Letting go of their feelings and emotions though creative expression is therapeutic, healing and leads to greater wellness and happiness.

Please, please be in the best health you can be, give yourself the permission to be the happiest you can be, and don't ignore your body telling you that stress is making you ill and it's time to find your creative side and relax.

Contact Linda R Halbert BA of Vista Art and Relaxation in Spain
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or tel 0034 966195502 ( leave message)
Or go to 2343ec78a04c6ea9d80806345d31fd78-gdprlock/vistaspain and like the page for information, tips, tricks and updates.