Some pen and ink doodles from this year’s Glastonbury Festival; all were drawn in Tom’s Bar and on the hallowed ground of Tom’s Field. Tom’s Field is where an old grey mare called Tom was kept and where all of us workers now eat, drink and are entertained during the festival. Quite a magical and cathartic place! Al
Glastonbury 2019 and The Cure onstage A3 print! Al
Continuing with the Glastonbury Festival theme next on the easel is one from 2019 and The Killers with Blue Pyramid! an acrylic on 1000 x 500mm canvas! Al
I’ve started with some Payne’s Grey to define the structures and then have used some acrylic aerosol spray to flatten the sky. I love the effects you get when you paint over the top of the spray because sometimes the tube paint is slightly repelled by the undercoat, we’ll see how it goes!
With the passing of Glastonbury 2024 I’ve decided on choosing a familiar subject. This is my first painting in some time! There is nothing quite like standing close to the front of the Pyramid Stage when it’s on fire! I think everyone who loves music should experience once in their lifetime! Entiteled Pyramid on Fire, acrylic on canvas 30 x 20″. This picture will be available as a print too! Al
Framed in a new home!
Well I had a good time at the festival meeting up with old friends who I haven’t seen in about three years due to the Covid Pandemic. I work every Glastonbury as a member of the Recycling Team and receive free vegetarian food, a rather nice camping field and our own massive marquee serving local beers, ciders and evening entertainment, we also get the festival ticket for free too! All in all we spend just over a week here and when we first arrive there is no public on site so it’s great to see open fields and no crowds.
It became alive when the festival opened and I managed to make the most of the late nights and also discovered new places I haven’t seen before. Strummerville, named after Jo Strummer of The Clash who used to make camp here, with it’s sofas, camp fire and reggae music. The Bimble Inn in the early hours was fantastic with it’s weird eclectic bands, real ale and Lord of the Rings vibe. Arcadia with it’s laser display and Spider were impressive along with Shangri-La and it’s twilight alternativeness!
On returning home from the festival a few of us quickly came down with the dreaded Covid and am now suffering from the usual fever, headaches, lack of taste and smell. This lack of taste and smell has now changed, so everything now tasting like rancid coconut and burnt electrical cable.
I haven’t placed brush to canvas for a long time due to family matters and now Covid but I hope to regain the fire soon! Al
Well now it seems like Glastonbury 2022 is going ahead. So as usual I’m working as a veteran with the Recycling Crew and will reside in Tom’s Field near Worthy Farm; Tom’s Field is named after the old horse that used to live there! We have a large marquee where we have wonderful free vegetarian food and entertainment, not to mention the wonderful local Singing Cider. We’re pretty self contained so we could just stay there and still have a fantastic festival. I love meeting up with old Festival friends, drinking the cider and chatting by our camp fires with the thump of distant music.
So almost two weeks to go and after a long lay off we’ll meet again in Tom’s Field and drink and remember lost friends and colleagues who’ll be missed! Al
I’m returning home to Glastonbury Town,
To fly so high I hope we never come down.
Oh come back to dreams and escape from strife,
A few days, an escape, from our hum drum life!
Sadly this year’s Glastonbury Festival was cancelled due to Corona Pandemic; 50 years anniversary since 1970. I usually work every year at the festival with the fantastic Recycling Team and love the atmosphere in Tom’s Field where we workers spend time listening to live music, eating and drinking in Tom’s Bar. No public of course! We especially love the Singing Cider! Tom’s Field, if course, named after the horse that used to reside there. Well this year I noticed a video about Glastonbury by the artist Beans On Toast and the opening frames showed a scene which inspired me to sketched here in pastels. Well until next year 2010!
Al Brown Artist. 