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Open Studios Weekend | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

Posts Tagged ‘Open Studios Weekend’

Isle of Arran Distillery exhibition – 3 weeks to go….

It is amazing quite how fast time has flown recently, as we’re already well into the second month of the exhibition at the Isle of Arran Distillery.   Nita went over for me a few weeks ago to deliver a few more prints and gift cards for the visitor centre shop and she said that they reckoned they’d been getting a very good response to the work.  I was certainly very pleased with the way the big Glen Rosa drawing looked in the space as well as the five paintings we hung with it, so if you haven’t been to see the show and you either live in the region or are visiting on holiday ….you’ve got three weeks left to catch it.  Of course, if you can’t get over to Arran but are in Irvine at any time, you can see the full size reproduction of the Glen Rosa drawing near the Town House in the centre of Irvine.  North Ayrshire Council produced this high quality print of the drawing and has sited it in this very central part of town.

Glen Rosa at the HAC

The finished Glen Rosa drawing, Harbour Arts Centre, January 2015

The reason I’ve been so busy of late has been because we were preparing for our annual Open Studios Weekend and our “21 Years” group exhibition at the Harbour Arts Centre.  The exhibition preview was last Friday 2nd October and we had a very enjoyable and busy evening.  It was the first time for many years that the artists here at the WASPS Courtyard Studios have held an exhibition together and I’m delighted to say that it’s a “good’n”.  Do pop in to see it if you have a spare half an hour or so …there is some really excellent work included…… do check out the display cabinet containing book-binding by Tom McEwen  and ceramics by Nita Groves ….very different, very exciting.   The exhibition runs until 23rd October 2015, so plenty of time left to see it.

'On display at the Isle of Arran Distillery Visitor Centre until 31st October'

‘On display at the Isle of Arran Distillery Visitor Centre until 31st October, 2015’

The Open Studios Weekend went really well.  In fact it was the busiest event we’ve ever had…. by a long way.  During the course of last weekend we saw just under 500 visitors come into the studios!  It made for a great atmosphere and has hopefully raised our profile somewhat.  A big thanks to everyone who came to the Courtyard Studios last weekend, I hope you enjoyed the experience.  We are of course, open to the public right throughout the year so don’t be afraid to call back and see the studios in their working mode.

Arran Distillery Exhibition

‘On display at the Isle of Arran Distillery Visitor Centre until 31st October, 2015’

To get such a good turn out we had to get the event publicised really well and this year we seemed to get everything right.  Much work was done by event rep Nita, studio rep Brian, Alison and Marie in the Harbour Arts Centre and the good folk at WASPS head office in Glasgow….. So well done all.  We were also helped significantly by all the local harbour side businesses that put up posters and gave out event flyers and leaflets for us.  Our local press were great too, giving us good coverage in the run-up to the event, as was our local radio station Irvine Beat, who allowed me to tell their listeners all about the event.  We were also helped by the people at Irvine’s Big Screen in the centre of town.  They very kindly screened details of the event during the week before.    So then a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped make last weekend at the Courtyard Studios and Harbour Arts Centre such a success.

Arran Distillery Exhibition

‘On display at the Isle of Arran Distillery Visitor Centre until 31st October’

It’s back to normal this week and I’ve already started work on several new oil paintings and the tidy studio space of the weekend is fast becoming messy again!

10 hours of quiet after 2 weeks of running around!

It has been an exceedingly busy last couple of weeks and to be honest I’ve been struggling to get everything done that has needed to be done. … hence the lack of a blog recently.  I spent a lot of time getting all the work ready for my exhibition at “the gallery on the corner” in Edinburgh that opened on 7th August.  In the end I took 24 framed pieces along with 9 small unframed graphite sketches.  It’s amazing just how much time it takes getting everything into frames and wrapped.  Even making the labels is a very time consuming business although I was luckily able to sub contract this and other computer based jobs to my unpaid assistant and partner Nita.  Without her help with these projects, I don’t know how long it would take me to get everything done.  We got it all completed and on the morning of Saturday 1st August we packed it all into the car and headed across to Edinburgh.   It was such a relief when the work was in the gallery and I could pass on responsibility for the show to assistant gallery manager Paul Penrice and his assistants.  They did a wonderful job of hanging the work and the gallery looked great when we arrived for the preview the following Friday evening.  The exhibition continues until August 29th so you have plenty of time to get along there if you live in or are visiting the city.

