What an honour to be part of this musical creation! Rob Hall and Chick Lyall gave a wonderfully uplifting performance for piano and clarinet yesterday at Biggar Corn Exchange. This was Rob’s Scottish premiere of his suite of pieces named ‘Close Encounters’. He’d been inspired by the history and my paintings of these ancient passageways and it was moving to listen to these new compositions.
Once our art is ‘out there’, we seldom have any idea of who sees it and where it goes other than the interactions on our social media pages and conversations with friends. So it was a pleasant surprise when the musician Rob Hall got in touch to say that the paintings and histories of Lanark’s ancient Closes had inspired him to compose five pieces for piano and clarinet.
Curious how once a painting has been created, it quietly acquires a life of its own finding its way from easel to a new wall. I have to remind myself that this process can take some time as is the case with my body of paintings of Douglas!
Moorland Road has some captivating buildings and if you look closely there are some wonderful details. Further down from the Big House you can find Burslem’s Magistrate’s Office
I have an orange covered notebook that I began before we moved to Scotland – that’ll be six years ago this summer. I jot down some of those ideas that fly through my mind that I want to draw and I’ve noticed that most of them have been realised. Some were just plain daft but here’s one that has finally landed …
Working back into a painting is a great way to learn about your process. Putting your work up on your wall and living with it for a while allows you to identify what you enjoy about it as well as what you think is missing. Sometimes it might be a few areas that are a bit flat and that need perking up. In this instance, I felt that my work still needed something – best summed up in that phrase ‘a bit of welly’.
Juicy tangerine and tomato skies celebrate this Scottish town’s tenth Jam and Ham Festival. The ONESpace Community Hub is now filled with original arts and crafts and on display until Saturday 30th September.
There’s an annual festival held in the town across the river from here – the Carluke Jam and Ham Festival which celebrates Carluke’s history, musical traditions and food manufacturing within the town. This is its 10th year Anniversary and a great nudge to draw some of the townscape.
Late last month I hopped on the bus to London. Leaving Hamilton, just south of Glasgow, early-ish on Sunday I was in Golders Green, North London by dusk. This is my second trip by National Express Coach (Avanti train service had engineering works and planned disruptions); this option worked for me…… I like the time spent on a road trip when someone else is driving. It gives me a chance to read, think, look out the window, sketch and sleep.
A short, sketchy post to wish you all a happy and creative New Year 2023 from here in Lanark!