Arts and Crafts on the Village Green

Most of the local towns are having end of the summer events. The arts and crafts show on our village green was full of good things to look at. The top picture was the very eye catching booth right at the entry from Main Street -- giant floral photos, very graphic, very decorative. I was fairly early so it was not too crowded and the artists and artisans had only just settled in and were in a chatty mood.

One of the first artists I talked to did "wrapped fish" prints, I've heard of this before and maybe saw an example at another such event. The art paper is literally wrapped around the real fish which has been painted. The paint prints on the paper which, says the artist, must then flatten. Then he sometimes also paints the paper with fabric dye sprayed on -- which can also be done before the fish printing. Sometimes he uses fancy papers such as a rosy colored one he said was Thai. They are also very graphic and beautiful.
Then I moved on to a man with a laminated newspaper article saying 4,455 mouse photos. Some where there and they were fascinating. He had found a tiny wild mouse in his home in Maine, and literally photographed it 4,455 times as it grew over several months. He says he did not make it a pet and he eventually released it to the wild [he lives in a wooded area]. He had written a children's book illustrated with photos of the mouse. A very fun project.

Then I came upon a fiber artist who made strongly graphic pictures of people, men in formal suits, women in long flowing gown, heads and hands were black cut outs, the clothing was braid or ribbon or pieces of fabric cut into narrow strips. He did not want any photos taken -- I really wanted to have a photo to remember just how he did his work. Well, it's partly in my mind's eye but I may never try to do it.
I love seeing jewelry that is hand made, it is always very expensive [and I understand that is fair] so I don't buy any. I like the ceramics and there were beautifully woven clothing as well as nice jackets and tee-shirts. Lots of photography, of course, and paintings often, in fact, usually nature ones. Graphic seems to be the byword. It is surely easier to sell than fine art and many of the people were very skillful. It was an enjoyable hour and I hope many local visitors will go and purchase things. Making art of any sort is not easy and nothing there was schlock; those people should make a living from what they love to do.