"Dancer"drawn on my Iphone while travelling into Edinburgh by train.
Who says you need a studio now to create work?


Have put posters out for the open meeting for Forth Valley Open Studios. Response so far is good. Meeting fixed for Saturday December 12 in the Changing Room gallery's eduation room- courtesy of Arts Officer Emma Hamilton, Stirling.

The link economy- and artists

"Fish" created on my Iphone

In this new online world of the linked economy- OK I don't really understand it either but the world is shifting under our feet even though we may be standing still-I am not certain where artists fit in.

What sort of work do we make and how do we sell it? some pointers to the future come in today's Guardian"Money" section Tot Taylor , director of the Riflemaker gallery makes some predictions:

"It will be about formats and mediums ( new and old), not so much painting, sculpture and photography but more textiles and tapestries, digital art, gardening art, Eco at, all things cosmic, woodcuts and even wax."

Oh yes, and "outsider art".

Collapse of newspapers

I used to work on newspapers and I still love the feel of them and read them avidly. So it was with great sadness I heard yesterday that two of my favourite supplements Guardian IT and Observer Business and Media are about to be pulled. Yes, another sign of the rapidly changing world we live in.

Cafe Flicker, open cinema Glasgow

If you are interested in making films, especially low budget ones on a shoestring, then a visit to Cafe Flicker, the monthly open cinema in Glasgow is a must. It's run by Glasgow Media Access Centre and I have been a member for years , first introduced to it while a student at Glasgow School of Art.

They have moved into their smart new building on the 5th floor of 103 Trongate.

The standard has shot up - something we attribute to the ease of new digital technology and falling price of decent camcorders. Eleven films were shown on Wednesday night and they ranged from a documentary on Romanian gypsies singing, never seen footage of an interview with George Harrison, ( yes of the Beatles!) to a community documentary on the Citizens community theatre in the Gorbals.

Oh yes we had experimental films too and the funniest was one involving a frog...

Iphone art - David Hockney

My first attempts with "Brushes" the Iphone drawing app.

I was interested to read in last Sunday's Observer profile in the colour magazine on David Hockney , that he uses the Iphone app "Brushes".


He has always been known to be a fan of new technologies - remember his fax art?- so it was inevitable that he would "discover" the Iphone as a painting tool.

What's more he's 72 years of age.




Well, I have just loaded this app on to my Iphone .
Here's some tentative results...

Buena Vista Social Club- Glasgow

Saw the film Buena Vista Social in New York so was curious to see this bunch of musicians live last night.
I was not disappointed. They played to a packed audience in Glasgow's Royal concert hall and they had them on their feet clapping, singing and dancing.

Forth Valley Open Studios

Have started to sound out people who may be interested in opening their studios to the public next year - Perthshire and Fife already run very successful Open Studio weekends.
Among the first to express an interest is Polish textile artist Ewa Kuniczak . Her website feltheadtotoe is worth checking out.

It is just one example of the vast amount of talent lurking in the Scottish hills around here.

Screenprinting - The Big Draw

My first screenprint : "Untitled"

Thanks to the national arts project "The Big Draw" which aims to get everyone drawing I got a chance to try my hand at screen printing in a workshop held at The Tolbooth, Stirling .

Our tutor, Andrew Mackenzie managed in three hours to give us an intensive introduction to the process which ended up with us all walking away with several screen prints each! quite an achievement!

We used the current exhibition of Aladsair Gray's prints as source material. After an introduction and brief history of screen printing we were taken to the exhibition and given quarter of an hour to draw an image from which we would later develope a stencil for screen printing.

I must admit that I entered the workshop feeling a bit sceptical: how on earth could be do a screen print from scratch in such a short time? Andrew proved me wrong. I m now an enthusiast of screen printing and want to find out more.

Glasgow Print Studio

Have started to prepare work for my exhibition next February and the first piece of work I want to complete is some digital prints on Japanese paper.

Well, I went into Glasgow Print studio to discuss whether it would be possible to do this on their new printer.

"No way!" says the director standing in the middle of his state-of-the-art new printing premises.
"That machine cost us £6,000".

OK he has a point so its back home to fiddle with my own printer and try to work out why some prints are coming out so heavily inked as to be unusable.

Well, I guess it is just another hurdle that those of us working with new media face weekly if not daily. Unlike making traditional art we can't ring up a friend or seek out expert advice on how to solve these problems, because nobody has ever done it before. It is a case that we all have to work it out as we go along.

Writing- fluid process

I was interested to hear on Radio 4 this morning Jeffrey Archer discuss his book "Cain and Abel" which he has re-written after 30 years. A Professor of English literature was asked to comment and he said that in future with the introduction of electronic books we are going to be seeing a lot more of this taking place.

He said:"Writing will become a much more fluid process with books changing all the time."

Well, this is what I am discovering now for more information keeps coming in which could so easily be incorporated into "The Children of Craig-y-nos" if it was an e-book instead of a printed book.

But the fact is though that we are still of a generation that likes to hold a book in our hands.

I suspect the youngsters of today will have no such inhibitions and will take to screen reading of books like the proverbial ducks to water...

Transmission gallery

Had a look at the new exhibition in the Transmission gallery, Glasgow. Almost didn't go in because I glanced through the window and saw what appeared to be a room full of empty canvases.

Glad I did. It shows the work of Berlin based artist Klaus Weber who is on a mission to highlight the problems of disappearing bees due to global changes. The canvases were splattered with bee excrement.

Meanwhile I am getting into a bit of a panic over my forthcoming exhibition - I hadn't realised that the space I had been allocated covered two floors! maybe I ought to find someone to share with.

Old technology and new technology

Iphone drawing

On train to Glasgow Print Studio I download a free e-book, catch up with emails, check out new range of camcorders and read a couple of newspaper articles, and do some drawings - all on my Iphone.

