No one did Schubert like DF-D. Love this pic of him with fag in hand – and with that voice!
There’s so many good art exhibitions on in Glasgow right now and we have lots of demands on our time, but if you have a free 10 minutes (or more) it’s worth stopping by the Kelly Gallery at 118 Douglas St (off Blythswood Square) to see Turkish artist Sule Ceylan’s show ‘Istanbul’. The preview is this evening from 5 to 7 and this is a 
one-off show in the UK which runs until 26 May. I’ve just seen some of the works and they are exuberant, absorbing and very affordable.
Sule Ceylan Surface to Depth 15 -26 May
The RGI Kelly Gallery is delighted to welcome Turkish artist Sule Ceylon, whose solo show, ‘Surface to Depth’ runs from 15 until 26 May. This is the first time that Sule has exhibited in the UK, and as a frequent visitor to Glasgow and the RGI Kelly, she was particularly keen to exhibit in our gallery.
‘Surface and Depth’ features bold paintings reflecting the dramatic changes in Sule’s home city of Istanbul, where she has worked as an artist since 1999, exhibiting in galleries such as the Ortakoy Cultural Centre, the Bakrac Art Gallery, as well as winning several awards.
“In this exhibition I have tried to portray the unseen or flipside of Istanbul as opposed to the more familiar image of the city,” explains Sule. “By abstracting the old streets and slums, my paintings try to reflect the Istanbul that has been changing ever since my childhood.
“I was born in Istanbul and my memories stretch back 40 years. We lived on the Asian side where there were houses with large gardens and wooden villas from the Ottoman period. As our house was close to the sea, we used to swim, sail and fish.
“Then the city got crowded and houses were replaced by apartment buildings. That the population has now risen to 15 million surprises and upsets me; I miss the quiet city that I was born in.
“My art is a protest against the crowdedness and this haphazard urbanization. I started abstracting and portraying the complex density as opposed to the old calmness. My paintings are at times very colourful and complicated, and at times more serene, and sometimes darker. They have changed and developed along with the city.
“It’s a fast growing city. I cannot keep up with it. The last of those wooden villas are tucked in between giant apartment buildings, and look lonely. On the other hand, there is my magnificent, modern and beautiful city… the chaos, rhythm and music of Istanbul inspire me.
“While I miss the tranquillity, the Bosphorus calls me near, so I consider myself lucky to be living in such a city. I hope that visitors to this exhibition will see something of me and my city in my paintings.”
You are warmly invited to join Sule Ceylan for the private view on Thursday May 17 between 5 – 7pm at the RGI Kelly Gallery, 118 Douglas Street
www.royalglasgowinstitute.org Tel: 248 6386.
Images of Rock Legend’s Guitar Headline Gallery’s New Show
One of the greatest moments of my life happened on the corner of Church Street in my hometown of Inverness in 1970. Round the corner came the mighty Rory Gallagher, a girl on each arm, his long wavy hair flowing in the Highland breeze. I’d watched him earlier in the day when his band Taste played ‘the Highland’s first rock & blues festival’ at the Caley Park (long before Caley and Thistle melded into one). From that moment on, I knew there must be God. I was too taken aback to speak, but my hippy boy companions shook the rock legend’s hand and and gave him the standard Inverness greeting of ‘hi Rory boy, how’re you doing?’ That’s why I’m so excited to be doing some PR for this show at Mansfield Park Gallery in Partick, Glasgow. What a feast – Peter Howson’s latest work, Alec Galloway’s painting of Rory’s ’61 Battered Strat and much more, and the spirit of the great of the man himself.
Artist given unique access to Rory Gallagher’s ’61 Battered Strat
Rory Gallagher plus support! No one would describe Scottish artists Peter Howson and Alec Galloway as sidemen, but they are happy to let the late great Irish rock guitarist Rory Gallagher take centre stage at their joint exhibition which runs from 19 May to 16 June at the Mansfield Park Gallery in Glasgow’s Partick district.
