A Resounding Success

I drove home from Stirling on Monday morning, tired and with a cold, but I was very happy about how well the first Festival of Printmaking by Printmakers of Scotland went over the weekend. This pioneering event showcased the work of Scotland-based printmakers. It was modelled on the highly successful and long-established PrintFest at Ulverston in the Lake District - a celebration of printmaking media of all stripes.

40 Artists - 40 Approaches to Printmaking Processes

This was Deb Wing’s brainchild who, along with a dedicated team of other printmaker enthusiasts, organised this event that was a couple of years in the making. More than 40 artists from all over Scotland were part of it. We are all incredibly grateful that Deb and her team had the vision and energy to pull the event together and make it such a huge success.

Right from the word go, Deb and the team took a very professional approach, from the selection of participants, managing their work, fundraising, securing a venue for the event, handling publicity and marketing, and providing detailed preparation instructions to all the participating printmakers. This ensured that everything ran smoothly during the setup and selling of our work.

The Challenges In The Run Up

I had a few challenges in the months leading up to the event. Life happens! Even though we lost a dear friend and a family member and then I caught COVID-19,… again… I managed to get everything ready in half the time I thought it would take. I packed my car two days early in a trial run and decided not to unpack it. The weather was due to change so we thought packing prints in a downpour was probably best avoided.

Set-Up Day

We left for Stirling early on Friday taking the scenic route. It was my first time in this part of Scotland. Except for travelling to Braemar, usually in the dark in mid-winter, I am more familiar with the west side. The Stirling University Campus where the event was held is beautiful. Built in the 60s, it has a lot of green space and a big lake with lots of noisy bird life. We got to Pathfoot Hall by midday, a large exhibition space filled with natural light.

Setting up was relatively quick and easy due to the generous assistance of Laura Boswell’s husband Ben. He showed me the system they use to hang Laura’s work. This new and much easier way to hang framed work went pretty smoothly so that by 3 pm everything was up on my stand and ready to rock and roll!

The Opening Evening

Chris and I nipped off to our university accommodation for a quick shower and something to eat before heading back to the hall for a printmakers’ group photo. We didn't know what to expect of the evening. Would people come or would we be staring at each other until 8? Well, we were not disappointed. It was extremely busy. My first big sale came from someone who picked up one of my business cards which featured a print I had with me but stored in a nearby lecture theatre.  When I offered to retrieve it the customer was delighted and bought it on the spot when she saw it, to my delight. 

Opportunities and Networking

Attending an event like this is a great opportunity to connect with other printmakers and see a diverse selection of outstanding work. I wanted to learn more about galleries in Scotland and become more familiar with the printmaking art scene. I also used the opportunity to meet with paper suppliers and reconnect with the supplier of my inks, Hawthorne Print Supplies. Michael, the supplier, is a great enthusiast of colour and I walked away with two lovely samples of their newest colours to try. He also explained what they do to avoid now to avoid metallic inks skinning over. I also explored ideas with Purcell on my options to reduce the cost of getting the paper delivered when living on a Scottish Island.

Brilliant Venue

The University of Stirling proved to be a fantastic venue for this event. The building is a lovely example of mid-century architecture and includes art and sculpture, which is evident in the halls and grounds of the campus. The campus also offers self-catering university accommodation, which makes it convenient for participants. Stirling, being more or less central and within easy reach of the city centre as well as Edinburgh and Glasgow, worked well for visitors and participants alike.

The End of a Successful Weekend

The weekend was busy right up until 4 pm on Sunday. The enthusiasm and genuine interest of the visitors coming through the door were so refreshing.not only were sales good but it gave me the chance to reach a much wider Scottish audience following my move up to Scotland. I learned a few new tricks to promote the studio as a venue for visitors to the island. I had no business cards or flyers about my studio left by the end. I’m hopeful it will all bear dividends in the coming year. I hope, I will get the chance to do it all again next year too.