Realise paper plays less and less a role in my life so why am I dabbling in the past with arcane printing processes? the answer is that there is something very satisfying about making images on paper.

A useful analogy is cars: when cars replaced horses this did not mean the end of horses. Oh no, they became luxury objects , no longer the sole means of transport they are used for the sheer pleasure of riding today.

They even developed large vehicles, horseboxes, for carrying the horses around the country...

103 Trongate Arts centre

Off to the new 103 Trongate Arts Centre in Glasgow with some prints to be framed for upcoming exhibition, except I have some misgivings .

Am I just adding " objects" to an already overcrowded world? this is something that has been on my mind for some time so I was interested to read the other day that Damien Hirst has announced he will stop doing his spot paintings because the world "already has too many art objects".

Well it is OK for him having made his millions but what about the rest of us struggling to earn a crust?


So I will go into Glasgow and get my prints framed.

Macintosh on BBCIplayer

If you missed Mackintosh's Masterpiece on the BBC on Monday why not watch it on the BBC iPlayer at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00n0wrh/Mackintoshs_Masterpiece_The_Glasgow_School_of_Art/

(Sorry bugs in the system link should work).

Venice Biennale 2009..

Russian art. Big Russian presence in Venice - and it was good, and challenging

Wales: John Cale- disappointing. By the way this was the only sign leading to the Welsh venue. OK they had a board outside the venue but by that time you had found the place!


Just back from Venice. Bit of a curate's egg- good in places but also some very boring stuff. How on earth did they get selected? I heard of one guy who was so incensed with the representation from his country - Cyprus- that he went along to the officials to complain.

Loved the Canadian and Icelandic contribution though bemused at the Welsh one from John Cale. Why was he water-boarded? His film was in desperate need of editing...and more editing.

Steve McQueen had timed entry to his 30 minute film. At least this was very professional but it didn't stop half the audience from walking out...
Heard that he imported the greyhounds for the filming. Couldn't help feeling that this was a bit of a fake documentary, after all it was supposed to be Venice in the winter and those dogs were the key to the film. While I was there I saw pigeons, cats and homeless people.
But no dogs.

Police Box- video, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow

"You have been spotted" Ann and Malcolm Shaw

I have just uploaded this video to Youtube. Although this public art installation for the Gallery of Modern Art was done some years ago - part of my portfolio for Glasgow School of Art- I have only now got around to editing the footage.


Looking back on it now I can see that the reason it was so successful was that it involved the public and was easily accessible.
Police Box,Glasgow

Networking day - Changing Room, Stirling

Just attended excellent Networking day in the Changing Room, Stirling.

The consensus of opinion was that this was the best ever event we had attended for it was focused on the needs of artists working and living in Scotland.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was organised by the new temporary curator Emma Hamilton, a practising artist who also comes from the area.

We are all hoping that Emma gets her contract renewed.

Directory of Welsh Artists

Received a phone call yesterday to say that I am going to be included in the next edition. There seemed to be some confusion of whether I qualified for inclusion in a directory of Welsh artists because I have lived for the past 34 years in Scotland.

However, after some discussion it was agreed that I was born in Wales, educated in Wales and have exhibited in Wales.

Digital painting and Glasgow School of Art

"Knock on the sky and listen to the sound" - digital painting


One of my first tutors at Glasgow School of Art offered the following advise : "start from something organic".

We were doing preliminary drawings for sculpture. Even now when I work in digital painting his words still echo in the back of my mind.

In the case of "Knock on the sky and listen to the sound" -Zen saying -the original was a rose I had grown in my garden. Mashing it in the computer produces something equally beautiful yet hints at the uncertainty of the new digital age we are moving into.

"Data moshing": Isle of Skye

Title: "Hot and cold" Cuillins, Isle of Skye

Have begun experimenting with datamoshing of Scottish landscape.

Next book - Sully

Have started work on my next book and today retreated to our local library with my laptop in order to escape domestic life i.e. window cleaner arrived and wanted to "convert" me to his faith. He is a Jehovah's Witness. No, not first thing on a Monday morning...

Glasgow School of Art - library

Glasgow School of Art have asked for a copy of "The Children of Craig-y-nos" for their library, partly because they always want work by alumni for their collection and also, the librarian tells me, because of the increasing interest amongst students in the links between art and science crossover.

They have also mentioned it on the college

Glasgow School of Art have asked for a copy of "The Children of Craig-y-nos" for their library, partly because they always want work by alumni for their collection and also, the librarian tells me, because of the increasing interest amongst students in the links between art and science crossover.

They have also mentioned it on the college: Glasgow School of Art and Design blog

Way forward for art organisations?

Maybe art organisations should look a bit more carefully at trying to make their work not only more accessible but immersive too by enrolling members of the public.
How about asking the public to select art they would like to see?

empowering audiences

Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show

Mixed bag, like a curate's egg, the kind of stuff you expect from a Degree show. Compared it to Glasgow School of Art and the overall presentation and quality of the work not on par with GSA. But textiles excellent.

It is several years since I have been to Edinburgh College of Art Degree show and I was looking forward to seeing their jewellery, ceramics and glass exhibitions. Then I learn that they have closed except for a small jewellery department. If they had a display I failed to find it.

( Edinburgh is not alone - there's a trend away from making things in art college as everyone moves on to digital media).

Found most of the sculpture dry, academic and , well, tired....though I did like the singing shoes except I almost passed it by. Asked the girl who made them why she did not at least put a sign saying that it was an audio installation which would have encouraged people to stop and listen and she replied :"I don't care if people miss it..."

Excuse me?


Found some graffiti in the downstairs loo which summed up at least one student's experience of her four years at art college:
"ECA stole my sense of self"

That's a tragedy.