The exhibition, The Tangible & the Spiritual, is likely to attract both art lovers and musicos, as Alex was given unique access to Rory’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster by the rock legend’s brother Donal Gallagher who was his roadie and manager.
With his flowing locks and trademark plaid lumber shirt, Rory, who played all over the world, was a regular at the Apollo in Glasgow both as frontman with his band Taste and as a solo artiste. He even played the first Highland rock festival in Inverness Caley Park in 1970. The crime writer Ian Rankin references Rory in his Rebus novels and is a huge fan.
“Handling that guitar was a Holy Grail experience,” recalls Alex who is also a stained glass artist. “Throughout his career, Rory faithfully relied on this one instrument which is for £1 million and now in storage and unplayed since his death in 1995.
“I met Donal at Nordoff-Robbins fundraiser in Glasgow, and when I asked if I could paint the guitar, he invited me down to his house in London. It was quite a moment when he came in with the guitar and casually put it on the table; there was no standing on ceremony.
“When I took the guitar to my room and started drawing it, it was like a still life and nothing was really happening, until I put the sketch on the bed and the lights above cast a shadow on it. Magical things began to happen and I believe that the guitar was telling me it wanted to be drawn as a shadow. Rory wrote a lot about shadows, and it felt like a spiritual experience.”
“The guitar was as smooth as a pebble and moulded into my body,” recalls Alec who plays in a band in his free time. “You can still see the green blue tinge of Rory’s jeans on it. It is not an understatement to say that the instrument still resonates with amazing energy and even charisma.”
Back at his studio in Greenock, Alec started to develop the drawings and sketches into paintings and collages. “I like using bits of things and juxtaposing them, so the work is quite tactile with pieces of ripped up lumber shirt, plectrums, guitar strings, and even a valve from one of Rory’s Vox amp.”
While the images of the guitar form part of the exhibition, they are just a part of Alec’s latest body of work which deals with his ongoing fascination with objects from a previous life. He is delighted to be exhibiting alongside Peter Howson as he is both a friend and admirer of the artist’s work.
Peter Howson is one of the UK’s best known artists, and in this latest show he continues to explore the theme of spirituality and redemption which has personally brought him back from the brink and given new meaning to his life. Like Alec, Peter is passionate about music and there is always a CD playing in his studio as he works.
By happenstance, the month long exhibition coincides with The Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival (www.rorygallagher.com) which takes place in Donegal from 31 May to 3 June. The Tangible & the Spiritual runs from Saturday 19 May until Saturday 16 June. Please join us for the private view on Sunday 20 May from 1pm until 3pm.
For interviews, images & further information, contact Heather MacLeod on 07891144157 or words@heather.uk.net
Mansfield Park Gallery, 5 Hyndland Street Glasgow G11 5QE www.mansfieldparkgallery.com t: 0141 342 4124
Follow us on Facebook: Mansfield Park Gallery
& Twitter: Mansfield Park Gall @art_gall
The gallery is celebrating its 10th anniversary and is owned by artist Vicki Cassidy.
Chinese Export Silver Spirals
Until I met Adrien von Ferscht I’d never even heard of Chinese Export Silver, but thanks to his expertise and enthusiasm, I now know that it was collected by Catherine the Great, was commissioned by Tiffany & Co, and that it is potentially the most lucrative of all current categories of antique silver.
Adrien is specialist consultant on Antique Chinese Export Silver to Scottish auction house Lyon & Turnbull, and bought his first piece of this unique silver 12 years ago in a junk shop in Tel Aviv for $40; today the estimated value is around £2000.
A little known but highly significant category of antique silver, Chinese Export Silver was created by master silversmiths in China but produced solely for the Western world from the mid-18th century until the early 20th century. When it appears in UK general silver sales it tends to fetch up to five times the value of comparable English silver pieces.
When Lyon & Turnbull holds the first dedicated antique Chinese Export Silver sale in the UK in Edinburgh on June 26, several important lots will be Scottish-owned. Explains Adrien: “There are at least five magnificent tea sets that would have gone unrecognised as being Chinese and potentially valuable.
