July brought opportunities to exhibit my work with Prudhoe Art Trail and Holmfirth Art Week. Both events were hugely successful for the hosts and artists in both regions. The work submitted by local and regional artists was of such high quality and was displayed around Prudhoe and in the Civic Hall at Holmfirth respectively.
At the end of the month I spent three fantastic days at Brancepeth Castle Summer Fair exhibiting and selling original art, prints and even cards. I also sold places for my upcoming workshops at Bensham Grove in Gateshead this Autumn. The event was so well organised and all artists and makers were looked after by the family hosting the event.
I am looking forward to returning to Brancepeth for their Christmas Fair 24th-26th November to do it all again. In the mean time I will be restocking Elements Gallery in Rothbury and submitting art works to Coquetdale Art Gallery also in Rothbury.
One area I must improve in is packing away at the end of fairs and exhibitions as even though I vow to repack everything properly when I get home I never do. Not only is everything mixed together, tape sticking to things that end up tearing, and its so easy to damage mounts and even frames as the car is stuffed tight with tables, wall grids, boxes, etc and that is before the actual paintings go in ! A few hours of sorting and cataloguing inventory await me whilst hoping there is nothing to replace or repair this time.
It is all worth the effort though as events such as these bring artists and makers together to share new work, catch up and make amazing memories. I have met some wonderful people at events, all encouraging, supporting and sharing knowledge and skills with each other. These are also the times when artists are able to engage with the public and talk about the art on sale. So many people take an interest in the process of making and creating, often sharing images of their own work and their hopes of becoming artists in the future. So I will unpack, rewrap and start all over again!