trevorjonesart

Big F*$KING OOPS! Where have all my blog images gone? :(

2012-01-24T20:26:00.006Z

Apologies to anyone visiting my blog right now. I seem to have deleted every image all the way back to the beginning! Wah. I have backups and will replace them when I have a wee bit of time. Double Wah!

Stay tuned. x

Travel Bug Anyone?

2012-01-15T21:27:00.019Z

Do you live in or have you visited any of these amazing cities below? If so, would you like to help me with my next art project?

I’m beginning work on a group of paintings that will start with the collaged images of these cities. I will also create an online gallery of the images for each city emailed to me. Although not necessary, it would be nice if you could include some information about the photograph such as where in the city it was taken or what it is about the photo that makes it special to you. This text will be included with the image in the online gallery. If you do add one, keep your description fairly brief and please don't email any more than 3 images for any one city.

Ps. You don't need to be Mario Testino! Any kind of photo is great; cityscapes, people shots, a building, the restaurant you ate in, a drunken snapshot from your big night out etc!

Email your photos to trevorjonesart@hotmail.co.uk

The exhibition will take place near the end of this year but I will keep you posted as to the progress of the project and the paintings.

Many thanks and I look very forward to seeing your photographs!

1. Barcelona Spain

2. Beijing China

3. Berlin Germany

4. Buenos Aires Argentina

5. Cape Town South Africa

6. Casablanca Morocco

7. Dublin Ireland

8. Edinburgh Scotland

9. Istanbul Turkey

10. London England

11. Mexico City Mexico

12. Moscow Russia

13. New York USA

14. Paris France

15. Rio De Janeiro Brazil

16. Rome Italy

17. Seoul South Korea

18. Sydney Australia

19. Tokyo Japan

20. Vancouver Canada

You can Like my Facebook page here to keep up with this project and the paintings.

Hellloooooo!!!

2012-01-14T19:08:00.004Z

A million apologies for the long, long break! Last year was absolutely chaotic and I spent all my free time working towards painting for my solo show "The Poem of Ecstacy" at the Leith Gallery and also on my other blog http://treesforlifeexhibition.blogspot.com/ - created to promote the Trees for Life charity exhibition I'd organised for November. I also took on the position of Executive Director for Art in Healthcare, which has kept me out of trouble since September.

I'm happy to say I managed to pull it all off without having a nervous breakdown (it was touch and go for a wee while) and I'm now back to paying attention to this site.

We raised over £5000 for Trees for Life! There are still artworks available for only £45 each at the Trees for Life website here http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/tflmerchandise_art.php

Ok, this was just a quick hello to let you know that I'm back! I hope you had a brilliant Christmas and New Year and I wish you all the best in 2012. X

Call to artists around the world!

2011-04-15T19:43:00.036+01:00

Let’s get back to nature and raise some money for a great cause

2011 International Year of Forests

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.

Twitter to the rescue!

Through the phenomenon of Twitter I want to track down 140 generous artists who will each create a 6x9 inch (16 x 23 cm) artwork inspired by the forests or some element of the natural environment where they live. I will be organising a two week exhibition and sale of all the artwork in November in the wonderful space at Out of the Blue art complex in Edinburgh, Scotland.

All money raised from this project will go to the worthy cause of restoring the Caledonian Forest supported by the charity Trees for Life. Each postcard will sell for £45 and, along with donations and opening night fundraising, we’re aiming to raise £10 000!

One of the many goals of Trees for Life in 2011 is to plant its one millionth tree! The money raised from this event will help the charity achieve this while laying the foundations for its ultimate vision of restoring a ‘wild forest, which is there for its own sake, as a home for wildlife and to fulfil the ecological functions necessary for the wellbeing of the land itself.’

A special online gallery will be set up to view and purchase the artwork. Links to each artist’s website will be attached to their work.

Below is a little more information. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at all. Thanks very much for taking the time to read this and I very much hope to be working with you soon!

Warm wishes,

Trevor

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Deforestation is a global problem. We are rightly concerned about the current destruction of forests in other parts of the world, but it isn't always so apparent that humans have been clearing Scottish woodlands for millennia. Through the centuries, trees were felled in Scotland for timber, fuel and to make way for agriculture. Also, the grazing of domestic livestock severely limited the scope for regeneration. Today only 1% of the original Scottish forest survives.

Restoring the Caledonian Forest

Trees for Life is an award-winning charity working to help restore the Caledonian Forest, which formerly covered a large part of the Scottish Highlands. Please click here to go to the Trees for Life website.

Q&A

Is it only 2D art or will 3D artwork be accepted too?

It will have to be posted to me and then possibly to the buyer and so only 2D artworks will be accepted to save on postage costs.

Can I send a photograph?

Photographers are most definitely welcome but please use a limited edition photograph with the edition number and your signature visible on the front of the photograph.

How big must it be?

Please keep it 16 x 23 cm (6 x 9 inches)
Remember that approximately 3 - 4mm will be lost from each side of the picture after it's been card mounted. Please take this into consideration when composing (and signing) your artwork.

Can the art be on any type of support (eg, paper, card, canvas, board etc)?

It can be created on anything that will be able to fit into a standard 6x9 inch envelope.

Do I have to pay for postage to Edinburgh, Scotland?

Yes please, the artist will pay the postage.

Should I insure the artwork at the post office.

Yes, please send it recored delivery (I just had one of my drawings go missing in the post so it can very easily happen!)

Where do I post my artwork to?

Trees for Life Exhibition
Trevor Jones
The Drill Hall
32-36 Dalmeny Street
Edinburgh
EH6 8RG

When does the artwork have to be finished?

31st of July
This will give me the necessary time to organise photography, uploading images, sorting out online payment for buyers of the artwork, and of course press releases and publicity

Do you need any more information?

Please can you send me a VERY brief 2 sentence bio and a couple sentences about your artwork eg. inspiration and location
Please let me know if you DO NOT want your website linked to your artwork.
Please sign your artwork on the front and also print your name on the back of it for cataloguing identification.

Let's see how many countries we can get involved! To date we have artists from:

Australia
Brazil
Canada
England
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Holland
Indonesia
Portugal
Scotland
South Korea
Spain
USA

Dear Facebook, what's the point?!

2011-04-09T20:36:00.004+01:00

I stumbled upon a fantastic online artist's resource quite some time ago that I keep going back to. The author, Drew, is brilliant with his great advice and for his honest, no-nonsense commentary on the complexities of trying to "make it" as an artist in today's world.

I thought his latest post Dear FaceBook, what's the point?! was exceptionally poignant and so I thought I'd knock it up here for all of you to view and hopefully, like me, take something from it. Actually, I'm just lazy and not that imaginative and I realised it would be a lot easier for me to steal something from someone else than wrack my tiny, little brain for a morsel of intelligence. Cheer Drew, you're the best!

