Menonday Art Vibe; Pet Paintings

While at the counter paying for souvenirs at The Weaver's Cottage, I spotted these two joyful pictures on the wall behind... unfortunately, space and lighting made photography a bit challenging, but I think you will enjoy these, nonetheless...

Menonday Art Vibe; An Artist's Process

Last Friday, I shared some images of a piece of wood that had 'history'. It was sitting in the garden of Mac1's home, and she had plans for it. As long-termers here will know, my sister has spent much of her last ten years taking courses (and qualifications) in embroidery and quilting. During that time, part of the course required that the students learn skills in creating their own fabric patterns with the use of various printing techniques... and Mac1, being who she is, followed that path further and further, so that now printing has become her favoured and much-practised art medium. 

On this one, before getting out the ink, she took a graphite rubbing, as this gives a good idea of what might be obtained once the (expensive) inks are employed. This produces a 'positive' image. When printing, a 'negative' is obtained.

Inking is done by use of a glass plate, rollers (sometimes sponging), and very careful placement, as that stuff sticks! Several prints are taken from the 'master' (on this afternoon, it was a total of five). After, to use up the ink remaining on the plate, marks are made and further prints created - I show just one here, but they all came out beautifully and each with it's own characteristics.

Interestingly, I used to do quite a lot of rubbings and screen-printing (decades ago!), and my fingers were itching a bit being in amongst all this creativity. I did use some of her various items to take some rubbings and then added some dimension with use of a black marker pen. The result is a slightly apocalyptic scene, but I am pleased enough with it to have placed it in the van for any who visit to see... and thus you have a glimpse of the diversions the Mac Clan are inclined to!

Menonday Art Vibe; Impact

Last Thursday, I told you of the pop-up exhibition we came across on the Mound Plaza, containing a long visual narration of time spent on the front lines in Ukraine. In that post, I left a link to the JustGiving page, which is aiming for the £10,000 needed to purchase an animal transport vehicle. You can read more about the Pickups for Peace initiative at this link. Scroll down a little to see the info about that vehicle, and you can also donate from there if you are so moved.

Here is the info provided at the open-air photo show, and four of the shots that struck home. This is Art Vibe; aside from the subject, the skill of the photographer, Oleg Petrasiuk, is undeniable. I have deliberately offset the angle of shooting my own photos to contrast his work with the comparable safety that is Edinburgh... the last one, though, deserved full focus. For all its horror, it is truly beautiful.

Menoting; Memorable

I've been in Edinburgh this week. Wanted to go to the 200 Years Exhibition at the National Gallery of Scotland, which celebrates two centuries of Scottish art and artists, with all works available for sale. 

Tuesday, like nearly every other day this month, dawned very dark, very grey, very wet and on the chilly end of comfort. Nothing some woollens and macs wouldn't overcome. We hopped on the bus and were down to the city centre just ahead of eleven in the eh and em. Walking onto the plaza that precedes entry to the gallery, we were met with the most astounding sight.

Fireproof was - it turned out - on its last day of display, and neither of us had heard anything about it being on, which is an immense shame. Then again, it was slap bang in the centre of one of the busiest thoroughfares in the country, so it would not have lacked viewers. Neither, I am pleased to see, has it lacked for donations to the cause it was there to promote: providing necessary supplies to the Ukrainians. There is still just a little way to go to reach the target amount... can you help?

Mostly, I took only wide shots, only picking a very few to be more detailed. You will see the three I chose in the upcoming Menonday post, but here is one with Mac1 contemplating the soldier in the trench, so reminiscent of WW1 images... the photographer is Oleg Petrasiuk.

It was all very moving, just by the visual impact... but I had a brief interaction with a young family from Ukraine, he a soldier, here for a week's respite. They were deeply moved by the support they have found here. Then, Mac1 and I got chatting with a tall, well-spoken young American, who is an army attaché to the US embassy in Kyiv, who was appreciative of the 20 or so minutes we afforded him to 'download '. We assured him of confidentiality, but suffice it to say, he was glad of sleep without air raid sirens, and driving without fear of drones... We left him reluctantly, wishing him well, both so very impressed by his clear strength and sense of love and duty towards Ukraine and its citizens. A marked counterfoil to what has been in the news... My sister and I both shed a tear later.

From this, we had to transition to our main purpose. The piper helped, as incongruous as his presence was beside the trauma on display...

The 200 proved to be very worth our while, and was an excellent balm to the sore hearts we had from the first encounter of the day. There were lots of photos taken, of course, and you know you will be seeing most of them in Art Vibe posts... but here are just a few tasters to give you an idea. (Oh, and yes, more purchases by yours truly, which will be revealed in due course..) By the time we returned home, we knew we had had a day out, one that will stick in memory for quite some time.

