Looking Back at Guildford Festival of the Arts

What a weekend! The very first Guildford Festival of the Arts has just wrapped up, and it’s safe to say it was a big success. All across town, spaces were transformed into creative wonderlands, with the stamp trail guiding visitors through a rich mix of exhibitions, workshops, and talks. It was inspiring to see Guildford buzzing with art, energy, & community spirit.

For my part, I was delighted to have a highly visible role, painting live each afternoon for festival goers to see. I was back at Art & Grind as their Artist in Residence, painting live in the window- something they often do to feature local artists and let the public in to our creative processes.

I chose to work on a new piece I’ve been working on in my home studio, a hybrid animal/ human portrait exploring the theme of anger. Taking a painting through its awkward “messy middle” stage is not usually something I’d choose to do in full view of Guildford High Street, but that’s what made the experience such a fun challenge. Being on display meant I had countless conversations with people who stopped to watch, say hello, or chat about art. Those exchanges were truly the highlight of my week.

A huge thank you to everyone who came by, cheered me on, or joined in the festival spirit, and of course to the team at Art & Grind for hosting me (and keeping me caffeinated!). A huge thank you and congratulations to Charlie Cluff and the Guildford Festival of the Arts team for pulling together such a fantastic first event.

Here’s to next year’s festival. I’m already looking forward to seeing how it grows each year!