What an amazing time I had at Riba Rocks, so much fun. I was also pleased with the photos I took and fortunately everyone else was too, so phewf on that part. If you're reading this and don't know about Riba Rocks, it's my pals, Sarah and Chris', tiny eco music festival located in their little valley near Riba-Roja D'Ebre in Catalonia, Spain. Such lovely people; met old friends and made new ones. Sarah and Chris invited me over to flaunt my photography skills by documenting the festival. I did my best and got what I thought a good flavour of the festival. There's always things you end up missing but all to work towards for next year! Such diverse music too from local and UK bands and artists. From solo guitar singer-songwriters with the likes of Carrianne Hayden, Lilac Sheer, Nic Bennett, Adrià Cid (who also makes ceramics!) and Ali Ingle; folk with Troubadour's Garden; indie with the new kids on the block Run Tiger Run, piano and vocals with Maud the Moth; bit of prog from Hysterical Injury; noisy punk with a touch of ukulele from The Cecilias; nu-metal from local band Flatware and electronica from The Horn The Hunt. After midnight the DJs took over playing House late in to the night. Phewf, think I got everyone there. There's a little gallery on the Riba Rocks website and I've put together a few here but will put more pictures up soon.
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The opening night for my 13th Note show is coming soon. Next Monday in fact. So if you'd like to join me for a wee tipple from 8.30pm on the 1st September, I'd be most joyous to see you. The Note is situated in King Street, Glasgow for those not in the know. I have a natty little Facebook event that you can invite yourselves to if you're not already there. It won't be a late one for me though as I'll be getting up at silly o'clock on Tuesday morning to get to the Prestwick airport because I'm off to the wilds of Catalonia.
My pals Sarah and Chris, who I met during my art adventure in Cyprus in 2006/7, have settled in a little valley near Riba Roja d'Ebre in Catalonia, Spain. Catalonia is fiercely proud of its heritage and has been campaigning, much like Scotland, for independence from the rest of Spain so it will be interesting to see if I get questions about our Referendum. However, I'm not going over there to talk politics, I'm going over to help out and take photos for their wee music and arts festival Riba Rocks happening 5-7th Sept. I missed their inaugural year last year so I was determined not to miss this one. There will be musicians and artists coming from the UK as well as local bands and DJs. I just hope I can do it justice, photographically speaking. Well, enough of this blethering, better go walk the dog. She's giving me the look. Hasta la vista baby! Man, it's been busy the last month or so with my other work, y'know the stuff I do to pass the time and pay the rent when I'm not in the studio drawing or painting. Amongst other things, just finished working for a few weeks on the John Muir Festival; first with "Home" that included the launch of the Kelpies in Falkirk and then across the country celebrating the launch of the John Muir Way. Exhausted by the end of it? Yes indeed I was, but it all went very well and glad to be a part of it. Now on to the here, now and shortly going to happen..... In the meantime, we've had another Broadcast show, currently up and will be showing for a wee while longer. But hold on the your hats ladies and gentleman, I will be exhibiting my first solo with the good folks Mark, Matt and Shane at The Good Spirits Co in Bath Street at the end of June for 6 weeks! I'm very excited and now that I have time to get back in to the studio, I shall be painting frenziedly (is that word?) to add some new work. Opening night is to be confirmed but it will probably be the first Wednesday evening of July so keep your dairies poised. More details to come soon.....there is talk of distillery sponsorship!.....fingers crossed... Sarah, Chris and Caroline It's November already, how time flies. Just back from a great week's holiday at my friends' Sarah & Chris', place in Riba Roja D'Ebre, Catalonia. It's a lovely place, so peaceful and laid back it makes me want to slow down and just take in the view. They've had the place now for 4 years and are slowly doing it up. It's a lovely wee hoose and quite a few acres of land, most of which is hill, with olive trees lining terraced soil. Their intentions are toward self sufficiency with solar panels galore and land full of veg patches. The good life indeed. They are also planning an ambitious project of creating an artist village within their land. Sarah, being an artist herself and Chris, a graphic designer, want to give artists time and space to live and make work in a creative environment; an artists retreat, if you will. I'm looking forward to seeing the developments as they start to build more. Also, next year in late summer, with the ready organising skills of Sarah's sister Caroline, they're planning to produce an arts and music festival to be held on their land called Riba Rocks. With local and international bands due to be booked, poets and writers planning readings and artists creating workshops, it's gonna be a fabulous event. I'm planning my return trip already. I can't talk about this place without mentioning its newest residents; Tut and Khamun. They are two little kittens that were found under a manky sofa in a supermaket car park by two friends who nursed them to health. Tut was so tiny, found in a puddle and not moving, they thought he was dead. Khamun on the other hand, Tut's big sister, was very vocal, fortunately for them. Sarah & Chris were asked if they would like to take them on. As they are very rural, they can have a bit of a mouse problem, so thought why not. The kittens had only been there a week by the time I had arrived but I could see Sarah & Chris had fallen in love with them already. Well, they are quite adorable. We'll see how long it takes them to move residence from the shed to in front of the wood burner in the house during the winter. |
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