At the end of the article, Drew added comments from a variety of artist who use online social networking resources. Give them a read and feel free to add your own comments. If you'd like links to any of the artists below who did comment, please go to the original Skinny Artist posting by clicking the link above.

It all seemed so simple in the beginning…

These days it seems as if everyone is telling you that you need to find a way to “engage” your fans in social media (whatever that means) if you are to have any hope of surviving as an artist/writer/musician in the 21st century.

So you sign up for Twitter and Facebook and start talking about your latest project or what you had for lunch that day because you don’t know what else to say to all of these people that you’ve never met before. Suddenly feeling like the friendless fool, you desperately try to find whatever Facebook friends and Twitter followers you can by blindly following back every social media expert and “branding” guru who tracks you down with their insidious little spam machines. Meanwhile all of the people you are actually hoping to attract, like other artists and future paying customers (gasp!), somehow continue to elude you.

"Social media can be like teen sex. Everyone wants to do it. Nobody really knows how. And when it’s finally done, we’re surprised that it’s not better." ~Avinash Kaushik

But then it’s still not enough…

Then just when you start to feel more comfortable sending out tweets and status updates, you’re told that it’s no longer enough. You also need to be on Tumblr, DeviantArt, Posterous, and Flickr if you’re going to have any hope of building your online reputation as an artist. So before long you have six different social media accounts that you now need to manage and update regularly, and what started out as a fun way to connect with other artists, has suddenly become a part-time job.

Not only that, but then you have annoying people like myself telling you that you still have more work to do. You also need to have a website as your “virtual home” where you can control and pull all of these other social media profiles together in one place. Oh, and while you’re at it, why don’t you go ahead and create a witty and informative blog to keep all of your readers (yes, both of them) up to date on what is happening in your professional life.

So now you not only having to constantly update your Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Posterous, and Tumblr accounts, but you also have to design and update this #$%@! website/blog, which according to your traffic stats only about 19 people are visiting anyway.

So here’s the big question (finally)….

Is any of this social media gooblygook really doing anything to build your creative business or is all of this simply sucking up more of your time that you could be spending, you know, actually creating something?

I generally hate to throw around corporate buzzwords, but have you ever stopped to think about what your ROI (return on investment) might be for all the time you are currently spending “networking” on these social media sites? And even if you could, how would you go about measuring something like that?

I was wondering about this stuff myself, so recently on our own humble little Facebook page (I know ironic, right?) I asked what you’ve been getting out of using Facebook and Twitter, and whether or not it was really worth all of the time and effort involved?

Here’s what some of you had to say….

Rachel Troutman I haven’t had any luck with Facebook really but I’m probably not using it right but I really like Twitter and it’s been beneficial for me to meet other artists and feel like I’m part of a creative community.

Kat Monaghan I use Facebook & Flickr as webpages/gallery. Twitter seems better to make new connections, meet new people/artists, check trends/events

Peter Hobden So far Facebook has been more of a sounding board and networking with other artists kind of thing. I can’t attribute any sales to Facebook. Though I did once sell same small paintings to a Twitter contact.

Catherine Vibert I did sell a painting via Facebook and I’ve sold a few prints and cards here. It hasn’t been substantial however. I’ve sold nothing via twitter, but I’ve very much enjoyed the contacts I’ve made there. A nice community. The best part about the Facebook artist page is that it is a very easy way to display work and get instant feedback.

Gillian McMurray I have met some lovely people via Facebook and exposed my work to more folk but it hasn’t done my sales any good and I do waste a lot of time on it when I should be working. I haven’t taken to Twitter at all though. My life just isn’t exciting enough to give people a blow by blow account of my working practices or what I’m thinking – LOL.

Brett Winn Art Like any marketing tool, especially new, it takes time to find that niche. I’ve had success on facebook, however I would not put all my eggs in this one basket. For me, it’s a good tool to direct potential customers to my sales sites and to meet artists, be inspired and stay motivated. Skinny Artist thanks for posting this article and starting this conversation. Posts like this are another reason for artists to use visit Facebook.

Tracey Fletcher King I think Facebook is all about a sense of community, and being able to connect even when you are in your studio. I have had really supportive friendships grow out of fb contacts and that is a rare and precious thing in its own right.

Tracy Wall Just another way to diversify; spread the word, baby!

And for what it’s worth, here was my own two-cents on the subject….

Skinny Artist At least for now, it seems Facebook still has more of an artist support group kind of vibe rather than being a check-out-my-work-and-buy-something type of place. This is kind of nice, however, because it gives us a place to hang out, seek feedback, and occasionally bitch about the creative process without having to always put on our smiley face of supreme confidence for the buying public/publishers/gallery owners.I do think that as more and more people start using social media (if that’s even possible) it’s going to be far more difficult to maintain these little semi-private outposts where you can share your honest critiques of yourself and others without your customers peeking being your shiny confident facade, especially now that Google has begun indexing Facebook and Twitter updates.

I really believe that the next big thing in social media is going to be the “consolidators” where all of your different social media profiles will automatically show up on one page.

Right now you have Facebook here, Twitter there, Flickr, DeviantArt, Tumblr, etc.. and if you don’t want one group to necessarily interact the other group, they won’t for the most part (i.e. your “customer” sales website and your personal I’ve-got-issues Tumblr site) but the day is coming when all of these different sites that are attached to you, will be sniffed out by Google and tied together into your personal online dossier.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for your customers and fans to see that you are an actual human being and not simply some creative deity, but as Trevor says, you will have to watch what you say online anywhere or it could certainly affect your professional image down the road….

So what do you think?

■How many different social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, etc…) are you actively involved in?

■How many hours do you spend updating these sites (including your own website) in an average day?

■What benefits have you received from using sites like Twitter and Facebook both personally and professionally?

Image courtesy of len-k-a

Sharon Blair

2011-03-05T17:32:00.002Z

Sydney, Australia

“The function of the artist is to express reality as felt.” Robert Motherwell

Introducing a new visual language in the 1940s and 1950s the abstract expressionists revolutionized the art world. Their artwork was as varied as the artists themselves. Derived from a focus on emotional intensity these artists took on an anti-figurative aesthetic with roots in the earlier surrealist movement. Ranging from subtle, luminescent and contemplative fields of colour to violent and vigorous slashes and marks of paint – the artists believed it was not their duty to copy nature but to express a personal and subjective response to that which inspired them.

Although Clement Greenberg’s writing no longer holds the weight it did when the abstract expressionist movement was at his peak, the ‘heavy hitters’ of the past including Rothko, Frankenthaler, Martin, De Kooning and Pollock, continue to influence contemporary art around the world.