Venice Biennale 2009?...

Still debating whether to go to the Venice Biennale this autumn but after reading this review in the New York Times I am wondering if it is worth it.

http://nymag.com/arts/art/reviews/57466/

"The Journey" - new postcard

At last I have got around to having some postcards made from my digital print "The Journey". It features Loch Katrine, source of Glasgow's water supply, and the studio taps in Glasgow School of Art.

Ellis Thomas and "The Children of Craig-y-nos"

Both Carole Reeves and myself have received letters from Ellis Thomas regarding the book: "Children of Craig-y-nos":

"Have just received my copy of the book. What a marvellous production! I was
taking a first flick through it when Ann rang, asking if I'd received it!
The book I find absorbing, to be read and re-read. I thank you and Ann most
sincerely for creating something which I never thought I'd see in my time -
and all through an enquiry on the correspondence page of the local paper!"

Thank you Ellis. It is always good to have feedback.

Working with your hands?

Here's a thought: if you want to be sure of a job in the future then work with your hands. You can't outsource a spanner to India.
Check this out- the guy has a PH.D from the University of Chicago and now repairs motor-cycles.

New York Times

DannyAbse

Danny Abse did a reading from his latest book of poems. Afterward he signed a copy .( see blog:http://craig-y-nos.blogspot.com).

Gave him a copy of "Children of Craig-y-nos" which uses a quote from him in the introduction.

Hayfestival

First a moan - access to internet dreadful hence no updates with priority going to Craig-y-nos blog when I manage to find a computer that is working.


Even Twitter is sporadic as well because Iphone ( O2) doesnt work in Hay which is a black hole. If I go up to Glasbury I can use my phone...

All this is bad news since the Hay Festival is supposed to be usisng cutting edge technology and supported by the Guardian.

They had two power cut earlier in the week which left Tony Curtis, in his wheelchair, trying to talk in darkness with his interviewer.

HayBookFestival

Well, here we are at the Hay Book Festival and for the first time in five years the weather is scorching hot. Usually its mud, rain, wellingtons and umbrellas. Tried to buy sunscreen only to discover that the small market town of Hay has sold out.

Have delivered copies of "The Children of Craig-y-nos" to the Welsh Book stand. I am delighted to see that they have given it a prominent display and three books have already sold. Considering the competition here and the big name authors floating around I think it is an achivement to have sold one let alone three on the first day.

Ipohone art

Iphone art

Using Scribble app. I drew the above on my Iphone.

Book signing at Craig-y-nos

All 200 books were sold in less than two hours. Dr Carole Reeves is busy re-ordering more.

Book launch at Craig-y-nos Castle

Dr Carole Reeves, Outreach Historian with the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London and Ann Shaw co-authors of the book "The Children of Craig-y-nos" * signing copies of the book at the recent launch in the restored Glass Conservatory in the Castle.

Some of the people present had been child patients in the Conservatory.


* Book available online from Amazon.co.uk or

Dr Carole Reeves
Outreach Historian
The Wellcome Trust Centre
for the History of Medicine at UCL
183 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE

Or Val's newsagent, Ystradgynlais

Free PDF file to download from
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/histmed/library/craig_book

Book launch....

Have started to get nervous. We fly from Edinburgh this afternoon to Cardiff.

Dr Reeves is horrified that the boxes from the printers books have been opened . I tell her its Wales. What does she expect? There's no way those boxes were going to remain unopened in the Castle.

Curiosity and privacy do not share the same bed in Wales.

Books arrive Craig-y-nos Castle

Just rang reception at castle. Yes all 200 books have arrived.

They look good I am told . Well neither Dr Carole Reeves nor myself have seen them for they went straight from the printers to the launch venue.

Book launch

Busy getting ready for book launch on Friday in Craig-y-nos Castle. So
far around 100 people booked in. Have asked Cynthia Mullane to do the
introduction and she has agreed . She represents the Sleeping Giant
Foundation, a local oral history charity, who have been very supportive.

SkyTV and Youtube

Have had a request from Sky TV for one of my videos - dog herding ducks- which I made at the local agricultural show in Dunblane . www.youtube.com/user/annshaw

How we will read books in the future

If you think books will remain in the same format as we know them know now - hardback or paperback- then read this from The Wall Street Journal

Book launch -May 1st Craig-y-nos Castle

So far 95 people have booked in for the lunch to launch the "Children of Craig-y-nos" book, a 40 year history of a childens TB sanatorium which I have co-authored with Dr Carole Reeves of the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London.

It will be held in Craig-y-nos Castle in the Swansea Valley.

Book- Vook

Just read that there is a device in development called a "vook" a cross between a book and a video which would enable you to read books on a variety of electronic devices and incorporate video too.

Already I find that I use my Iphone to read lots of stuff rather than log on to my main computer.

Horse riding in Jordan

I came across this scene outside Petra and I have called the video clip available on both Youtube and Blip.tv
"The real one trick pony"

I leave it to you to figure out whether it's real or computer fakery...

Finland...folk watching

Had a comment from Finland



Finland on sheep-shearing
Salon Sundö The Movie
Sheep shearing in October 2008 in the archipelago of Finland. No sheep-wrestling, they just walk up a ramp-and sort of enjoy the ride! Happy sheep! :-)
This is a Finnish woman designer who posted a video response.

Blairlogie film show and Youtube

Who watches my stuff on Youtube? Well, Google have added a nifty tool which not only reveals the age of viewers but where they are located .

So, when I got invited to show two films at Blairlogie Village Hall prior to the main film" How to Marry a Millionaire" on Saturday I decided to google them first. Bearing in mind the audience (local) I selected two local films which have already proved popular on Youtube with combined "hits" around 40,000.

