Patchings 2012

Have wanted to go to Patchings for a couple of years and not managed it but being a bit of  "Jean Haines groupie," the fact that she was demonstrating with Search Press this year swung it for me and I decided to make the effort. I went with Gill Fox and we met Sue Bradley and Cheryl Maycock there. Cheryl had done a fantastic job on our behalf not only securing tickets for both demos but somehow managing to get us reserved front row seats!!!! Kudos to you Cheryl!!

Jean had been concerned that people may not turn up to see her at Patchings being of the opinion she is not known further North but nothing could have been further from the truth!!!

As you can see from the photo of the afternoon session they were sell outs with more seats needed and as with all Jean's sessions all were left wanting more!!! There were also opportunities for book signings so of course I took my book as well to get it signed.

For any of you who might not have read it this is the link to the review I did of Jean's book

Book review

The weather was lovely by the way and to all those who suggested we might need them,  the wellies I had borrowed stayed  firmly in the car (well they didn't really match my outfit anyway!!!)........ in fact we were able to sit outside for lunch with Jean. It was a lovely opportunity to catch up and chat almost all day about art with a teeny bit of jewellery and fashion thrown in.......yawn yawn I can hear you say but guess what.......... I can bore for England on the subject of art....... you only have to read this blog to know that, but today I was with such like minded people and had a thoroughly lovely day.

With all this chatting and two demos you might think we didn't have time to check out the stalls but while I might have liked a touch more time I did manage to buy some lovely Hahnemuhle paper, 500gsm not quite imperial size for £1 a sheet.... bargain!!!! I also got some Daniel  Smith watercolour ground which I have heard a lot about and will be trying for a variety of things which I will update about on here.

So, as the day came to a close, Gill, Cheryl and I walked to our cars all feeling very pleased with ourselves,and  I came to get my car keys out of my bag............ you know what I'm going to say next...... they weren't there were they?????

Apart from a violent attack of hidden hysteria and wondering what the ...... was I going to do, I also wonderd how my husband was going to react when I rang him to say I was stranded some two and a half hours from home and could he just "pop" along with the spare set????? Anyway I composed myself and  went back to the main building where the mayor, mayoress and exhibitors were all having little drinkies after the event and I asked this official looking gentleman in a very pathetic way
 "Where was lost property?"
 "What have you lost?" said he
 "My keys" said I
and the darling man went straight to a small basket a couple of yards from where I was standing..... and you can guess where I'm going here.....yep......out came my keys!!!!!

You cannot imagine my relief!!!!!  Could have kissed the man passionately but don't think he looked up for that, so instead thanked him in profusely and scarpered before the mayor and mayoress realised what a burke I was....... had left the keys in the Search Press tent though have no idea when where or how....... obviously got caught up with the excitement of the day... this is not the first time something has happened to me at a Jean Haines demonstration.... may share the previous one on here one day!!!!

So that was my day, Patchings is a lovely event actually smaller than I had anticipated but the better for that I think.....came away inspired once again to get some washes painted...... don't know what Jean is on but got a dose of it today!!! Am hoping that by watching and then by a sort of painting osmosis ( where things move from a higher concentration..... that is Jean to a lower concentration that is me... just in case you're wondering!!?!!) that some of that awesome skill and talent will migrate to me!!!! One can but dream!!