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.

Thursday 22 September 2016

Cambridge Original Printmakers Biennale 2016



At 10.30am this morning (about half an hour from now, as I type this) the Cambridge Original Printmakers exhibition will open to the public. If you live near enough to to Cambridge to visit, it's well worth the trip . . . over 500 framed prints for sale, representing probably every printmaking technique you can think of.

How do you organise about 40 artists to arrive at a venue in the historic centre of Cambridge during the rush hour; each of them unload about a dozen framed pictures, carry them to their allotted stand and hang them on the only just erected display stands? Did I hear some-one say 'herding cats might be easier'?

The answer was 'time-slots' so not everyone arrived at once, my arrival time was almost the last - 7.15pm, so by the time I'd carried my work to my stand, I had precisely an hour and half hang my work. There would be no extra time, 9pm meant 9pm. No pressure! 

In fact, contrary to popular opinion, artists - particularly printmakers - are usually organised and focussed. With only 45 minutes to go the collective creative adrenaline and effort was heating up the exhibition rooms like a sauna.

So while many of you were watching Bake Off, I was doing Art Off! We even had a 'Sue' who shouted "half an hour to go", "15 minutes!" etc

As I grabbed by bubble wrap, bags and discarded cardi, I managed a few quick snaps of my stand . . . 







A huge thank you to Cliff, without whose help I would never have managed to hang my stuff (he didn't need a stepladder to reach the top) and another thank you to the person who suggested I'd need to take a stepladder - I nearly didn't and glad I did.

So, Phew! it's all on the wall and right now people will be walking through the doors.

And today . . . actually I'm going to have a little rest today and maybe do some drawing out in the fields; tomorrow I'm on duty on the front desk/sales area; I'll be popping in and out over the weekend and looking forward to attending some of the talks. On Monday at 2.30pm I'm demonstrating Hand-burnished Linocuts (so I really should get things together for that!).

Celia
xx

PS I haven't forgotten the Newfoundland crafts and wildlife posts, they'll follow soon.