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A very rushed blog!

Posted by admin on October 3rd, 2014
Courtyard Studios, Irvine

Courtyard Studios, Irvine

No lengthy paragraphs describing beautiful Scottish scenery this week. We haven’t been anywhere near a hill or glen since our trip to Tyndrum the other week I’m afraid. It’s been a very hectic time both getting everything ready for the Open Weekend at Courtyard Studios this Saturday and Sunday and starting the preparations for my exhibition and drawing project at the Harbour Arts Centre starting on Nov 28th. This is still two months away but much of the organising and promotion has to be done in the next few weeks. This will involve much hammering away on this computer keyboard ….something that I’m not too proficient at. With all this on the go, another potential project has just appeared which, although not finalised yet, has been taking much of my thoughts. Suffice to say that it is very exciting and may well involve creating another large drawing or painting. Anyway, more about that as and when I know whether it’s happening or not.

I’ve almost got my studio ready for the Open Weekend now. I spent most of yesterday finishing the tidying. All the paintings are now in place so today’s jobs include labelling everything, and then painting the last bit of the floor ….remembering to make sure I have my bag and coat by the door and not at the far end of the studio on the wrong side of the wet paint!

Anyway, it should be a very good Open Weekend as Stephanie has been doing a great job at co-ordinating everything this year ….so a big thanks to her for all her hard work. So then, I hope some of you can get along to the Courtyard studios this weekend and as a final reminder:

Open Studios Invitation 2014

Open Studios Invitation 2014

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Getting ready for the: Courtyard Studios Open Weekend

Posted by admin on September 28th, 2014

Getting ready for the: Courtyard Studios Open Weekend, Saturday / Sunday 4th / 5th October 2014

I’m really busy at the moment getting everything arranged for my exhibition and drawing project starting at the end of November. As such, I decided a few days ago that instead of spending a whole week (as usual) getting the studio tidy and clean, ready for our annual Open Studios Weekend next Saturday and Sunday, I’d carry on working up until Wednesday evening and then have two mad, mad days rushing around getting everything ready.

Well, that was the plan. Yesterday however, it changed. I had a somewhat disruptive few hours and really wasn’t concentrating on the painting I was working on. This is always dangerous and it’s much better to stop working than to try and carry on ….and inevitably wreck the piece of work you’re doing. So, with several hours of the afternoon to go, I decided to start clearing all the stuff (boxes of pastels, tools, picture hanging cord, rolls of tape, boxes of nails, loose pieces of paper, old sketches……etc, etc , etc) off the top of my main table. This is always an onerous job as I only tackle it once a year…..yes; you’ve guessed it, the week before the Open Studios Weekend! Of course once I started it kind of created a chain reaction. Before I left the studio last night, my simple table-top tidying had already spread to moving paintings!

As you know, I’ve been working on three 120 x 120 cm canvases, two of which are finished and the third that still needs plenty of work. This final painting will have to be packed away in the large box the original canvas arrived in. The problem is that I was planning to do some more work on it today, leaving a surface of wet oil paint. In order to make sure that I’m not tempted to reach for the paint brush, I took the canvas off the wall yesterday and it’ll be boxed up today! So much for my plan to carry on painting until the middle of the week! That said, I do have several small acrylic and pastel paintings on the go and so may well get a day or two working on them. I’ll just have to remember not to pack away my acrylic paints.

This then is the run up to the Open Weekend. It’s always a bit crazy but thankfully this year Stephanie has taken on the job of organising the event and she is doing a great job. All I have to do is get my own space ready and myself down to the studio ready for an 11am start next Saturday morning. It should be a very good event this year with 14 out of the 17 artists taking part. This will mean a lot of very different work to see including all kinds of paintings and drawings, ceramics, jewellery, photography, hand book-binding and live music. Three of the artists will be running a workshop, talk or demonstration during the weekend…..check out the WASPS website for details. As usual the event is free to enter and everyone is welcome. We’re close to several very good bars, restaurants and cafes and the Magnum Sports Centre is just 2 minutes walk away ….so you can make a fine afternoon of it. Hopefully we’ll see some of you next weekend. Please spread the word. Thank you.

