This summer at the Art Shack was the busiest one ever and it was awesome to see so many of you enjoying my artwork. Now that autumn is here it’s time to enjoy the relative quiet time to create lots of new artwork and to surf and photograph the inspiring coastalscapes all around me here in North Cornwall. However, it’s also a good opportunity to escape Cornwall for a few days to experience the culture and show my work in another area of the Westcountry.
Totterdown Arts Trail in Bristol 2017
On the weekend of 18th and 19th of November I’ll be joining over 200 other artists, musicians, designer makers, fine artists, dramatists and even local pop-up chefs who make up the Totterdown Front Room Arts Trail in Bristol. It is the oldest art trail in Bristol and attracts thousands of visitors to visit artists in their front rooms, on street corners, open spaces, in pubs, cafes, church halls, cemeteries and shops across Totterdown. I’m really looking forward to meeting lots of you and seeing lots of inspiring artwork whilst showcasing my own work to a new audience too.
This year the theme of the Totterdown arts trail is fairytales, myths and legends. Magic and mystery will be taking over the streets and residences of Totterdown as it becomes packed with mythical great goblins and a fantastical butterfly stilt walker in beautifully detailed costumes, to parks covered in fairy toadstools and giant dragons’ nests. Mini goblins and witches-in-training will be able to search for fairy shoes and eggs to add to giant sculptures, partake in a Quidditch tournament and enter a fairy wings competition. Everyone, especially the little folk, is encouraged to dress in their best fairytale garb. There will also be a lantern parade and fire ceremony
I first experienced the Totterdown arts trail in 2016 when we were visiting friends in Bristol, and found lots of new artwork and artists which inspired me. Rose Sanderson was one such artist and I bought one of her prints featuring a flamingo for my wife for Christmas which she absolutely adored. Arts trails such as this are such a great way to soak up new influences and to meet the artists in their homes or studios. I will be bringing along a selection of originals, prints and calendars for sale over the weekend. The arts trail in Totterdown is the perfect place to find those unique and artsy Christmas gifts, hopefully some of you lucky folk will receive some Toby Ray artwork in their Christmas stockings this year!
Huge thanks to my good friends Rosie and Kyle for letting me use their house (52 Park Street) to display my wares. Rosie has been brewing some of her famous sloe gin for visitors and my wife Claire will be baking some scrumptious cakes, so be sure to pop in for a tipple and a slice or two…
Details at a Glance:
- What Totterdown Arts Trail
- Where 52 Park Street, Totterdown, Bristol, BS1 5JN
- Date 18th-19th November 2017
- Time Visitors are welcome from 11am-5pm each day
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/119081138766912/
- Website http://frontroom.org.uk/