Nikki Buechler
Bristol Dec. 11
Saturday morning was about as dreary as it gets in December, but there was festivity and cheer at the Marché Bristol Christmas market. Shortly after the doors opened at 9 a.m., there was already a steady stream of weather-immune visitors arriving at the . . .
Jack Graham Community Centre, checking out the wares. Shoppers were milling around — most seemed content and unhurried, browsing through the cheerfully decorated booths of eclectic local craftspeople.
Christmas fairs are great for perusing, getting to know local artists, and finding unique handmade treasures. There was a good selection here, and there were plenty of vendor booths. One of the vendors, Kat Clarida, produces all natural hand-milled “Lotions, Potions and Soap.” The smells coming from her products, which she sells under the label “Eleven Bees” were alluring: refreshing and invigorating, without a lingering, cloying scent. Her soap pieces, cut like slices of bread from a loaf, (and about the same size as a piece of banana bread from a café) were artistic, irresistibly scented stocking-stuffers.
Barry Young was there – a woodturner based out of Bristol with a selection of beautiful wood bowls and creatively lathed wood pieces. His booth was next to folks from Coronation Hall, there to sell pies, cider and other goodies created from apples grown in their Bristol orchard. Their cider, described as “Traditional West Quebec Style” is a valid reason to move to the Pontiac.
A recent addition to the Pontiac artisan community, “Elephant in the Attic,” had an organized and very welcoming booth. Despite being a newcomer to the Pontiac, Caitlin Brubacher is clearly an art show veteran, her business acumen and art expertise helping her make her presence felt in the community. She brings a lot of knowledge, retail experience and inventory from her former life in Toronto. Elephant in the Attic sells frames, eclectic art, interesting objects, and prints from her booth. From her home, she has all of the tools to run a framing business. Now living in Portage-du-Fort, her recent election to the board of directors for artPontiac is indicative of her commitment to the art community in the region.
Another Bristol artist, Lee Robinsong, was there. The painter has a recognizable style: he creates round, panoramic views. Looking at his art, there is a sense of being in the middle of a fast-moving merry-go-round. The landscape swirls around the outside of the circle, a seamless, continuous blending of stasis and movement. It would be one thing to capture a photograph, maybe in a moment of giddiness, spinning in a way that captures the horizon. But to see this gesture reified, using paint and canvas, adds another level of appreciation for his iconic work.
A group of four violinists, led by Paulette Gauthier, added a festive element, playing live holiday Christmas music. But this wasn’t a classical ensemble: Gauthier teaches ‘old time’ country fiddle in the area.
Emily Reid, one of the event organizers, was greeting guests at her cheery booth at the front door. She explained her interest in bringing artisans together with the community: “We started a non-profit organization, dedicated to ensuring the continuation of the Bristol market. It’s important that we continue to bring artists here.” The pandemic has been especially hard for local artisans. “It has been difficult over the last couple of years. But we are working together, committed to keeping this tradition alive in our community.”