One artist following in the tradition of abstract expressionism is Sharon Blair who works near Sydney, Australia. However, Blair explains that while she approaches her paintings intuitively they are still very much anchored in nature.

Abstract art has always been concerned with ideas of the spiritual and the unconscious mind and Blair agrees her intention is to capture the ‘essence and spirit’ of her subject in subtle and organic ways. Blair’s approach itself, being ‘organic’, is an essential element in achieving her initial aim of finding this essence. The layering and building up of the painting develops naturally with the media dictating the direction the image will take. The artist embraces the unexpected and is “often
kept in suspense until the very end”.

The Process

Using a sophisticated mixed media technique the artist applies a variety of materials combining inks, acrylic paints, charcoal, watercolours, gesso, acrylic mediums, and synthetic fibers. Depth and space is implied with the addition of various textures including Japanese, wax and tissue papers. This illusion of depth is intensified with the use of detailed linocuts, which incorporates a graphic element into her work as well.

To find out more about this artist follow this link here to her fantastic website Sharon Blair

Camilla Watson

2011-03-03T09:14:00.000Z

Edinburgh, Scotland

I'd like to present to you the stunning artwork of a Scottish painter I've known for quite some time. Camilla Watson's use of paint really is exquisite and so I've uploaded some of her work here with a short write up and bio along with a link to her website and contact details if you'd like to find out more. She's definitely an artist to keep your eye on.

Watson belongs to a long tradition of Scottish painting, which was largely influenced in the early 20th century by French artists such as Monet, Matisse, and Cézanne.

Many of the ideas and painterly qualities of these French masters were incorporated into the works of their contemporary Scottish artists including Samuel John Peploe (1871-1935); John Duncan Fergusson (1874-1961); George Leslie Hunter (1877-1931) and Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell (1883-1937). These four Scots are today recognised as the Scottish Colourists, and their work still continues to impact Scottish painting.

Following the tradition

There was a redefinition of painterly traditions by the Scottish Colourists with a shift in the qualities of light and colour evolving the still life, landscapes, and figurative drawings of the day. Watson’s work continues this tradition with a keen interest in how light and colour infuses to create intense visual relationships, in turn affecting one’s personal response to it. Although one may define Watson’s work as abstract with its striking use of contrasting colour and bold shapes, her work is firmly rooted in the tradition of landscape painting.

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Watson explains, “I use written elements in my work, particularly from historical maps and documents. Handwriting and place names are important parts of each piece. The paintings look to the edges of traditional landscape painting, finding abstracted motifs and using strong colour to create a memorable atmosphere and a sense of timelessness. I want to find the connection between the past and the present to give a genuine expression of human experience in the landscape.”

Education and work

Graduating from Edinburgh College of Art with a BA (Hons) in Drawing and Painting in 2004, Watson also studied for two years at the Leith School of Art gaining a distinction for consistently excellent work. The artist has exhibited in both the Visual Arts Scotland and Royal Scottish Academy exhibitions, winning the RSA Latimer and SSA Kilmorack awards for meritorious work.

Currently working at a gallery in Edinburgh's bohemian district of Stockbridge, Watson continues to tick all the right boxes with regards to building a strong, loyal fan base and ensuring that her work is seen by a large audience.

Notes of interest for the artist in 2010:

• Involved in a successful joint exhibition while still contributing paintings elsewhere and working on commissions.

• Contributed an article entitled 'Making a Name for Yourself; Giotto & Durer and the Artists Signature' to The Pulse Magazine.

• Contributed an article to New Linear Perspectives on the subject of artist’s signatures.
• Judged the Fettes College Art Competition.

Contact Camilla here http://www.camillawatson.com/

"Six of Scotland's Best" - Art Talks

2011-03-02T19:13:00.004Z

A little less than two years ago, notable Scottish art historian and Edinburgh University lecturer, Bill Hare was diagnosed with cancer.

It’s been a long and arduous journey back to health; however, Bill has, with great relief, recently been given the ‘all clear’ by his doctor.

Bill was so impressed with the excellent care from the Western General Hospital and also with the compassionate work of staff at the Maggie’s Centre he has been looking at ways of ‘giving something back’. And so, working with Art in Healthcare, he's developed a programme of art talks to be held at the National Gallery of Scotland for others whose lives have been affected by cancer.

A free, six week art appreciation session is being offered by Bill Hare and the charity, which will look at some of the best Scottish painting in the renowned collection of the NGS, including works by Henry Raeburn, Gavin Hamilton, Allan Ramsay and William McTaggart.

In the end it’s hoped that those that participate in this course, who have or are going through a life changing recovery process, will be mentally enriched and spiritual uplifted by a deeper appreciation of the wonderful Scottish art that this country’s artists have created.

Sessions will run every Thursday for six weeks from 1:00 - 2:30pm beginning 19 May. Availability will be limited. Anyone who is interested in taking part in this programme should contact Art in Healthcare to book.

Human Masks: Expressive Portrait

2011-02-27T10:54:00.008Z

Summer school classes at Leith School of Art

LSA is one of the most highly regarded art schools in Scotland, offering a wide range of classes including drawing, painting, printmaking, and jewellery making.

The school itself is based in a converted church originally built in 1868 by Norwegian Lutherans.

Each summer the school offers an excellent variety of intense, week long courses. These classes are very popular and tend to fill up quickly. This summer I’ll be leading a class called Human Masks: Expressive Portrait.

Human Masks: Expressive Portrait

Drawing initially from the portrait and then from a selection of tribal masks, students will be encouraged to combine traditional aspects of portraiture with a more expressive way of working. The creation of exciting, mixed media portraits will be underpinned by knowledge of anatomy and the structure of the skull. Exploring colour, composition, and expression will be done through looking at the work of artists such as Gauguin, Dubuffet, Klee, Nolde and Picasso. Students will be introduced to a variety of mixed media techniques to create their ‘Primitive’ portraits.

“Primitivism is nowadays seen as a relatively recent set of ideas, arising in Western Europe in the eighteenth century at the time of the Enlightenment, which coincided with the beginning of an unprecedented period of European colonial expansion. Colonialism, in fact, lies at the heart of theories about Primitivism.” Colin Rhodes, Primitivism and Modern Art, 1994

Most days will start with a lecture relating aspects of art history to the practical work in the studio. The courses are organised so that students get the maximum out of the class; everything is laid out at the start of each day and all the materials are included in the price of the course.

This class runs:
15 – 19 August, 9:30am – 4:30pm
£280.

Who would like to spend an entire week with me in Edinburgh this summer drawing, painting and ‘getting primitive’? If this sounds like something you’d be interested in please contact Leith School of Art to book.

