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.
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.
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.
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