Thursday, 2 June 2011

CATS get the cream, thanks to artist and RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Bluebell Woodland a photograph displayed as part of an urban garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, by contemporary landscape artist David Anthony Hall, has raised over £12,820 for the London charity, Children’s Acute Transport Service (CATS).

The landscape artist David Anthony Hall’s donation of his photograph 'Bluebell Woodland' has raised £12,820 for the Children’s Acute Transport Service, CATS.

Andy Petros, director of CATS said, ‘We are enormously grateful to David for this extremely generous donation.

“It is humbling to realise other people value us enough to support us to this extent. With this donation we will buy more equipment and run educational courses to further improve the care of critically ill children.”

What does CATS do?

CATS provides emergency transport for critically ill children and it covers over 50 hospitals in the North Thames and East Anglia regions. It is one of the few international services accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) and is also one of the largest specialist services of its type in Europe.

Hall, who each year offers at least one of his images as a donation to a charity close to his heart, was especially touched by CATs after he and his wife watched a BBC programme about the service.

“With two small children of our own we were so taken with the passion and dedication of the CATS team.” said David.

“As parents it is something we could relate to despite, thankfully, never having had any direct need of their assistance. There is nothing greater than the gift of life passed to us by our parents and yet as parents ourselves, what could be more overwhelming than the fear and helplessness felt when dealing with a sick child.

“It’s impossible to comprehend the pain a mother must feel at the loss of a child. CATs can make that lifesaving difference and we wanted to support it.”

The image ‘Bluebell Woodland’ was part of a body of work that formed the inspiration behind a concept garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Thompson’s Gallery, who devised the garden at RHS Chelsea and are currently displaying Hall’s solo show at their New Cavendish Street Gallery in London, generously waived their usual fee as their way ofhelping the charity erven further.

Other suppliers were keen to help, so they waived their fees, too! These include Genesis and Canon large format printer distributors Velmex, who printed the image. The new owner has also agreed to gift aid her donation enabling the charity to benefit from the extra Gift Aid, too!

David's solo show runs for the next month at Thompson’s New Cavendish Street Gallery in London and is showcasing 20 images from his latest works. David's work is always of nature and represents the strong emotional connection he feels to a place.

He added: “In a society battling with over civilisation, it is easy to lose touch with nature and each other in its simplest sense. My work constantly reminds me of how fleeting our presence actually is on the planet and how precious our relationships with loved ones are in this context.’”

Hall dedicates this donation in memory of his natural mother Maura O’Connor, who lost her battle with cancer on 18th May 2011.

FACTFILE:

David Anthony Hall was born in Dublin in 1969. Hall has been exhibited at top art fairs including; London Art, Art London, 20/21 International Art Fair and The Affordable Art Fairs, London, New York, Paris, Singapore & Amsterdam. His landscape photography was first published in 1989. Over the past five years his work has been exhibited in eight countries, with over twenty group shows and two solo shows. David’s work has raised over £25,000 for charities, he is also supporting Marie Curie Cancer Care with an auction to be held at The Royal Academy of Arts in July 2011.

For David his art is about more than just a beautiful image, his interest lies in capturing the natural environment that exudes a presence of a powerful past. Intent on connecting an anthropological and geographical history to expose a sense of mystery and wonder, his work envelops and compels.

To find out more about CATS visit http://portal.cats.nhs.uk

To find out more about the gallery and the show visit www.thompsonsgallery.co.uk

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