“One was found in a Glasgow garage, while another particularly important set was found in Dundee, and another Perthshire. “Were it not for the impending sale, most of these items would have stayed confined to dusty storage boxes.”
Skilfully executed and unmistakably Chinese, Tiffany & Co in New York did not sell silver until it discovered Chinese Export Silver masters in Shanghai in the latter part of the 19th century, after which they commissioned exclusive pieces for their Fifth Avenue showrooms.
Adrien cautions that anyone considering buying Chinese Export Silver should seek expert advice, as prices can vary according to the maker, and there is a lot of unmarked silver out there as well as fakes
“Chinese artifacts, in particular porcelain and Chinese Export Silver are on a steep upward curve and unlikely to drop because of the buoyancy and growth rate of the Chinese economy. No one knows how much silver is out there, but the signs are it’s a significant amount.”
To learn all about Chinese Export Silver, Adrien von Ferscht is giving a talk at the Glasgow Art Club on May 24 at 6.30pm. Admission at door is £10 (including drinks & nibbles). You can reserve a space on http://www.royalglasgowinstitute.org/events.html or call 0141 248 6386.
A late 17th century filigree silver gilt Chinese Export Silver box made for Catherine the Great, currently in the Hermitage Museum
There’s always loads happening in Glasgow but even by this going out city’s standards, things seem to be hyper-charged. Here’s just a few events that have come my way this week which I think deserve attention.
1. The culmination of Govan based community arts project Nothing about us without us is for us www.aboutuswithoutus.comon Saturday 28 April between 1pm and 4 when Govan embarks on a charm offensive of communication across the Clyde to the Riverside Museum, with giant medieval catapults firing art cargo, St Kilda mailboats, a Govan Armada……..go see it for yourselves. Check their blog for latest details. Events take place at The Riverside Museum and the opposite side of the Clyde in Govan. It’s part of The Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art 2012.
2. Glasgow’s own collective for new soulful jazz fusion and electric grooves dBass collective , launched their new EP Alloy last night. Get the digital EP on http://dbass.bandcamp.com/album/alloy
3. Tom Harlow of Avenue G cafe on Byres Road was competing in the semi-finals of the UKBC 2012 in London today 27 April and we’ll find out later today if goes through to the barista finals in Vienna.
4. Louise Welsh has a gripping new novel coming out in August, The Girl on The Stairs, plus next month sees the publication of an anthology, Tip Tap Flat the author has co-edited with students from Glasgow Uni and Glasgow School of Art. Louise is currently their Writer in Residence. www.louisewelsh.com
GOVAN BOMARDMENT ACROSS THE CLYDE
Armada sails from ‘Glasgow’s Camelot’
A wave of communication washes over Glasgow’s River Clyde on Saturday 28 April from 1-4pm, when a major public art event harnesses the power of mediaeval catapults, St Kilda mail boats, a soundscape of sea shanties, extracts from Upper Clyde hero Jimmy Reid’s speeches, and a Govan Armada, to blur the natural and manmade boundaries between both sides of the river.
Led by artists Matt Baker and t s Beall as part of The Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art 2012, Nothing about us without us is for us, is a two-way dialogue of friendly fire across the Clyde, which deploys obsolete technology and even flotsam and jetsam to build a bridge of communication across the Clyde.
Part action and part experiment, the free event is the culmination of six weeks of collaboration between Baker and Beall with artists, local multi-generational groups, and cultural organisations from both sides of the Clyde and the Parish of Govan, focusing on the theme of long-distance (particularly maritime) communication.
On Saturday 28 April, these workshops will culminate in a community celebration day when all the different forms of communication will be put into play in an attempt to convey messages across the river; the event will be hosted on both sides of the river by The Riverside Museum.
The raw materials of the project are fragments of language that at different periods of history have claimed to represent Govan and is part of larger effort to join up Glasgow by reaching across the city’s majestic natural boundary.