Other jobs have included visiting the Isle of Arran Distillery, (I know, it’s a tough job but somebody has to do it!)….. in order to finalise arrangements for exhibiting the big Glen Rosa drawing there in September and October.  Everything appears to be on track with this project and I’m really looking forward to going over with the work on 1st September.   As this is the final part of the story about this drawing project, Dan Thornton and his assistant Cindy are returning to Scotland from Seattle at the end of the month in order to film the drawing going to Arran.  This will be the final part of the documentary Dan is making and then it all comes down to getting the hours and hours of film he has taken over the last two years, edited.  This is not just an important part of the process; it’s also quite an expensive one.  As such, Dan and his colleagues have been working on a promotional ‘Seed & Spark’ campaign to help promote awareness of the film and to raise some of the funds needed to complete it.  Details of this campaign along with a link to the short trailer Dan has made can be found on the homepage of this website.  I also had 500 flyers printed with the same information and Nita and I spent a day last week distributing them around venues in Ayrshire and Arran.  Anyway, please check it out and please spread the word!    Thank you.

Along with all this, Nita and I are spending quite a bit of time helping to organise this years Open studios Weekend at the Courtyard Studios.  It’s looking like it should be a good one this year with all 17 artists taking part.  There is a really excellent group of artists working here at present and there is a wide range of top quality work being produced here, including paintings, photography, drawings, ceramics, music, hand book-binding and jewellery.  The event takes place on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October 2015 and will also include collaboration with the Harbour Arts Centre where we’ll be holding a group exhibition to celebrate 21 years of artistic practise at the Courtyard.  I’ll be posting full details of these events nearer the time ….but for now …just pencil in the dates!

There have been lots of other things happening recently, all taking up much needed painting time.  There is good news on two of the most important projects.  The Brazil commissions got bogged down somewhat since I completed the work at the end of February.  Difficulties arose with shipping the artwork to Brazil and over the last five and a half months Nita and I have spent hours it seems writing emails in order to resolve this.  It has been a bit tiring but I’m pleased to say things are starting to happen…..so then, watch this space!  The other project related to the big Glen Rosa drawing, was the planned production of a full size reproduction that was to be sited in the centre of Irvine.  Well, as you may have seen from my Facebook page….. the work is now finished and sited.  It was great going to see it the other evening and if you’re in Irvine or travelling on one of the many buses entering and exiting the town …do look out for it.  My thanks must go to Lesley Forsyth at North Ayrshire Council for first coming up with the idea and then bringing it to a successful conclusion.

As I say, it’s been a hectic time and on Thursday last week we were both feeling pretty worn out.   With a fine weather forecast we decided that we just had to get out into the wilds and have a day relaxing.  We went to Glen Coe and spent 10 hours wandering around some of these fabulous mountains.  We only saw two other walkers all day and although our legs were sore at the end, it was a very much needed rest.  No more words about it…. here are a few quiet and calming photos instead.

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On the north side of Glen Coe

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Towards Am Bodach from P.907m

Scottish mountains

Am Bodach and Glen Coe from our lunch spot

scottish mountains

Towards sron Garbh …. our final top of the day

scottish mountains

Ben Nevis from the summit of Sron Garbh

-o-o-o-o-o-

‘A damp morning, Buachaille Etive Beag, Glen Coe’

 'A damp morning, Buachaille Etive Beag, Glen Coe'

‘A damp morning, Buachaille Etive Beag, Glen Coe’

‘A damp morning, Buachaille Etive Beag, Glen Coe’, Acrylic and Pastel, 2014, 122 x 61 cm

This is one of my latest acrylic and pastel paintings. Based on a view we had as we were travelling north through Glen Coe a while back, it is rather unusual for me in that it is not only a low level view point but also done in a more traditional landscape format. I have to say that I’ve really enjoyed working on this piece although my partner Anita reckons I ought to paint more scenes of bright sunny conditions rather than these mistier, damp ones! She might have a point ….but I do love watching the mists break over and around the mountains. Anyway, this painting although just finished, will be on show at the Open Studios Weekend at the Courtyard studios this Saturday 4th / Sunday 5th October should you fancy coming down to see it for real. We’ll be open Saturday 4th, 11 am – 5pm and Sunday 5th, 12 noon – 5pm. Rumour has it that one of my colleagues will be having chocolate biscuits in his studio although if Nita and I get there first there may not be many left! You’d better arrive early!

