Convention report
Once upon a time , long , long ago … It seems ages since we all met at the convention - and we all had such a great time !
For some it started on Thursday . Julie and I approached from the south and had a surprisingly clear run . So clear that we were too early to book in , so we had a look around a couple of local arty-crafty places .
Once we were booked in it was then all hands to the pump to get the rooms ready for Friday . There was also time for some of us to complete the preparation of our surfaces , ready to start painting .
Friday was ‘ Flowers for Sale ’; Shara ’ s design of a chicken pulling a truck full of flowers . It was a popular choice - even Julie ( membership sec . and photographer ) was inspired to take up brushes ! That was a first for Convention .
Friday evening was originally going to be a fun session , with something non-painterly to keep people amused , but everyone put the time to better use by getting their surfaces ready for Saturday . It was a great time for chatting with friends while painting in a relaxed , non-teaching session .
Saturday , and any muzzy heads from Friday evening ’ s imbibing soon cleared as Shara got the group started on their tray designs .
Before we could relax at the end of the day ’ s painting , it was time for the AGM . ( Here is a link to the minutes .) The meeting was well attended and there was plenty of lively and constructive discussion .
We put our technology to good use by taking Sandra ’ s treasurer ’ s report on loudspeaker as she phoned from home . Unfortunately Sandra stood down from the role , and Anne Rogers has taken over .
Saturday evening continued with the usual group dinner - Kim took to directing operations , as most present had forgotten what they ordered , and the waiters didn ’ t know who was having what . Everyone got fed .
The ‘ paint til late ’ session was taken by Lynn showing us the Jo Sonja crackle mediums , with a few using the time for prep for Sunday ’ s class .
Of course , nobody had used the bar facilities on Saturday … so all was well for Shara ’ s Christmas Hanger , and Clare ’ s Cute Cow classes .
Then it was all pack up and go home .
Shara ’ s style is completely different to that of the recent conventions , and the bright , joyful designs attracted some new faces to the painting table . The pace of her classes was lively , but manageable and nearly everyone finished their pieces on the day . Us Sunday painters ran out of steam and had to finish ours at home .
Clare ’ s Cute Cow class was also a refreshing change , with her piece keeping to the quirky theme of the weekend .
So , another successful convention , a time to meet and make friends , have fun and laughs - and paint . ( Pictures next page )