Courtyard Studios Open Weekend
Saturday 4th October, 11 am – 5 pm
Sunday 5th October, 12 noon – 5 pm

Courtyard Studios, 128 Harbour St, Irvine, Ayrshire, KA12 8PZ

Starting the pre Open Studios Weekend tidy-up!

Starting the pre Open Studios Weekend tidy-up!

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Posted in Courtyard Studios Open Weekend, Exhibitions, Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment »

…..about the Courtyard Open Studios Weekend

Posted by admin on August 21st, 2014

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.

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Studio E

Posted by admin on February 2nd, 2012
'My old studio ....newly occupied'

'My old studio ....newly occupied'

It has been just over four months since I moved out of Studio E and into the bigger space in Studio J.  As I’ve said previously, it has actually taken me quite a while to get used to it.  I’ve had to move everything around to find the best use of the space ….and then learn where everything is!  I’m getting there though and starting to really enjoy having enough room to work on both acrylic and oil paintings at the same time and I’m not constantly tripping over things either.   That said, I do miss my old studio.  Being in the old part of the building it had a lot more character than the new space.  Its high ceiling and the old window overlooking the River Irvine and the salting beyond, made it a special place to work.

After I moved out of Studio E in late September, it remained empty despite the fact that the rent was low and on our returning from Germany in the first week of November my partner Anita said that she was going to apply for the lease if no one else was going to take it on.

Anita and I met almost 25 years ago at a time when she had just completed her Foundation Art Course and was about to head down to Carmarthen College to do a two year ceramic design course.  When she completed this in 1989, I quit the job I was doing and moved down to west Wales to join her.  We managed to find a great little cottage to rent in the beautiful little village of Laugharne but then both really struggled to find work.  A series of short lived jobs, cooking bar food at a time share place for me, being a waitress in a local restaurant for Nita ….and cleaning caravans on a Saturday morning for both of us ….well, it wasn’t too inspiring.  I was painting and drawing in the cottage and Nita was making small pieces in clay and then smoke firing them in a dustbin full of saw dust out in the back garden.

'My old studio ....newly occupied'

'My old studio ....newly occupied'

After about a year of this we took the plunge, found a studio (a converted pig sty two miles off the bus route on the side of a hill) and managed to get a grant to purchase a kiln and other equipment and materials …..and we became self employed.  We thought we could put Nita’s ceramic skills together with my more arty ones …and hopefully produce something good.  We were making ceramic jewellery that was just a little bit different …after firing them in a traditional kiln we then smoked them in the saw dust bin, leaving each individual item coloured and marked in a slightly different way.  Even though I say it myself, it was quite nice stuff but we didn’t have the money to promote or market it …and after a few years had to close and return to the more normal jobs …this time, garden centre for me, burger bar for Nita.

I was already struggling with my sight but continued to work at home on my drawing and painting.  Nita decided that she needed to retrain in a different profession and over the next few years qualified as a nurse.

Our move in 1998 from Wales to Scotland and to a slightly bigger house made a big difference.  At long last I had a decent space in which to paint and I was starting to regain confidence in what I was doing.  When I was offered a WASPS studio in 2003 though, this suddenly gave Nita the space to start doing some artwork again….and as time progressed she started to talk about getting another kiln and getting back to her ceramics again.  Just over a year ago, she decided to cut her hours at the hospital from full to part time (2 long twelve and a half hour shifts a week) and this allowed her to spend much more time doing her art work.  So then, the final piece fell into place when I moved studios back in October …now she not only had the time to get back to the ceramics but there was a perfect little studio just waiting to have a kiln fitted!

'My old studio ....newly occupied'

'My old studio ....newly occupied'

This has I have to admit been a long and rambling way of telling you that today after all this time, Nita has not only got her studio but the kiln too …the electrician arrived this morning to wire it all in ….she’s up and running!  It’s nice for me to see the little studio again and it’s already looking busy …I’m looking forward to see what she makes now that she not only has the time but the resources too.

