One of the things which makes Abergavenny Food Festival really special is the decoration of the Market Hall, which stays in place all year.
The themes are always food-related and in the past have included breakfast plates, a field of sheep, game birds and bees. This year we have discovered that pigs really can fly! Now gracing the hall are a Large Black boar and six sows – Gloucester Old Spot, Tamworth, Oxford Sandy and Black, British Lop, Wild Boar and Saddleback, with their various families of piglets.
Have you ever wondered who makes these wonderful displays? Professional designer Bettina Reeves leads a team of volunteers at Arts Alive in Crickhowell, who this year did the work in just 15 days. The Focus asked Cath Barton, one of those volunteers, to give us a peek behind the scenes and share some of her photographs from the ‘pig factory’:
Day 1: We turn up bright and early to see what Bettina has in store for us this year. She shows us her drawings of pigs and tells us that she has also been inspired by the cut-outs made by the French painter Matisse, so we’re going to be making colourful shapes of leaves and flowers to hang up alongside big pigs. We have coffee and set to work. By the end of the first day two pigs have been formed out of cardboard, newspaper balls and sellotape, but we’re running out of newspaper already and send out a call for more supplies!
Day 3: The first pig is getting her underclothes on – once the basic shape is done and cardboard legs attached, each pig is covered in wadding, which we stick or stitch in place.
Day 6: It’s the start of the second week already and we still have thirteen piglets and silk flower garlands to make!
Day 10: The pigs now have fabric topcoats and the first tails, snouts, ears and eyes are being stitched on. It’s these details which make them come alive.
Day 12: The leaf and flower cut-outs, made from corrugated plastic covered in fabric, are ready to be painted. Thank goodness for the dry weather so this can be done outside. Splashy paint and pigs don’t mix!
Day 13: We’re all putting on weight. People bring such delicious food to share for lunch.
Day 15: Finishing touches to hair and hooves and the herd is ready to leave for Abergavenny.