I expected the statistics to reveal they had a high Scottish, or at least British ranking.





Not at all. The clip of an eight week old European owl is watched almost in equal numbers by young men and women in the 18-35 age group in the Ukraine !

As for the five minute film of wrestling at the Bridge of Allan Games most viewers are middle-aged Austrian women!....

Argyll and Sutherland HIghlanders march through Stirling

Soldiers from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders march through Stirling after returning from Afghanistan.

"Bark in the Park"

Bark in the Park

Genetic engineering....cloning....well' tis a short step away.

Stone Circle- Pittenweem Arts Festival

I am having difficulty embedding video into blog. Please click on following link to:
Stone Circle

This video was made last Sunday in Pittenweem, Fife at the end of their annual arts festival.

The Japanese installation artist Yoshihito Kawabata imported stone from the north of Scotland, he put a message and signed each stone then laid them in a gigantic circle with part of it on the shore. As soon as the tide came in it took some stones away.

He believes in "free art" and he wanted his installation to be enjoyed by visitors to the Festival, and if they wanted a stone as a "keep-sake" then he was happy for them to take stones away. The sea, wind and waves took the rest...

Wrestling - Bridge of Allan Highland Games- 2008

Bridge of Allan Games

I am not able to embed video from YouTube - so go to the above link.

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

This video shot in Stirling of the last march through the city of the world famous Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders has been watched in 35 countries, viewed by over 14,000 people and attracted 50 comments on Youtube.

It was filmed on a very old camcorder on the spur of the moment...I mention this to show how these days with the most basic technology you can make little films and show them worldwide - for free!

It so happened that the Drummer collapsed and I had it on film.

Online video communities

While I have been deeply engrossed in writing "The Children of Craig-y-nos" a multi-media, online project with a book to be published with the help of Dr Carole Reeves , oral historian with The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London and funding from the Welsh Heritage Lottery Fund my videos online have developed little communities around which people gather.

The 47 videos on my main internet channel www.Youtube.annshaw- ) have a life of their own. It is as if the video has acted as a flashpoint, or catalyst, allowing people to congregate online and exchange their views. ( I have another internet video channel for my current project www.Youtube.childrenofcraigynos

I am not too surprised that the blonde woman wrestler in our local Highland Games who flashes her knickers from time to time as she throws men to the ground has attracted thousands of "hits".

Others continue to surprise me. An old clip I put up of dog sledging I made in Alaska while en route to Japan has been bookmarked by many devotees of huskies. Likewise one dealing with predators- one featuring a European eagle chick in a Highland Wildlife park.
As for the three minute clip of the last march of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders through Stirling before they were amalgamated this still draws comments today, years after it happened.
On Youtube you just don't know what grabs folks attention: the odd, the quirky, the unexpected yes.


As for my art videos I am afraid they are the least popular.
Perhaps I should not be surprised; or disappointed.

To view all my 47 videos on Youtube click on:www.Youtube.annshaw

Children of Craig-y-nos- Reunion

We organised a Patients Reunion in September- the first time many had returned to Craig-y-nos Castle, in the Swansea Valley since they left over 50 years ago.

Mary Williams was a former TB patient who had beenbrought into the sanatorium, once the home of the famous opera diva Adelina Patti, as a very sick child.

She was given weeks, if not days, to live. Byi thanks to the miracle drug streptomycin she recovered. Nurse Glenys Davies remembers her because of her dramatic recovery.

"Mirage" - Sinai desert 2007

Have started to roll out some work after a week in Dahab. Spent one day going up to St Katherine's monastery in the Sinai desert and filmed these camels.
Added a touch of surrealism.

The Hidden Landscape

Fungal foray with Stirling branch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Inspired to make this after biologist Roy Sexton showed us slides of mushrooms under a microscope in the lab. at Stirling University.
Roy and Sue Sexton run the Stirling branch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

The Lost Dog

This is my last video of 2006...have got to get Christmas under way! It's a
constructed narrative from an afternoon walking my dog in the snow.
Hope its got a festive feel about it, well, a snowy one anyway.

"Hands", Changing Room gallery, Stirling

I came across this video last night in my studio ( i.e. spare bedroom) while trawling through some old footage and I realised that it has never been seen by anyone so I decided to put it up on You Tube this morning.

After all, I reckon that those people who were kind enough to take part in my inter-active art project in the Changing Room gallery might like to see it. So lets hope they click on to You Tube and see their hands!

But there's a little problem...I've got over 40 images of hands up and I only know a few peoples names. In the excitement/confusion of the week in the gallery my list of names does not tie up with the photos...so if anyone looking at this video recognises themselves then please email me( annshaw@mac.com) and I will put the names in.

So far I have got the following: John Gray, Fiona Ross, Chris Walker, Malcolm Shaw, Lys Hansen, Kirsteen MacDonald, Peter Russell, Jamie Jack, Lynn Wilson, Ann Turner, Pamela and Katie Morley.

Ben A'an, The Trossachs

Climbed Ben A'an yesterday. This is a quick charcoal sketch I made. Nearly had heart failure when I caught my first glimpse of Ben A'an. A sheer peak rising out of nowhere....a video will follow.

Craig-y-nos- most haunted castle

Craig-y-nos Castle has had a violent and colourful history.
Built in 1840 by the Powell family, it is said there was a curse on the family because Captain Powell's children died of either disease or terrible accidents. He ran out of monery, went blind and eventually insane.

Adelina Patti, world famous opera singer, lived there for over 50 years. She entertained the "great and the good" including Royalty, with concerts in her private theatre.
She died after falling down a flight of stairs. Today her ghost is supposed to haunt the castle and the grounds. Many sightings have been reported along with her singing.

