Electric Picnic 2017
In February, I submitted to have my work included at the Electric Picnic Art Trail September 2017.
I sent an example of the type of image I envisaged using. I proposed to have a number of colourful and querky portraits on display in a line at the Festival at 2 x 4 foot per piece.
Within a month my submission was approved, naturally I was delighted.
Getting a full brief on where they would hang and what materials I would need took some time to firm up on, I was in contact with artist Clare Hartigan by then who gave me tonnes of advice. In the middle of August I got to work.
The materials I used were plywood, household paint, gesso, oil pastels and varnish.
It was a lovely summer’s day when I laid down the back grounds onto the 6 boards. They dried in no time and I created 3 of my character pieces in that one day.
The next day was Sunday, it rained, but I got the next three completed in that day indoors in my studio.
It was now 28 August, the installation day came and we transported the pieces down to Stradbally. There was such a buzz on site that day. The wall where mine were to be hung wasn’t built yet so we took the pieces to the stables are got them ready to be hung.
It was hard to leave them as I really had no idea who would handle them next and where they would end up!
Two days later the festival began, I hadn’t heard where mine were hung yet and so I took a trek around the site on the Saturday and couldn’t see them anywhere!! Ahh, it was disappointing.. BUT news soon came (after I got home) that they were spotted at Trailer Park up on Jimmie Lee’s Bar and friends sent me pictures!
So that’s where the ended up and I was delighted.
The experience at Electric Picnic has taught me so much from using materials I hadn’t used before to working on a scale larger than ever before for me, dealing with organizers at the largest festival in Ireland and learning about their processes.
We collected the pieces and took them home and since they they’ve been hanging out back in my studio.
They have gained a lot of attention and I’m in the process of readying them for their next big thing so….
Watch this space!