What did I do?
Well, I had had a great and very interesting trip to Belfast where the Northern Ireland
Tattoo Convention was being held in the Ulster Hall.
A must for my tattooed project, which is now into its sixth month. A last search for my smaller, "heads" series of paintings that will be in my show. Real characters, older people who have a life time of carrying their art on their skin.
The idea was to go along, with a photographer and set up in a corner somewhere and see what happens and who turns up that might be interested in allowing me to paint them.
Things, however never always go to plan and my" photo guy" couldn't make the trip!
I tried every thing I could to get some one else, but this was on the Thursday before the June bank holiday weekend and no one was to be found. O.k, I thought, its either not go, which would be pretty upsetting as I just could not miss this opportunity,
or, do it myself!
So then I had the idea to hire a good camera and tripod to set up- no joy.
So, very nervous about going alone with just my small digital camera, I set off from Wexford at five a.m Saturday morning.
Robert, one of the organizers of the Convention was very kind in allowing me to set myself up for my projects sake and said be there early!
I have to say, even, when I was past Dublin, and well on track to Belfast, I had questioned myself as to WHAT WAS I DOING?
Going in, on my own, with no photographer and stand there, asking people would they pose for me and my small digital!
Several times, I nearly turned back, but as I neared, there WAS no turning back. Its a straight road to Belfast.
When I arrived, the organizers couldn't of been more helpful. Even the security men came outside and drove in front of me to the car parked to help me park, great.
And what a day I had. O.k, no set up that looked professional- just me and the camera, explaining to people I met that looked good, about my project. Would they allow me to paint them?
My first "victim" was Derek. Derek attracted me immediately! Exactly what I was/am looking for. An older gent with his head and face covered in tattoos. So nice and very obliging, the light in the morning was also good in there, shinning down from the huge windows in the Ulster hall and catching his face from one side, which is the lighting I prefer, rather than a light that casts no shadows. As derek had a tee-shirt that covered him right up to his neck, he very kindly took off his shirt outside so I could take shots of him posing, to show his other body tattoos, beside a chopper motorbike- brilliant-and plenty others were out there to take shots of him as well!
So, derek was the first of many similar and I cant tell you how happy I am now. I have given my card and details to everybody I would like to be included in my show, taken photographs and notes and away I went. I got every thing I"d hoped for and more.
What a day.
Sometimes the scariest looking people turn out to be the nicest.
No comments:
Post a Comment