‘Breaking mists, Isle of Arran’

289 'Breaking mists, Isle of Arran', Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 30 x 30 cm

‘Breaking mists, Isle of Arran’

‘Breaking mists, Isle of Arran’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 30 x 30 cm

This little painting, based on a day we spent up in the fabulous Arran Hills is to be reproduced as one of my new gift cards.  These should be ready in time for our Open Studios Weekend on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October.

High quality reproductions of this painting can also be obtained through the “Prints for sale” section on my website or directly from my studio.

Another day…..

It has become increasingly more difficult for me to see what I’m doing when I go to the polling booth on election days and so for yesterdays vote on independence, I decided to register for a postal vote.  As such, I voted about a week ago and so while record numbers of people went to the polling stations, I had a very normal day.

It was in short, very like many other working days for me and started with an hour or so doing jobs on the computer.  Being an artist isn’t just about splashing paint….. It’s also about doing all the things other businesses have to do ….in short, the paperwork!  As my sight has very slowly deteriorated, this side of my work has become more and more time consuming.  I’m currently writing this blog with the screen magnifier on 8x and the screen reader reading each word as I type it.   This is still quite quick but once I’m using email or the internet it gets much more difficult I find.  My morning sessions on this computer usually end up with me swearing at the thing as I make yet another mistake.  Yesterday however, things went quite calmly for once and I managed to place an order for new gift cards.  I’ve sold most of the ones I had printed a couple of years ago and suddenly realised I was down to the last card of one of the four designs…and that sold to a lady who visited the studio with her husband yesterday morning.  With our Open Studios Weekend looming it was time to get some new cards made.

 Once I’d checked my emails, ( and sent one off to the Harbour Arts Centre to arrange a meeting to discuss promoting my forthcoming exhibition) ….well, I’d had enough of this machine and  it was time to do some proper work and get down to the studio.  I grabbed a lift with Nita in the car down to town and then walked the half mile along the harbour side to the Courtyard Studios.  I had a chance to have a close look at the new entrance-way to the Maritime Museum yard.  They have somehow printed their sign directly onto the wall …and it looks very good.  Quite how they got it through the local council planning department I haven’t a clue …but well done to them, it’s quite impressive and I certainly enjoyed standing looking at it.

I arrived at my studio about 11am I guess to find several of my colleagues there working away with Alison and David both running classes I think.  I have to say that I’m not a quick starter when I arrive at work.  First job is always putting on the coffee maker ….one has to get ones priorities right!  Once that is bubbling and gurgling away I can relax, put my sign out and sit in my rocking chair looking at the work I did the previous day.  This usually lasts a good half hour and only then do I start work.   I have four main paintings on the go at the moment and with the paint still wet on the two large canvases, and the 80 x 80 cm acrylic and pastel piece almost finished, I decided I needed to get on with the new 122 cm x 61 cm painting I started about a week ago.  It’s still in its very early stages and is based on a view of Buachaille Etive Beag.  Unusually for me, the view point is from down low in the glen and the painting is in the more traditional “landscape” format.  The early stages of these big acrylic and pastel paintings are pretty methodical work.  I just slowly build up alternating layers of thin paint and pastel and this is quite time consuming.  It doesn’t need too much concentration though and so I often play music or listen to one of my talking books while painting or scribbling away.  Yesterday was just such a day but by the time I left in the early evening I’d got the piece to a reasonable state.  Today, when I get down there, I’ll have to start concentrating and the talking book will be turned off!