“We are excited and honoured to be working with so many wonderful individuals and organizations,” the artists explain. “By using layers of Govan’s rich ancient history and contemporary culture, this experimental event aims to bring people to the Clyde, as well giving them fresh opportunities to understand and appreciate this amazing asset in our city, plus have some fun at a free event that’s open to everyone.
“More than anything Nothing about us… is an experiment, an exercise or action in communication, and an attempt to consider art and the role of artists in thinking about places. The project is a day where the reality of failed communication will be both celebrated and transformed.
Three golden ages of Govan
‘Govan has had two eras of greatness – that is two more than most places.’
Professor Stephen Driscoll
Time was when both sides of the Clyde could be forded, and it’s not too much of a stretch to say that Govan was once Scotland’s Camelot, as the first golden age refers to The Early Mediaeval period when Govan was home to the royal court of the Ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde.
Next came the glorious era of the Shipyards spanning 19th and mid 20th century when Govan was one of the major shipbuilding centres of the world. Now Govan is contemplating its third golden age age with the new Riverside Museum designed by Zaha Hadid, and the Science Centre, as well as being a media hub with the BBC and STV HQs.
Ian Pattison, the creator of Govan’s most famous fictional son Rab C Nesbitt, is one of many Govanites who welcomes the Nothing About Us event: “It’s great to see local Govan people reclaiming the river in an imaginative way as part of their daily cultural landscape.
“As kids we would travel on the two ferries, the passenger ferry at the foot of McKechnie Street and the traffic ferry at Water Row, over the ocean to exotic Partick. Back then, the river seemed as busy as Sauchiehall Street.”
On the day, there will be several boats on the water including the Kelvinhaugh Ferry and the GalGael’s timber birlinn. Nothing for about us without us is for us is an ongoing project that will manifest over a period of time, as Govan is re-asserts itself in more creative ways while remembering its past.
When and where in a nutshell
Saturday 28 April, 1 – 4pm
Govan Waterfront (near Govan Ferry Pontoon – G51 2LH) and in front of The Riverside Museum (100 Pointhouse Place, G3 8RS)
Additional events:
Mon 23 April – Stalled Places (walk thru Govan)
Sat 28 April, 1 – 4pm – main event: Nothing about us without us is for us
Tues 1 May – Screenings in honour of George Wyllie
20 & 26 April – Armada building workshops
Full rundown of activities:
The Govan Armada
Location – displayed near to Ferry Pontoons (on both sides of river) before being launched
The Govan Armada is a fleet of small model boats made from ‘redeveloped rubbish’ (flotsam)collected from the Clyde and each carrying a message should someone find the boat washed up. The boats have been made by young people and community groups from Govan, and visitors to GI festival.
Trebuchets x 2 (mediaeval siege catapults, aka ‘The Charm Offensive’)
Locations – On former slipway of H+W shipyard (Southside) on main river concourse Riverside Museum (to eastern edge)
Glasgow Museums specialist Grant Leckie will oversee the building of two machines at The GalGael Trust and their operation at the event. The largest Trebuchet has a range of 180m and will launch special ‘art cargo’ (created by Colin Begg and Belinda Gilbert-Scott) towards the opposite bank. Visitors will be invited to ‘fish’ for the cargo and/or see it retrieved by boats.
Marine Signal Flags
Locations – Govan New Parish Church, Water Row, Showpeople’s Site, The Tallship
During the week leading up to the event, messages will be exchanged across the river via marine signal flags displayed on two prominent buildings in Govan and the Tallship on the Partick side of the Clyde. Flags will be constructed by three local groups in collaboration with artists Alex Bowie, Fiona Fleming, and Geraldine Greene.
On the 28 April the flags will be visible on buildings and Tallship – but smaller versions will also be run up and down the flagpoles by the river’s edge.
Choral Serenade
Locations – unknown at this point – but could be anywhere within the event perimeter and may also include singers on the Kelvinhaugh Ferry.
A synchronized performance of human voices involving members of several local choirs, led by artist Steven Anderson.
