RIYADH: Live demonstrations of local craft skills were being showcased at the second Beit Hail festival. Visitors have been flocking to the heritage event held in Aga Park. Potter, Bashayer Al-Otaibi, was among the artists taking part. Self-taught, she moved from fine arts into pottery two years ago, adding inscriptions and drawings to her objects. She said pottery involved several stages, including mixing dry clay with water, which is left to dry, followed by kneading by foot for up to 10 minutes. A clay mass is then taken according to the size of the object to be made and sculpted by hand into the desired shape. On completion, the pottery item is placed in the sun to dry and then put in an oven for firming, Al-Otaibi added. Another exhibitor at the festival was Umm Ashjan who makes wicker products from palm fronds. While demonstrating her craft, she explained to visitors how the branches needed to be softened to work with by soaking in water. She pointed out that the craft remained popular among girls in the region, with the skill being passed down through generations. A plentiful supply of palm trees also meant raw materials were relatively easy to come by, she said. Among the participating artisans was the winner of an Okaz Award for excellence in crafts and handicrafts, exhibiting products embroidered with Thamudic inscriptions. Depending on the design or type of cloth, pieces could take between one day and one month to complete.