30 Jul 2008 Yealmpton Show and Beyond

30 Jul 2008 Yealmpton Show and Beyond

In July 2009 I booked a stand in the Craft Marquee at the Yealmpton Show which led on to something I had been hoping to achieve and had not been able to accomplish until a chance meeting at the show.

The Yealmpton Show is the one of the largest events in the County's calendar. The one day show is a traditional agricultural summer show and is the perfect place to enjoy a look at rural life. Besides the large show of farm animals, agricultural exhibits and side shows there is also a large marquee showing arts and crafts which is where I setup for the day.

There was very little in the way of sales but there was a lot interest in my work and lots of great feedback which made the day enjoyable. Later in the afternoon a chap approached my display and showed an interest in my work. He told me that his daughter, Hannah Slade, was opening a gallery on the Barbican in Plymouth very soon and would I be interested in displaying my work in the gallery. Inside, whilst keeping a calm exterior, I was ecstatic at the opportunity and said I was and handed over my contact details.

A short while later I went down to the Barbican to find the gallery as I hadn't heard anything. In the gallery were Hannah, her dad and a few friends setting the place up ready for the grand opening. I arranged to meet Hannah at a later date to show her some of my work and decide which would go on display.

Later in August I met Hannah at the galley with a selection of my images. We sorted through them and decided which would fit in with the other work and the available wall space. In the end we decided on 4 panoramic, 3 large and 3 small framed images. Once on the wall they looked great.

My work hasn't been on permanent display since then as Hannah, understandably, likes to change what's on display from time to time but during the time my work has been displayed I have had a few sales.

I'm not going to retire or even pay a single bill with the sales but getting my work displayed in a gallery on the Barbican has been a goal I have been aiming for and now achieved. Hopefully the sales will increase over time.

Mark