Funny talking animals

2011-02-13T11:50:00.000Z

Enough art talk! It's time for moonwalking birdies, beatboxing chipmunks and flatulent Gorillas. Enjoy and happy Sunday. :)

Art in hospitals: What works best?

2011-02-12T19:27:00.026Z

Art is an amazing thing, isn't it? Everyone has an opinion about it.

"This artist is by FAR the superior artist" one will argue and then someone else will counter and explain why that statement is completely absurd and that this OTHER artist obviously creates "far superior work! And that other artist is completely out of touch, over-rated and irrelevant!"

Unfortunately I'll often shy away from debates such as these as, although I graduated with a history of art degree I can admit freely that I'm not the quickest thinker on my feet and on top of that my memory is absolutely appalling. Five years of art history classes and an unimaginable number of books consumed and I still struggle with many of the basic concepts fundamental to the development of Western art. My memory is so bad I often forget what I had for breakfast a day ago or how some movie ended that I just watched last week (or who was even in it!). This may have something to do with the damage I’ve inflicted upon my brain over the years due to my love of excessive and slightly self-destructive behaviour (I'll leave those stories for another post), nevertheless, it does cause problems when someone challenges or questions me about some particular artist or an artwork. I often feel I don't have the ammunition to defend my statements.

However, this is such an important aspect of art: the fact that it not only can teach us something about ourselves, soothe the soul or break down barriers but that it can stimulate dialogue. This ability to spark discussion and yes, even arguments is a good thing.

When I put artwork from Art in Healthcare’s collection into a hospital or a care home I explain to the staff that no picture will, or even should please everyone. Of course you probably don’t want someone coming out of heart surgery and waking up to Goya’s “Saturn Devouring His Son” hanging on his recovery room wall; however, if every painting we put into a healthcare setting blended "seamlessly" into the background, a picture perfect postcard, then I don't feel the potential of having art in this type of environment is being maximized.

Good artwork gets people thinking, it challenges our belief systems and it stimulates a good, and sometimes heated, discussion. And one must remember that artwork in a healthcare setting isn't just for the benefit of the patient; it's there for the staff, for residents of care homes and hospices and also for visitors.

Good artwork gives everyone something to think about, meditate upon and even argue over... whether you struggle like me to access old, barren, grey matter wastelands or not. So what is the best type of artwork for a healthcare environment? Well, everyone has his or her own opinion (although an evidence-base is being gathered - see my dissertation to find out more), at least for the moment, the jury is still out on this one. I think you can probably tell where I stand in this debate... and it definitely isn't corridors and wards filled end-to-end with nondescript, picture-perfect landscapes and bouquets of pretty flowers. But then again, I could be wrong. Would anyone like to challenge me on this? ;)

We had Frightened Rabbit for dinner!

2011-01-25T19:38:00.013Z

I'm very happy to say that the year has started off well for Art in Healthcare and we've found ourselves in a stronger financial position than we expected. Fortunately for me, Tesco and MacDonalds won't be seeing anymore of my resumes for awhile...

One of the highlights of the year was the charity guitar raffle held on New Year's Eve at the Hard Rock Cafe. There is now an over-the-moon 11 year old boy in Edinburgh called Jordan, who won possibly the coolest guitar in the country! We managed to get the guitar autographed by members
of Scottish indie bands Idlewild, We Were Promised Jetpacks, and Frightened Rabbit along with brilliant jazz guitarist Graeme Stephen, members of Canadian superstars the Barenaked Ladies, and the legend, Jon Lord, of Deep Purple!

Jordan hanging out with the FRabbits

Last week I met Jordan and his family for a fabulous dinner at the Hard Rock Café where the guitar had been on display. To top the night off Frightened Rabbit also joined us with Jordan really hitting it off with lead singer Scott Hutchison (blue shirt, big beard). I’m not sure who was more excited, Jordan or me.

"Yes, Mr Lord. You can sign it anywhere you like."

I would like to extend a HUGE thank you to Frightened Rabbit, to the Hard Rock Café for their phenomenal support of this event, and to Gibson for donating the guitar. We raised almost £3500! Ok, it’s not exactly the £63 million bonus Google boss Eric Schmidt received last week but as they say at Tesco, “every little bit helps”. And, importantly, I don’t have to practice my, “And would you like to Super Size that, sir?” just yet either.

Eric Schmidt says, "£63 million?!! Excuse me, I think I need to use the loo."

Ps. if you live in Scotland and you know of any healthcare settings in need of some quality artwork (and lets be honest, most of them do - the 1974 Monet prints and generic IKEA “artworks” just don't cut it!) then please get in touch. Hospitals, care homes, hospices, GP and dental surgeries etc are ALL eligible to benefit from our unique programme. Art in Healthcare has loads of fantastic, original artwork by many of the most well known artists in Scotland and I want to find homes for all of it!

Click this link for information about Art in Healthcare

Above are just two of the brilliant works of art in the Art in Healthcare collection:

Walled Garden, Culzean by Barbara Rae and Madonna of the Bass Rock by John Bellany.

Was it all worth it? Yes it was!

2011-01-16T15:04:00.017Z

Before my November exhibition I wrote an entry entitled “Was it all worth it?”

I talked about my time at Art College and how I felt a little let down by the system and, even more so, by some of the people who worked there. My fourth year painting tutor spent 90 minutes studio time with me ALL year and my fifth and final year tutor didn’t even come to my degree show. Thanks very much guys. You’re both great.

However, I did mention that there were also some tutors who helped me a lot. A few names crossed my mind and so I was really quite overwhelmed when one of them visited the UNIONgallery during my exhibition AND bought the above painting called Country Girl!

On top of that, she wrote me a lovely letter, which I’ve posted below. It’s people like these who help to smooth over those inevitable bumpy times and who really do help to make it “all worth it.” Thank you for your kind words.

“I absolutely love Country Girl! My partner bought your painting for me for my Christmas present and she glows and sings out of our dining room wall. Sometimes she is very quiet, unexpectedly. As the light changes, she changes rhythm and pace and structure. In different lights she offers different things forward. Other times she seems to be very vibrant, colourful and loud. It’s a wonderfully balanced painting. Small, considered, intricate detail, carefully placed, measured almost, like a lost village on a mountainside, contrasted with passionate sweeps of free expressive, gestural wild colour. She is dramatic and complex and I think it will take me quite sometime to get to know her.”

“Some days I forget she is there and it’s quite a shock to turn around and there is your painting, in all its glory on my wall. I am so chuffed; it is a massive extravagance for us to have bought another artist’s painting but really exciting.”

“The best thing for me about country girl is that I sit and stare at her first thing in the morning over breakfast and she just makes me itch to paint. Country girl is so inspiring, so refreshing and unashamedly, indulgently painterly! That is just so good to see in this contemporary art climate that we live in. It makes me feel that it is ok to do what I do.”

