Ooft, its been a busy last 6 months! Between doing the day job (booooo!), prop making, scenery building, zombie movie set dressing, course preparing, mural painting and exhibition organising I don't know quite how I'm still alive. It's all a blast really and wouldn't want it any other way. Yes, so we got the 4 murals finished at the Princes Royal Maternity Transitional Care Unit. All the staff, patients and visitors thought it was all brilliant which was exactly what we had hoped for. So chuffed to be a part of it and to make a little difference in people's lives, especially when they are going through a stressful time. These rooms are designated for use by parents and the siblings of premature babies who are on the last stop before home. They used to be your regular sterile looking hospital rooms but thanks to Cheryl at Team Lewis and artist Karen Bonella, together with Rebecca Scott, Linzi Fergusson and Annmarie Devlin, we made them just the little bit cosier. Glad to be a part of the project. Next up is all my set building, prop making and light installing. Sure been busy but I've help out on making a puppet show, made Voodoo skull headdress for a trumpet player, a glittering snake for a sousaphone, a 6m high cardboard clock tower, some fish fins and soon to make giant beard for Mohair the Barbers. Phew! Exciting times. Long may they continue! And you'll be finally up to date with this ridiculous idea I had to put on an art and music extravaganza in tribute to my favourite rock star after he died earlier this year, David Bowie. A long time ago I was mesmerised by the ethereal creature I saw on the big screen on my 11th birthday. It turned out to be Mr David Bowie playing Jareth, the Goblin King, in the best film ever (yes, it is, shut up), Jim Henson's Labyrinth Movie. That film has a lot to answer for but it mostly started my big love for the Starman and when I realised that David Bowie was a rock star too, after hearing Ziggy Stardust on the radio, I was hooked. His death to me, and to many others, was understandably an incredibly sad day. On that day, I decided I wanted to do something to celebrate the one constant in my life. So up came the idea of getting my artist friends to make Bowie Art and for my music friends to make Bowie Music. Together with my fellow artist and friend, Marcus Hislop (AKA The Notorious Gasoline Company) we set to work to make Bowie at Mohair a reality and after Tony at Mohair Barbers generously offered his upstairs as a venue, we knew this was really going to happen. It's not only about the art and music though. I've got two charities involved, the Beatson Cancer Charity and local community music charity New Rhythms for Glasgow who both do amazing work of the people of Glasgow and beyond. 50% of all sales as well as donations and raffle proceeds, will go to the charities. Preview night Friday 5th Aug, exhibition 5th-7th Aug We have over a dozen artists showing their Bowie inspired work, 6 bands playing Bowie tunes, Bowie face painting and a raffle that will even have some Bowie inspired prizes. All in one night! The exhibition will run over the weekend and any unsold works will be hung at the nearby 13th Note for the rest of the month. It's going to a cracker of a night and a cracker of a show. So get your red shoes on and get dancing'!!! You can get more details here on the FB event page.
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Ah well, no rudeness really but hopefully the title got you intrigued, haha! The collaboration I speak of is the latest arty adventure I've been up to, "AUTOMISTIC". In the last few weeks I joined forces with my friend and textile designer Lynsey Cosham, in a drawing frenzy. We decided to make some site specific work, inspired by our own existing works, for the wall of the 13th Note's exhibition area and have produced 3 large drawings. The exhibition will show these works as well as some smaller ones.
The creation of these large drawings was influenced by the Surrealist automatic drawing technique where the artist's chosen medium is moved by the "spirit" (or whatever else affecting!) in an unconscious manner. The resultant drawing is essentially a large squiggle but eventually forms and shapes come about. These shapes are recognised in a much more conscious state of course but it makes for a very exciting process as there is no way of knowing what will be the result. Automatic drawing (Automatism) was pioneered by French artist Andre Masson who said that his "'automatic' imagery involved a two-fold process of unconscious and conscious activity...". We also took inspiration from Catalan Surrealist artist Joan Miró as well as a healthy amount of humour and tongue in cheek. It's pretty different to my normal fare so you can judge for yourselves what to make of it; we certainly had fun producing it. We hope you can join us for our opening on Monday 16th March from 7.30pm. The exhibition will be up for two weeks until the 29th March. Facebook event to check out here.øo Well, the Curves exhibition at The Thistle Gallery went extremely well for me. I am delighted to say that I sold all four paintings I had on show with major thanks to Carol Dunbar and her team. The Thistle Gallery is a lovely space and I'm looking forward to showing there again.
