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| Harpenden Arts Club tent at Art on the Common 2018 pen sketch © Teresa Newham |
It was quite a weekend! At 8 am on Saturday morning around fifty artists arrived at Harpenden Common with gazebos, tables, banners, flags - and their artworks to display. An hour or so later, most of us were set up and enjoying a chat or a coffee before the event officially opened at ten.
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| Saturday morning before the crowds arrive © Teresa Newham |
My co-exhibitors this year were artist Hillary Taylor and jewellery maker Susheel Rao. We had drawings and prints, watercolours and linocuts, bracelets, pendants and earrings to browse or buy, and the chance for passing children to have a go at one of Hillary's colouring books - one of several opportunities for the public to join in the fun this year.
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| our set up © Teresa Newham |
By noon the sun had come out and everyone flocked to our side of the green to watch the Harpenden Carnival procession with its Wild West theme which was led by a colourful display of Native Indian headdresses and totems. The Mayor drove by in an old car, local dance schools strutted their stuff, and various Brownies and Cubs paraded. I particularly liked the plastic cacti and the random shed on wheels.
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| colour at the Carnival © Teresa Newham |
By the following morning we were dab hands at getting Hillary's gazebo up and down again - you forget during the year but it comes flooding back - and we had our display sussed, so there was time to wander round taking more photos of the various arts and crafts on offer. Some folk had elaborate set-ups, others were selling from the backs of their cars. I went over for a closer look at Tendayi Tandi from Zimbabwe, who was giving a demo of stone carving.
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| day two ~ demos and displays © Teresa Newham |
By late afternoon the shadows were lengthening and we were tired out from being in the fresh air for two days, chatting to our many visitors across the weekend! Despite the full on interaction I'd found time to make a couple of sketches - we were opposite the Harpenden Arts Club tent which provided an excellent subject - and to hand out loads of flyers for my next event - the Cultivate Arts Festival, which is coming up on 21st - 24th June. It's all happening . . .
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| late Sunday afternoon sunshine © Teresa Newham |
Huge thanks to David Whitbread and the team from Harpenden Photographic Society, who organised the whole event, and to our many visitors whose purchases contributed to raise money for Cancer Research UK (15% of all sales).
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| visitors, including the obligatory dog © Teresa Newham |
