Making news in Fife with John Byrne and the Fire Station Creative!

The Fire Station Creative arts hub opens next Saturday the 11th July in Dunfermline, with the brilliant John Byrne cutting the ribbon. Here’s an article in the Fife Reporter featuring yours truly on the same page is one of my favourite artists. I can only hope that some of his magic rubs off the page onto me! And there’s also a couple of shots of my most recent works-in-progress.

Do come along on the day if you’re in the neighbourhood. The place is fantastic and it’ll be well worth a look around the studios too!

Click here to see the article

Working in the new studio at the Firestation
Working in the new studio at the Firestation

PS. This was last week. Both paintings almost finished now …

 

Exhibition News: pictures on show in Dunfermline & Aberdeen

Spink's Fishmonger, Arbroath (Acrylic)
Spink’s Fishmonger, Arbroath (Acrylic)

Just a quick note to say I have a few paintings and prints on show at the Gallery Heinzel Summer Show, which opens next Saturday (20th June) in Aberdeen. Come along between 12-3pm for a browse and some fizz. If you can’t make it then it’s on until 15th August.

I also have a little solo show of paintings and etchings on at the wonderful Stage Door Bistro, which has recently opened in Dunfermline (next to the Alhambra Theatre). It’s run by the lovely Deborah and Michael who are extremely welcoming and the food is truly fantastic!

It’s not the No 1 resturant on Tripadvisor in Dunfermline for nothing! (Stage Door reviews)

 

The Lights That Never Go Out

Here are the first photos from my journey around Scotland’s amazing coastline (Ardnamurchan, Mull and part of the East Coast). I will be using some of these as the inspiration for new paintings and prints. Plenty more to come, so keep watching this space!

photocrati gallery

Fife Council grant acknowledgement pic

The Lights That Never Go Out – A Map of Scotland’s Lighthouses

Here’s a map of all the Scottish lighthouses that I found at Ardnamurchan Point. There’s a lot of them! Almost 100 and pretty much all built by the Stevenson family within 100 years from the first (the Bell Rock) which was finished in 1810. I hope to get to as many as possible over the next few months as part of my project, The Lights That Never Go Out, An Artistic Odyssey From Muckle Flugga To The Mull of Galloway.

So after a day spent washing clothes and repacking the campervan after the Easter trip to the west coast, I’m off again to spend the next few days and nights sketching and photographing the lighthouses between Montrose and Fraserburgh. Tonight I’m hoping for a clear and starry sky (ie. no fog horn!) spent at the foot of Rattray Head.

Scottish Lighthouses
Scottish Lighthouses

Super Moon in 4 stages … #eclipse

Super Moon (state 4)
Super Moon (state 4)

Since there’s going to be a total eclipse AND a ‘super moon’ tomorrow, I thought I’d try and finish the print I’ve been working on all week, as it is kind of appropriate. When I started it last week I didn’t know about all the celestial events coming up.

It’s an aquatint and spit bite print from a copper plate and is my largest to date at 48x58cm. I found an old photo I took from the Fourth Bridge a few years ago and thought it would make a nice change to do something completely different. I enjoyed making it so now I might do a whole series of planets, moons etc. Watch this space!

Anyway, for those who always like to ask how long it takes to produce a particular work of art, I can tell you that each of the 4 stages of development took a full day (about 8+ hours). To run off the final print takes roughly an hour on average, as it’s a large one at 48x58cm and there’s a lot of ink to put on then wipe off each time before running the plate through the press.

Don’t forget your special eclipse specs for tomorrow!

Moon State1
Super Moon (state 1)
Moon state 2
Super Moon (state 2)
Moon state 3
Super Moon (state 3)

Frames Gallery Exhibition of Dunfermline Printmakers Workshop

St Monan
St Monans Harbour (hand painted etching)

 

am delighted to say we had a fantastic opening night at Frames Gallery, Perth on Friday night. Hugh and his team have done a fantastic job of putting our exhibition together and promoting it and the place was heaving with gallery regulars, our friends and families as a result. This doesn’t always happen with preview shows, so all that preparation was very much worthwhile and appreciated!

It was really great to see all of our combined efforts hung so beautifully together in one place for a change. Each of us is used to producing our work in each others’ company then sending it off to various galleries around the country, but we rarely get the chance to see it all hung as a collection. So this show was a great opportunity for us all to see how distinctive and individual our methods, ideas and output are. Yet the show works very well together as a whole and shows the quality and diversity of work being produced at our humble wee cooperative in Dunfermline. Looking round the exhibition, I felt proud to be involved in the workshop. Without wanting to sound like I’m blowing my own or anyone else’s trumpet, I reckon this exhibition is worthy of any gallery in the country. 

So please do take some time out to visit Frames Gallery and have a look for yourself. The exhibition is on until 4th April. You wont be disappointed!

My page at Frames Gallery

Dunfermline Printmakers Exhibition Page at Frames Gallery

Frames Gallery on Facebook

Dunfermline Printmakers Exhibition at Frames Gallery, Perth

Come along and see some amazing prints from our very diverse cooperative of artists working across a huge range of printing methods and styles. You are welcome to join us at the preview this Friday evening, 6-8pm (details below). Hope to see you there!

Here’s a link to my own page at Frames Gallery

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