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Hi,
I'll make a start here, and anyone else can add their ten
cents' worth below. It was a GREAT weekend! The worst
problem is it takes two days to get warmed up, then it's
time to think about winding down so you're not taking sticky
paint home!
Sponsors' goodies were a really nice surprise- Graphic Art
Mart provided two pallets of paint from 1/2 litre tins to 10
litre/2 gallon tins which was divided up, plus airbrush
masks, Langnickel paint brushes, those straight line ruler
thingies, some things we couldn't identify, some vinyl
splitters, faux graining combs, squeegees... it was quite
unexpected & very generous.
I'll download the pix from the camera, and optimise & post
them tonight- if anyone wants to beat me to that, feel free-
the more input the merrier!
Queenslanders were there in a good rollup- Pete & Suzy
Bedgegood (& son Jack who's now 2) came down from Cairns
(about 2600km north of Newcastle), and Pete did a brilliant
job of airbrushing Aussie-John (Darth-Jordan)'s face on the
washing maching, I mean fridge. Bernie Morrison from
Innisfail (about 60km closer than Cairns) brought his mobile
BSA signshop down, Army-Dave O'Hanlon, Jon Butterworth & I
from the Darling Downs travelled 800, 800 & 880 km, &
Phillip Ingram from Stanthorpe was the last of the Qld-ers.
From SA were Brett Sunstrom(Renmark, near Lake Bonnnney,
last year's host, ) & Liam Uppill (Clare, SA), and from
Victoria(Mildura) was Kev Browne, and I'm not sure who else.
The rest were NSWelshmen, & I'll leave it for someone else
to fill in on them!
Jon & I arrived on Thursday evening to find that Ace Howison
had done a great job building the workbenches, and all that
was left was for us to make up the gilding racks/frames and
break the customary glass panel to christen them! Pete
Bedgegood arrived a few minutes later (from the airport) &
we had them made up in no time. Ronnie Andrews from Canberra
also arrived with his garden gnome kit! John Jordan had
earlier just finished screen-printing the glass panels, so
things were getting ready for a good start on Friday.
Technically, Friday's program was 10am-12 noon getting to
know each other, then lunch, then 1pm start the weekend, but
some many panels were already in full swing by 9am on Friday
morning, with breakfast-on-the-go for the early risers.
I think we knocked off at about 1 am Sat morning to head off
for bed, but others were still going, then there was
activity already happening by sunrise Saturday, and it was
still going at 2.30 am Sun morning when we went back to the
motel for the night... etc etc etc as Letterheads meets
usually go.
Anyone who wanted airbrushing advice had only to ask, and
the same fro striping & scrolls. Bushie gave some panel
marbelling demos, and I started some slate carving
workshops, but the slate was as hard as a rock, and was not
easy to carve, although the interest was high, so a few
creatively decided to just size and gild their slate, flat,
without carving it, then with variegated leaf, and cleaned
up with an outline, it provided another facet to the
creativity.
Paul Jordan spent some time teaching his father to chip
glass, and those who wanted to (or were early enough)
HAND-cut some masks & Paul was good enough to bring a stove,
glue, and a sandblasting set-up. and we did our chipping.
(well some chipped, while others just waited, and waited,
and waited, while their panels refused to chip due to the
humidity, even after three days beside the heater.) Scott
Jordan did some great work too as a beginning striper!
Food- it was great- thanks to the ladies involved!
Kids- it was really good to see so many children getting
involved while so young- including Erin, Brittany, Dion &
Kyal, plus a few younger ones haveing their appetities
whetted for when they grow up- Jack & Darcy included!
Ian Stewart-Koster,
Nutgrove, Qld
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