Art lovers hit the streets for crafty show in Blenheim – Chatham Daily News

BLENHEIM – David Fife had a lot of time on his hands after the shutdown began in March, so he picked up a paint brush.

The retired Siemens worker from Chatham displayed his work Saturday during the first Discover Art Blenheim show and sale.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” said Fife, 68. “I’ve enjoyed painting for quite a long time now, but now I’m going to get more serious about it and see how it goes. There’s an awful lot of people that still like original art.”

If not for the COVID-19 pandemic, he probably wouldn’t have been at the show. He created approximately 75 per cent of the paintings at his booth since March.

The Blenheim Rotary Club and its Talbot Trail Place park also found a silver lining in the pandemic that’s led to the cancellation of most summer events.

When their annual Art in the Park show had to be called off, club officials adapted by setting up 41 artists and craftspeople at 22 locations around town.

Some artists were on their own front lawns, while volunteers offered their homes to out-of-towners.

“The public’s been unbelievable,” said Fife, whose company is DFife Art. “… It’s been non-stop, all day long. It’s been great. I couldn’t believe how many (people). “

Organizer Debbie Brush estimated 800 to 1,000 people turned out.

They began the tour by picking up a map at Talbot Trail Place and also received a passport that could be stamped by each artist. Everyone with 20 stamps was eligible for a $100 prize draw.

“It’s been a wonderful day,” said Bonnie Kyle of Bonnie’s Handmade Creations. “The people have been fantastic. I think everybody’s been waiting to be able to visit and gather. It’s nice to be able to have a craft show again.”

Kyle’s crafts included many Christmas decorations. Her favourites were some outdoor snowman signs.

“I enjoyed doing the snowman because it made you feel cooler when you were painting,” she said, laughing.

Kyle’s daughter, Christina Bertrand, was selling items from her CB Creative Concepts store in Glencoe. Decorative face masks were the hot items.

“I didn’t want to do them for the first several months,” said Bertrand, a Blenheim native. “I refused. ‘Not doing them. I don’t sell very well. Not happening. This is going to be over soon.’ But it didn’t.

“Now I’ve sold over 800 pieces. I’ve sold almost a hundred today alone.”

Like Fife, Bertrand has made the best of a bad situation during the pandemic. She said more people are shopping at local retailers than before.

“When we reopened after the government said non-essential business can start re-establishing again, I thought I’d have long days with no business, and I’ve been busy non-stop,” she said. “This has given our communities an opportunity to shop local and learn what’s local in their own areas.

“I’ve been two years open and I’ve had so many people go through the doors going, ‘When did you get here?’ It’s been a great opportunity.”

Beth Green of Chatham doesn’t have a shop, but she does have a Facebook page for Beth Green’s Treats & Treasures to promote everything she crochets, knits and sews.

“A lot of it is my own design and creation,” she said. “I try very hard to stay original and true to myself. That way if you buy something from me, you know where to find me and come back and get whatever you’d like again.”

She had good sales at the show, quickly selling out of flamingo drink cozies.

“I’m quite pleased with the turnout,” Green said. “It’s a different adventure from what I’m used to. We usually have the event down in the park. This was like a treasure hunt on its own.”

She was on Nichols Drive, a few doors down from Bernadette Lobbestael of My Pottery Creations.

“I thought I wouldn’t get many people being down at the end of a road, but it’s very busy. Extremely busy,” Lobbestael said.

“And I’ve checked with the patrons and they don’t seem to mind it. They don’t mind walking the street,” she said with a laugh.

Lobbestael had eight shows lined up this summer. All but one were cancelled because of the pandemic.