My immediate priorities now are to make sure I have a good selection of work ready for my exhibition at the Harbour Arts Centre starting on November 27th.  Of course, before that starts, we have our annual Open Studios Weekend at the Courtyard, on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October.  This actually involves a lot of work as I have to clear all the surfaces, move the tables and hang all the work ….and paint the floor again as it’s really messy now.  Some years I spend the whole of the week before the event getting the studio ready but this year I have so many other things to do that I may well carry on working until the end of Wednesday 1st October ….and then have two very mad days getting everything done!   If I go down this line I’ll be very tired at the end of it and visitors to my studio over the weekend will probably find me slumped in my rocking chair …oh well, nothing new there!

I left the studio at 7pm and went home to watch the gathering news from the referendum.

…..about the Courtyard Open Studios Weekend

Courtyard Studios, Irvine

Courtyard Studios, Irvine

I’ve been awake for the last few hours trying to decide what to do about this years Courtyard Studios Open Weekend.   As you probably know if you’ve been following the last 234 blogs, every year we have an Open Studios Weekend.  This always takes place on the first weekend of October…..this year, (our 12th such event I think) will be on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October.

The event was originally set up by WASPS back in 2002 I think, with each of their studio buildings taking part.  I’ve obviously only been involved with the Courtyard in Irvine but, over the years, we’ve slowly honed the event to meet our needs and it has generally been a very worth while thing to do, especially in terms of promoting the Courtyard as a venue for professional and quality arts in the region, and to some degree, as a means of creating opportunities and sales for the participating artists.

A successful event each year doesn’t however just happen, it takes a lot of hard work organising and promoting it. Over the years first with WASPS help and then more recently off our own backs, we’ve created something that people in the area know about and support ….in the last couple of years we’ve had close on 300 visitors through the door over each of the weekends……but as I say, it does take a lot of work.   In the past Anita and I have always taken an active part in helping to organise the event at the Courtyard and we’d said that we’d do the same again this year.  However, back in July WASPS announced that they were developing the event further  this year with plans for extra money for workshops, artists talks and promotion and that they’d be looking for an official ‘Open studios rep to co-ordinate things  this year.  This will involve a lot more work than normal for whoever does the job.

As you know, I have been busy recently getting paintings ready for The Biscuit Factory autumn exhibition and now that they’re away, I have to put most of my efforts into preparing for the big drawing event and exhibition that I’m holding at the Harbour Arts Centre starting on 27th November.  This is still three months away but there is a huge amount (both creative and organisational) to be done for it.  As such, I told those attending the Open Studios weekend meetings, that I’d not be able to take on the extra work now involved in being official rep for the event and asked that someone else volunteer to do  it this year.

Surprise, surprise however, just yesterday Anita and I received an email from WASPS asking what was happening re the Open Studios Weekend at the Courtyard and whether we were going to be co-ordinating things again this year and as such, act as reps for the event.   This is why I’ve been awake half the night!  I really can’t take on the extra work now involved this year and it would be great if one of my colleagues would pick up the reigns.  Here’s hoping…..!   Oh well, whatever happens, we’ll get there in the end and it will as usual be a great event, so make sure you put it down in your diary:

Courtyard Studios Open Weekend

Saturday 4th / Sunday 5th October 2014

Open: Saturday 11 am – 5pm, Sunday 12 noon – 5pm

Hope to see some of you there.

An interesting week

 'Towards the Isle of Arran, winter'

Sold: ‘Towards the Isle of Arran, winter’

It can’t be a bad week when the first thing to report is that one of my paintings at the 2014 North Ayrshire Open Art Exhibition, sold on the preview evening last Friday.  It’s always so encouraging when someone buys one of your paintings, so a very big thank you to the lady and gentleman and I do hope that you enjoy having the piece.   The exhibition looks very good and if you haven’t already done so, I’d recommend a visit to the Racquet Hall in Eglinton Country Park, Kilwinning to see it.  It’s open daily from 10 am – 4 pm until Saturday 26th July 2014.

On Wednesday we held our first studio meeting to discuss the forthcoming Open Studios Weekend.  The event will take place on the first weekend in October and as usual there should be a very good selection of work to see.  We’re waiting to hear about WASPS plans for the event this year before I can confirm all the details and we have another meeting on 31st July when Michelle from WASPS head office in Glasgow is visiting the Courtyard to tell us all about their plans.  Watch this space!

