New exhibition in Broadcast in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow went up last week with an opening night on Friday. A hectic week for all involved but a great looking show that will be on for 2 whole months. Thanks to the organising talents of Michelle Cohen and Karen Bones a.k.a. Wolf Bones there was live music and even a club night. Good times. The show opens up the darker edges of the artist mind producing an exhibition of 13 artists; from large scale paintings to smaller intricate ink drawings there is plenty to see. On for 2 months so get yourself down there and grab a tasty burger and beer and peruse what's on offer. All works for sale so do the right thing and make the happiest partner, wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, sister, brother, uncle, aunt, grann......ok, you get the idea. I have put in 6 new paintings, two of which are acrylics, you can see them in the flesh in Broadcast of course but if you can't make it, there are images online on my Facebook page. I decided to switch from using oils and turps and try water-based acrylic paint so I wouldn't asphyxiate myself now I've sealed up the studio due the onslaught of the coming winter and my determination that I will be able to feel my fingers while I paint. It was a bit tricky at first being used to the long drying times of oils but I've got a handle on it pretty quickly. I seem to naturally work faster due the faster drying time but got slightly frustrated sometimes also because of this. I've read up a bit about the properties and uses of both media and have come to the conclusion that using both (which may be controversial to some) may be a way to go; though only when I can open the window again. It is said, by those who know, that oils can only go over acrylics but never the reverse as you will end up with a whole fireball of mess. The plasticy overcoating of the acrylics will dry quicker and shrink and so I'm assuming it won't take the oil colour with it and there will be some sort of separation. However, this could be an interesting experiment if you want to mess around with textures but then maybe it would eventually fall off as it wouldn't adhere to the base coat. Oh, I'm getting kind of technical about stuff that I don't really know the ins and outs of. Think it's a trial and error thing that probably would take years to see actual results as acrylics have only been around commercially since the 1950s they still don't really know about longevity. Anyway, it's going fine at the moment so onward ho!
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A little while a go I joined Shop Scotland, an online showcase website dedicated to promoting Scottish and Scotland based creatives, designers, artists and makers. They've been working very hard at getting their site looking dandy and have a new fancy member badge that I've just put on the footer of my website. They've also just become one of the winners of the Edinburgh heat of the Local Business Accelerators. So check them out. Other exciting news is I've got a new studio! Well, will have next month. I have been sporadically working from home but have realised that I definitely need others about me to get me working proper and having a separate place to work in makes all the difference. The temptation of washingup/cupsoftea/tv/daydreaming/generallyfannyingabout is far too much of a distraction and as I don't have a lot of space in my flat, my sitting room is either a sitting room where I can sit or a studio with all my materials everywhere and no where to live. Currently, it is a sitting room which I much prefer. So from mid March I'm moving into a studio space in West Regent Street with my friend Karen Bonella. I haven't even seen it yet but I have good vibes about it. There are already a few businesses in the building; Rig Bike Shop, Jetpace Industries t-shirt printers and Devil's Own Apparel clothing shop who are just about to have their grand opening on Sunday 3rd March. Also judging by facebook pages, there are always dugs kicking about the place so that's an extra boon! Picture of cuteness of a chocolate lab pup called Elvis Presley here. So with lots going on and lots of creative types hanging about hopefully this will be the start of very exciting things to come. Day 353 - Lady centaur I know we're in to January a fair bit now but I still say Happy New Year to you anyway. It's going to be the end of my drawing year challenge come the 31st January. Unfortunately, this year's 28 Drawings Later: February Drawing Challenge will not be happening this year but to be honest I think I'll be glad of the rest. Think I'll still do a weekly drawing post but it has been quite a trek putting up something for each and every day. I am considering doing a public vote on Facebook of the most popular 30 (or something) of my 366 drawings (it's a lot, I know) and make a book available to purchase at all good venues (most likely craft fairs and the like). Let me know what you think.... If you like my pictures and would like to have a print or the original of your very own, do me a favour and don't just nick 'em off the interweb; purchase at a very reasonable price from the on and offline outlets. Namely Redbubble, or a fair I'm at or contact me if your favourite pic isn't up yet. Keeps me in pencils, see and means I can continue to entertain you with my wondrous imaginings and witty(?) banter. Many thanks to all who continue to support the arts. OK, so we're all up and running for Christmas! Yes, my brand new Xmas designs, as suggested by some very fabulous people on Facebook, are starting to appear on Redbubble so that means you can now buy them as greeting cards, prints, t-shirts and iphone covers for yourselves and your loved ones. Aren't I good to you! From my Drawing a Day Challenge I decided to draw Christmas inspired images that have now turned into festive cheer for all. I've been getting ideas from people and as usual posting them up on my Facebook page but thought I would share the love to Redbubble. Have a look here but don't forget to check back as there will be a new one each day. My latest drawing from my "drawing a day challenge". Its quite small, only A5 size in pencil. Its got 23 elements as it took me 23 days (worth), admittedly I haven't been taxing myself. I like the result though. Drawing in small stages can develop a slightly off kilter part of the imagination. You can follow the new images of my challenge by 'liking' my Facebook page. It started from the Facebook page challenge 28 Drawings Later: February Drawing Challenge. The idea is to draw something once a day for the month of February, post it up on the page for comments and adulation and then have an exhibition at the end. A couple of hundred people got involved in this, the third year of the challenge, even folk as far flung as the US and Japan! The exhibition was held this year in The Old Hairdressers bar and gallery here in Glasgow. Lovely it was too. I enjoyed the challenge so much I decided to continue, greatly benefitting from the discipline of a daily drawing (though I do cheat on occasion, don't tell anyone). My cheeky little howling mutt. I'm continuing from the fabulous 28 Drawings Later Challenge - a drawing a day for the whole of February - by doing a drawing a day for the rest of the year. I'm not being too strict with myself as sometimes I get behind. In the last week I was being a bit tardy so decided to do my multiple drawings needed as a little animation and this is what came out. Good to keep my animation hand in! Think might do it again, I've already had a request to animate my Zombie Teddy. You can check out all my drawings in my photos albums on my Facebook page |
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