Follow the Animal Health Trust via Twitter: @ahtofficial

A herd of 17 horses will gallop into Newmarket, Suffolk, from 8th July until 22nd September 2019, forming Saddle Up, a unique art trail of equine-themed artworks. The Animal Health Trust (AHT) is joining with local and national artists, local businesses, organisations and community groups to present this inspiring free public event on the streets of Newmarket this Summer.

Each horse-themed piece has been created specially for the Saddle Up trail, designed by an artist or artists responding to the brief: "What does the word 'horse' mean to you?" Artists have interpreted the theme of 'horse' in many different and creative ways, hence the trail includes a wide range of sculptures, paintings and textile artworks, which also vary greatly in scale.

Saddle Up a Centaur

Local Suffolk-based artist Lois Cordelia is very excited to have been commissioned to create one of the 17 pieces for the Saddle Up trail. Her mixed media sculpture will represent a mythical half-horse, half-human centaur. The piece will be named by a local school - Lois is intrigued to hear what their choice of name will be! Her idea is to sculpt a female centaur queen, bringing a timeless mythical figure to life, combining the powerful energy of the horse and its legendary associations with the theme of female empowerment. The story of the centaur may originate in ancient tribes who were so skilled in horse-back archery that they were thought to be one with their horse counterparts. Lois's partner Jason is an archer and has given Lois some coaching in archery, which helps her to replicate an authentic archery pose in her artwork.

Live Sculpting Demonstration at Tindalls, 18th - 19th June

Lois is seen here (below) creating the wire 'skeleton' for her centaur sculpture, in preparation for a special two day live sculpting demonstration at Tindalls Art (50-52 High Street, Newmarket): drop by at the art store on Wednesday 18th or Thursday 19th June (10.00 am - 4.00 pm) to watch work in progress on the sculpture, meet the artist, ask questions and be inspired.

Lois Cordelia will demonstrate her mixed-media sculpting techniques, combining wire, Mod-roc (plaster of Paris modelling rock), polymer clay (Fimo), acrylic paint, found objects, foil, and other materials. Her sculptures evoke dramatic movement and dance, complemented by exquisitely carved details of facial features and hand gestures. Lois welcomes an audience while she works, so don't be shy - come along and watch, ask questions, and be inspired to have a go yourself! Lois's mixed-media sculptures are often inspired by fantastical and mythological themes. Working from imagination, she incorporates a myriad of unexpected items into her miniature figurines, allowing them to evolve and take on a life of their own.

Lois frequently teaches art workshops and performs live art demonstrations at all four branches of Tindalls (Newmarket, Cambridge, Colchester and Ely), who are one of the leading stockists of art materials in East Anglia. When she was first approached by the Animal Health Trust to design a sculpture for the Saddle Up trail, she immediately had in mind to collaborate closely with Tindalls, creating most of the sculpture live in-store at the Newmarket branch. She was thrilled when Tindalls enthusiastically agreed to host her live sculpting demonstration. Her finished piece will be on prominent display in the window of the art shop for the duration of the trail.



Tindalls will also be a stockist of the Saddle Up trail maps, so pop in and be inspired to engage with your creative side on many levels!


Explore the Saddle Up Art Trail

Discover the location of each of the 17 horse-themed artworks in Newmarket by following the trail map. From Monday 8 July 2019, which marks the official start of the trail, you will be able to download the map from the Saddle Up art trail page or pick up a copy from Tindalls (50-52 High Street, Newmarket) or Palace House Museum.

Adjacent to each artwork, trail-visitors will find a letter of the alphabet - collect all the letters, unscramble them to find a phrase, and send it to the AHT to enter the Saddle Up prize draw!

Public art trails have become increasingly and deservedly popular in recent years. They benefit artists at all stages of their careers, they provide a fun, free, interactive arts experience for families, children and individuals of all ages who enjoy the trails, they promote walking and getting outside in the fresh air, they boost local businesses, community groups and organisations who sponsor each piece for the trail, they bring many thousands of visitors (often from hundreds or thousands of miles away) to the town or city and nurture the local economy, and last but by no means least they raise much needed funds and awareness for the charity concerned, in this case, the Animal Health Trust.

Follow the Animal Health Trust via Twitter: @ahtofficial

About Lois Cordelia

Lois Cordelia is a versatile freelance artist based at her home studio in Ipswich, Suffolk, with a strong emphasis on community engagement through her art practices. She interacts live with the public while painting, sculpting, paper-cutting, and also especially when creating designs for public art trails. She is a popular tutor and speaker, leading creative workshops for a variety of age groups. Her artwork has appeared in numerous art trails all over the British Isles.

Lois's centaur sculpture for Saddle Up will be her 19th public art trail piece to date (her first being a pig called Pig-geswyk for Pigs Gone Wild 2016, Ipswich). This Summer, besides her design for the Saddle Up trail, you can see more of her work as part of Elmer's Big Parade Suffolk (Ipswich), Oor Wullie's Big Bucket Trail (Edinburgh), and Go Wild Gorillas (Jersey, Channel Islands).

Below: Lois with some of her mixed-media sculptures in progress at previous live demonstrations at Tindalls stores.

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About the Animal Health Trust

The AHT is a Newmarket based charity that exists to enable horses, dogs and cats around the world to live happier and healthier lives. The AHT employs over 240 vets, scientists and support staff who work side by side to develop new diagnostic tests, treatments, vaccines, new technology and knowledge for the better diagnosis, prevention and cure of disease. The charity also provides a clinical referral service for veterinary surgeons in practice, promotes postgraduate education and communicates its findings to others to benefit animals all around the world. The AHT receives no government funding and all the money raised from its veterinary clinics and fundraising events such as the Saddle Up Art Trail is reinvested into the Trust. The charity relies on its generous donors, sponsors and supporters to fund its vital work. The AHT is proudly supported by its President, HRH The Princess Royal and its Trustees.

Follow the Animal Health Trust via Twitter: @ahtofficial