Past Patter: Voices of The Clyde
Locations – Harland Way (Southside) and on main river concourse Riverside Museum
Archeologists from Northlight Heritage will have a number of ‘translation stations’ each manned by interpreters of different languages from the past and present on the Clyde (Brythonic, Urdu, etc.). Visitors will be offered the chance to translate messages into a new language and then to be part of communicating this across the river.
String and Cup Telephones
Locations – Harland Way (Southside) and on main river concourse Riverside Museum
Funnel sculptures temporarily fixed to the railings – with a lightweight cord running across the river and connected to similar funnels on the opposite bank, made by artist Kate V. Robertson.
Visitors will be encouraged to use the String and Cup telephones to send messages across the river.
Activities on the Water
Locations – Stretch of River between the event areas indicated on attached diagram
Clyde Clippers Ferry, Old KelvinHaugh Ferry (Tallship), GalGael Birlinn, Seaforce, Fire Brigade (TBC).
The vessels above will all be part of the event and active on the water for at least some of the duration of NothingAboutUs.
-ends-
For further information, interviews and hi-res images contact Heather Macleod
e:words@heather.uk.net t:07891144157
Matt Baker: 07855 957401 t s Beall (Tara): 07932 084892
Notes for Editors:
Nothing about us without us is for us is an ongoing project that will manifest over a period of time. Check the blog for updates on the significant history of Govan, the list of artists working on the different communications strands and details of events: http://www.aboutuswithoutus.com/search/label/events
Nothing about us without us is for us is presented as part of The Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art 2012 and supported by National Lottery – Awards 4 All, Glasgow Housing Association, Glasgow City Council, GlasgowLife, Community Health Partnership – South Glasgow. Information can also be found here: http://www.glasgowinternational.org/index.php/events/view/nothingaboutus/
Riverside Museum is building a trebuchet in collaboration with the GalGael Trust commissioned expressly for this event but the design, and fabrication is to specifications by an expert within Glasgow Museums. This will be the third time the Museums have built and operated a trebuchet of exactly this design, and it will be designed and operated by the same museum experts.
Event Partners – Nothing About Us is a collaborative undertaking by local groups and organisations these include: The Riverside Museum, The Tallship, Riverside Community Halls, Govan Youth Programme, Fablevision, Crann Tara, Plantation Productions, GalGael Trust, Pearce Institute, Clydeview Housing Partnership, Govan and Linthouse Parish, Govan and Craigton Integration Network, Platforum, Centre for Human Ecology, and more.
Funders – National Lottery:Awards4All, Glasgow City Council, GlasgowLife, Community Health Partnership – South Glasgow, Glasgow Housing Association.
Artists’ Biogs (full list of artists and biog info on website)
t s Beall works with a variety of media to examine how landscape and place are both imaged and imagined.
Recent public artworks experiment with different models of collaboration, and how community action can offer playful counterpoint to gentrification and development. Her moving image work explores how the camera and digital media have shifted our notions of place, and how inaccessible landscapes are imaged by modern technology.
Recent exhibitions include A Stone’s Throw Away as part of Atypical Root and Glasgow International (2010), Here be dragons at The Colby Museum, Maine, USA (2008/9), Beyond Visibility at the St. Mungo Museum, Glasgow (2008), and Untitled Horses at Castlefield Gallery, Manchester (2007), the latter two in collaboration with new music composer Mary Bellamy. Beall recently completed a residency at Standpoint Gallery in London (May-June 2011), and in Oct 2011 began a practice-based PhD at the University of Glasgow Theatre Studies, in collaboration with the Riverside Museum. www.tsbeall.com
Matt Baker makes artworks in the public domain, developing participatory and collaborative techniques through projects ranging from temporary events/installations to large-scale permanent artworks and cultural strategies for programmes of urban change.
In 2011, Baker was awarded the Saltire Society Award for Art in Architecture in Scotland between 2009-11. Since March 2011 he has been resident artist within the Riverside community in Govan.
From 2006-2010 Matt was the City Artist for Inverness – his work there placed the creative community at the centre of a dialogue about the contemporary identity of the Highland capital. Temporary artwork interventions, public debates and unlikely partnerships were the hallmark of the residency, which ultimately evolved into acclaimed public art organisation IOTA (now core funded by Highland Council).
