I was invited along to the Chalkwell dog show at the weekend to draw quick mini sketches for visitors, and whilst I had an amazing time, my first outdoor event certainly taught me a LOT.
Quick dog drawings
The organiser had spent years looking for an artist who could offer a ‘live’ portrait service and I was more than happy to fill that role.
I really enjoyed meeting customers and their gorgeous dogs, often taking my own photos to reference, and luckily I thought to bring a clipboard with me as this proved invaluable when a strong wind whipped around my stall and threatened to rip my drawing away (this happened a lot haha).
I heard the day wasn’t as busy as most had hoped, but since I was happily drawing all day long and got to hug so many dogs I honestly didn’t notice.
I loved seeing all the category winners walking past my stall covered in rosettes, even if I didn’t get a chance to watch any of the judging myself.
I love events where everyone is crazy about animals just like me and I hope to return next year with a more robust set up.
Advice for anyone planning to have a stall outside if its breezy: bring clamps, velcro, strong cord, a tie down kit, a mallet, weights (big ones for gazebo legs and small ones to hold items down on your table) and anything that can be used to secure your set up – you might think its overkill but trust me, you’ll be glad you packed it all!
I can sketch your pets
Did you know I can draw a little portrait of your precious pet, or even a loved one’s pet if you’re looking for gift ideas? Its looser and more ‘scribbly’ than my usual art but I hope to capture the pet’s energy and unique character in every sketch!
Photos from my time at the dog show
Huge thanks to the kind folk who helped me put this up and take it down, honestly couldn’t have done it without you! Also being able to tie it to my car wheels was probably the only thing that kept it from taking off; even when it started sliding off to one side I didn’t panic as I knew I wouldn’t be doing a Mary Poppins impression as it carried me off into the sky.
Here’s how my stall looked at the start of the day, complete with a sturdy (or so I thought) easel and hanging sign.
And here it is at the end, after the wind forced me to make many adjustments!
I started out sitting behind my table, but soon realised I was better off moving to the side so I could properly greet all my four-legged visitors.
My original view.
The view I had for most of the day.
