You can see someone is speaking to you but their words arrive as meaningless sounds. You want to explain that you don’t understand but your own speech evades you, your vocabulary deleted. You’re struck by chills, fevers and you can’t move; not to go to the toilet, to pick up a glass of water or sit up.

Are you making the most of the art in your workplace? Art plays a significant role in enhancing wellbeing, reaching far beyond the aesthetic to lower cortisol levels, instil pride in ones’ workplace and ultimately contribute to a more productive team. Don’t let your art be a missed opportunity to engage employees. We tackle 10 ways to maximise the positive impact the art in your workplace has on employees.

Artist residencies play an important role in an artists journey, offering them distance from the constraints and expectations of daily life and usual creative practice. We are delighted to announce that the artist to be awarded the 2018 Little Van Gogh Residency is Peter Corr.

Peter will be the second Little Van Gogh artist to have been awarded this New Forest residency.

Could being distracted at work actually be good for you? Protecting employees from interruptions is often high on the agenda when it comes to workplace design but distractions, if they are pitched correctly can offer welcome respite from day to day office routines.

The Little Van Gogh residency is back for the second year. Residencies play an important role in nurturing artists on their creative journey, offering them the gift of time and space to make potential creative evolutionary leaps in their practice.

In April 2018 Little Van Gogh will be inviting an artist to take time away from their normal environment to stay and work in the New Forest National Park.

 “The landscape painter must walk in the fields with a humble mind. No arrogant man was ever permitted to see Nature in all her beauty.” John Constable

It seems instinctively human to be curious about our natural environment. The landscape has long provided artists with inspiration, the genre booming in the nineteenth century partly due to urbanisation alienating many from nature and the countryside.

The act of taking in and experiencing great art is one of the most fulfilling cultural activities we can engage in. We often hear it said that art is good for the soul, but did you know that viewing art can have a demonstrably positive effect on your health too? Researchers have begun to look into the positive outcomes that the act of simply looking at paintings can have on your mental and physical wellbeing, with incredible results.

The practice of mindfulness has enjoyed a steady rise in popularity in recent years, with courses now being taught in workplaces and schools. Aside from the numerous health benefits a more mindful way of life brings, there is evidence to suggest that it improves productivity and reduces work-based anxiety. 

If artist Orna Scheerson-Pascal embodies anything, it's self-expression. Her rhythmic, technicolour paintings radiate energy, joy and confidence and it may surprise you to learn that contrary to her brazen work, she was a timid child at school.

“I was very shy but not for my work, with my art I never cared if people said anything,” explains Orna, “at school I never really listened, I was always decorating my notebooks.”

Our reaction to a piece of art is nothing less than deeply personal, with our feelings, tastes and opinions helping us to form our thoughts and response.

The term ‘millennial’ is generally accepted to refer to the generation born between the early 1980's and the year 2000, otherwise known as ‘Generation Y’.

By 2020 millennials will make up over 50% of the global workforce. In order to attract and retain the very best of this burgeoning talent pool, employers will need to consider how to tailor their office environment to appeal to millennial working preferences.

We hear all the time that ‘our people are our best assets’ or to take it a step further the right people certainly are.

Art is a powerful tool, especially when you understand that it has more to offer than just its aesthetic qualities. Carefully chosen pieces can make a big impression on potential employees, as well as improve your staff retention levels.

Esbe is a young gun having only been a professionally practicing artist for four years. She turned to art when her career as a classical guitarist was brought to a halt by a neurological RSI (repetitive strain injury). Having trained at the Royal Academy of Music and always worked as a professional musician Esbe reflects, “When the condition developed and it was diagnosed I knew I would never play again”

In a world inundated with signs prompting us to push, pull and follow the arrows are there more intuitive ways to help people find their way around a building?

Directional signage is no doubt central to the successful navigation of a space… but perhaps we are missing something.

In the run up to International Women’s Day, we asked our women artists for a message to their younger selves. We asked,

“What would you say to the little girl who became the artist you are today?”

The responses were inspiring.

Famed for their provocative posters the Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous group of feminist art activists who have been campaigning for a democratic art world since 1985. Their many thousands of posters and stickers have made their way from stealth street projects to exhibitions and museums worldwide; you’ll even find their punchy slogans printed onto homeware and T-shirts in the Tate and Saatchi gift shop.

Pagan festival come global (and just a little commercial) celebration of love; Valentine’s Day in nearly here. Love never fails to inspire artists; from poets to painters, emblems of love crop up in cultures all over the world.

In November 2016, Lorraine Benton became the first artist to take part in the Little Van Gogh residency.

The residency gave Lorraine a week’s exclusive use of a cottage in the New Forest, Hampshire, a location known for its inspiring scenery and wildlife. 

Spiritual, and serene… these are both words that float to mind when looking at Anna’s work or, to think of it, when describing Anna herself.

We often hear artists refer to their art as an extension of themselves and Anna embodies this case and point.

Boosting staff wellbeing should be a key focus for every employer. There are a variety of ways in which to do this and adding art to a working environment can be a great place to start. Lilli Hender from Office Genie discusses the benefits of art in the office and other measures you can put in place to enhance wellness.

With gifting season fast approaching it’s time to start browsing art.

Receiving a beautifully made, original work of art, chosen or perhaps even made just for you… it’s magical

Have an art exhibition in your office that changes regularly. By changing the art regularly you create a talking point that will encourage people to debate and share their personal opinions.

Artist residencies offer an artist an opportunity to develop their creative practice in a completely new environment. From painters to writers, musicians to poets there are residencies all over the world that invite creatives to come and explore their practice away from home.

The Open Studios is an exciting cultural event where artists throw open their doors and invite you to meet them in person and explore their work. This takes place all over the country throughout the year with artists opening their studios to the public offering free workshops and an opportunity to buy original work at affordable prices.

Whatever the style of your home, here are our top picks for the art trends of 2016. Whether it’s abstract art that you love or street art on canvas, if you’re in need of art inspiration, we’re excited to show you some of Europe’s most exceptional emerging artists.

Art plays a powerful role in office design and should not be overlooked or deemed a luxury. It is known to boost productivity and is an immediate and visible sign that a company cares about its employee and visitor experience.

Immersing ourselves in art for a few hours at a gallery isn’t something many of us have time to do regularly. But whether you’re or a casual art admirer or a full-time fanatic, there are lots of ways to feed your eyes and your brain with art every day.

Virtually no effort is required; just keep your eyes open and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is…

If ever the proverb, “it’s the journey not the destination” applied to anyone- it’s Rob. He’s laid back and in the same breath enterprising. He applies a calm but productive approach to life as he does his art, moving from moment to moment, painting to painting.