“Euskal Denda, an annual craft market in the Basque Country, is looking for up to six professional makers to represent Scotland in their 2013 event.
Arbaso is a craft organization based in the Basque Country. Running their annual market Euskal Denda (now in its eighteenth year) simultaneously with the yearly book fare in the Basque town of Durango, Arbaso aims to host one of the most culturally significant events in the Basque Country.
Scotland is Euskal Denda’s chosen guest country for 2013. They would like to invite six Scottish makers to showcase their work during the Craft Market, which will run from 05-08 December”. – CraftScotland.org
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So… I applied a couple of weeks ago when I saw this post on Craft Scotland and have been invited as a representative of Scotland!! YES! Rep-re-sent! I am well hyped, I was all resolved not to be doing any shows this Christmas, and these dates are normally when I would be up in Inverness doing my annual show. Not This year!
I have always wanted to take my work to a show somewhere outside of Scotland, I had always pictured it would be Sweden, or somewhere snowy and cold. The Basque country was certainly not on my radar, but as it now is it appears there may be some cosmic compass directing involved here. This always seems to happen at this time of year too….. Mmmmm.
Cosmic compass I heed your clue.
So I know no more about the show currently than what’s above, only found out the other day. At the moment I am trying to work out what and how to take my gear. This is not as simple as calling Hampden cabs and getting a run up the west end to do a show. So straight off the bat, I won’t have my big light box. and will not have room to take easels and all my bits and bobs. So I am thinking of maybe designing a travel box that acts as a box basically, for everything… but will open up and when empty turn into a lightbox. Its actually quite simple… quite. I have a picture in my head anyway 🙂
Got a good collection of glasswork built up, keen to make something special before I go now. I have 2 weeks…. what can I rustle up? Planning on making a short video of my practices to share before I get there and when I am there on a laptop with headphones. Lots of ideas.
I had not thought of the logistics or costs when I applied. I actually didn’t think I’d get it, not because I doubt my work… this is exactly the kind of thing I should be doing.. but because I figured these kinds of things were normally done by the usual suspects in the know, canny with a grant application bouncing from residency to residency. Nope, turns out you should just apply to these things when you see them. Why not, nothing ventured… Lesson learned on that one.
I made some phone calls to see if there was any kind of funding available to help me, even though it’s very short notice maybe I can get a bit of help with the travel. Even if it’s kind of like being sponsored. It’s not an area I have any clue about so giving it a stab in the dark… one possible good call today so its a very very remote may be a chance of something.. very extra maybe.
The Arbaso people are offering some very kindly, so it’s not all on me. I’ve been having a painting sale the last couple of nights to make up the rest as I would also like to spend some time in the area when I get there. There are lots to see and the country looks beautiful, I have not been out of this country in 4yrs, I’ve only been out of Glasgow about twice this year on day trips to Edinburgh. This is a most welcome adventure.
So it’s mental hectic for me, 14 days to sort everything. game time, big time. But really looking forward to this.
I shall leave you with this image I made, I totally love it. Turned my painting Snow Fall In The Woods into a gif with falling snow (click on the image if it’s not moving I noticed it does not on my computer unless you open it up in a new tab/window).
I have it saved on my phone and I can’t stop looking at it…
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