Baker was also Lead Artist from 2000-2005 for the award-winning regeneration of the iconic Gorbals neighbourhood in Glasgow. The project is widely recognised for its pioneering work in applying a socially-engaged art methodology to a large scale public art programme. More than 30 local, national and international artists were commissioned to work within the context of a place undergoing wholescale re-construction. Baker’s work in the Gorbals included The Gatekeeper (locally ‘the hingin angel’) now one of the most recognizable landmarks in the South of the city. www.mattbaker.co.uk
The Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art:
Taking place every other year, and combining some of the characteristics of a conventional arts ‘biennial’ with a more event-based experience, Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art is a unique event in the international calendar with one of the most groundbreaking and dynamic presentations of contemporary visual arts practice. GI is a unique event that offers both globally recognised and emerging Glasgow-based artists across the spectrum of the city’s art scene a platform to show new work to both national and international audiences while also introducing the work of important international artists. Since its inception in 2005 the Festival has brought together the key organisations in Glasgow’s diverse artistic community, presenting unique events and special commissions rooted in the achievements of the local artistic community, while drawing on important international developments in contemporary art.
APRIL SHOWS AT THE KELLY GALLERY
Kim Scouller
Here’s some information and images about two consecutive shows and an artists’ talk at Glasgow’s Kelly Gallery this month. Join us for Kim & Lara Scouller’s preview on Friday 20 April 5-7pm, and if you an hour to spare this coming Tuesday 17 April at 11am, the sisters will be in the gallery to talk about their work. Coffee and cake too!
Last chance to catch TIME/TIDE – moments from places by Dundee based artist Robert McGilvray which ends 14 April.
This exhibition stems from Robert’s close affinity with the coastal landscape of the River Tay and the North Sea, along with the contrasting dark, brooding skies that envelope the lochs and hills of the Western Highlands.
Not just landscapes in the accepted sense, the paintings in TIME/TIDE reflect the artist’s memory of experiences and his personal responses to a sense of place; hence the title of the exhibition.
“It could be the biting east wind and the spear of brilliant white light that sears along the river’s horizon, or the looming squall that pervades the dark void of a distant highland loch,” explains Robert, whose work has been influenced by these landscapes for the past decade.
“Although firmly rooted in these surroundings, the references can be traced to American abstract expressionism. However they are also reflective of Turner’s seascapes and the nocturnes of Whistler, which evoke a dedicated reliance on the memory of a moment in a place, exploring the uncertainty in the mists.”
Based in Broughty Ferry on the fringes of Dundee, Robert is currently a lecturer in the School of Fine Art at Duncan Jordanstone College of Art & Design. Robert has exhibited widely throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe, and is also a consultant and author on Public Art & Design.
Relative Perspective
Kim & Lara Scouller
17 – 28 April
This is the first joint show of paintings and drawings by the Scouller sisters. Despite working at opposite ends of the country, Kim in London and Lara in Dundee, the sisters are in constant communication with each other which perhaps explains why there is a strong connection in their work.
While Lara prefers to work directly in pastels using nature as her inspiration, Kim’s work involves working in oils and water-based paints, with the human environments and interaction important elements.
Says Kim: “While choosing different subject matter, we share a sympathy with the way we process that subject and the language we use.”
On Tuesday 17 April Kim & Lara will be in the Kelly Gallery from 11am until noon to talk about their work. Visit www.royalglasgowinstitute.org for details.
RGI Kelly Gallery 118 Douglas St Glasgow (www.royalglasgowinstitute.org)
Gallery open Tuesday – Friday 10.30am – 5pm Saturday 10.30 am – 3pm Sunday Closed
Lara
The first time that Lara Scouller (b Glasgow 1983) submitted work to the RGI’s annual show in 2010, she won the James Torrance Memorial Award for most promising young artist for her pastel drawing ‘Cormorant’ which reflects her fascination with wildlife.
