Art and Crafts trail - part 1

As if it wasn’t enough to have the sculpture symposium in town, this weekend it is the Kirkcudbright Arts and Crafts Trail. This year it is over 4 days to give people a better chance of seeing everything – perhaps as well as there are over 70 venues, some of the venues are thankfully very close together saving much shoe leather. Some venues have many artists in the same place, so I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess as to how many are involved (by the way, last year’s trail blog here). There is considerably more to see than I could put into one blog, so this will be the first of at least two (more I should think).

This chap turns up every year – he doesn’t seem to do much more than sit in the sun. I see this year he has a lady friend.

Colin Warden hard at work – just because your studio is full of people is no excuse for not getting a day’s work done.

He had this marked down as a work in progress if I remember correctly – looks pretty good to me as it is.

In Mike Quirk’s studio, a canvas has been set out so that passing kids can each paint a little bit of the picture. This picture was taken on Friday and he thought that this year he was going to be needing a second canvas to get him through the weekend.

Last year’s picture on display at the harbour.

Here’s one of Mike’s own which I thought rather fun.

At the small, but perfectly formed, Greyfriar’s church in the middle of the town, there was a recorder recital yesterday afternoon.

A look around the garden and washing line art at venue 31…………..

………..but for two young ladies I came across here, this venue was the highlight of their visit, peg dolly making.

Towards the end of last year, or maybe this year, I can’t remember, the Wasps studios in the High Street opened up. The next three artists, among many, have found a home there.

Liz Farey sculpts these wall hangings from local willow and other woods.

I particularly like this.

Worth a much closer look.

This print is from Claire Cameron-Smith who specialises in Japanese techniques of woodblock printing. If you drive around the area with your eyes open, you’ll see many trees which will remind you of this print.

Here is the block it was made from.

Prints comprising many colours require many blocks to print them. Claire includes information on each of the separate printings required for every print on the back of every one she sells.

Maggie Ayres is a mixed media artist who creates these flowing works by combining textiles and paints.

She had a small sculpture out yesterday – first of these I’ve seen from her.

The Feral Choir gave an excellent concert in Greyfriar’s church last night which rounded off the day perfectly.