Finally, last week I said that I’d been asked to hang a few pieces of work in one of Ayrshire’s top restaurants ….Braidwoods Restaurant, near Dalry.  This award winning restaurant now has four of my paintings on its walls and Nicola and Keith Braidwood kindly sent me some photos of a couple of the paintings in situ.   You can find out more about Braidwoods Restaurant by visiting their website: www.braidwoods.co.uk .

Braidwoods

Braidwoods

Braidwoods

Braidwoods

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What a week!

Posted by admin on January 28th, 2012
Windfarm on Eaglesham Moor

Windfarm on Eaglesham Moor

Late …….it’s been a difficult week ending with me getting a nasty cold and feeling quite rough this last couple of days.  I had planned to get the blog etc written on Friday but everything seems to be taking me an age.  The week started off well though with a fine wander around the Eaglesham Moors, following the broad paths connecting all the wind turbines.  It was a very windy day but a mostly dry one with just a few short sharp showers.  We walked for about six and a half hours, with a couple of detours off the main tracks to take in a couple of low hills en route.   This was the first real outing for our friend Guy, who you may remember, broke his leg on the low hills above Largs last spring.  It’s taken a long time to heal fully and so this mainly level and gentle walk was an ideal starter to get his leg back into the habit of wearing boots.  I think he enjoyed himself and apparently he has had no adverse reactions from his leg.

Windfarm on Eaglesham Moor

Windfarm on Eaglesham Moor

Big problems though down at the studio …one of my colleagues has been told he’s lost his lease.  It’s all rather complicated but there has been much talking, listening and thinking being done….and not much work.  The tenant in question is a really dedicated artist and has been one of the regulars here for many years and has always been very active in promoting the studios.   It will be a great shame if he has to leave and the studios will, in my opinion, be poorer for it.  A majority of artists at the Courtyard have put a letter / petition together and will be sending this to WASPS to air our concerns about what has happened ….but as I say it’s all rather complicated so quite what the outcome will be is anyone’s guess.

Windfarm on Eaglesham Moor

Windfarm on Eaglesham Moor

I have been asked this week for work by three places in Ayrshire ….a new gallery in Ayr as part of a Courtyard Studio exhibition starting in May, a new gallery in Dalry…..and a top restaurant also near Dalry.  As I haven’t got much lined up this year it will be interesting to see how things work out.  Full details to come soon.

I am also working with a sculptor I met in Germany….Jürgen Fischer.  He works in bog oak and lived and worked in Ireland for eight years.  His stuff looks very good and very stylish …we reckon our two works would look good together and could make an interesting exhibition.  We’ve decided to see if we can organise two exhibitions …one in Germany…possibly Berlin and one in Scotland or Ireland.  I spent this morning putting together a CD of images and information for him to take when he starts seeking venues in Germany.  His work is quite big ..1.5 – 2m tall so we’ll need a good size venue.  I have a couple of places in mind for a show over here and will start making some enquiries fairly soon.  We’re thinking about trying to set these exhibitions up for 2013 or 2014.  A lot of work but it could be very interesting I think.

Finally, we had a very good and enjoyable preview for the ‘Six into 12 plus Hornel’, exhibition at the Dick Institute in Kilmarnock the other Friday.  Despite it being a cold and very wet evening, there was a great turn out and the gallery was busy for much of the two hour long preview.  I was delighted with how my work looked in such a big space …it held its own among what was a very strong selection of work by the other five artists.  Everyone seemed to be pleased with how it looked and went and so a big thank you to Kate Davies and her team at the Dick Institute and to East Ayrshire Council for supporting this group of Ayrshire based artists.  I’m planning to go for a proper look around soon (too much talking at previews) and will try and take a few more general photos of the exhibition then.

