05:47 Monday 21st September, Southern Glen
Under the vague illumination of the lanterns the small work force from the Studios had brought out into the Glen with them, AJ spread out the map of their allotted space on the makeshift table between them. The week of work that was the Art Festival had officially begun, out here in the predawn chill. Around her, the apprentices and hired help gathered around her as she oriented herself to the map and where it put them in the seven clearings they had cleared for the week's displays.
"Okay, so we're here ..." she mused to herself, pointing to the place on the map, and just like that, what needed to be done came to her. No one argued as she handed out work to everyone around her; AJ had been put in charge of organising the festival simply on the grounds of being too heavy with child to be of any use in the heavy lifting at all. And they all knew she would much rather be hefting the artwork around than giving out the orders.
Thankfully, this morning's work - which had begun at three o'clock at the Studios - was fairly light. Willow woven sculptures were not massively weighty, just cumbersome, and even in the predawn twilight, the seventeen pieces were laid out across five of the seven clearings with relative speed. The remaining two clearings were set up as the demonstration and workshop areas. While the apprentices and their assistants moved through the Glen, AJ herself grabbed a few of the Everlast torches and moved to lay out the trail from the main road out to where the exhibition was being set up. There was no point having the display if no one knew where to find it, after all.
In a couple of hours, the artists, craftsmen and women, and the trail attendants would arrive, and she would be able to hand over the day to them before going home to catch up on her sleep. Then she would be up again, coming down to visit the outdoor display, to check how well it was being received. No one expected a big turn out for the first day, but it would be nice if they at least had some interest after all the work had been put in.
The path marked out, AJ then turned to walk the trail they had set out, checking off each piece of work in her head as she passed the little teams setting them up. From the main road, through the trees, to the first of the clearings, given a mythological theme with its Hydra and Cyclops among others; through another treeline to the family clearing, filled with willow woven people in various familial scenes; turning again to find herself in one of the workshop/demonstration areas, where the craftsmen would be on hand to show and tell and teach how the sculptures had been made; to the deities' clearing, with examples of the Ancient Gods from several cultures represented in RhyDin proper; to the second workshop area, where the base for the childrens' trail was being set up; turning again through the trees in time to watch as the majestic form of a willow woven dragon was erected over her equally willowy eggs; and one more turn that took her into the heart of the exhibit, where the smaller sculptures had been placed, the fairies and goblins and creations of that ilk.
By the time they were done, the sun was rising, and the craftsmen and artists had begun to arrive. Yawning wearily, AJ sent her little work force home and moved to follow them, stretching her shoulders as the twins in her belly kicked excitedly. Just think ....only five more days and it would all be over.
Under the vague illumination of the lanterns the small work force from the Studios had brought out into the Glen with them, AJ spread out the map of their allotted space on the makeshift table between them. The week of work that was the Art Festival had officially begun, out here in the predawn chill. Around her, the apprentices and hired help gathered around her as she oriented herself to the map and where it put them in the seven clearings they had cleared for the week's displays.
"Okay, so we're here ..." she mused to herself, pointing to the place on the map, and just like that, what needed to be done came to her. No one argued as she handed out work to everyone around her; AJ had been put in charge of organising the festival simply on the grounds of being too heavy with child to be of any use in the heavy lifting at all. And they all knew she would much rather be hefting the artwork around than giving out the orders.
Thankfully, this morning's work - which had begun at three o'clock at the Studios - was fairly light. Willow woven sculptures were not massively weighty, just cumbersome, and even in the predawn twilight, the seventeen pieces were laid out across five of the seven clearings with relative speed. The remaining two clearings were set up as the demonstration and workshop areas. While the apprentices and their assistants moved through the Glen, AJ herself grabbed a few of the Everlast torches and moved to lay out the trail from the main road out to where the exhibition was being set up. There was no point having the display if no one knew where to find it, after all.
In a couple of hours, the artists, craftsmen and women, and the trail attendants would arrive, and she would be able to hand over the day to them before going home to catch up on her sleep. Then she would be up again, coming down to visit the outdoor display, to check how well it was being received. No one expected a big turn out for the first day, but it would be nice if they at least had some interest after all the work had been put in.
The path marked out, AJ then turned to walk the trail they had set out, checking off each piece of work in her head as she passed the little teams setting them up. From the main road, through the trees, to the first of the clearings, given a mythological theme with its Hydra and Cyclops among others; through another treeline to the family clearing, filled with willow woven people in various familial scenes; turning again to find herself in one of the workshop/demonstration areas, where the craftsmen would be on hand to show and tell and teach how the sculptures had been made; to the deities' clearing, with examples of the Ancient Gods from several cultures represented in RhyDin proper; to the second workshop area, where the base for the childrens' trail was being set up; turning again through the trees in time to watch as the majestic form of a willow woven dragon was erected over her equally willowy eggs; and one more turn that took her into the heart of the exhibit, where the smaller sculptures had been placed, the fairies and goblins and creations of that ilk.
By the time they were done, the sun was rising, and the craftsmen and artists had begun to arrive. Yawning wearily, AJ sent her little work force home and moved to follow them, stretching her shoulders as the twins in her belly kicked excitedly. Just think ....only five more days and it would all be over.