Lara, who graduated in Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in 2006 and is based in Dundee, first became interested in painting wildlife after visiting a taxidermy museum in Florence. Lara has exhibited widely, alongside winning several scholarships and prizes, including the Dundee Visual Artists Award and the RSA John Kinross scholarship to Florence.
As the daughter of artist Glen Scouller, Lara grew up in a creative household, and can’t remember a time when she wasn’t drawing and painting. Although she works from a WASPS studio in Dundee, Lara also works in the great outdoors at Dundee’s City Road Allotments. “It’s a good place to work as it’s quiet and peaceful.” says Lara. “Working outside is really inspiring and I’ve been made very welcome to the extent that I have a key to the allotments, and the added bonus of free veg!”
This exhibition provides Lara with the opportunity to combine her fascination with natural life, flora and fauna, and drawing from life, as well as exploring new ideas.
Artist’s Statement
“My subject matter varies from the human figure and portraiture, to cityscapes including allotments, trees and most recently, working from museum collections including animals and objects of curiosity.
“I want to capture something that perhaps we wouldn’t normally see at a glance. I often situate myself in public spaces and am drawn to objects which are often overlooked, focusing on the subtleties and distinct characteristics. I try to create something which encapsulates my initial urge to draw, and hopefully breathe life into the surface in which I am working on.”
Kim
Kim (b Glasgow 1980) was the winner of the prestigious Aspect Prize in 2004 and from 2008-2009 was artist in residence at Prince’s Drawing School in London. She has exhibited widely across the UK including the BP Portrait Award at The National Portrait Gallery in London and her work is held in numerous private collections, including HRH Prince of Wales.
Kim who lives and works in London’s East End, recently spent six months living and working in Sweden where she made a new body of work which consisted of quick oil sketches of people she met while living there, and paintings made en plein-air in and around Stockholm.
“I was surprised how quickly I was able to make connections with other like-minded artists in another country. In this exhibition, I would like to use these works as a starting point for exploration of subject matter and experiences from that time.”
Artist’s Statement
“I like the contrast of activity working between myself and others and that of intimacy and solitude. The subject matter is an important stimulus as is the environment in which I’m working. For me the, the process of painting is vitally important, while working directly from the figure is of equal value.”
This appears in the latest edition of Scottish Farmer’s lifestyle mag. I’m the grand-daughter of a farmer, so have courtyard cred.
The frill of it all
Be it stripped pine or Formica, the humble kitchen table has long been a launch pad for successful businesses, including Laura Ashley who produced her first floral prints in her basement kitchen, and contemporary ceramicist Emma Bridgewater.
Now, Kirsteen Mackay, who runs Buy Cute Aprons (www.buycuteaprons.com) from her Ross-shire home, has joined the roll call of kitchen table entrepreneurs by turning a traditionally mundane product into a covetable item.
It’s a year since Kirsteen launched her online retail store which supplies a selection of delicious aprons sourced from the UK and United States. With exotic names such as Cupcake Provocateur, Sugar Baby and Simply Savvy Aprons, the pretty yet practical aprons are often more Marilyn Monroe than Maw Broon.
“I was inspired to set up the business after noticing that these fun and elegant styles of aprons were really taking off in the United States, but their availability in the UK was limited,” explains Kirsteen, who is based in the coastal hamlet of Portmahomack.
“The aprons come in dozens of designs, some wipe clean, while others have pockets for holding cleaning materials. I choose which aprons to stock through personal preference and by consulting with friends. My son Donnie (4) and daughter Erin (2), both love trying on the kids’ aprons for painting, baking and even just dressing up.”
While the majority of aprons are imported from American designers such as Tayga Cooking Aprons, Apron Elegance and Jessie Steele, Kirsteen also stocks British collections including Ulster Weavers, Shreds, and Stitches by Emmy Lou.
“Each apron designer has their own particular story to tell which is reflected in the quality of their workmanship,” says Kirsteen. “The majority of our aprons are handmade to order and all the designs not only provide good coverage but also give the wearer a unique sense of style.”
