Art in the Open _ Suggestions for improvement

[Neil O'Keeffe]

Hi Folks 

many thanks to all who participated in this years Festival. I hope you had fun and were happy with your work. Yet again the exhibition was a revelation of the latent talent and energy that is out there.

Many of you offered suggestions to make the festival more attractive and organizational hints to help make it more efficient. Each one was better that the other. Perhaps you would take some time to post them here, i'm afraid i may have forgotten some of the excellent suggestions and we would like to do our best for you all

Thanks, looking forward to hearing from you 

[Lori Putnam]

Hi everyone! So great meeting you ya'll.

 

One suggestions I know that Americans might like would be to include a day in the countryside.  Right or wrong, we picture rolling green hillsides and that says "Ireland" to us. I realize we could do this on our own, but it was such a pleasure knowing a general location to meet up with people and paint together. I'm thinking as a part of the competition days, but maybe just as one of the paint outs.  Of course, since I didn't make many of those, you may have had a location like this.

 

Ok... reading down the replies now I see I'm not the first to say this.

 

Also, as we discussed, Americans would certainly like receipts for everything for our tax guy.

 

It was truly brilliant to offer lifts to us and I for one truly appreciated that. Thanks for the pints too!

 

Another topic... Could someone post some facts on this years event?  Such as...

• Number of painters registered
• Number of paintings exhibited
• Number of awards given and total amount
• What year is this of the event???  3, 4???

Lori

[Louise Treacy]

I would agree with almost all of the suggestions concerning an extension of the boundariy , or an "out of bounds " day ! ..

I feel that the towns are too restrictive and dont suit people who get very bored with painting buildings, especially when there are  myriads of fabulous sites around the county to work in !. I also think that the paintings done in Enniscorthy NEED to be displayed IN Enniscorthy, so that the townspeople who saw the work in its early stages get the chance to see the completed work, and get a chance to evaluate IT and their Town in a different way.

Plus it might be quite good for selling work done of the town.

A suggestion was also put to me that perhaps the shopkeepers, on main street would display one painting each for 2 weeks so that the local shoppers etc would get the chance to see the work.I dont know if this would work but it WOULD give great visibility to the public of what had been completed on the Friday in THEIR town.

[Greg Long]

Visible name tags.  Some of us are very poor at remembering names, and some of us need a little help.  It is difficult to say Hi to someone when you have forgotten their name from the night before, and can be embarrasing too.  I know it's not just me because a few people asked what's his/her name  on occaision.

Talk about the blind leading the blind... LOL

[Plein Eire Administrator]

We did hum and haw about lanyards with name badges attached, about t-shirts with names and signs to hang on easels. We wondered if some would say we look like an accountancy convention. In the end we didn't do them. But perhaps next time, as its a very fair point.

However, it is one reason why we continually harp on about members using their actual photo on Plein Eire. It helps everyone remember names if you recognise folks from their posts here.

In your case, Greg, I'd never forget that hat!

[Lori Putnam]

I remember Greg because he shared candy with me during the Quick Draw!

[Margaret Kent]

I remember Greg because he was so helpful and always smiling!

[Elaine Hurst]

I think name tags of some sort would be nice.  I know that they tend to fall off, or become lost, but it would help I think.  For me, I would recognize people from the little pictures on Plein Eire also, that helped a lot.

[Elaine Hurst]

First, I want to say that I felt so at home and welcome when I was in Wexford!  Thank you to everyone who went above and beyond helping, being friendly, giving lifts, everything!  I had dreamed of coming to Ireland for a very long time, and my experiences have been way beyond what I could have imagined!  As I am still in Ireland, but in the west right now, I am still experiencing Irish hospitality, and friendship.  What a lovely, friendly country!

 

As to particulars from the festival, I agree with everything that other people have been writing.  I think name tags would be very nice.  Even just the kind that are in little clear, plastic holders with a pin.  It does help jog memories.  I think that having water available at the different places would be nice.  Perhaps a donor could be found to buy a lot of water bottles, or even just jugs of water and cups, or a place for people to refill their own bottles.  In the mornings it would be nice to have a central place that might have scones and coffee/tea.  More for the comradery that anything.

 

I would love to have a bit more landscapes to paint during the festival.  Lori was right-on that some of the Americans gravitate to our built-in ideas of Ireland, green rolling hills with sheep/horses/cows and stone walls.  I realize that may sound a bit "chocolate box", but the folks at home expect some of that.  That said, I had a wonderful time painting in Wexford, stretching myself with buildings and people.  One of the best days was in the rain, sitting in a cafe painting.  

 

As much as it would be fun to paint out in the countryside, it was so wonderful to find painters all over the city, tucked in here and there, and the residents were so interested in everything we were doing.  I would hate to spread everyone out and miss some of that.

 

For sure I would do the Quick-Draw, which I missed.  I guess I missed seeing it listed somewhere.  That looked like such fun!

 

Finally, I think the whole group who organized everything, and I won't single anyone out, as I think EVERYONE was just brilliant!  Thank you, thank you.  You made my stay very, very memorable.  Now.....you all must come to America and paint with us!  Between all the Americans, you would find some wonderful things to paint!!  open invitation!

[Marsha Hamby Savage]

Elaine, I am so envious you are still in Ireland. Haywood and I will do the same next time ... visit other areas! 

 

And, you said it all so perfectly! I would not want to miss there being a bunch of artists painting in the same general location and the public being able to see many of us. Planning for locations outside of town should be done in such a way as to keep us in the same area. But it is good to stretch and paint types of work that is outside our comfort zone. I know each time I painted the hardest thing I could find in a particular location. I am generally a tree and hill, rocks and water type of painter!

 

Plastic name tags with pins would be great. I always recognized the faces, but the names just went .... right out of my head when trying to recall them.

 

Elaine, sorry you missed the quick draw ... it was very much fun ... so many artists!

 

[Lori Putnam]

Yes Elaine!!! Yes!!!!  All of you come paint with us!  Ireland, France, Spain, Finland... we're just 8 short hours over the pond from you. You are welcome any time.

 

Will the dates of next year's event be at this similar time?  Just saving my pennies to see what might come of it.

[Lori Putnam]

By the way, the cards you gave us to hand out about the event to folks worked great!  I had a gentleman watch me paint in Enniscorthy.  I gave him a card.  He showed up at the Quick Draw, saw him at the opening, then again in Rosslare!

[Norah Blount]

This year I actually found places within the boundaries which I would enjoy painting but was a late starter but for me the paint-out locations after the official festival were wonderful and had a mixture of buildings, beaches and those chocolate box paintings which I love but I can see that these locations could be difficult to include for the number of artists this year which I heard was about 110 ? I also missed the info on the quick draw but was glad as I really enjoyed strolling around watching you all painting and listening to the music - a great event.  The demos were also brilliant and it was through the one in St.Peters square that I found some lovely locations for painting.  The three workshops in Green Acres were also great - I think I learned more in this weekend than in years of going to classes etc. The 3 paint-outs after the festival were so enjoyable as everyone was able to relax and the BBQ in Rosslare was so un-expected so another thanks to you all - you should all be working for Failte Eireinn.  

 

Again a huge thank you to the committee and all in Wexford who made the festival a success and hope that if it gets bigger in the future that the original Vision of the Festival committee is not lost.