Pangolin party: Stone carvers set to bring smiles at art fair
Borders event will feature more than 70 artists displaying work
A PAIR of skilled stone carvers and sculptors will be sharing some of the lighter side of their work at “Scotland’s friendliest art fair”.
The McInroy & Wood Borders Art Fair (BAF), in Kelso on March 15-17, will feature more than 70 artists, makers and galleries, many from the region.
Among them are Michelle de Bruin and Jo Crossland, who work at Marchmont House near Duns and at Hutton Stone, who produce everything from magnificent large-scale sculptures to inscriptions.
The pair, who have been working together for nearly a decade regularly take part in BAF – enjoying its sense of fun and sociability as much as its value as an opportunity to sell work and attract commissions.
Some of the pieces they create have a delightfully playful quality – like De Bruin’s colourful pangolins (scaly anteaters) which she sometimes displays enjoying a tea party.
This year at BAF she will be showing a whole variety of pieces including carved mice and a “prove you are human” inscription inspired by the Captcha feature on websites designed to sort people from robots.
She said: “Some of my work, like the pangolins, is an attempt to help recover that sense of childhood innocence and pleasure – like when you were little and there was no hierarchy between us and animals, so you would sit on the floor having tea with your toy animals.
“And I also aim to start a conversation – it’s not enough if people walk past a piece of art and just say ‘oh that’s nice’, I want it to conjure up some thoughts and for them to talk about it.”
Crossland, who was originally De Bruin’s apprentice, added: “BAF is a really sociable event, you get to know and meet so many people – we always enjoy it and make the most of it.”
This year there will be more than 70 exhibition stands and the work on display includes landscape, wildlife and portrait paintings through to animal sculptures, ceramics and stone carvings.
For details of the exhibitors see www.bordersartfair.com and follow BAF on social media for the latest updates.