St Andrews artist Alan Stephens urges budding painters to following in his footsteps and be inspired by his NHS key worker portrait.
Alan made headlines recently with his portrait of a group of key workers from NHS Fife which is now displayed in the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
Although the established artist has completed hundreds of commissions and portraits, he hopes his latest work will inspire others to follow in his footsteps and take up painting to realise the wellbeing benefits it brings.
He said: “Creating art makes you more observant of the world. You notice what’s going on, what’s happening.
“I’d urge anyone to give it a go and for those with less experience, or who have never perhaps picked up a brush, I’d say do not worry making mistakes – just get going and don’t worry about ‘getting it right’.”
Enjoyment and surprise
Alan was born in Portsmouth, trained as an electronics engineer, and took up painting as a hobby in 1974.
In 1990, after 25 years with the BBC, he started painting full time.
As well as being a demonstrator at the Art Materials Exhibition at the Design Centre, Islington, London, Alan was a tutor at the local Adult Education Centres in Oxfordshire, and is a former tutor with the St Andrews Art Club.
As past President of the St Andrews Art Club he has also given demonstrations and workshops to art clubs around Fife and won many prizes throughout his career.
He added: “I’ve seen beginners really get into it and comment how much they enjoy it – many are surprised at what they can do and realise how much it improves their wellbeing. Quite a lot of artists find that they lose track of time.”
A positive impact on health and wellbeing
Art In Healthcare, a charity which uses art to improve health and wellbeing, echoes the sentiment that art can have a positive impact.
From improving self-esteem and confidence, art can also help bring mental health benefits too for those dealing with illness.
Creating a piece of history
Alan was inspired to create his NHS heroes portrait during the pandemic as a way to thank key workers for their hard work.
He said: “I noticed that artists around the world were creating paintings and thought it was a great idea that I wanted to do, so got in touch with NHS Fife.
“They supplied photographs of the people and I started work. I wanted to show my appreciation for their work and I suppose now it’s a piece of history. It’s great that it is now on public display.”
