Art Events weekend - Patchings Art Festival and Clarendon Park Art House, Open Studios - and why get rid of pretty weeds?
Flowers in my lawn, June 2010Why would you dig these pretty weeds/flowers out of your lawn? I'd rather enjoy looking at them and spend the time going to art events :>) So ........
On Friday I went to Patchings Art Festival for the first time. The idea was to see one friend - Gayle Mason, a very talented animal/wildlife artist at her stand there and to meet up with another friend, Katherine Tyrrell at my local station, travel up to Patchings together and have an art/chat-filled day. We had complementary tickets. See Katherine's review of the show here. There was a lot of chat!
I also kept bumping into people I knew, which was very nice :>) more chat!
Katherine and I had taken sketchbooks to discuss and we had Gayles work in progress and originals around us - lots of discussion :>)
Patchings - I'd been considering whether it was worth a stand for a small group I belong to, for another year, but the verdict was a definite 'no'.
The event is I feel, aimed at art societies and beginners/intermediate artists, who are there to look, not buy original artwork.
There was a great variety of work - paintings, prints, pottery, jewellery, woodwork and more - loads to see.
What were selling were cards and cheaper prints and fairly standard art materials.
There wasn't much at the art materials stands that was unusual and most prices weren't any cheaper than normal online/shop prices. I did pick up one bargain, a box of 24 White Knights full pan watercolours for £10 :>). I was tempted by lots of other things but my halo shone brightly as I resisted what I really didn't need and could pick up at any time from my local art shop or online.
I would have liked to have seen some more unusual materials on display with Jackson's. Gadsby's and the other stands.
The calibre of the daily painting demonstrators/workshops didn't appeal to us so we didn't visit those, concentrating on the things that were of interest. Visiting artists like Shirley Trevena are interesting.
We had a really enjoyable day but I did come away feeling that, for me, it isn't somewhere I'd go again if I had to pay the £7 entrance fee. I would want a wider range of art materials on display, higher calibre of demonstrators, wider ranging in the way they work - and not just those aimed at beginners.
It was very well organised, maps were clear, parking was good and the people there seemed to be enjoying it.
Today I visited the Clarendon Park Open House art event with a friend - 9 houses within the Clarendon Park area of the city showing artists work. The resident artist inviting several friends to show with them.
This had lots of contemporary work at each venue - paintings, printmaking, pottery, jewellery, felt making and some beautiful little gems of gardens.
It was a delight to visit each one, full of interesting work and again. meeting people I knew :>)
Tomorrow back to work ....
Have you ever had an Open House event?
Comments
This week is the very first open studios event in my local area (Forth Valley Open Studios). It's been brilliant so far although unfortunately I could open my own home due to the 9-5 job.
I've met some great new art contacts by visiting venues. We have over 70 venues with over 100 artists participating. I had no idea we had such a thriving community.
A friend and I organised the local open studios here with over 100 taking part a few years back - it was really hard work and the following year we took back seats on a larger committee.
I too love going round them networking and seeing all the work - but as a participant I find there is so much competition that sales aren't as good as when we have shows alone.
It's a shame you couldn't take part. Maybe another year.