'Below Clach Lethaidh, winter'

‘Below Clach Lethaidh, winter’

Work wise, I’ve had a good week this week, getting quite a lot done.  It’s quite important as I have to make the final selection of work for the autumn exhibition at the Biscuit Factory in Tyne and Wear.  I’ve been asked to provide 10 pieces of work of differing sizes and prices.  I always find this part very difficult and seem to change my mind about which pieces to include on a regular basis!  I am getting there though and three paintings have already been put aside for the show.  As well as the paintings I would like to include one of my new large graphite drawings.  This should work well with the other pieces and make quite a focal point for the work.  Oh well, I have a couple more weeks yet before having to make the final decision ….plenty of time to change my mind again! The exhibition opens in September so full details a little nearer the time.

Talking of a little nearer the time, I have three paintings going into a local exhibition at Tour House, Kilmaurs, near Kilmarnock.  The group exhibition will include work by 6 artists and the preview is on Sunday evening.  I’m really looking forward to the event especially so as Kilmaurs was the place we lived when we first moved to Ayrshire back in October 1998.

 From the summit of Stuc a' Chroin

From the summit of Stuc a’ Chroin

Of course, of course, we couldn’t go a whole week without heading out for the hills again, especially so as Nita has been on annual leave for the last two weeks.  After our over heated walk up Beinn Each last week and our failure to get across from it to the Munro, Stuc a’ Chroin, we had another go at reaching its summit on Tuesday.  The weather was once again fine but less hot thankfully and we approached the hill from a different direction this time.  We started from Glen Artney at 08.20 and after a very long walk, reached the top at 13.35.  It was a magnificent walk and gave us great views back over to Beinn Each ….although I couldn’t thankfully see or hear the bug that took a dislike to us last week!   Stuc a’ Chroin really is a magnificent hill and we were lucky to have clear conditions and patchy bright sun as we sat at the top.  This was our 3rd attempt to climb it, so I have to admit I felt quite a sense of achievement.  We saw some magnificent colours during the walk and so I think I may well try and get something in the way of a painting out of this trip.

Well then, that’s about that for this week.  I’ll be down my studio tomorrow and Sunday as Nita has pulled the short straw and is working night shifts.  She’ll be exhausted for a couple of days so no thoughts of more walking until she’s recovered.

Oh yes, one final thing.  We have a new branch of Wetherspoon’s in Irvine.  It opened a couple of days ago and I’m really pleased to say that they have two of my pictures on the wall…… I haven’t had a chance to go in and see them yet, but once Nita has finished her night shifts I think we may well call in ……just to see the paintings I hasten to add …..nothing to do with the beer ……honest!

‘Below Ben Oss’

300-below-ben-oss_-acrylic-pastel-2013-30-x-30-cm

‘Below Ben Oss’

‘Below Ben Oss’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 30 x 30 cm

This little painting has just some back from the framers and I’m really quite pleased with it.  Based on a view we had earlier this year when we walked up Cononish glen, it tries to capture the very misty scene looking up from below Ben Oss to the lower flanks of Ben Lui.  This was a low level walk but with the thick mist coming and going we got some beautiful views.  It’s amazing, even in the dullest of conditions there can be so much atmosphere.

This painting will be on display in my studio at the Courtyard Studios in Irvine, as part of our annual Open Studios Weekend this coming Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October.  Open: 11 am – 5pm Saturday 5th Oct, 12 noon – 5pm Sunday 6th October.  I hope you can get along to see the work.

A busy little week…

From above the Devils Staircase

From above the Devils Staircase

This time last week, (Saturday 14 at 13.17), Nita and I were sat with some friends Stewart and Evelyn on a rocky little top overlooking Glencoe.  We’d not walked far, just followed the West Highland Way up to the high point of the Devil’s Staircase and headed north up the grass and heather slopes to the first little summit at around 800m.  It was however a wonderful view point and we’d been very lucky with the weather.  It was I guess the perfect Glencoe weather …a mix of bright sun and dark heavy shower clouds that rolled in filling the glen with mist and rain before passing on over Rannoch Moor.  Stewart, an Irvine man, has been living in Germany with his wife Evelyn for many years and so I think he particularly enjoyed seeing this very special bit of Scotland in very special Scottish conditions.

