Art in the Pen 2025

Every year there's a massive Arts Market 'Art in the Pen' in the Auction Mart at Skipton. The pens that usually hold animals each host a different artist or craft business, over 200 of them this year. I don't go every year but, if I do, I usually find something catches my eye and I end up spending money! Last year I indulged in a really beautiful ceramic piece so I wasn't intending to go this year, to avoid temptation. 

But then I did! 

Every art/craft is represented - paintings, photography, jewellery, textiles, metal work, wood craft, you name it.  Some of it is high-end, very professional, and some of it quite kitsch, but probably everyone would find something to their taste, tucked away somewhere. 

I am usually drawn to the more expensive things, inevitably! If I had money and wall space I might have invested in one of the oil paintings below, by Michael Claxton. That big square one in the top middle would have suited my sitting room (not that I have spare space). Such seascapes are not necessarily an 'original' idea. I've seen a few artists doing similar work, but I liked the serenity and colours of these. 

On the other hand, I wouldn't have bought one of these sculptures by Paul Smith for my personal space but I liked the whimsy in a few of them. 

The willow work by Julie Livesey at Pip Cottage also appealed to me, though it's not really the kind of thing I buy a lot of. (I have a couple of willow storage crates and a laundry basket.)

The reason I changed my mind and went along to the market this year was because a few weeks ago I lost one of my favourite rings. I habitually wear two on each hand and three of them I take off at night. The one on my left middle finger was a snug fit and didn't easily slide over my slightly arthritic knuckle so I wore that one all the time. It was a plainish flat band and it didn't catch on things. So I was mightily flummoxed when, one day, I noticed that I wasn't wearing it...  I have no idea how it came off or where, and I've hunted high and low through my apartment and haven't found it. Anyway, my finger felt sad and bare so I decided I needed to buy a new one. The one on my 'ring finger' on the left hand I bought some years ago at Art in the Pen, so that seemed like a good place to go looking. Whilst there were a lot of jewellers participating, not many of them had rings on display this year. I did, however, find the silver ring below - again, flat and fairly plain, so I decided that would do the job - and it was very reasonably priced, thankfully, so no guilt involved!

As I was leaving the Auction Mart, I saw the blackboard below with all the upcoming livestock auctions listed. Most of it makes no sense to me whatsoever, but I do love the various farming terms: 'cast ewes', 'mule gimmer lambs'. I'm not sure whether the general public can just rock up to watch an auction but I think it would be rather interesting.

(I decided I can just about forgive the 'grocer's apostrophes'. Maybe they mean 'Monday's [auctions]' rather than 'auctions on Mondays'.)