What is synaesthesia?

2011-01-16T11:00:00.001Z

What colour is the letter "A"? What does the number "1" taste of? Does listening to music, speaking or eating food produce colours, shape or texture?

For most people, questions such as these tend to yield a look of bewilderment. However, research suggests that as many as 1 in 23 people experience some form of synaesthesia.

Synaesthesia is a truly fascinating condition. In its simplest form it is best described as a “union of the senses” whereby two or more of the five senses that are normally experienced separately are involuntarily and automatically joined together. Some synaesthetes experience colour when they hear sounds or read words. Others experience tastes, smells, shapes or touches in almost any combination.

Famous synaesthetes include David Hockney, who perceives music as colour, shape, and configuration, Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky combined four senses: colour, hearing, touch, and smell. Vladimir Nabokov describes his grapheme-colour synaesthesia at length in his autobiography, Speak Memory and portrays it in some of his characters. Composers include Duke Ellington, Franz Liszt, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Olivier Messiaen, whose three types of complex colours are rendered explicitly in musical chord structures that he invented. Physicist Richard Feynman describes his coloured equations in his autobiography, What Do You Care What Other People Think?

Do you experience synaesthesia?

The Snake Charmer (1870) by Jean-Léon Gérôme

2011-01-14T10:26:00.001Z

I went to a huge exhibition of Gérôme's at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris last month. It was absolutely stunning!

This painting was one of the many included along with sculpture and drawings. He was prolific!

The Snake Charmer focuses on a boy handling a python while an old man plays a fipple flute. Watching intently is a group of mercenaries differentiated by the distinctive costumes of their tribes, by ornaments, and by weapons. This erotic and exotic imagery of Near Eastern subjects was very popular in the late nineteenth century and despite the nearly photographic realism by Gérome, the painting is a pastiche of Egyptian, Turkish, and Indian elements that really had no basis in reality.

Joan Eardley (1921-1963)

2011-01-09T13:09:00.003Z

I'm back in the studio again now beginning work for my October show at the Leith Gallery. Whenever I'm in need of inspiration I look to great painters like Joan Eardley. Here are a few of her paintings for your viewing pleasure. When I have a moment to spare I'll write a wee article about Joan and her work to go along with these amazing paintings. Enjoy!

Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966)

2011-01-08T21:07:00.027Z

A quick announcement: You can win one of my signed, original figurative drawings (like the one to the right) just by joining my FaceBook page. With every new 500 joiners someone will win. Click HERE to enter and good luck!

This Saturday I'm back to work teaching my figurative class at the Leith School of Art after Christmas break.

We'll be looking at Alberto Giacometti and in particular the Giacometti grid approach to drawing. Giacometti was consumed with how things were positioned in space. I’d read somewhere, although I have no idea if it’s true or not, that he was hit by a taxi and from that point on he was obsessed with where things were positioned in space. I guess if you feel your lack of spatial awareness could be the death of you, you too would do whatever necessary to develop it to ensure it didn’t happen again!

Giacometti stated he was attempting to render his models, which tended to be his brother, Diego, his wife, Annette, or his mistress, Caroline (why did all the great 20th century artists have mistresses?), exactly the way he saw them, and the way he thought they ought to be seen. Academics suggest that this was a reflection of a 20th century existentialist view that focussed on the notion that modern life is increasingly devoid of meaning. One must also consider that Giacometti’s work would have been affected not only by the seeming absurdity, chaos, and destructive force of WWII but also the deep seeded belief that all life could very possibly be distinguished through nuclear holocaust. His figures; drawings, paintings and sculptures all convey feelings of alienation in a hostile world very much in line with the mentality of a mid 20th century zeitgeist.

What do you think of Giacometti’s work? It can be quite difficult to get your head around but if you have the chance read James Lord's "A Giacometti Portrait". It's a small book but really helps to establish not only what Giacometti was trying to do but Lord also details exceptionally well the personal struggle Alberto suffered with making each piece. I highly recommend it!

A new venture for 2011

2011-01-05T15:19:00.003Z

This article is from a post from my new site I've just created showcasing emerging artists from around the world. My intention is that the blog will focus on a couple artists each month and there will also be articles by guest writers involved in some way with the art world sharing their knowledge and describing their experiences. The site is to become a resource for young artists interested in learning more about getting their work 'out there' and the pitfalls etc to watch out for.
This is just the beginning so watch this space! Here's the link to the blog: The Exquisite Painter

The danger of trying to reinvent the wheel

I wrote in the previous post that Camilla Watson’s work follows a long tradition of Scottish painting. Unfortunately, some art students don't recognise the importance of tradition and history within their work. I’m not saying it’s wrong for an artist to try to reinvent the wheel as long as there’s knowledge as to where the wheel came from.

'Lady Well' by Camilla Watson

Everything comes from something and painting is no different. Cézanne was influenced by the great masters before him such as Pissaro and Courbet, who in turn affected the work of those including Picasso, Matisse and Van Gogh, and so on. But more importantly, tradition plays an important role in how we as human beings respond to our surroundings.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gustave Courbet: A thicket of deer at the stream of Plaisir-Fontaine (1866)

As living beings, we adapt to our environment; however, extreme changes can have some pretty horrible consequences. How many of you had a fish when you were a child and soon after putting your new, little friend into the tank, you found the wee guy floating on his back? He didn’t adapt quick enough to the changes and he ended up going to the big fish bowl in the sky.

When I began my fine art degree I realised I needed to find a function for my painting. Always a sceptic and a pragmatist I guess, I didn’t want to be seen as the guy who just threw paint on a canvas, someone who didn’t really ‘contribute’ to society. It sounds silly now.

Nevertheless, my academic journey culminated with a dissertation investigating the connection between health, nature and landscape painting. I began researching the work of a Dr Roger Ulrich from Texas A&M University, a world guru of healthcare settings and the healing processes. To keep it short and sweet, Ulrich is interested in how we respond to different types of environments.

With the hypothesis established that a patient in a hospital will recover quicker if they’re in the most effective possible environment, Ulrich wanted to determine exactly what this setting should look like. As previous research concluded we respond more positively to a natural environment (eg. pretty, idyllic landscape) than to a manmade one (eg. concrete hospital walls) Ulrich began to ascertain the types of landscape scenarios that would be the most ideal. This information could then be used to derive which types of artwork should be placed in a hospital setting - so far so good. However, it was around this point that Ulrich’s and my conclusions as to the 'ideal' landscape scene began to diverge. This conflict developed out of a differing of opinions as to WHY one responds the way one does to a particular scene. This would inevitably affect the type of artwork most suitable.

