Many of the blogs I have written have been about getting started in art and craft. From doodles to sourcing wool and from working through design concepts to making felt. Eventually though, an idea will grow and form, then eventually be ready to go public. Last Wednesday, The Bryngarw Keepers project was officially launched at Bryngarw Country Park .
The event was to be attended by various stakeholders, local press, councillors and, most importantly, a group of children from a local eco-club who would be the first to assess this interactive, educational yet entertaining attraction. And talking of interactive, educational yet entertaining attractions, I was attending not just because my Coblynnau Project is running alongside The Bryngarw Keepers, but also because I had agreed to do an arts and crafts activity session with the children whilst the great and the good handled the speeches and presentations. As The Bryngarw Keepers are mythical beings with a story to tell, I had decided to use a loosely Celtic theme for the activities : firstly, we would be weaving a St Bridget’s Cross and secondly, using Tree Ogham to inscribe initials on pebbles. This would ensure that the activities would be clean, easy for mixed ability children and everyone would have something to take home with them.
As well as providing a distraction for the children whilst the grown ups did boring stuff like talking, most of the wall space in the Visitors’ Centre was being used to exhibit my Textile Art. Conversations about how The Bryngarw Keepers would underpin the ecological and biodiversity messages of a Country Park, the way in which there would be positive health outcomes (physical, psychological and social) as people of all ages follow the Keepers’ trail and the hoped for increased resources and revenues in a time of public purse austerity were set against wall hangings and design sketches which were completely in tune with what was being said (and hopefully, listened to).
So you’re probably thinking, this is all very well but what has this got to do with me doodling, or finding out how to buy wool, or making felt. Well, the answer is this: if you are reading this blog because you are or want to be an artist or a craftsperson, take it from me that putting your work in the public domain will not only focus your creativity but it will bring you an immense amount of satisfaction too. If the public domain includes children, you will be assured that you will only get the respect you deserve. Byddwn i’n cynnig y cyngor ‘ma i chi: manteisiwch ar bob cyfle i ddangos eich gwaith. Peidiwch ag aros am y byd i ddod atoch chi.
Spending an hour doing an Arts & Crafts workshop with 13 children was small price to pay for having an exhibition of my work, meeting friends (old and new), having some very worthwhile discussions about the future of art and art development with local government officers and repaying Keith and Dan (the Bryngarw Rangers) for the faith and support they showed for my Coblynnau Project. There was also, the reward of one of Hollie’s cakes from The Cedars Tea Room. The things I do for art …
