Goodbye and Hello

Hello All

The end of our Festival exhibition, 7 Artists: Edinburgh Soul, is nigh!  Monday is the very last day.
So Alison and I have that regular, slightly depressing feeling that we are about to lose a group of great friends - the paintings and sculpture that have kept us company over the last four and a half weeks.  When you're surrounded by work by some of the finest artists working in Edinburgh, it's hard not to get attached to them.  If you haven't been in yet, I strongly recommend that you try and find the time over the next couple of days....it really is a superb exhibition.

Alison having a quiet moment with Graham Flack's 'I Wait for You' before it goes off to it's new home in Glasgow.

Award winning artist David Hosie having a look at "Mythopoeia" and a final look at "Anima" before she begins her journey to her new home in Germany.

As well as Graham Flack and David Hosie's brilliant work there are new paintings by Olivia Irvine, Michael McVeigh, Henry Kindracki and Philip Braham, and amazing bronze sculpture by the brilliant John Brazenall. A real feast for lovers of great art.

'Constellation 4' by Philip Braham 

'Father Son' by David Hosie

However, for all of you who think that September is a little bit of a cultural void after the overload of the Festival, I have some very good news for you.  Our next exhibition, opening on Thursday, is a collection of new work by the brilliant painter Derek McGuire, titled 'ELLA NOVO LOCO'. 

Derek McGuire is a lecturer at Edinburgh College of Art, and a painter of extraordinary depth and diversity.  His work will amuse you, confuse you, and definately challenge you.  This is an important exhibition, where the artist has used his unique voice to superb effect. 

If you look in The Scotsman on Monday, you will find an advert for this exhibition, along with an image of this painting:

'The Relaxing Pleasure of Shitting in the Woods' by Derek McGuire

In their wisdom, The Scotsman decided that the word 'shitting' was far too offensive for their readers, even though they seem to cope with the daily dose of murder, rape and cruelty.  So, they insisted on changing the title to 'The Relaxing Pleasure of Sh***ing in the Woods'.  I have only just stopped laughing at them.  How ridiculous.

Anyway, more on this exhibition will follow, but for those of you who like to be challenged and enthralled by their art, you really should come along in September.

A Model Blog

Hello everyone,

I hope you all have a lovely weekend

During the opening of  the Lisle/McArthur spectacular, I was lucky enough to meet Richard, aka the model for "Half Way Home". A really charming chap who was telling me that by the time he and Patsy McArthur had finished the shots for the piece, he was up to his knees in the sea!

 












"Half Way Home" by Patsy McArthur
This doesn't surprise me; I can tell that Patsy puts her models through their paces to get the desired effects.  This accounts for the movement and energy in her work.  I wish I could have met the brave and athletic model who was daring enough to do this:

 
















"Endless Possible Futures" by Patsy McArthur
This has to be an all-time favourite of mine from Patsy's new body of work. I look at it everyday and am completely fascinated by the idea that these men are destined to be forever tumbling. That a 'static' painting can so successfully capture the feeling of these people in free fall, spining out of the sky, is remarkable.  
A couple of interesting facts to tell you about award winning artist Patsy McArthur: a few years back, the Royal Scottish Academy, here in Edinburgh, bought one of her pieces for their own collection - a serious accolade indeed.  Not long after that, she was highlighted in The Scotsman as one of the best up-and-coming artists in Scotland - a remarkable achievement when still only in her 20's. I hope that she won't mind me telling you that a number of years ago she said something to me in relation to my own work that has stayed with me ever since. I was struggling with classic artists angst over my paintings, and she simply said, "Alison, you can't help what comes out of you". It has stuck with me all these years and I suspect I may have even quoted her when talking to other artists. Experience and wisdom beyong her years.

I'm annoyed that I didn't spot Amy Mackie at the opening. Amy is the superb model for:

"Knowledge" by Dylan Lisle
Having been lucky enough to have seen much of Dylan Lisle's paintings as works in progress (and, wow, that really is fascinating!), I feel in an odd way that I have got to know her, and that I would recognise her immediately. Although it was rather busy that night, with lots of lovely people to meet. Thank you, Amy, for your wonderful contribution.

  
















"Decima" by Dylan Lisle
Yes, I confess that I am the model behind this beautiful painting (Dylan Lisle truly CAN work miracles!), and I also modelled for "Gemini", which you can see on his page on our website.

Ending with: 

This happy picture of Dylan was taken way back in February. Both he and Patsy were already working hard on this exhibition, and he looks really calm! The point is, it just goes to show how long and how labour intensive it is to put on an exhibition such as this. Dylan Lisle and Patsy McArthur have put everything into this incredible show: they have pushed their skills, techniques, imaginations and creative capabilities to the absolute limits. It shows, and if you haven't already been in, you really should.
To say I am really proud and grateful would be an understatement.