After her death the castle was used for around forty years ( 1920- 1960) as a childrens TB sanatorium though all records for this period have been destroyed.
Today it is an hotel specialising in weddings and ghost-hunting.
It claims to be the most haunted castle in Wales.

Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre

Raptors - Beyond Reality

Budapest: " Celebrations"

On April 12 2003 Hungary voted to join the Common Market. We were being entertained by our Hungarian friends at the time and they were showing us around Budapest. This is a snapshot of that day.

Ossie the Bull

Brother-in-law George Chandler with Ossie the Limousin bull on his farm, Lower Cefn Clytha near Abergavenny in South Wales.

Venice Biennale 2003

Short film based on the 2003 Venice Biennale.

"Celebration" farewell party for David Harding, of Glasgow School of Art, aboard the Waverley steamer

Salt mine near Krakow, Poland

Just Walking

This is an animation-style video clip filmed around the Allan Water river near Bridge of Allan.

"Clach"International Stone Sculpture Symposium, Scotland

Ann Shaw web movie based on the "Clach" Stone Sculpture Symposium



Laurent Guyolot "Clarsach"



Carving in stone may be deeply unfashionable in some artistic circles- after all its no longer taught at art colleges- but there is no doubting the ability of stone to resonate with the human spirit throughout the ages- from the cave paintings in Spain to its popularity with the public today.


Tom Allan "Janus Heads - You'n' Me Babe"

Witness the hugely successful first ever Stone Sculpture Symposium in Scotland held this month ( Sept. 2006) in the grounds of a castle near Stirling.



Hugh Collins ""Torso"


A dozen sculptors from as far afield as Canada, Germany, France, Norway as well as Ireland, England and of course Scotland had been invited to make work in the grounds of the castle for a week .


Marina Weir "Water-horse"
They were:
Tom Allan ( Glasgow), Hugh Collins (Scotland) Marina Weir ( Ayrshire),Brunton Hunter (Borders), Laurent Guyolot ( France/Italy), Eldon Guay ( Canada), Alan Ward ( England), Nils Hansen ( Germany/Italy), Susheila Jamieson ( Borders), Arne Maeland ( Norway), Aileen-Anne Brannigaan ( Ireland), Paul Cook (England), and David Kent ( England).

Alan Ward "Throne for a Celtic King"

The event was organised by sculptor Tom Allan, who passionately believes that stone still offers a valid expression for the creative expression of art, and he describes the week as a “resounding success”.




Arne Maeland ""Tower House"

Plans are already underway for the second Stone Sculpture Symposium in Scotland next year.


Nils Hansen "Triskele symbol"

But first Tom is taking a well earned break - with a few weeks carving in the Carrara marble quarries, near Pisa.

Susheila Jamieson "Spiral"


On a personal note I found the symposium a refreshing change from the arid conceptualism masquerading as art that fills so many of our galleries today.

Brunton Hunter "Cup and Ring Spike"

Eldon Guay "Eternity"

Bonsai exhibition in The Manggha Center, Krakow

Claws

Looking for something different?
then why not try a visit to the Hghland Falconry and Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre.
Set up in 2000 the Highland Falconry is open all the year round and is based in the award winning
Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre, just 10 minutes from Comrie.
It offers educational visits and personal tuition for those who want to learn more about the ancient art of falconry along with "hawk walks" where you get to take a bird of prey out ( after some tuition!) and fly it in the local countryside.





Craig Stewart with his 8 week old European eagle owl and Russian Stepp eagle at the Highland Falconry Centre near Comrie.

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders march through Stirling

March through Stirling ...drummer faints...another soldier feels ill...Provost inspects army....and crowds line the streets.

Speyside Cooperage

This is a family owned business going back three generations of the Taylor family. Based in Craigellackie in the heart of the Speyside its Visitors Centre allows the general public to view coopers at work.
Members of the Taylor family make regular visits to Missouri, Kentucky and Tennesee to buy high quality American oak for their casks.

the wedding feast

Family wedding in Cheshire.

Australian Highlanders Pipe Band

Australian Highlanders Pipe Band performing at the recent Bridge of Allan Games before taking part in the World Pipe Band Championship. They are all staying on campus at Stirling University.

Alaska Dog Mushing

Some very old footage which I have just re-edited taken of us dog mushing in Alaska during a stopover to Japan.

Bridge-of-Allan Highland Games

This is the most popular annual event in the town and draws huge crowds with a large international following.

HIghland piper

Boarded the ferry at Mallaig for Skye and on arrival we are greeted by Highland piper D.C. Ferguson piping visitors ashore. He lives in Aardvasar, Sleat and restores old photographs and historical documents

Sheep-shearing


Having just visited the High Pastures cave, a working archaeological site, on the Isle of Skye I came across a small farming community shearing sheep with the Cuillins in the background. It was Biddy and Norman from Kilbride farm with their team of helpers doing the annual shear of their 800 flock.

Electron club, Glasgow

Went to the launch of the Electron club in the CCA ( Centre for contemporary Arts which is currently recovering from a near death experience). The aim is to provide an open community for artists and computer folk to share and learn from each others experiences. Its a great idea though I am still not clear how you join.
They say its free and open to all...but how do you stop computers walking out of the door? maybe I am a bit cynical having already had a tv/vcr stolen from the Transmission gallery and there was an invigilator!...

Journey to Antarctica

Alan and Frances Fielding from Bridge of Allan, Scotland went on a journey to the Antarctica earlier this year. The photographs were taken by Frances and I edited them into a music video.
Enjoy!

Massacre of the midges

Evening in the Scottish Highlands

Video-Dunblane show

Four minute video of highlights from the Doune and Dunblane show.

Dollar Art Summer School

Just back from their annual exhibition held this year in the brand new Arts Centre of Dollar Academy, a gift from a former pupil!

