THE ART BLOG 4 JULY

Weekly blogs on the art world written by our staff, artists and customers

Our archived blogs will be found on Last Blog,  Blogs Page Two & Page Three & Page four and on www.blogfrancisiles.wordpress.com

Reflections on the Moon Bear Sanctuary by Suzie Marsh

 Doug and I have just returned from China where we went to visit the Moon Bear Rescue Centre owned and run by Animals Asia. We made the trip because I am planning a joint exhibition in 2012 with the wildlife artist Richard Symonds. Our aim is to raise funds for Animals Asia, a charity that we both support and now, as a result of our trip, we are both even more committed to helping them in any way that we can. Our time out there with the Animals Asia founder, Jill Robinson MBE, her staff, the volunteers and, of course, the bears has proved to be a life-changing experience for all of us.

It seemed a long way to go to see some bears, but l was keen to go as to “meet them in the flesh” was too good an opportunity to miss and, as we were all to find out, these are not just any old bears, these are very special bears who are worth fighting for. They are bears who have gone to hell and beyond all their lives, living under constant torture and pain in bile farms until being rescued by Jill and her team.

To see the rescued bears today you could be forgiven for forgetting what they have gone through. They are now happy, healthy, well cared for and contented bears, but look closely and you can still see their physical scars.

Some have missing limbs whilst others have bald lines showing where the metal jackets, snares and bars have cut into them for years; others are blind and nearly all have many missing teeth - teeth that have either been knocked out or cut down by the bile farmer or just worn down on the cage bars by the bears in their desperation.

Jasper is a middle aged bear who before his rescue had spent years crushed in a cage unable to turn or stand with a tube in his abdomen so his owner could collect his bile

Jingle on the mend

It is a truly amazing experience to see them now and to see how few show any lasting mental problems. Thanks to the constant and patient care of the Animals Asia team the bears have managed to at last live. They play and live happily together in large green enclosures. Each day their food is prepared and placed in new places and in new toys so that they can search it out. Different toys are placed in the enclosures and even the waterfalls into their ponds vary each day with the way the water gushes out. So no day is the same for them. They have swings, hammocks, trees and climbing frames to explore.  When we arrived at the sanctuary I had no idea of how powerful an effect the place would have on me, or in fact on all of us. At the sight of my first bear I burst into tears and then spent the rest of my time swinging from tears of joy at seeing them now and tears of pain thinking of what they had gone through before reaching the sanctuary.

Suzie helping Vet Monica with Diamonds health check.

Suzie even found some cats ! See her cat page on this site !

At present there are just over one-hundred and seventy live and happy bears in the Chengdu Sanctuary and another seventy-nine bears and cubs in the Animals Asia sanctuary in Vietnam. Animals Asia is one of only two animal charities that actually own and run their own sanctuaries. The rescued bears are a lifetime commitment and need constant support. Each bear come with its own tragic story, but each one has the relief of being freed from the crushing crates and pain.

I cannot describe the feeling you get from being there. We spent just under a week there and not once did I get bored with looking at the bears. The days flew by and I envy the volunteers and workers whose job it is to observe these bears every day. What a job!

Paddy enjoys his freedom

TO FIND OUT ABOUT ANIMALS ASIA & TO SEE HOW YOU CAN HELP GO:

www.animalsasia.org

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Our first blog was from Lucy Horner, comparing a painting she has always loved with one by our Russian Artists: Olga Oreshnikov. Extract: “I came across the most specacular painting I had ever seen. I would not say it was a religious conversion but never before, or since has an image had such impact on me. I was overwhelmed by the scale, colour and intensity”. Find out who she was writing about ! Go: www.blogfrancisiles.wordpress.com

Our second blog was written by Nettie Iles-North and was about a marvellous Titian she was asked to frame go: Archive

Our third blog was by Artist Bill Pricket on the subject using wood in sculpture. Go: Archive two

Our fourth blog was by Brian Denington on the subject of doing a commission for Sir John Barbirolli and Lady Barbirolli
go: Archive three

Our fifth blog was written by Graham Pook about his love of painting Scotland go: Archive four

Our last blog was about Nettie Iles North`s visit to Italy to visit two Italian artists go: Last Blog

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