Preview of Six into 12, Dick Institute, Kilmarnock

Preview of Six into 12, Dick Institute, Kilmarnock

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A change of scene

Posted by admin on September 9th, 2010
New Look Courtyard

New Look Courtyard

When I left Irvine for Speyer on May 11th, big changes were afoot at the courtyard studios. WASPS had decided to refurbish the studios and while doing so, were taking the opportunity to create several new spaces in the roof space. The work was planned to last until around the start of July and in a way, it was perfect timing for me as I would miss much of the disruption. As it turned out, I heard tell of the disruption every few days as Anita was ‘studio sitting’. My space is in the old part of the building. I’m not quite sure how old, but a chap came in the other year and told me that my studio used to be his office back in the 1950s…when he was a customs officer. Since then it had fallen into disrepair….understatement. When the builders moved in, they found that a section of the floor joists had rotted through and it was only the patchwork of pink and yellow carpet that was holding the floor up! The rear wall, covered by a chipboard outer, was completely crumbling away and Gordon, one of the other artists, described it as being like a waterfall when it rained…explains the dampness I think.

Anyway, I flew back to Scotland last Thursday evening and went down to my studio on Friday…and what a difference. For starters, the dreadful pink outer walls are now a slightly better, if somewhat strange, green colour….but it does look a lot better and people have started to notice us. As for my own studio, they have done a great job…a new floor, the waterworks completely repaired and a new door that actually fits the frame…and a heater! With a bit of luck, it will be a much more pleasant experience during the winter months and I’ll not need to dress up like the Michelin man.

New Look for the WASP Courtyard Studios, Irvine, Ayrshire

The WASP Courtyard Studios, Irvine, Ayrshire

So then, it has been straight back to work, as I have to get 6 pieces ready for a group show at Scotlandart.com which opens in late October. It’s great to be back in Scotland but although there’s lots of work to do, I am going to make sure there’s time to relax too. Today Anita and I have been to see the magnificent exhibition of the Lewis chessmen at the National Museum of Scotland and the Impressionist Gardens exhibition at the RSA, both in Edinburgh. We’re heading up for a walk near the Cairngorms on Sunday and have already organised a day on the hill with our very good friend Guy…I can’t wait. Well and truly back in business I think.

*** Please note that WASP Courtyard Studios will be having its traditional Open Weekend from the 2nd and 3rd of October. So why not come along and see the changes. Everyone is very welcome!  ***

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Scottish Natural Heritage Exhibition

Posted by admin on September 7th, 2009
Keith Salmon Art Exhibition, Scottish Natural Heritage, Inverness

SNH Inverness Exhibition 4

 The exhibition I’ve held at Great Glen House, the head quarters of Scottish Natural heritage in Inverness, ended last week and on Monday I had to travel up and collect the work.

It’s been a good experience and the space was great …big and light.  The show ran throughout August and contained a selection of 25 paintings and drawings.  As this wasn’t a gallery show it was difficult to know quite how many people would see it.  SNH promoted it well through their press officer and certainly a number of people from outside the organisation turned up for the talk I did about the work on 20th August.

This said, the majority of those who viewed the work were employees of SNH and I understand it created a fair bit of interest ….but then they did all have to walk by it to get to the canteen! Oh well, I sold a few paintings so quite good really.   As a follow up I’ve been asked to write a short article for the SNH magazine.  This could be quite useful as the magazine is circulated to a large number of people …should be a good way of getting people to my website.

The work is all back in the studio now and I’m already planning for the Wasps Open Studios Weekend on Saturday / Sunday 3rd/ 4th October 2009.  Much cleaning and tidying to be done before then, but that can wait …painting to be done now.

SNH Inverness exhibition 2

 After selling a couple of the long thin paintings (76 x 23 cm) at Inverness, I need to get a couple of replacements done.  I enjoy working in this format and it certainly seems to be popular.  I have one painting on the go at the moment …this based on a day a couple of years ago when we did an icy scramble on Ben Lui …it was a fantastic and exciting day  and the colours and light were quite special.  That said I’m still struggling to get this down in paint but hopefully I’ll get there soon.
SNH Inverness exhibition 3
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    Contact Details

  • Tel: 07568 380552 or 01294 216427
    E-mail: keith@keithsalmon.org