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John Constable: The Hay Wain (1921)

I wrote in my dissertation:

“Study into evolutionary mechanisms affecting cognition and behaviour has found its way into all areas of human developmental research, the arts included. Upon this platform and after reviewing ‘scores of empirical studies on affective reactions to nature’, Ulrich makes the assumption that preference for one nature scene over another is, in a sense, a form of natural selection. Self-preservation drives one to prefer a landscape scenario that would ultimately be of the most benefit to the viewer in terms of survival.”

Ulrich, however, hadn’t taken into consideration (or, as an evolutionary biologist, chose to ignore) that how we visually interpret our natural surroundings, especially paintings, is affected just as much by one’s culture, language, education, religious beliefs, etc as by innate functions. All those things that make up a culture’s traditions; its rituals and myths, its art and music, everything that makes us not just individuals but also that which keeps us connected to something bigger, plays an integral role in how we respond to our environment.

Paintings, such as Watson’s, follow a Scottish tradition and a Western tradition. This is why we tend to respond positively to her paintings. They are interpreted and derived through canons and an understanding of our history. This is not a bad thing as to completely detach oneself and one’s art from tradition could potentially produce some fairly negative consequences. You don’t want to be that little fish floating on your back at the top of the water do you?

'Food & Shelter' by Camilla Watson

Do you feel your own culture plays the dominant role in your artwork? Do you embrace the work of well known artists, past or present, near you or do you look to artists from other countries for inspiration?

How do you think improvements in high speed transportation, new technologies and the notion of the 'Global Village' will affect the art of the future in a cultural sense? Will it become diluted or will it cause artists to investigate their own heritage with more vigor?

Also, from a healthcare perspective, how do you feel viewing an artwork differs from the process of making art (art therapy)? Is one better than the other?

If you’re interested in reading my dissertation please feel free to click here.

Happy Hogmanay from Scotland

2010-12-30T18:23:00.012Z

Tomorrow night is the night! The biggest New Year's party around!

I'm off to the Edinburgh Street Party with tickets to see Biffy Clyro! I'm still debating whether I'll wear my kilt. Perhaps I should wait to see if it's snowing or not.

I think this video validates a previous post "With or without underwear?" What do you think?

Happy Hogmanay everyone and all the best in 2011! May all your wishes come true.

How to fix anything in the world

2010-12-26T13:56:00.076Z

My Dad fixes things. Pretty much anything and everything. He always has.

I grew up in a tiny, logging community in Canada just west of the Rocky Mountains. We were intrinsically connected to the trees. They were our life blood. My brother is a park ranger, my brother-in-law drives truck, and many of my high school friends found employment in the mills or followed in their fathers’ footsteps working in some capacity in the forestry industry.

My dad was a heavy duty mechanic and he worked on anything that needed fixing; the logging trucks, the skidders and loaders, chainsaws or he’d go into the mills to fix whatever was broken there. If it was broken Dad would fix it.

It was the same at home. I recall many times walking in to find Dad working on the plumbing or the electrical or standing in front of the guts of the washing machine, scratching his head. Whether it was just a few parts from his electric razor or hundreds of pieces from the engine of his old ’74 Dodge laid out in the garage, he always managed to put it back together. To me it was like magic.

By nature we are all problem solvers

My dad could fix anything and so of course his little boy wanted to be able to fix everything too. Unfortunately the ‘mechanic gene’ skipped a generation with me. If something breaks down I’ve given up taking it apart. My brain is not mechanically inclined, although I could probably put together an aesthetically pleasing sculpture or installation piece from an engine block and spare parts if I was asked.

However, human beings are inherent problem solvers. We solve problems every day. We take things apart (physically or in our minds) to understand them and we try to put them back together. We’re predisposed to ‘fixing’ things. Unfortunately, life’s multitude of problems are not always like machines (not that that would help me much anyway). We can’t always take them apart and tinker with them until they work.

Relationships are not like engine blocks

Broken relationships are a prime example. We spend a vast amount of time attempting to understand the ‘nuts and bolts’ of our relationships; relationships at work, or with friends and significant others, or family. Similar to when I was twelve years old and standing in front of the broken gear system of my 10 speed pedal bike with what seemed all the pieces of the universe looking at me in its vast complexity, we tend to struggle to understand how the parts of a relationship fit together. How can we make it work? How can we make it better? What happens if we tweak this or adjust that? Seldom are the results we were expecting.

… and yet I still look to my dad for inspiration

Mom and Dad have been married 46 years now… and they’re happy. It boggles my mind but I’m able to look to them for guidance and now, instead of scrutinizing Dad’s innate mechanical knowledge, I see the man; searching, questioning, flawed… human. As I’ve matured it’s no longer the magic of watching, wide-eyed in anticipation, my dad resurrect an old motorbike engine as it sputters a couple times and then, with a huge roar and a blast of black exhaust from the tailpipe, miraculously, come back to life - now, I’ve become fascinated by this human side of my father; the curious and inquisitive side. Its here I find my answers.

Mom and Dad are devout Catholics. Although my own personal beliefs are no longer those I was brought up with, I admire my parents deeply for their ability to reconcile their faith with their understanding of the world considering the influences of all the outside variables. How can my parents keep this ‘machine’ running, especially with so many imperfect parts? They have four children, each one of us bringing to the table our own issues… lots of issues.

An old dog can learn new tricks

Dad came to Scotland to visit me last summer. It was a brilliant couple of weeks. We learned a lot about each other. We realised it was the first time we’ve ever spent so much time together without the rest of the family. Dad loves going into second-hand bookstores. He’ll spend hours rummaging about, reading, learning, trying to find new ways to solve problems, I guess. This is an amazing story in itself considering Dad is dyslexic. Little was known about dyslexia when he was at school, which is likely the reason he failed grade six. This is also probably the reason he didn’t really take an interest in reading until well into his thirties. Now he's insatiable. Anyway, one day we stopped into the Oxfam and Dad came out with an old, worn copy of the Qur'an. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Dad contemplated becoming a priest when he was a young boy and now, here he was, devouring the writings of Muhammad. It was this incident along with the most integral part of my parent’s relationship that helps me to explain the key to their successes.

Firstly, Dad is willing to challenge his belief systems. He wants to learn AND to experience. This is essential for growth and, subsequently, one’s happiness. But, more importantly, Mom and Dad have love. Ok, I admit, I can’t be much more ambiguous or abstract than that (LOVE!?). Whatever love encompasses, whether one's a psychologist, a priest or minister, an evolutionary biologist or a mechanic, this is the oil that keeps the engine running.

