"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".