Accessibility and art in the community have become buzz words in recent years. This on the surface would suggest that the art world is endeavouring to reach the general public with its output, raising the level of awareness and appreciation. This is a good thing as there need not, should not, be a gulf between the two, artists are people. The artist needs a wide audience and a market if he or she is to grow and not just the small elite group that set the fashion in art by their purchasing power.

For the past four years I have been involved in the community, teaching art to adults who appreciate the significant role art can play in life and who want to participate at some level in that world. Many of these are retired teachers, lecturers and people with long experience of life, and disposable income. One of the activities we do together is to visit exhibitions. Much of the modern, contemporary work leaves them cold, even irritated and in some cases insulted by its message and presentation, this is despite the critics claims of accessibility and art for the community. They often comment on the poor workmanship and indifferent presentation, especially in relation to the price tags. The exceptions are the pieces that engage the mind, leading the viewer to see something, either in the subject material or the application of the medium, that they had not noticed before, but which seems familiar. The work they enjoy always has some connection to their lives even if the treatment is abstract.

An artist who lives in the community, is part of its everyday fabric and sees and experiences the same world as the rest of that community but with a different eye, the artists eye. My primary objective when teaching is to encourage and train the students to see as an artist sees, technique comes several levels lower in priority. This being the case however, when we get down to the doing I encourage a workman like approach and a good standard in both execution of the artwork and its presentation. This is my own ethic when working, be it on a painting or a 3 dimensional piece, whether traditional or experimental. It is said 'A picture speaks a thousand words' but those words need to be in a language that is understood and is well written. If a piece of art needs a thousand words to explain it, it has failed.

Imagination is at the heart of any artform, the imagination of the artist and viewer. Accessibility and inclusion of the community in no way blunts or inhibits this, rather it stimulates the process by giving the imagination a springboard and roots. Even fantasy must have some connection to reality to be appreciated.

See a description of Martyn Bell's Art courses and other services: BellArt.

Martyn's paintings range in price between about 400 and 1000 euros.

Ardtully Bridge Medium: watercolor Subject: landscape Style: realism Size: Width: 33 Height: 20 cms Price: $0, €450	Bird in a Thicket Medium: watercolor Subject: animals Style: realism Size: Width: 34 Height: 25 cms Price: $0, €600	Cock Pheasant Crowing Medium: watercolor Subject: animals Style: realism Size: Width: 43 Height: 31 cms Price: $0, €600
Edge of the Wood Medium: watercolor Subject: landscape Style: impressionism Size: Width: 51 Height: 32 cms Price: $0, €600	Loch Ewe - Morning Medium: watercolor Subject: marine Style: realism Size: Width: 30 Height: 20 cms Price: $0, €400	McCarthy Castle - Kerry Medium: watercolor Subject: landscape Style: realism Size: Width: 45 Height: 25 cms Price: $0, €450
On the Wall Medium: watercolor Subject: animals Style: realism Size: Width: 42 Height: 31 cms Price: $0, €600	Teddy Bears Picnic Medium: watercolor Subject: animals Style: romantic Size: Width: 60 Height: 70 cms Price: $0, €1000	The Wave Medium: watercolor Subject: marine Style: expressionism Size: Width: 60 Height: 63 cms Price: $0, €600

1-9 of 9 pieces.