Aquatic Fabric collage, Sue Edmunds
Kitty Moss called me and it was decided we would head out to visit the Trimley St. Martin Arts and Crafts Fair as early as possible. We weren’t quite the first people through the door but well in advance of any crowds. The variety of items on offer gave plenty of opportunity to wander around slowly. Partly to admire people’s work primarily because it was skilful but also to ask questions of the makers. It was an opportunity to discover their preferred mediums and subjects of the artists and to admire the careful dexterity of the crafters. Purchases were almost an inevitability.
The accomplished work on display was enticing and overall, presented itself as highly finished and well constructed. The first welcoming display was the art work of Jo Jacobs, who is a member of Felixstowe Art Club as is her friend Anne Ravenscraft who occupied the adjacent stall. Both of them were displaying a mixture of mixed media, watercolours, oils and ink works. Although different in delivery and and subject matter, both displayed an excellent range of ability.
Jo Jacobs (top) and Anne Ravenscraft
Other artists included Jim Lait, whose particular interest is around boats, rivers and seascapes. His work evoked the beauty of the coastal areas of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex with their wide skies and fresh breezes. I could think of several East Anglian exiles who would have been touched to receive a painting.
Jim Lait, Artist
Oliver James was also there and I apologise for not having a photograph of his work. However, interested parties can find examples on Facebook; Oliver James art.
Oliver James, Artist
Oliver was sharing a stall with Emma of Sentient Crafts who produces a wide range of jewellery.
There were three other jewellery makers had crafts for sale, including Chris Ayres (below):
Neil Bennett of the Alzheimer’s Society was selling jewellery and a wide range of other items to raise money for the charity.
Several stalls sported early Christmas commodities in divergent materials. Wendie Fisher offered a dazzling array of felt Christmas Stockings to decorate the festive hearth and Sarah Wilkinson was selling decorated, dual use wine glasses and other candle centred products.
Wendie Fisher’s decorated Christmas Stockings
Sarah Wilkinson’s decorated glass
A more general range of crafted items could be found on a stall shared by Liz D’Arville and Yvonne Smart. Between them they had produced shadow boxes, Christmas tree decorations, Encaustic Art, illuminated cards, papier maché animals and turned wood.
Liz D’Arville was also managed a ceramics stall in the absence of Michelle, the artist.
Tucked into a corner I found Gill Lait who is a fine artist and water colourist. In this instance, it was her journal making I found fascinating. Handcrafted journals peeped out, quietly begging to be opened. Each one held a range of different papers with lively additions to beguile and inspire the writer. Their charm lay in their carefully constructed individual inserts and decorations.
Gill Lait’s handcrafted journals
Some time, much later in the morning I finally found myself looking at a vibrant array of knitted and crocheted work. Perhaps my favourite amongst these woolly delights were the doorstops. Gathered together their dazzling colours forcibly reminded me of the joys of a herbaceous border, full of blooms and abundance. The crafter is Sally Harris and if you are tempted by her multifarious productions you can find them at Mrs I Crafts in Cordy’s Lane. Sally had nodded towards Hallowe’en and included one of her knitted witches on her table.
All in all it was an excellent opportunity to view the talents of local people whose industry in their arts was a pleasure to behold. I asked Yvonne if there was the likelihood of another A & C Fair and her cautious reply was that there was the possibility of another next Summer. In the words of the fictious Jean-Luc Picard, ‘Make it so.’ Please.
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If I have omitted anyone, I apologise and am happy to rectify this if you email me at the address below.
If you have any comments or would like to be part of this Trimley St. Martin project, please contact me at:
trimleystmartinrecorder@gmail.com
LR 01/11/2019
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