In the Woods - the Laurel Lounge

Marina and I also decorated the Laurel Lounge, which was the second stage set inside a little wood of laurel trees that made a lovely, if slightly too dark, canopy over the stage. We couldn't interfere with people's view of the stage, so we decided to drape fabric strips in the trees by the entrance, and to tie ribbons of fabric to trees inside the space.

ITW Fabric Installations

As well as helping out on the art team, Marina and I made these fabric installations at the entry points to each area of the festival. We wanted to make something that would add a splash of colour and movement to the woods, and something pretty basically! Not much more to it than that.

The Emporium Pinhole Passport Booth

One of the artists commissioned for the festival was the Emporium Pinhole Passport Booth, who had handmade cameras and a portable tent darkroom on hand to take photos of people at the festival. Obviously we posed in our masks, and tried to bust some yoga moves for Chloe (who later on fell out of a tree and broke her arm, so no more yoga for her for a while).

ITW - Masks

In addition to the monster heads and fabric installations that I made with Marina, I made some paper masks. I made a few at the warm up event in Corsica Studios, and the guys running the festival liked them and asked me to make more. When I asked how many more, they asked if I could make one for every ticket holder (750 people), so I said 'no way'.  But over the course of the week setting up, I did manage to make about 130 or so. The scalpel blisters were well worth it in the end, people loved them! They were near the entrance, so people grabbed them on their way in and I kept on seeing them on people all over the festival, often customised.

ITW monsters

The monsters went down well, but poor Dave had an accident and lost not only his teeth, but his gums and eyelids as well... I guess this is the last stop for these guys.

In the Woods Set up

There are strange things going on in the woods...

In the woods set up

Marina and I spent the week before In The Woods festival helping art director Anna Mojab set up the festival art spaces. We helped install other artists work, as well as making some of our own. It was a really intense week of working long days, camping and running around the woods. The main installations we made were fabric curtains to mark entrances to different areas of the festival. Other things were made, which I'll blog in a second. The location was totally amazing, and it's been incredible to see the transformation. We also had a great time with the festival hosts and organizers the Laurel Collective and their team, eating great food, drinking wine, going on tractor rides and feeding sheep. All in all, probably the best job ever.

Spain

I love Spain.

In the Woods warm up party

The ITW warm up party went well! I didn't get many good pictures unfortunately (the usual result of too much hard work, too little sleep and a few drinks), but nevermind! The monster heads went down a treat, people were putting them on and dancing around as intended. I also made a whole load of paper masks for people to take with them. Art director Anna Mojab is keen on people being able to interact with the work, and keep it if necessary. Both monster heads and masks will be at the festival in a few week, along with a whole load of other exciting things.

making monsters

The finished product. I made the dozy looking snow ball thing. with pink eyelids. Not sure what was going on there... but they look great!

Making Monsters

I've been in my friend Robin's studio the last few days making scary monster heads for the warm up party for In the Woods festival with Robin and Marina. The idea is that they'll be suspended from the ceiling and people can put them on and dance about. Hopefully. Either that or people will be a bit freaked out and leave them well alone. We'll see...