The aprons have multi-generational appeal with designs to suit all the family, including a skull and crossbones print for teenagers, and a bloke’s Light My Fire apron guaranteed to spice up barbecues as well as protecting clothes.
As some of the aprons come with co-ordinating oven gloves and tea towels, they also make smart gifts for special occasions such a Mother’s Day; there’s even an elaborate Wedding Apron. Kirsteen also stocks apron patterns for the nimble fingered who want to create their own custom made style.
Kirsteen’s customer base takes in everyone from local farming families, to apron aficionados across the UK and in Europe, with the quirky designs proving particularly popular in Sweden. The aprons are affordably priced, ranging from around £6 for a children’s apron, £15 for an adult’s chambray stripe, to £30 for an Elvis apron.
It’s a flexible business model that particularly lends itself to parents of small children and people living in remote areas. Kirsteen believes that living in Portmahomack plays a pivotal role in the success of her kitchen table business.
“Far from holding me back, the tranquil setting keeps me stress free and allows me the freedom to bring my kids up in a lovely rural community whilst indulging in my passion for internet marketing,” she points out.
“My background is in marketing in the oil industry, and I spent a good deal of time researching and looking at a number of sites prior to launching the business. Even if you sub-contract someone else to set up your site, it’s important to know how to do it yourself.
“Portmahomack is a small fishing village with one shop, which thankfully also houses the local post-office, otherwise the nearest is 10 miles away in Tain. Taking a stroll along the beach with the kids on our way to post out the aprons, is one of the many benefits of seaside living and has become part of our daily routine.
“As this is where I grew up, I’m delighted to be able to bring my kids up in this area and run a business from home. Every day I feel incredibly lucky to live in such lovely surroundings with a strong community spirit. ”
Look out for Kirsteen and her Buy Cute Aprons stand at sheepdog trials or visit Buy Cute Aprons at www.buycuteaprons.com
Portmahomack Lighthouse close to Kirsteen’s home.
Talk Tuesday at RGI Kelly Gallery with Emma Tennant on 20 March
Pomegranates & Pinks – A Scottish Painter’s Journey
If you have an hour to spare between 11 & 12 am next Tuesday (20th March), then drop into Glasgow’s Kelly Gallery at 118 Douglas Street for coffee, cake and most importantly, a talk by distinguished botanical artist Emma Tennant.
Emma spent part of her childhood at her family home in the Borders and has been painting flowers and plants since the age of five. As a lifelong gardener, Emma brings a unique perspective to her work, observing plants from the inside out, often growing flowers with the express purpose of painting them
Emma’s flower, fruit and vegetable watercolours on Japanese bark paper combine botanical accuracy with a free and lively line. She exhibits her paintings in London regularly, and the notes about the plants she draws and paints are historical, scholarly and practical.
The talk will focus on how artists have painted flowers and plants through the centuries, as well as focusing on Emma’s own paintings. Her work is widely collected by artists, collectors and gardeners alike and she is currently working towards an exhibition at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, and (March 2013).
Although she has her own unique style, Emma was influenced by work of distinguished RGI, Dame Elizabeth Blackadder. “Her work was a real breakthrough for me,” says Emma, “I knew I could paint flowers competently but there was something so liberating about Elizabeth Blackadder’s work, while remaining botanically correct.”
Aside from painting, Emma has been instrumental in the current revival of the craft of rag rug making. Her book ‘Rag Rugs of England and America’ (published by Walker Books, 1992) explores the history of this craft, a centuries old tradition in both countries.
Emma is not to be confused with the novelist Emma Tennant who is her sister-in-law!
Talks start at 11am until noon approximately with coffee served at 10.30am.
All welcome Tickets: £6 per person, £10 for 2 people. Free to members of the press.
To book, email: curator@royalglasgowinstitute.org Tel: 0141 248 6386. While booking is advised, you are welcome to turn up on the day.
RGI Kelly Gallery 2012
118 Douglas Street Glasgow G2 4ET
Gallery open Tuesday – Friday 10.30am – 5pm Saturday 10.30 am – 3pm Sunday Closed