(L) Edward Arthur Walton. (R) Alexander Fraser

(Lx2) Kate Downie. (Rx2) Norman McBeath

Michael Snowden

(Lx2) John Mackechnie, (C) Victoria Crowe, (R) Annie Cattrell.

Menonday Art Vibe; Last of The Lady

Apart from all the wonderful wall paintings at Ford's Lady Waterford Hall, there were many of her smaller, more intimate paintings and sketches. Much to be admired, this little arrangement caught my fancy...

Menonday Art Vibe; Lady Waterford Hall 3

The final of the wall panels from the Ford Hall. Thank you for all the lovely comments last week and for the engagement. I hope those who asked questions checked back for the responses! I think it is a testament to the good lady that her work has reached out to so many this many years later...

Menonday Art Vibe; Lady Waterford Hall 2

Two more of my favourite panels from the walls of the hall at Ford, Northumberland. Lady Waterford was most certainly talented... but I have to think that she had stamina, too, to work at height like this!

Menonday Art Vibe; Lady Waterford Hall 1

Bringing you some more detailed looks at art from the walls of the Ford School as it was, now a museum hall.

Menonday Art Vibe; Meiaow!

Mac1 and I just adored this beauty! Practicalities and cost kept me from being a spontaneous buyer... but I don't think anyone can deny that this is a most attractive and fun sculpture. (I did buy a sculpture... she says, teasing once again...)

Menonday Art Vibe; Beaded Beauty

This is the penultimate post from this year's Annual Open Exhibition at the National Gallery of Scotland. This collection of small 'stones' held the gaze for a while, both from a distance and then up close. I found myself comparing the experience to staring into rock pools on the shoreline, finding little delights for the eye and senses. I could imagine framing off a section of wall and painting a background to celebrate the shore, with these jewels placed within it... (No, it's not one that I added to my own collection, but it was considered! Oh, and the remaining items that did get purchased will appear here - eventually...)

Menonday Arti Vibe: Many Desirables

As you may have gathered, if you have followed closely, I was very impressed with this year's Annual Open Exhibition - it was almost overwhelming how many works I felt drawn to. The wall I share here had so very many that I could have added to my buy list... especially the little one singled out below... but I'd already reached my budget, so I just have to live with the memory of these. Biggification will help you look a little closer if you care to...

Menonday Art Vibe; Slinky

Richard Goldsworthy has no relationship to Andy Goldsworthy, but his works echo something of the same principles of looking at what nature has to offer - and raising it to something else. Here is a conceptualised stream which I think is gorgeous. It is a delight to the eye, and I think this would be a gorgeous piece to adorn a garden room - or even in the garden itself, letting it mellow with the nature around it...

Menonday Art Vibe; Giddy Up!

This collective might split the camp! I was intrigued by this setup: the artist providing us with a conceptualised visit to her workshop with all its materials, models and maquettes, then the juxtaposition with the wall artworks that appeared as a result. No, it's not something I could live with, but as an installation it held my interest and gaze for quite some time... (I am again slightly regretting not having taken the wall works individually, but it was the totality that was captivating me...)

Menonday Art Vibe: Saltired

This wee sculpture was tucked into a corner at the 200th Annual Open at the NGS... I couldn't see the gallery blurb, so did a quick search online and provide you with the information that way. I adored this, and had funds permitted, he'd have been coming home with me! Of course, the actual cattle are black and white - so why the blue, some may be wondering. This is a purely Scottish breed, so why not go for the colours of the Saltire?! 

Menonday Art Vibe; Watery Weave

This item was quite large but, sadly, a bit tucked into a corner, so I couldn't get a full-face photo of the whole without being at an angle. A lovely piece of skilful weaving in pure cotton; one definitely got the sense of water and movement when standing before it. As ever, the photos really do it no favours. I do love fibre arts, as I think you are by now aware (!), so this one definitely ticked my box. I do not, though, have either the space or the finance for it. I hope it did find a home. 

Menonday Art Vibe; In The Round

As mentioned before, a great many of the artworks in this year's Annual Open Exhibition reflected on nature and the environment. These large-scale items also focused on the circular. The first one had a strong impact both as a whole and from a distance, but when I walked up close, the work within the acrylic was quite mesmerising. Then, in the other full-wall item, the artist combined aerial photography with creatively crafted circular works... I was not entirely convinced by the combination, but the circles were lovely, and I am sorry that I don't seem to have taken a close-up photograph of either! For the second, I have given the tags that pertain to the far left panel and the larger one on the right...