Bridge of Allan gardens on television

Bridge-of-Allan Gardens, Scotland

BBC 1 clip taken from Beechgrove garden


Well, we have had our one minute of fame tonight! all four gardens participating in Scotland's Open Gardens scheme were featured in the gardening television programme Beechgrove Garden on BBC 1.

Alain de Bottom Hay Festival

Swelltering heat but worthwhile.

Robert Winton

Is there a God gene? Robert Winton seems to think so. This raises the question: when we start to tamper with the human gene pool ( which we will) will we slelave out the God gene?

Has it already served its evolutionary purpose? at present they think about a quarter per cent of the population carry this gene.

Antony Gormley

Here's an artist with a very serious message and highly articulate too. The interviewer was almost unnecesary inthis case.He talked about his latest installation in Western Australia working with Aborigines. Very cerebral yet with excellent communication skills.

Tony Parsons

I love his work, and the audience clearly did too. Pity he comes across as such a cold fish

Al Gore

Former American Vice President toklsd asome very funny stories against himself before getting down to the serious business of promoting care for the environment.

Steve Jones Hay Book Festival

Arguing the case for evolution versus creationism, Steve Jones played a recording of the Queen making a speech during her late teens and one of Prince Harry, two generations later, to show how language evolves.
Steve Jones later signed copies of his new book TheSingle Helix

Howerd Hodgkin Hay Book Festival

He may be a great artist but Howerd Hodgkin is an interviewer's nightmare!...Simon Schama did his best but the score at the end of rthe day was ana outright win to Hodgkin, this man believes in privacy and he sure had no intention of letting anyone into this privat thought processes or life for that at Tate Britain.

As people started to walk out - fed up with HH refusal to giveany decent replies to questions apart from "yes", "no" "maybe"
"I have nothing to say" his consciencwe must have pricked him cause he turned to Schama and said:"Ithink you ought to open it up to questions from the floor."He did and people wanted to know why we couldnot see any images of HH work.
Answer:he refused to allow the Festival to show any......
still I have a grudging admiration for his refusal to play the publicity game.

Secuestro Express -Hay Book Festival

Alarming film from Venezuela- a must see should this ever come on to the British circuit.

It's about the modern phenomena of kidnapping , rampant in Caracas where two thirds of the population live in poverty and one third in extreme wealth.

Kidnapping is the modern way of surviving and most families have experience of it, including the director of this film, Jonathon Jakubowicz. He made the film to try and understand the mentality of the kidnappers and at the event it was very clear why they did it: to survive.

In a country rife with corruption, including the police, this film kicks the Hay Festival off to a sombre start:this year there is an emphasis on the environment.

Hay Book Festival

Have just heard Maggi Hambling speak. A fearsome character! had thought of getting a book signed by her but the thought of meeting her terrified me. She was onstage with her dog. As for the interviewer, Sarah Rothchild, the poor woman was made to feelk like a naughty six year old.

Scotland's Open Gardens- Bridge of Allan

Well, we are part of a group of four in Bridge of Allan who have just opened our garden for the first time to the public.

Now there is nothing like the thought of several hundred people inspecting your garden to cause you to hurry up and finish off all those odd jobs that have been lurking around for months, well, years in some cases.

The national charity,Scotland's Gardens Scheme, started 75 years ago inviting people to open up their gardens as a novel form of fund-raising and it has proved to be hugely successful.

We were gobsmacked to be asked. A few years ago ours was the proverbial "garden from hell"- wooded, north facing, steep slopes with the added bonus of deer and rabbits who ate everything. It was a nightmare to turn around. Maybe because it was so difficult that led us to find some unconventional solutions.
Well here's the result.




On Sunday afternoon we invited friends to help out including our next door neighbour, John Gray, who found himself directing traffic for four hours non-stop!- not bad for an octogenarian.



We had thought this would just be a local event but we found people came from all over the central belt: Glasgow, Alloa, Aberfeldy, Falkirk, Brig O'Turk, Yetts of Muchart, Larbert, Stirling,Drymen, Fintry,Kippen, Gargunnock, Dunfermline and even a visitor from Australia!



Afterwards we all agreed that the open day had been a great success despite a big traffic holdup on the motorway near Stirling causing tailbacks for several hours.

And the oldest visitor was a 96 year old woman who took great pride in naming the plants she recognized.

Oh yes, and the afternoon raised over £1,000 for Strathcarron hospice.

Postcards in the studio

I like to keep postcards in my studio of work I have recently seen. These two images are from my recent visit to Amsterdam. The original of Floris Van Dijck's "Still Life with cheeses" had a maggot crawling along the table and some gigantic flies on the white cloth but in all the reproductions these have been digitally removed!

The drawing is, of course, by Rembrandt of a "Lion Resting".

Glasgow Art Fair

Well, I guess a couple of visits to Glasgow Art Fair this past weekend made me decide to completely change the way I use my online blog. No longer am I going to write about other people's art but its going to be my own.
What caused this change? well strolling around gallery after gallery of paintings I felt I had stepped back in time. Who buys this stuff? what does it have to say about the world we live in today?
Sure its decorative- so is Ikea and Habitat and at a fraction of the price.

Rembrandt-Caravaggio exhibition, Amsterdam

Hotel Aalders, Amsterdam- just the place to stay if you want a quiet family run hotel close to the museums. The Rijks and Van Gogh museums are one block away.
So, we are doing all the cultural stuff, the big Rembrandt-Caravaggio exhibition, the permanent Van Gogh ( long queues everywhere but I had taken the precaution of booking online).
Yes its spectacular and after all the conceptual stuff its good to be brought face to face with solid works of art that have withstood the test of time.

