What's happening by the sea and more

Just a quick update of the exhibition at the Gallery Heinzel in Aberdeen's West End. I was asked by the gallery to contribute work to this exhibition with two of the most respected and established landscape painters in Scotland, Helen Glassford and Ruth Brownlee. At the opening I managed to take a few shots of my work in the gallery.

The first image is of my original format of work, the works quite small 9 x 9 inches framed in limed wood and double mounted. I was originally drawn to this format and the inherent discipline of work on a relatively small format.

This is an example of my larger scale work, it was a bit of a challenge to work on the larger scale, but I think I have settled down into a technique I am very happy with. This work ( actual painting size 27 x 24 inches ) A bitter chocolate frame with a pink/cream slip and double mounted. Lots of positive comment on the larger works and the framing .. Thanks Framing Workshop , Maryhill Road, Glasgow !!!

Elsewhere I have been happy to be associated with the Erskine Hospital for Veterans and the first "Art for Erskine Event" held in the Trades Hall in Glasgow's Merchant City.http://www.thestudiofineart.com/docs/erskine.pdf The event was organised by the Studio Fine Art Company.

Here are two of the works for this charity exhibition, Bass Rock and one of two wave themed works produced specifically for the event. Check out my work at a number of Christmas exhibitions and a possible event at the Tall Ships in Glasgow. Many thanks all, all comments welcome as always! Ian Glasgow Nov 2012

The real magic in all of us

Talk about magic to most people and they will think of magicians, wizards and maybe witches. To me the real magic is the potential of each one of us to live up to our personal potential. How many of us have been told throughout our lives, "You can't do that! You're not intelligent enough? artistic enough? brave enough?" Too much of our natural magic or creativeness is sidelined and in some cases squeezed of us during our childhood. Over the last 6 months I have had the privilege to be involved with an organisation based in Glasgow "The Wise Group" which works with the long term unemployed and many in society, young and old that have complicated lives. For myself my creative side was heavily suppressed during the last years at school, I'm sure for all the best intentions by those closest around me to allow me to get a "proper job" " a regular sensible income" As one of the lucky ones who after more than twenty years broke out of that to pursue an artist life which is the "Real magic" for me. Seeing and talking to so many young people that see no future,or have low expectations. For the most part are characterised and stereotyped as lazy, unmotivated and lacking drive to succeed. My belief that creativity should be actively encouraged to flourish at school, learning to think in different ways, tapping in the natural curious minds of children will inspire young people and equip them with practical mental tools to go out and enjoy and succeed in an ever more complex World. I make no apology for believing that learning facts simply to pass exams is failing, it was failing those many years ago in my schooling in the 60s and 70s and continues in many places today. It true to say its not always the case, having trained and studied for my a certificate in training practice my admiration continues to grow for the teachers and trainers who put in an immense amount of preparation and effort into what seems on the surface as "off the cuff" I recently been involved in a couple of employment events in Motherwell and Glasgow and brought an artist angle to personal goal setting.

The picture depicts the goal setting racetrack which I created for the Motherwell event which mixed the fun activity of creating an individual "you" and placing it on a race track where you would define an short/medium term goal which for the most part was get a job, get into college. The young people were then asked what 2 or 3 things would would help them achieve that specific goal. Here you can see some examples of the figures created during the 2 day event.

This is just one example of a visual tool that can help those who often find it difficult to express thoughts and ambitions purely in words. For those who know me know how much I bang on about Art and creativity being more than a picture on the wall, but a vehicle to express ideas and feelings far beyond the world of galleries and art dealers. Check out this video from the TED organisation about creativity in schools by one of the foremost educationalists Sir Ken Robinson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY It's time to learn how to think, rather than just trying to remember "stuff". Art may not be for everyone, but its time for everyone to have the chance to explore the way they learn and think, the one fit fits all approach is as they might say "So last Century" My own personal journey in using creativity and art is just beginning,it's a journey that is driven by a passion . Who knows where or what the destination might be, but the journey is has to be fun and the reward, like all rewards is best shared.

A word to the Wise

Since the last entry I have been actively involved with the Glasgow based employment organisation the Wise Group. Since leaving my last conventional full time job in 2010 I have been shocked by the waste of talent who are either out of work, or under employed. Since April I have been volunteering with the Wise Group, who as a third sector organisation are genuinely motivated to help people achieve their full potential. I am currently working with them to develop new and creative sessions that will compliment some of the imaginative work they are doing with the unemployed, whether to develop an alternative positive mindset, or for those on a much longer path to gain confidence to consider the World of Work. I am a passionate believer that everyone is creative, not some select few of artists/photographers/writers. Children are innately creative, and it's only the pressures and complications of life that shuts much of the openness of possibilities. As Picasso said "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." Art is just a vehicle to unlock a new way of looking at things, build confidence and improve self esteem and awareness. I have been looking at new ways to create and find that sense of "playfulness" It has been great for me to try new techniques and medias, to work on accessible ideas for those who may never have tried anything "arty" since leaving school. I have been working with clay which an easy medium to try out first, painting and drawing can be quite intimidating. Here is an example of modelling work which is part of some of the environmental art work I am designing for the Wise Group. This is an an example of clay face which was first created out in the open on the side of a tree as part of an outdoor activity and then after drying painted to created a interesting if not a little spooky face mask. Here is an example of another technique using photosensitive paper which allows you to create permanent and interesting effects just be exposing the paper in sunlight and creating images by placing objects onto the paper Both techniques allow someone with little experience to create interesting and rewarding results. On the Home front and my own artistic efforts I have been working on much larger pieces, the challenge always remains to create work which is in keeping with my own style, or an extension of my own style whilst scaling it up. The larger work gives me some freedom to express more abstract ideas which has its own challenges as the natural tendency for me is to start to over work the piece adding unnecessary detail that do doesn't work within the larger format. This piece is 25 x 25 inches, some scaling up to maybe 36 x 36 would be interesting, but since I work on board the difficulty of getting MDF board with a minimum of 36 inches is looking to be a bit of a challenge. I have also started to explore the en-caustic techniques ( the use of wax ) I have been already been asked on twitter about technique, my philosophy has always been experiment and if it works use it , if it doesn't try again. I am currently using molten beeswax with tube oils and stand oil ( I used the stand oil ) in the fear that the wax will become too brittle on drying and break off. It's all a big experiment which half the fun. It is all too easy to become prescriptive in technique, all art is a journey and if you don't like the destination then move onto another place. Keep travelling and enjoy. So back to the painting and more on my endeavours and journeys into art education and tutoring at a later date. Opening up the possibilities of art to others is a real passion as it was never meant to be stuck up there on that ivory tower, Arts is fun and open to all given the opportunity and encouragement. All the best from a hazy day in Glasgow, Scotland. Ian.

