WIRKSWORTH FESTIVAL - SAT SEPT 11th - 26th

Two weeks of great events, check out http://www.wirksworthfestival.co.uk/

I shall be right in the middle of Wirksworth inside The Wirksworth Framing Company , 22 Market Place, Matlock, DE4 4ET on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th, demonstrating Chinese Painting. Come and have a go yourself, and if you want, sign up for an all day workshop.

The Art in the Gardens was a fantastic display of so many local artists, and business was brisk for many of them, in spite of the recession. The Preview evening is magical as the sun sets and the domes of the Botannical gardens are lit by turqoise lights. People spill out onto the grass from marquees glowing like some painting by Rembrandt, listening to the music, sipping wine and enjoying one of the last evenings of summer. It is an evening I love. The next days are less dreamy, but there is a real buzz as the other stall-holders set up their wares. Everything from jewellery to mirrors, wood turning, photography - something for everyone. There is music in the marquee down the bottom of the gardens, and fresh-cooked food even for the Gluten-free.
I plan to have my own stall one year, so then I will get to meet those who like my work enough to put their hard-earned cash down :)


CHESTERFIELD ART CLUB AT BASLOW - 28th - 30th August Bank Holiday W/E

This year there were too many pictures for the venue, which made a change! It was a nice show with very low priced original works of art, so if you want something affordable, then make sure you get along to the next Chesterfield Art Club Show in Chesterfield.

I won the prize for best Mixed Media entry with Stormchaser, my latest pastel-chipboard painting, so I was very happy. I did Chinese Brush Painting demos, met some amazingly interesting people who tried their hand at it, and as a result have enough people who would like to do a workshop.

The Exhibition was quite an event. Some of The Dale Divas came and sang beautifully at our preview party. Meanwhile, we chomped through a beautiful feast. For the next three days Netty and I were kept busy by visitors wanting to have a go various things in her studio. There was Chinese Brush Painting, how to use a laser on stone and wood, and threading buttons into bracelets. Punters from 7 to 80 seemed to enjoy themselves. They stayed on average for over two hours, making things, having cups of tea, eating cake, painting and chatting. We sold stuff too, so that was good. The Dragonship went, and Things Are Looking up, Chesterfield Spire, Brown Mountains - both of them - Fish Supper, a Cat, a Prancing Horse and some prints and cards.


I had written descriptive haikus for each painting and invited our vistors to add their own versions of what was going on in them. There was a good response:
I will post them up soon.....