About the paintings (starting from the top):
Rembrandt- "The rape of Ganymede" (detail) (1635)
Rembrandt- "The night watch"
Caravaggio -"The betrayal of Christ" (1602)

Net Art- Tate Online

Have just been playing online with the latest piece of netart, Screening Circle, by Andy Deck available from Tate Online It is a metaphorical reference to the quilting circle, or what is known as the quilting bee, popular in the US during the 19th century among women living in rural areas.

Now the ideas has been fastforwarded into the 21st century .

Grow in peace

Nick Ford installs his stone text piece in the garden this morning. It complements the acorn he built earlier in the background.

This is a site-specific piece designed in conjunction with Nick and the aim is to create an experience of peacefulness and silence under the canopy of the fir trees yet reflecting the organic nature of the garden too.

Adobe Roadshow

Just back from the Adobe "Fully Loaded" roadshow in Glasgow where they showed the latest software in their Adobe Production Studio suite. I found the most interesting section was the Photoshop because the video editing was all on Premiere and PC- while I am Apple and Final Cut Express.

One of the most interesting new developments for photographers is the Adobe Lightroom Beta. This will be shipped later in the year for both PCs and Apple , meanwhile those of us with Apple can download a copy for free to test drive it. This piece of software has been developed in response to the huge demand from professional photographers .


Felt guilty afterwards buying a copy of a daily newspaper. It seemed so..er...uncool.

Can string be called art?

I have every sympathy with Mike Russell writing in today's The Herald on contemporary art.
He says:
"It may be that the visual arts are simply going through a period of profound change, and that eventually we will see our world more clearly as a result.
"Or it may be that there are a lot of creative lemmings around, charging up artistic cul-de-sacs while demanding that the rest of us follow them to the future."

As a fairly recent graduate who came into this scene late after a lifetime in journalism I know how he feels.
Well, I recall one student in art history asking a very distinguished art historian this question;
"How come something bought in a junk shop and displayed in an art gallery suddenly becomes a work of art?"
She replied:
"It's art if you say it is art."
So there.

Sculptures take on a new life

Following the worst snowstorm for nearly 30 years the sculptures in my garden have taken on a whole new meaning.

Edinburgh versus Glasgow

Spent yesterday in Glasgow after visiting Edinburgh last week and am struck yet again at the difference between the two cities. Edinburgh seems to be like an emotionally constipated old lady while Glasgow is young, gallus, free and easy with a sense of joie de vivre.

Saw a couple of exhibitions including Luke Fowler at The Modern Institute, watched his film "The Scratch Orchestra". Interesting. Well, I sat for 40 minutes through it. The Gallery of Modern Art has an exhibition of landscape work from their permanent collection. Only two did anything for me- S. Salgado and Andy Goldsworthy.

Ice Blink a newe exhibition by Simon Faithfull is at the Stills gallery in Edinburgh. Worth a visit.

New Media Scotland

Went to the bi-monthly evening seminars at Dundee Contemporary Arts where Jon Thomson and Alison Craighead were doing a presentation. Their work is web based .
Says Thomson:
" You are physically here but virtually everwhere."

Had a chat with Cezanne Charles, director of New Media Scotland , about our proposed online collective, an idea that came out of our recent Art+Tech Stirling conference. Over 20 people have signed up saying they are interested in a New Media collective. Question is: do we make it online/virtual?

BAFTA award Claire Simpson

Delighted to see that Claire Simpson, sister of Anne Simpson ( my former boss on The Herald) received the BAFTA award last night for editing The Constant Gardner.

Art+Tech conference

Guess its a long time since the last entry!...conference a fantastic success. We were stunned at the interest and the distance folk had travelled to get there. Clearly there is a tremendous thirst amongst artists to try and find a way of coming to terms with new media which is changing the way not only that we see the world but the way art is produced.
Our speakers were:

Professor Beryl Graham of Sunderland University on : what is New Media?

Michelle Kasprzak, Programmes Director on the role New Media Scotland has in helping artists to promote their work
Richard Brown artist-in-residence Edinburgh University - on interactive installations

Sarah Kettley, Napier University- on communications within small groups using computers embedded in jewellery
on sound as a means of enhancing everyday life

Sue Greirson-video and installation artist and President of the Scottish Artist Union
Karen Strang - painter and performance artist - a personal story .

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers

I rang up my local Waterstones to see if they had a copy of "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers"by YiYun Li, winner of the Frank O'Connor International Short Story award and the subject of rave reviews.
"No, but we could order it for you....it will take about 10 to 14 days."

So I clicked on www.Amazon.com, and the book arrived in the following morning's post......is it any wonder the chairman of Waterstones has resigned?

Now I would quite happily have waited 2/3 days because I like going into Waterstones, I like browsing through their books. All they had to do was order it themselves over the internet......and give me a ring.
So, they have yet another lost customer.


Link:www.annshaw.net
www.zen2Go.blogspot.com

Art+Tech in the 21st century conference- update

Well, all our speakers are in place so now its time to drum up some publicity for the event.
The following press release has been sent out to the media.:

Art+Tech in the 21st century- Stirling conference
Artists working with digital technologies will be the subject of a one day conference to be held in Stirling.
It will take place in The Changing Room gallery on Saturday January 28th from 10.am – 5pm.
This is a NAN (Networking Artists Network) initiative organised by local artists Ann Shaw and Karen Howard.
The keynote speech will be given by Beryl Graham, Professor of New Media Art at Sunderland University who will talk on the role of New Media in the creation of art today.
Others taking part include Richard Brown artist- in- residence at Edinburgh University and Sarah Kettley who is researching computers implanted into jewellery to aid communication .
New Media Scotland, the arts charity set up to help artists in this emerging field, will also talk about their role in supporting artists.
Says Ann Shaw:” We aim to bring together as diverse a group as possible to show the breadth of work that is being undertaken by artists today whose use of New Technologies is integral to their creative process.
“We are also inviting artists who wish to attend to bring along some sample of their work, if they wish, either as digital photos, text, or on DVD to share with others in the group discussions.”
The conference is free but places are limited so booking is essential.
To reserve a place email: events@a-n.co.uk
Anyone wanting further information should ring either Ann Shaw (01786 832287) or Karen .Howard (01506.84.2419)
This conference is supported by the Scottish Arts Council, Artist Newsletter magazine, New Media Scotland and The Changing Room Gallery.