The Sea and the not so permanent wave....

As no surprise time slips away with you and its an age since I last posted an entry. So far this year this have been slow, but even with the economic outlook as gloomy as ever the job of an artist is create work. Truly for many artists the identity of artist is not one of "doing" but "being" an intrinsic part of who you are. This year if sales have been slow two additional galleries have asked to take my work, the Fine Art Studio Private Gallery in Bothwell and the Scottish Showcase Gallery in Kirkcudbright. Two pieces of work were accepted for the Paisley Art Institute Exhibition this year, the first time I got my act into gear to remember submission dates. In the last few months I have painted about 35 most small 9x9 inch pieces with some larger 15x15 pieces. The discipline of working within the smaller format can be a limiting, but scale can be your enemy which means you have to try an alternative approach which brings its own challenges. The larger works lend themselves to a more abstract approach.

Here is a an example of a recent larger format work. I found the larger area allowed a looser, freer style. This allows me to suggest more of the emotion of the sea, rather than the abstract leaning representational approach of many of my other works. I am drawn to the heavy seas and skies the darker palette and here the only light in the work is swath of white that cuts horizontally across the canvas. The move to more abstract style requires that age old dilema for the artist "Knowing when to stop!" It is all too easy to continue to work and overwork the paint as the "detail gremlins" sneak into your head to make aspects of the painting more distinct and representational. Practice is the key to developing this additional voice. . Another image of a recent work which is my now standard 9 x 9 format which typifies a signature of much of my work, the breaking wave, crashing water as it hits shore. Its a challenge to try and capture the energy of the breaking wave on an essentially 2 dimensional surface. If I manage capture a small part of this energy and emotion then I am well on my way to translate my emotional connection with the sea to others.

The artist that has distilled the essence of the wave is Maggi Hambling who's sea work has tremendous physicality and energy. Here is an example, I hope she won't mind me reproducing it here. I visited the Paisley Art Institute preview evening last week which was nice to see your own work on the walls, but also to see the wide range of approaches of current contemporary artists in Scotland today. Fingers crossed that the public will like the seascapes enough to buy. One interesting aspect of visiting galleries , exhibitions is the different approaches to presentation and style. Mount, no mount, width,style and colour of framing. I am currently working with a framer in Glasgow to make subtle changes to the framing of my work. I have always believed that the presentation is an important vehicle to bring the best out of your work and becomes part of a coherent style that becomes associated with your work. I have always from my early days selling work in St Ives, Cornwall used limed washing frames as they have for me that psychological tag of the coast and the sea. Well back to the knives and brushes until the next time. Ian

Postcards and the Sounds of the Sea

Greetings mo chairde,

The first entry for 2012 and out of the grey flat skies of the last month came a little colour in the form of two small postcard format pieces I submitted for the ScotlandArt.com exhibition "The Big Postcard Show" currently on at their Edinburgh Gallery in Stockbridge.

Both works capture the wild and unforgiving sea of Wester Ross Scotland. Storms off Wester Ross - 1 and 2 are both Oil on Gesso'd board. Both works required a slight change of technique due the surface properties of board as opposed to linen.
With no reference to land it was difficult to capture the such freedom in such a small format 210 x 148 mm. Only the viewer can decide whether it was achieved.

Both pieces are presented and on sale unframed for only £75.






I must mention the artist Stephanie Earl who commented recently that my work captures the "Sound of Sea" a compliment I thank her for! An elusive quality that I am still striving to achieve. I have always worked to evoke a feeling, not just the physical representation of the water and sky.
The sea is more than a view, it's an emotion, often a companion, sometimes a possessor.

The winter often brings surprises in the midst of incessant days of flat, lifeless grey skies a little colour visited our small garden.

The image is little unclear as it was taken through glass on not the the brightest of days. For many the fox is a pest, but this visitor was almost like a ghost, his eyes following mine, almost as if he could see me thinking. Behind the knowing, a sadness. While he waited for his mate to join him he sat contently taking in the brief photo shoot.

Look out for some possible fox themed work in the future, a bit of a diversion from the sea a welcome change possibly, nice to dwell at the other end of the spectrum, the thick tubes of reds and brown oils are a testament to blues and greens of my sea related work.
Started to work/experiment on some larger format work although all painting is one of scale and so its difficult to achieve the same style/effect when working on larger size canvas.

That's it for now, more news coming soon and as I always promise more frequent entries for the Celtic Wanderer!

Ian - Glasgow Jan 2012