I was the black sheep in the family, the rebellious teenager getting up to a whole lot of no good, I have the scars to prove it, and yet I never felt unloved. My oldest brother is bi-polar and the stresses put on the family because of his illness have been substantial over the years and yet my parents have always loved and supported him. However one chooses to define love, my parents have an abundance of it and this along with Dad’s incessant need to learn about things and to fix things, to ‘make something better’, and to have the patience and the determination to make it happen, has provided me with a solid foundation to help address my own problems.

Ok, I still struggle to figure out how the boiler system works in my flat or how the damn computer connects to the projector for my PowerPoint presentations for my art class lecture; however, when it comes to the more important problems in life I’m fortunate to not have to look too far for an instruction manual.

After reading over this I thought I should add one more vital paragraph to the story. My dad has a desire to learn and a desire to love but just as importantly, he has the ability to accept. He was always proud of being a mechanic and of the job he did. I recognised that in him even as a small boy waiting for him to come home; I saw the pride in his eyes, exhausted from a hard day’s work, his giant hands scarred and bleeding. He has accepted his four children, screwed up as we are. Although we’ve never discussed it, I’m certain he questions the Church… and yet he’s still able to accept it, flawed and inconsistent as it is. My father has this uncanny ability to balance 'questioning and challenging' with 'loving and accepting' and because of this, he manages a life of peace and contentment. Now I’m a man and my Dad still fixes things. He makes things work... and I'm learning to make things work as well.

Merry Christmas from our four legged friends

2010-12-24T13:21:00.004Z

Ok, it's sickeningly cute but come on, it's Christmas!

Now where'd I put the shortbread cookies and rum and eggnog? I'm about to put on 5 lbs in 2 days!

The greatest Christmas gift freak outs of all time!

2010-12-24T12:45:00.008Z

Let's be honest now, we've all been there. I just thank God my parents didn't own a video camera when I was a kid.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!! x

My top ten Christmas painting scenes

2010-12-23T13:57:00.081Z

As tomorrow is Christmas Eve I thought I'd post some of the most innovative paintings of the time of the baby Jesus and the Nativity scene.

Adoration of the Magi

Giotto di Bondone
c. 1320

Pictures of the Nativity, the first night of Christ's life on earth, tend to emphasize the fragility of the infant and the wonder felt by those who first witnessed his coming. The child is usually centrally positioned (although not in this composition), and the Virgin is shown in loving contemplation.

Adoration of the Magi
Sandro Botticelli
1475

An ox and an ass, two animals mentioned in Isaiah's prophecy about the Messiah (Isaiah 1:3), usually appear near the baby, (this painting however, you can just see them sneaking in from the left hand side) and Saint Joseph, Mary's husband, is included but often placed to one side so as to not make him appear the father... hmmm, funny that.

Fourteenth-century pictures of the subject typically include elements inherited from the Byzantine tradition, for instance, a boxlike crib for the baby and a cave like shelter for the holy family. But Da Vinci carried on the cave scene composition in his famous 15th century painting the Madonna of the Rocks.

Modonna of the Rocks

Leonardo Da Vinci
1483-1486

Later pictures alter the setting and character of the shepherds in remarkable ways. Andrea Mantegna presents the Christ Child lying in the folds of his mother's garments and emphasizes the poverty and humility of the shepherds approaching with torn clothes, bare feet, coarse faces, and awestruck expressions. The Ferrarese painter L'Ortolano conceived the scene quite differently: within a grand-looking classical structure open to an idyllic landscape, the shepherds kneel with the grace of polished courtiers.

Adoration of the Shepherds

Andrea Mantegna
c. 1451 - 1453

below:

Adoration of the Shepherds
L'Ortolano
before 1527

Among Christ's early visitors were also three Magi, wise men from the East who gained royal stature in art. The biblical texts suggest that their visit occurred several days after Christ was born, but most paintings present the event in a stable no different from the setting of the Nativity. It became traditional to make the Magi of different ages and sometimes of different ethnicities, despite the silence of the Gospels on these matters.

Adoration of the Magi

Giotto
c. 1320
Giotto's work is a scene remarkable for its humanity and insight: the shepherds listen fearfully to the angels and the animals gaze up at the Christ Child while Joseph gestures in amazement, Mary watches with her head propped on her arm, two kings wait with seemly humility, and the old king on his knees, cradles the Child in his arms. Giotto's emphasis on the human reactions of the figures may be linked to trends in contemporary piety and in particular to the teaching of Saint Francis, who staged a re-enactment of the Nativity and encouraged meditation on the event.

Adoration of the Magi
Giovanni di Paolo
c. 1442

Patrons and artists loved the Adoration of the Magi for the exoticism and splendour of the subject, but theologians also favoured it for its emphasis on the majesty of Christ even over the wealthy and powerful. In Giovanni di Paolo's beautiful panel, the fashionable costumes of the Magi, trimmed with fur and gold, contrast with the simple and timeless attire of Mary and Joseph, and yet the kings' reverence for the holy family is evident as the youngest Magus clasps Joseph's hand and the eldest one kneels to kiss the Christ Child's foot.

The Journey of the Magi

Sassetta

c. 1475

The foreign extraction and arduous journey of the kings were imagined by Sassetta in a fragment from the background of a picture of the Magi, where the wise men travel through a hilly landscape with their entourage and animals.

Ok, not really a Nativity scene but I still like the painting!

Below are two of my all time favourite painters and I had to get them in on the top ten! On the left is the Adoration of the Magi by Peter Paul Rubens (1624) and on the right is the Adoration of the Shepherds by El Greco (c. 1612)

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I hope you enjoyed my top 10 favourite historical paintings of the Christ Child and the Nativity scene. Have a happy, happy Christmas and a brilliant New Year. Lots of love from chilly and snowy Scotland! x

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas in South Park

2010-12-22T17:53:00.018Z

Ah, this definitely reminds me of when I was in elementary school preparing for those dreaded Christmas school plays.

I had the voice of an angel... one who'd spent the last 8 000 years chain smoking four packs a day and knocking each one down with a Jack and Coke. To cover my embarrassment I was the kid who'd try to hide in the back and silently mouth the words... but like Cartman, I'd never remember the words, so I'd just make funny faces and see what kind of reaction I'd get from the audience. Mom and Dad laughed. So did my older brothers. The teachers were never impressed.

Paris Part Deux

2010-12-22T09:21:00.038Z

Paris really is a beautiful city. The history, the architecture, the art and galleries, the restaurants and cafés… it’s endless.

Here are a few more photos from my 10 days in the city. I hope you enjoy them. Note: click on the photos to enlarge.

Sacré-Coeur Basilica and the gargoyles

The decorative gargoyles found all around the Sacré-Coeur serve the very practical purpose of funneling water from the roof when it rains and directing the water out away from the foundations where the water could cause damage.

