Celia Hart's blog about what's going on in and around her studio.
Art, printmaking, inspirations, gardening, vegetables, hens, landscapes, wild flowers, East Anglia, adventure, travel.

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Lovely Folk at FolkEast

At the eleventh hour I decided to pull a new print out of the hat, this is my special 'Folk East 2013' linocut hanging up to dry. It features the impressive facade of the folk festival venue Glemham Hall with the FolkEast sun and swallows in the sky and Suffolk hare and seagull landing on the roof. In the garden the topiary bushes are fiddling and whistling a toe-tapping tune to make even the flowers dance.


I'd opted to have a stand for just one day, Saturday; I'd also agreed to do 'demonstrations' so was allowed a second table and an extra free day-pass for an assistant (Cliff). To drive across Suffolk from our corner of the county to almost the coast and set up our stand by 9am, meant getting up at 5am – the sunshine and heat of Friday had deteriorated into persistent rain, we tried not to get downcast.



Ta-dah! here's my stall all set up and ready to roll! From the 10am start there was a steady flow of people through the Art Arcade tents, they were all friendly and polite, lots were very interested in the blocks I was carving – each of a flying swallow  - from different materials: eraser rubber, Japanese vinyl and lino. 



But, for most of the day very few bought anything. The showers came and went and came back. Across the field form the main stage we could here Gypsy Fire's most enjoyable set. I had time to run across to the food area to buy tea and flapjacks but I was mostly busy all the time. Cliff reported that takings still had barely covered the modest stall fee. The rain turned into a torrential downpour of biblical proportions, the ArtArcade roof drummed with the deluge drowning out the music, people sheltered inside and so there were even more to talk to.

Then it brightened up! The field of tough Suffolk grass didn't turn into a quagmire and more people arrived at the festival arena for the headline acts in the evening.



There was a general move to start to pack up the art stalls, but Cliff sensed sales were up! We decided to stay put for another hour and thanks to being able to take credit card payments (via PayPal on my website using my iPad) our takings were respectable.



With the stall dismantled and everything packed into the car, it was time to enjoy the festival. Sadly I'd missed the Vintage Market and Social Knitworks yarn-bombing teepee as they had closed for the day, but we had been tipped off that Sam Lee and Friends were worth seeing on the Broadroots Stage . . . and so they were! 

After that we realised we were starving! So we bought a tub of chow mein pork noodles and wandered over to the main stage in time to see the end of the very last ever gig of Eliza Carthy and Jim Moray's Wayward Tour . . . Eliza was a frenzy of fiddling and powerful voice as she bounded back and forth!

We were now in the mood to stay to the end, so Cliff fetched our waterproof picnic blanket from the car and we found a good vantage point at the top of the slope from which to see The Dhol Foundation – a fusion of Punjabi drumming and dancers and just about any and every music genre you can think of – great fun! And it got even more fun when Eliza Carthy and Jim Moray joined them for a folk mash-up extraordinaire.

So, all in all we had a great day – we met lots of lovely people and heard some great music. And after being awake for 19 hours we  arrived home absolutely shattered!

I might even be prepared to do it all again next year . . . and maybe for more than one day.

Celia
xx

btw let me know if you'd like to buy a special Folk East 2013 linocuts . . . I have some left.
The Folk East 2013 linocut is now available to buy here for £35.00 inc. p&p to UK addresses (for shipping overseas please add the £7 overseas shipping surcharge)

17 comments:

  1. I looked for you on Friday only to discover you weren't there till Sat. Our Saturday was so full and I completely missed you :(

    Can you let me know about the prices for the prints please as I would love one :)

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    Replies
    1. What a shame we didn't get to meet - but it was so busy wasn't it!
      I've emailed you btw
      xx

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  2. Glad to hear you had a good day in the end! Hopefully we can persuade you back next year!!! We might even have time for a good old natter too...where did the time go?!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Mandy, you did a great job organising the Art Arcade. I'll have to do more than just one day next time!
      xx

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  3. Good to hear things perked up. These events are always a bit of a gamble are't they. That's a beauty of a print btw. Brilliant x

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    Replies
    1. The event was about the music... and the Art Arcade was entertainment around the fringes of the arena. Lots of people were really interested in my work so I may get follow up sales.

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  4. Glad it got better for you, always difficult to judge these events! But that print is a winner, the topiary bushes are such charming fellows!
    Katie

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I was pleased with the design and a few sold... probably more would've if I'd stayed over and done Sunday too. Who knows?

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  5. Celia, how well you've captured the entire Saturday experience, a.m. to late p.m. from an insider's view.

    Your being able to do printmaking demo's of the cutting of the design might actually have encouraged some would-be printmakers to try this medium for themselves. I am curious about Japanese vinyl...please do tell me more about this technique.

    Your special print with the dancing hedges is terrific. I would definitely have bought one of those.

    Bravo to Cliff !

    Glad that you all got to hear some fantastic music, knowing that the musicians are unlikely to ever again perform together.

    Good that you all also got home safe and sound, and got some needed rest to restore your energy.

    Celia, I do admire your artistry and your ability to adapt it to changing circumstances. (Think that I have told you this before, but want to say it again.)

    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always enjoy reading your observations Frances. The plus side was - I enjoyed working with Cliff for the day, our first time on the stall together for a whole day! He's very good at suggesting improvements to the set up and being objective. The card payment via my iPad was a godsend, so glad I bothered to set it up... it was a tip Mandy and I were given on Twitter!
      Here's a link to the Japanese vinyl http://www.artshopmaterials.co.uk/japanese-relief-printing-double-sided-vinyl.html
      I'll have to blog about it one day.
      xx

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  6. It sounds like it turned out to be a good day after all.

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    1. If you factor in the free day passes to the festival - yes it was a good day. I'm not even going to do the maths on whether I made a profit! Lots of business cards were taken... so you never know what may transpire ;-)

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  7. I do like the new print, especially the trees. SO happy to know that you had a good day out.

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  8. What a fun print, clever you to produce such a lovely print at the last minute!! What a shame it poured but glad you enjoyed it overall. You must have been so tired, what a long day!!

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  9. It sounds like my kind of day ... slows sales aside! Glad things perked up for you :)

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  10. Shows can be like that! I set up shop at two different shows each weekend. Some are busy, some aren't. I think the key is to keep plugging away and then you make more and more sales.

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  11. I work with a specialist recycling service who recycle trickier items such as: food waste, cooking oil, electrical equipment, computer equipment and circuitry, and air conditioning as well.

    I really liked your site, and I wondered if you would be interested in a guest post on your site about recycling food waste? Please drop me an email if you are interested! Many thanks :) seth at jumpingspidermedia dot co uk

    ReplyDelete

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