'Heavy weather, Drumochter'
It’s a busy time at Studio E and this last week has been no different.
I have to get work ready for three exhibitions before I go away to Speyer in early May. I’m taking three paintings over to the Fisher Gallery in Pittenweem in Fife for their first show of the year. This opens on March 27. I’ll be exhibiting three new paintings all of which are finished, framed and ready to take to the gallery in a couple of weeks.
The next deadline after that is to get seven paintings ready for the Spring Exhibition at the Atholl Gallery in Dunkeld. This opens on April 17th and runs until June 7th. Of these pieces, three are still to be completed but one of these is almost finished.
'Blackmount'
My final deadline is to get 10 pieces ready for my joint show with Alison Thomas at Blairmore Gallery. This will open on 18th June and run for six weeks through until 28th July. This though is while I’m away in Germany, so everything has to be ready before I go away. My partner Anita has said she’ll take the work up to the gallery as I’ll not be able to get back for the show unfortunately.
So then, a lot of painting still to be done, but I do already have some work finished and ready for this show.
'On Rannoch Moor'
The week started off though, with my meeting a deadline …which is always good. As I’ve already mentioned in an earlier blog, I’ve been asked to act as a patron to ‘the gallery on the corner’, a new project being established by Autism Ventures, Scotland. The gallery is in a prime location in Edinburgh and will be opening towards the end of March. Its official launch will be on 22nd, 23rd & 24th April. For more details about the gallery and Autism Ventures, Scotland, see below. Suffice to say, they kindly asked me to exhibit a few pieces of my work in their new gallery and so I’ve been trying to get a few new paintings finished for them.
On Monday two of the people involved in setting up the gallery, visited my studio to pick up the five pieces of work. Three of these are new paintings, two of which are 30 x 30 cm and one being 76 x 23cm. I’ve also included a brand new small drawing and a pencil drawing I did last year. I think the five pieces should work quite well together and I’m looking forward to seeing them on the walls of the new gallery.
The Gallery on the Corner
The gallery on the corner is the first social firm from Autism Ventures Scotland (AVS), part of the Autism Initiatives Group. AVS has been established to create employment opportunities and experiences for young people with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) in Scotland.
The gallery on the corner is an inclusive, fine art gallery situated in Edinburgh’s New Town. It provides artists who have a disability, mental health problems or those from a disadvantaged background with a platform to exhibit and sell their artwork in a high profile location in the heart of Edinburgh’s gallery district. Beneath the commercial gallery space we have four studio spaces that will be rented to practicing artists who will work with apprentices with ASC.
A third branch of the business will open later in 2010. We are in the process of securing premises for a creative studio where young people with ASC will produce original artwork for sale, using an ‘art as therapy’ approach.
AVS will be offering apprenticeships and other opportunities to 16- 25 year olds with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) in both retail and art. The apprenticeships will include on the job, and vocational training, resulting in a recognised qualification.
Contact details:
The Gallery on the Corner
34 Northumberland St
Edinburgh EH3 6LS
Phone numbers:
Gallery: 0131 557 8969
Studios: 0131 557 8921
Opening times: Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm
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