Art and Garden 2008

To make up for a week of the same thing on my blog there are a lot of pictures in this post.
(If you click on the picture it will take you to flickr where you can click ‘All sizes’ for a closer look.)
Despite what the weather man said we had a lovely weekend at ‘Art and Garden 2008’
Saturday was cool and the breeze was a bit of a problem blowing things off the shelves.
My stall was a bit untidy, but very colourful I think. You might recognise a few things here!
There were a lot of spaces at the end of the event.



Here are my first visitors. Isn’t it a lovely photograph?


Jo reads this blog, (Hello Jo) and it was great to see a real live reader in the flesh!
We had a short shower in the afternoon but Sunday was sunny and quite warm.
Here are some pictures to try to convey the atmosphere.

The weather has been cold,so the garden is a bit behind but that gave us sight of things that have usually finished by June.





Its a magical garden with secret places and winding paths, and heavenly fragrance from a beautiful rose rambling over a folly



Here’s a lily pad..



And here’s the frog, on its way ...(its only a baby!)



A quiet corner for contemplation



Here are just a few of the many exhibitors.


Mary Campbell with beautiful Collagraphs of Religious Processions in Spain, and below, Margaret Evans Fisher who does Landscapes with textured edges.



Mary Holden (who was my City and Guilds Tutor for Part I)with embroideries



Janet Park Stefan with her Batik paintings, wearing one of my brooches!


There were ceramics dotted around the garden, by Jean Bideau,



And all the time the sound of the river.

This young man was having a well earned break from his duties on the gate. The previous night he and his friend had a swim here!

There were marquees all around the garden and some exhibitors were lucky enough to be in the conservatory which has a large platform over the river.

Plant sales here:

And tea and cakes with friends here.

My other half (with the sun in his eyes-he does smile occasionally!) and our friend Barbara

Is that enough information?
I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend in June.

P.S. on selling

I forgot to say in the previous post I would still feel the need to produce large amounts of embroidery even if no-one bought anything.
But would also like to say that for me selling is a terrific ego-boost. To think that someone would part with their hard earned cash to own a piece of my work makes me feel grateful.
Selling validates my efforts, it justifies the time I spend on sewing and the money I have spent on it.
It supports my addiction to materials and equipment, magazines and books.
Above all it keeps me from the front of a school classroom.I am far happier manipulating fabric and thread than a class full of Primary School children in 'Literacy Hour', even though the financial rewards are much less.
So a big thank you to everyone out there who has a piece of my work in their possession.
Its nice to think of a little bit of me in the different corners of the world.
I think its the only way I'll get there!

Separation Anxiety. Thoughts on selling.

As my biggest selling event of the summer approaches I have had some thoughts on selling.
Some items you make to sell

like these seascape brooches last summer, or these bags now with new owners,(I have more!)

or a small Celtic panel which long ago went to a new home.

And you are happy when you have sold them.

Other items you make, and you like them and want to keep them, especially when they are the 'First' of a new series,

and although you have people who want to buy, no amount of persuasion will make you part with them.

There are others you don't really think about, put a high price on them, and in the blink of an eye, they've gone. (Apologies for showing this yet again, but it fits here)


And thats Ok. Its good in fact.
Except that 'data protection' won't tell you who bought it!

But there are those you made and sold without thinking

like this mostly hand stitched Celtic Panel,which was the one out of all the 15 I made that I liked best;
or this Fifties style piece. Again, I made a lot, but this was my favourite.

Even though you sold them to lovely appreciative people,and you know they will treasure them, you really wish you hadn’t.
Of course,there are also things you make to sell..and you just can't shift them at any price!