Sketchbook: Catskills Irish Arts Festival 2012

Above: a group of young musicians on the main stage. 


The Catskills Irish Arts Festival is a week-long celebration of Irish music in East Durham, NY. The entire town is invaded by hundreds of musicians and traditional Irish music fans from all over the world. There are classes during the week in fiddle, flute, and other Irish musical instruments. All of the hotels and pubs have impromptu sessions every night. 

Since my wife plays and I do not, I tend to people watch.

Here are a few of the sketches I did from CIAW 2012:

The above trio performed together. Below: the audience was young and old.

A lot of people walking around with instrument cases:

 Love this flutist's wild hair:

A rather dour look on the keyboard player's face:

 Watching the performers:

 Love this banjo player's hair-and-sunglasses look:

 This man danced with his baby, who wasn't too sure about all this Irish music:

 Two guys chatting at the end of the last concert on the last day:

  Here's a woman with her "Shut Up and Play" t-shirt:

Gotta buy a t-shirt:

 Performers were old and young. Here's a fellow in his 20s who had an amazing voice:

Loved this guy's 'fro:

Raw scans of these drawings from the sketchbook: