My Love Affair with the Arts and Crafts Fair

I love arts and crafts fairs. I find them to be a super-affordable alternative to high street shopping, with heaps and heaps of talent.
Here are my five top reasons why arts and crafts fairs make a wonderful way to pass the time.

1. ​ Banter
   Having held quite a number of pop up stalls over the last few years, I think it’s difficult to find a fellow artist that doesn’t have a story to tell. From how they built their business, to the intricacies of how they create their work – it’s all so fascinating!
   
   
2. A treat for the eyes
   Arts and crafts fairs are bejewelled with sparkly one-off finds, rich coloured materials, and wonderfully quirky creations. The variety differs from stall to stall too, and this is no mistake. Event organisers take great care in ensuring your eyes don’t get bored when browsing; they do this by giving you variety and never putting similar stalls next to one another.
   
   
3. Fresh air
   It may sound like an odd reason, but these days many of us are so busy that we rarely spend much of our working week surfacing for air. Believe me, I know it’s all too easy to forget what fresh air can smell like (especially when I’m burrowed away in my third floor oven-like studio - heat rises you know). So, step outside, leave your online shopping accounts behind and feel that breeze!
   
   
4. Feel good about buying locally
   There’s a certain happiness that can be found in knowing your new buy has been created locally. Maybe it’s the low-carbon footprint, or knowing your custom is going towards sustaining a local business , either way, that feeling is worth browsing for…
   
   
5. Walk away with a one-off
   Ever been to a wedding and spotted somebody else in the same outfit? Sometimes the homogeny of the high street can be a little uninspiring, so when you next pass by a market, it might be worth a closer inspection to snaffle yourself a slice of uniqueness.

This Saturday (30th July) I’ll be doing just that. In fact I’ll be taking Tiny Grey to the wonderful Arts and Crafts Fair on Tewkesbury High Street where a whole host of my illustrations and homeware will be on display (I’ll also be available should you fancy some banter).

In the meantime, I've had a website overhaul so you can see all of my latest bespoke portraits in one lovely place. I've also started uploading my sketchbook pages so you can get a first glance at my doodling for potential new projects.

oooh let me see!