Tuesday, September 6, 2011

ITGWO 2011

Outside the first autumn storm is raging over the island and it's not even autumn yet! All I can say is that we were lucky the past weekend, because it was a couple of the rare days of good weather we've had all summer. Actually for me (cold weather lover that I am) it was even too hot on Saturday! Anyway, the festival is over and it's back to normal over here.

Something between 7000 and 8000 people swarmed the island for three days of music, art and fun! For perspective: we have about 1150 inhabitants. It was fabulous. ITGWO stands for Into The Great Wide Open and was organized for the third year in a row. The festival is such a success that as soon as tickets were available (last November) it took about an hour for the whole thing to be sold out! I am lucky because I live here and all the islanders get to go at a discount and they don't have to fight for a ticket either. Everybody gets to go!

My friend Monk came over and we saw many concerts and some cool art too, but there was just too much to see and do to really see everything. And we were exhausted at the end of each day (in fact the last day we were exhausted at the start of the day too, haha). But we had a good time and I got to see some new to me musicians that were absolutely wonderful. I bought three cd's at the festival of artist's I'd never heard of before. My discoveries were Laura Marling, Kings of Convenience, Agnes Obel and Secret Sisters.

And we even took some time to draw! Well, on the first two days that is. The third the weather was a little rainy and frankly we were a little too tired (or lazy?) to do anything ourselves. Anyway, in this post I wanted to show you my quicky sketches. Now please keep in mind that that's exactly what they are, so be kind in your feedback. ;-)

The big central stage. Think many many more people than this!

A couple watching a concert.

A couple leaning into each other at the end of the day.

Yes, the signs really were that crooked!

A pattern from a fence that I wanted to remember.

My friend Monk put her feet up, we're getting old! ;-)

I took a lot of photographs too, but so did my friend Monk and she already put them on her blog for all to see. Mine are pretty much the same, just not as good. So head on over here for a photographic impression of ITGWO 2011! Sending you there saves me the time of downsizing all those pictures I took, I'm nothing if not lazy practical.

All in all I had a great time at the festival, but I'm also glad we are now heading into quieter times on the island. Now school vacations are over and the festival is done, things can get back to normal, whatever that means. ;-)

Wishing you all an artsy week!