Bristol and back

And with a blink and a rub of the eyes Bristol Artists Book Event was over for another 2 years.  As I had a table to myself this year I had very little chance to get out and see and speak to all the folks I might but I sat and watched and folks came to me and so did wonderful tea and cake, they are such very good hosts, the Bristol Artists Book folk.  Thank you to all of those who came and stood (one even sat) and took the time to free their hands to pick up and look, first one page, then another, through my books.  I know how thoroughly overwhelming a book arts fair with 80 stands can be. Overstimulating, exciting, exhausting. It’s a rare being who can give all 80 stands equal time and value and must be superhuman…a strange new sort of superhuman, purely evolved to cope with such a concentrate of book and art….I realised most of my books do need 2 hands to look at them, they rarely shout in colour or mark, they do need a bit of time. Sometimes people look indifferent, sometimes the books make people sad, sometimes I hear a little joy. It’s a strangely intimate experience and unlike showing work in so many other art forms. I cherish the moments I have shared at the book fairs and wonder if there are other ways I could do this more.