Next month I'll be showing work at the 13th Note again and planning to collaborate on some work with my good friend Lynsey Cosham so expect something a little bit different. Stay tuned for that, more details to follow. Also been doing the 28 Drawings Later: February Drawing Challenge again this year. It's a Facebook happening where loads of people draw something every day of February and post it up on the group. I did it in 2012 and at the end we had an exhibition of all the works in the Old Hairdressers in Glasgow. People from all over the UK and even quite a few internationals have taken part over the last few years. It's a great way to get you drawing and to see all the wonderful works everyone posts. It's open to absolutely anyone regardless of ability, it's a great project and run entirely by volunteers. Not sure whether there will be an exhibition for this year but I'll let you know as soon as I do. You can see my album of drawings here. Thanks to everyone who has shown me support, encouragement and interest in my work. Couldn't do it without you. Latest offerings from our regular Glasgow group of artists hanging in Broadcast will be on the walls from Thursday night this week from 7pm. Come and join us for a wee drink to celebrate the opening. I've got two paintings and a drawing in. Curated by excellent photographer, Jeff Edwards, the theme this time is "Through the Looking Glass" (click here for more info) so expect some weird and wonderful things.
If you can't make the opening, never fear, as ever it's on for 2 months so plenty of time to pop in, grab a beer and maybe a lovely burger or pizza from Broadcast's great menu. Hope to see you there. 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! I'm going to be hawking my wares on Sauchiehall Street tomorrow (Tuesday 29th July) at Art on Scotland's art stalls opposite the Tesco. I'm selling framed and mounted prints and greetings cards of my paintings and drawings so come and visit me between 10 am and 7pm. Bringing me coffee and cake is optional but highly appreciated.
It's official, all my pals will be bored of me saying this but, did you know I have an exhibition coming up from next week? Well why yes, yes I do indeed. Starting with the jolly little gathering of an opening on Wednesday 2nd July (7-9pm), my work will be exhibited at the Good Spirits Co. in Bath Street, Glasgow until the 9th August.
It will encompass basically most things I have to show from drawings from my "Drawing a Day" project I did for a whole year from February 2011 to January 2012 to my paintings of portraits, figures and my weird illustrative imagery. The show will be open to the public every day. I would highly recommend you have a good perusal around the Good Spirits Co. shop, they hold just about every spirit you can think of and they sure know a thing or two about it. I would like to give big thanks to Mark, Matt and Shane for giving me the opportunity to show my work in their premises. I'm really looking forward to the opening and hope you can join me for a chat and a wee look-see. There will even be a glass of wine in it for you. All originals will be available for purchase as well as mounted prints. If you can't make the opening, dinae fret, it'll be on for 6 weeks. You can check out the FB event here for more details. 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... So finally, got it all done and decided. For the dawning of a new year; grand unveil of new studio name as now have the lovely Linzi Fergusson as a new studio mate. Done a wee new logo too, see what you think, I kinda like him. See, he's got a crown on and he's looking towards the West, geddit.....:-) New exhibition for 2014 will be the next group show curated by Wolf Bones at Glasgow's Broadcast in Sauchiehall Street. Opening will be on Friday 31st January, so coming up really soon. I'll be showing a couple of drawings and a brand new painting, along with my fellow artists, some of whom were also in the previous Broadcast exhibition. The opening will be from about 7.30pm on Friday, hope to see you there. Other exciting things I've been up to lately is flexing my rock photography muscles again in the form of doing a little promo shoot for pals' band Chris Devotion & the Expectations. It was great fun and I think it went well. Got some shots on my facebook page, you can have a wee swatch of a few shots through this link. It's all for the cause of their brand new shiny album that will be coming out in a month or so, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for the fabulous tunes by the boys, the fabulous album artwork by the talented Mr Dave "Ninja" Turbitt using my fabulous photos. It's a marvellous team effort. Here's a single from their last album, give your ears a wee scorchin' on this..... |
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