City of Adelaide ....heading south

City of Adelaide ….heading south

The rest of my week was spent either at my studio or standing on the harbour side waiting to see if the grand old clipper, City of Adelaide would finally start her journey by barge down to London.  Getting this vast wooden ship on a barge out of the River Irvine needed a lot of skill, two tugs and some reasonably fine weather.  The latter was the problem for the first part of the week, with constant gales or at least high winds.  All looked good on Thursday morning and a big crowd once again gathered at the mouth of the River Irvine to witness this historical event but at the last minute with the wind picking up, the wise decision was made to once again call it off.  Finally, on Friday lunchtime, with the crowds once again lining the harbour side, the City of Adelaide was towed out to sea to start its trip down to London.  As I write, it’s now well into the Irish Sea apparently ….so good luck to all on board.  I’m not sure of the exact time table but it will be heading to Greenwich for a short while before being lifted onto a really big container ship for the long voyage down to Adelaide.  If you are interested and haven’t already found it, www.cityofadelaide.org.au is a great website and has masses of information and photos.

Art wise, it’s been a good week too.  I’ve had a week of working on an 80 x 80 cm oil painting.  It is as you can see, a more abstract piece created using a large house painting brush and lots of thick oil paint.  I’ve been enjoying working like this after several weeks of doing finer, tighter acrylic and pastel pieces.  Not sure what to make of it though ….so will have to wait and see.

Work in progress, oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm

Work in progress, oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm

Finally, yesterday I also had a visit from a couple from Edinburgh.  They’ve been following my work on-line for a good while now and decided to call into the studio on their way back from a short holiday on the Isle of Arran.  They left my studio an hour later with two of my paintings …..including one of the new Harris pieces.  So then …a very big thanks to them and I hope they get much pleasure from the paintings once they are up on their wall.

I’m spending today trying to get the press release and photos together to send to the local papers and radio stations in order to promote our Open Studios Weekend on Saturday 5th / Sunday 6th October.  The event posters and flyers have been printed and are starting to get displayed …if you live in the region you may see one soon.  I’ll be sending out flyers and email invitations to all who have left their names in my visitors book, but remember, the event is open to all and is free ….so mark it in your diary and come along and enjoy seeing a great selection of work produced by some of Ayrshire’s leading artists, including; painting, drawing, prints, ceramics, stained glass, hand book-binding, photography and jewellery….one of the artists, Alison Thomas, will even be running some drop-in workshops for children too.  Hope to see you at the studios on Saturday 5th October (11am – 5pm), or Sunday 6th October (12 noon – 5pm).

Invitation 2013

Invitation 2013

Countdown to the Courtyard Studios Open Weekend – Sat / Sun 5th / 6th October 2013

It’s that time of year and we’re once again getting ready for the annual Open Studios Weekend at the Courtyard Studios.  Brian Craig, the current studio rep and resident graphics expert, has just put together the event poster and invitation and so here it is.  Looks good and there should be a really interesting selection of work to see at the weekend.  Twelve artists will be taking part including three new tenants at the Courtyard; painters Michelle Muir and Ethan Foy and award winning hand book-binder Tom McEwan.  Other artists include, painters Chick McGeehan, Margaret Carslaw, David Reid, Stewart Souter, Alison Thomas and me.  Away from painting, you will see ceramics by Nita Groves, photography by Brian Craig and jewellery by Ayrshire’s Business Woman of the Year, Sheila Kerr.  We have a new tenant who is in the process of moving in, but other than that she’s a painter, I’m afraid I know nothing else, not even her name or whether she’ll be in her studio on the weekend …so there may just be thirteen artists and some new work for all of us to see.

Full details of the event are on the Invitation below.  I do hope you can get along to the Courtyard Studios that weekend, but if not, remember that visitors are always welcome.  There’s a good variety of food and refreshments available within a short walk of the studios including The Ship Inn, the Harbour Arts Centre bar and café and the very traditional café / tea shop – Small talk…..so something for most tastes.  Hope to see you on Saturday 5th or Sunday 6th October.

Invitation 2013

Invitation 2013