World Women Wembley

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the inaugural exhibition and market for the an exciting new group called World Women Wembley. This is a group of female craft makers, designers and entrepreneurs from in and around the area of Wembley, in the north London.

Their facebook page can be found here... https://www.facebook.com/WorldWomenWembley

One of the craft makers at the fair was Natalie Pond, creator of Pond Jewels, which can be found at http://www.pondjewels.co.uk/. Pond Jewels is handmade chain mail jewellery for women. Below are some examples of her pieces...

Another one of the novel artists that I saw at the fair was Erisa Louise, who makes 3D butterfly decorated artwork. Below are some examples of her work...

..Erisa Louise can be found at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ErisaLouise

'The champions are back...'

Braziliant!!!

Did anyone catch the, not too early in the day showing of the the Confederations cup final? It was the only game of the tournament where I watched all 90 minutes (I kept telling myself 'just wait for Brazil vs Spain', and I got my wish :)...I admire Spain's style of play, sometimes, i.e. when they actually decide to play with a bit of verve and excitement instead of passing it around the center circle for 89 minutes, and I think they have great players like Iniesta and Jordi Alba (you can check out my Fernando Torres painting here)but it was great to see the true masters, Brazil, re-affirm, if only on the confederations cup stage, who the original and best footballing nation is.

Neymar was brilliant, and tormented the Spanish defence, the goal line clearance by David Luiz was breath-taking, and the crowd were something else. I loved the way they shut off the music for the national anthem towards the end of it and just let the whole stadium do the rest. Here's hoping Brazil can keep this up and put on a really good showing at the World Cup

This is Real Art...

So I've found this amazing artist - his name is Kevin 'WAK' Williams...it's better if I show some of his work, rather than talking about it, so here we go...

'Mart' (Movie Art)

So I went to see the Great Gatsby this week, and one thing that really struck me about the film is how artistically shot the whole film is. Cinematically it is very impressive - especially the first, let's say, 40 minutes.

 The director, Baz Luhrmann (who also directed Moulin Rouge - yes, I've done my google based research) splashed tons of colour right across every scene, and it really goes well with the feel that is being created about the era, as well as a lot of the soundtrack music, which is a mixture of 20s/electro swing and more recent remixed jay z tunes. The storyline does leave quite a bit to be desired, and some of the characterisations could have been managed better, but artistically you're certainly not left wanting. 

So this has led me to think about what I would consider to be the best films/movies that I've seen from an artistic point of view - meaning visually, musically, or a combination of both...ok here's my rundown, in no particular order... 

Hustle and Flow - great soundtrack  

Red Cliff (1 and 2) - vast, intricate sets, amazing costumes, and arrangements 

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

I'm gonna cheat a bit with the next two as they are both animes/manga, but... 

The Animatrix - brilliant piecing together of totally original creations, with recreated historical scenes, in an amazing spectrum of colour to make a totally engrossing and telling story 

The Second Renaissance

Akira - If you know Manga, then you know this film. If you like Manga, and you ain't seen it, check it out, if just for the visuals 

Sin City 

Jessica Alba, not looking too bad at all..

Sucker Punch - a great film made with a lot of imagination, and a good twist 

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World 

Scott Pilgrim and the sword of truth (at least that's what I think it's called)

Transformers (I don't care which one) - incredible animation 

Protect...

Cotton Club - brilliant dancing, especially the circle scene - if you like tap, or the whole harlem/jazz era then this is a film for you

as alwasy, you can check out my own artwork at www.garyforbesart.com...peace

Guide to doing markets

Ok, so over the past few months I have been setting up at various markets and art fairs around the Berkshire area, and I've gained a bit of experience in the do's and don'ts of doing markets/art fairs. So, I decided to put together a small guide, with most (if not all) of the experience that I have gained, and here it is...

Bring entertainment...

If you're stalling up by yourself then there will be times when you have no one looking at your crafts, nothing to prepare, and generally not much else to do. Having a Radio, some music or podcasts (I like BBC's Friday Night Comedy), and some good books can help those not-so-busy periods to pass by a lot quicker.

Come prepared...

It's always better to bring too much stuff, and not need it, than to not bring something that you really need when on the stall. I like to make a list of all the things that I could need, and pack them all the night before. You can also just keep all your 'stall stuff' in a handy bag so that you don't have to do it all over again for each market or stall that you go to.

Be prepared for the weather...

I live in England so the weather is usually the opposite to whatever it is at that given time in Miami. Again, too much is better than too little – have lots of layers if it might be cold, a hat and umbrella if it might rain, and covers for your work in case it really starts chucking it down.

Get a good sized carrier for everything...

There's nothing more tiring during stall day than having to trudge back and forth from wherever you parked the car to your spot to bring more and more bags, then knowing you'll have a similar task at the end of the day when the stalls close – Invest in a good sized, easy to carry bag, which can preferably hold all of your stuff. They can be quite expensive, so if you can't find one, or afford one at the moment, then why not use a suitcase.

Organise your things....

Carrying on from the previous point, try and get a good organising system going for where you put all your things in your bag (or bags). This will make setting up, and closing down a lot quicker, and easier, and also ensure that your work stays as safe as possible.

Leave plenty of time....

This is especially true if it's a new fair/market that you're going to – I always find that they take probably half and hour longer than you'd think to set up, so leave yourself plenty of time. Your best sale could happen in the first 20 minutes of the fair or market being open so always try your best to be ready for action (not in a G.I. Joe sort of way, but you know what I mean) when the event kicks off.

Be friendly and socialable...

Making and selling artwork or craftwork is a community activity. Lot's of times the people who buy your things will be creative types themselves who may even make their own crafts, where seriously, or just for a hobby – chat with people – leave your stall for a bit if you can, and take a wander to see what's out there. Other stallers might have some great tips about stalling up, designing in your area, or different events that you can go to – plus you can always exchange business cards, and you never know, they could be your next customer.