Art+Tech Stirling conference

Within the first afternoon of this conference being advertised over 20 people had signed up on e-mail!
If you are interested book online:

email:events@a-n.co.uk)

NAN event - Art + Technology – 28th January 2006
Programme for One day conference - Changing Room Gallery, Stirling 10am-5pm

A dynamic day of talks, presentations, critical dialogue and socialising.
Looking at the crossovers and interactions between art, science and technology.
10.30 – 11am Coffee / chat / registration

11 am Lynn Wilson - artist / facilitator – chair for the day
former coordinator of Artlink Central and Arts Co-ordinator for North East Glasgow Regeneration Project

11am Art and Technology : Beryl Graham, Professor of New Media Art, Sunderland University
11.30am New Media Scotland. facilitating artists working with new media
12pm Richard Brown, artists in residence - Edinburgh university
- on “interactive installations”

12.30pm lunch and coffee/tea
1.30pm Sarah Kettley – research including computers implanted jewellery allowing networking within small groups
2pm Kirsty Stansfield – researching Sound as a means of enhancing everyday life ( Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art).
2.30pm Patrick O'Gowney – video and audience participation
3-4.30pm Group Discussions
Karen Strang – video presentation of artist and scientist working together.

Participants are invited to bring along and share a work they have made or that is under construction either (a) inspired by science and technology or (b) using technology as a tool to develop their creative vision.
Formats can vary from photographs, catalogues, CDs, DVD or VHS. We would invite all to bring examples of work for exchange or display. Short presentations can also be made (3-5mins) but please let us know in advance if you would like to give a brief talk ort presentation of your work.

4.30 – 5pm Summary of days event. Plans for the Future!!
5 – 7pm After conference informal drinks / buffet in nearby bistro.

7 pm… post conference drinks. - local pub, for those who want to carry on
To apply

Art + Technology is a free event but places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Please email : events@a-n.co.uk with - Art + Technology Stirling - in the subject line.
Book a.s.a.p.
A small number of travel bursaries are available to assist artists out with Stirling to attend this event. Please email events@a-n.co.uk with your details.
Travel Bursaries will be given on a first come first served basis and will be limited to a maximum of £25 per applicant. As the funds are limited, please only apply if necessary.

Art + Technology is a NAN event Organised for a-n's Networking Artists Network Initiative.
Art + Technology has been coordinated by Ann Shaw and Karen Howard in collaboration with A-N.

Supported by SAC, ACE and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation within the Networking Artists Network Initiative.
Also supported by New Media Scotland and the Changing Room Gallery.
Guyan Porter
Artists Events, Scotland

Christmas 2005

Hi!
This looks like being the last entry before I am submerged in "The Family Christmas".
So, what's up? Well Karen Howerd and myself are organising a one day conference on Art and Technology in the 21st. This is under the auspices of NAN -National Artist Network- set up by Artists Newsletter magazine to encourage networking amongst artists. New Media Scotland are also involved.

This will take place on Saturday January 28th in the Changing Room gallery, Stirling.

Watch this space!

Childrens Drawings

Some stills from a film I made based on childrens drawings in The Park gallery, Falkirk during the Lys Hansen exhibition.

Art @ Kilbryde Castle, Scotland

This is the fifth art exhibition to be held at Kilbryde Castle, near Dunblane showing the work of a number of local artists.

We drove for miles down remote country lanes and eventually arrived on a wild dark wintry evening with gale force winds howling around us at this huge isolated private castle.

Pictured above: "Chicken" by Gill Wilson, "Burning" by Jim Wylie.

Tate Modern - Rachel Whiteread

Just visited Tate Modern in London and saw Rachel Whiteread's amazing installation of the inside of cardboard boxes cast in white fibre glass.

Healing Medicine exhibition, Edinburgh

Three Oncologists
- painting by Ken Currie in the current exhibition Healing Medicine at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery , Edinburgh.

This astonishing work of art celebrates the power of paint in the hands of a master.

It is of Professor R. J Steele, Professor Sir Alfred Cuschiere and Professor Sir David P Lane of the Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee

Lunch-time music, Stirling University

Martin Davies ( piano) and Ian Ainsworth (bass-baritone) gave a free lunch-time concert in the foyer of Stirling University.
Their recital"Musicians, Poets and other Animals" included Apollinaire's Le Bestiaire and a selection of English songs.

Their polished performance gave much pleasure to a large lunch-time audience.

Both are former members of staff at the university.

Lys Hansen art exhibition, Smith gallery, Stirling

Lys Hansen has two exhibitions opening this weekend - one at the Smith gallery, Stirling and the other at the Park Gallery, Falkirk.


Artist Anne Wegmuller (centre picture) gives Lys a helping hand with hanging the exhibition.

Robinson Crusoe

How's this for a bit of serendipity.
While driving along the Fife coast I pulled in at Lower Largo and stopped outside a house where Alexander Selkirk, the man who Daniel Defoe modelled Robinson Crusoe on, was born. Now they have this statue there to commemorate it.
Next day the newspapers are full of an international expedition who have found the actual campsite where Alexander Selkirk lived for four years on a remote Chilean island in the Juan Fernandez archipelago.
They found traces of Selkirk's camp with animal bones and holes that appeared to have housed poles for a shelter.