Monday 24 April 2017

Turning a Corner

Yesterday was the second day of the Brockenhurst Needle Work fiesta.  

Maggie Fiona and I had a great time demoing, Maggie mixed layers and dissolvable paper...

and I was on dissolvable films and fabrics.

From what I can gather it was probably one of their best attended shows to date with over 1200 visitors. Considering it was very close to finishing for good not long ago that is pretty good numbers!! I hope the traders downstairs all found it a viable weekend and will continue to support it.  

Today I had a Dorset Artists Coffee Morning at Gold Hill Organic Farm Cafe.  It was a little chilly but some chose to stay outside.  20 or so turned up, including some new faces, and we were served with delicious coffee and lunch or cake.  A great venue to visit.  

So that marks the end of a little period in time where I had events and deadlines to work toward all within the last three months.  I know I can be a bit of a lazy or sloppy worker, choosing to please myself as and when. Everything over the past 10 months or so has almost been put in front of me as a challenge to see if I could actually set myself targets and I think I have come out of it pretty good.  

February I could hold my head high next to the amazing Maggie Grey when she asked me to spend the four days with her and Fiona at Craft 4 Crafters. Early March I actually walked 18 miles!  Me who doesn't get out of the car unless I truly have to!! I have very tiny nails growing back on my feet now and I also have a refund for my expensive, waterproof boots that leaked!! I then held a joint exhibition with Karren and Caroline which we curated and managed ourselves.  Though I have shown in other venues this was a first of this type, especially with established artists. And this weekend demoing again with Maggie at the Fiesta.  

The demos do take a lot of thought and planning.  If you're ever watching someone do one please remember that whoever is doing it has tried to condense something into a short mini show if you like and it's often something that takes an age in the real world.  They've had to probably do a lot of pre samples and practising so you the viewer can see the best of it in a short period of time.

There have been other personal obstacles to clamber over along the way too but tomorrow I have promised myself a peopleless day, except for John and the pups, and nothing on my creative mind or demands from the studio and it feels good. 

I worked to deadlines and passed the test!