It was a stunning church, inside and out. Although I still struggle to condone how so many beautiful (tourist drawing) churches around the world look like markets inside. Didn't Jesus say something about this to the money changers?

A little gallery called the Louvre

The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world and you'll find it on the Right Bank in the 1er arrondissement between the Seine River and the Rue de Rivoli. It’s pretty difficult to miss at 60,600 square meters in size!

The structure originated as a palace during the Capetian dynasty under the reign of Philip II and it holds some of the world's most famous works of art, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, The Virgin and Child with St. Anne, Madonna of the Rocks, Jacques Louis David's Oath of the Horatii, Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People and Alexandros of Antioch's Venus de Milo.

A few more shots inside the Louvre

Below is a photo of Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix. It was painted to commemorate the July Revolution of 1830, which toppled Charles X. A woman personifying Liberty leads the people forward over the bodies of the fallen, holding the tricolore flag of the French Revolution in one hand and a bayonetted musket with the other.

And alongside it is Michelangelo’s marble sculpture the Dying Slave created between 1513 and 1516. Made for the tomb of Pope Julius II it’s a pretty massive 7’6” in height. Hmmm, to me though he looks more in the throes of ecstacy than dying. Mike... what were you really thinking about, huh?

The Rhinoceros and the Musee d'Orsay

Here’s a shot of the very cool Rhinoceros statue outside the Musee d'Orsay. It’s an iron sculpture made in 1878 by Henri Alfred Jacquemart. The Musee d'Orsay was my favourite of all the galleries I went to. It was opened as a gallery in 1986 within the former terminus of the Paris-Orleans railway.

The neo-classical building designed by Victor Laloux was completed in 1900 and is the home to mainly French art of the period between 1848 and 1914. There were just so many amazing works of art here and displayed beautifully. If you only go to one gallery in Paris, definitely make it the Musee d’Orsay. The photo next to it is of a door. Don't ask me what the door is for or why it was there. Je ne sais pas.

Paris, the city of love

I was walking along the Pont des Arts, which links the Left bank to the Louvre. It wasn’t until I was about halfway across that I noticed thousands of padlocks hanging off the side of the bridge. I found out that lovers attach a lock to the side and throw the key into the river Seine as a sign of undying love, or, they keep it and open the padlock when they next return. What happens if you throw the key into the river and you have a horrible break up down the road… time to call up the locksmith?

Why a broken heart really does hurt

2010-12-21T08:45:00.010Z

A broken heart really does hurt, scientists claim.

Researchers have found a genetic link between physical pain and social rejection, which means that breaking up with a partner really can be painful.

Psychologists at the University of California, Los Angeles say the human body has a gene which connects physical pain sensitivity with social pain sensitivity.

The findings back the common theory that rejection 'hurts' by showing that a gene regulating the body's most potent painkillers - mu-opioids - is involved in socially painful experiences too.

Their study indicates that a variation in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1), often associated with physical pain, is related to how much social pain a person feels in response to social rejection.

People with a rare form of the gene are more sensitive to rejection and experience more brain evidence of distress in response to rejection than those with the more common form.
Researchers collected saliva samples from 122 participants to assess which form of the OPRM1 pain gene they had and then measured sensitivity to rejection in two ways.

First, participants completed a survey that measured their own sensitivity to rejection. They were asked, for example, how much they agreed or disagreed with statements like "I am very sensitive to any signs that a person might not want to talk to me."

Then the emotions of 31 people among the group were tested when they were excluded during a virtual ball-tossing computer game.

Study co-author Prof Naomi Eisenberger said: "Individuals with the rare form of the pain gene, who were shown in previous work to be more sensitive to physical pain, also reported higher levels of rejection sensitivity and showed greater activity in social pain-related regions of the brain when they were excluded."

This is the first time that it has been proved that genes involved in physical pain are linked to mentally painful times like social rejection and breaking up with a lover.
Co-author Baldwin Way said: "These findings suggest that the feeling of being given the cold shoulder by a romantic interest or not being picked for a schoolyard game of basketball may arise from the same circuits."

Prof Eisenberger said this overlap in the neurobiology of physical and social pain makes perfect sense.

She said: "Because social connection is so important, feeling literally hurt by not having social connections may be an adaptive way to make sure we keep them.

"Over the course of evolution, the social attachment system, which ensures social connection, may have actually borrowed some of the mechanisms of the pain system to maintain social connections."

It's an interesting article. It makes sense... and yet it doesn't make it any easier. :'(

J’adore Paris!

2010-12-12T17:58:00.027Z

Before I left, I really didn’t know what I was going to think of Paris. As with so many situations in life it’s very easy (and natural) to build up preconceptions of some place or thing (or someone) based on lack of knowledge, hearsay, fear of the unknown, personal insecurities, etc and I had my own notions of how I believed I’d find Paris… based pretty much on all of the above.

Don’t get me wrong, I spent the better part of my 20’s backpacking the world and loving the thrill of fully immersing myself in ‘the other’ and redefining my (very naïve) self though these experiences. However, flying off to a complete unknown like Fiji as a 20’s something maverick without a care in the world and going to Paris as a (well, lets not get into age now) person who’s spent the last decade in Scotland and the majority of his time studying art history and painting are two very different things.

Paris is, well, PARIS!! Paris was the heart and soul of modern Western painting! You have Manet, Renoir, Corbet, Monet, Degas, Bonnard, Vuillard, Cezanne, dammit! I could go on and on… and not to mention a couple other fairly significant foreign painters who decided to set up shop here for awhile like Picasso and Dali!

The French are just so good at so many things, not just their painting - writers, philosophers, poets and architects, their cuisine, their healthcare system, their football and rugby, they’re language, they do it all and the do it very, very well!

Maybe its because I’m Canadian and I grew up with these ‘little brother’ issues living next to the States (and I was also the youngest of three boys, so there ya go) but I always go for the underdog. I love to see the big guy fall. And the French are most definitely the big guy. They have that arrogant, pompous attitude that is just so, well, French. I came here, perhaps with a little part of me deep inside, hoping that Paris would let me down.

I’ve been here 6 days now and each day is better than the last. Ok, I experienced the French arrogance the other day. It was completely unnecessary but at the same time, I think if I hadn’t experienced it before I left, I would have been a little disappointed. It was kinda like Zidane head butting the Italian player in the 2006 World Cup. He did it because he was Zidane and he could. Anyway, I laughed it off and it actually kind of added to my whole Paris trip in a strange way.

So these are a few of my photos from my time here so far. I brought my sketchbook and pencils but they continue to be left at the flat and my camera comes out instead. The city is amazing - all of it - the good and the bad… however one chooses to defines ‘good and bad’. Paris has not let me down in anyway and I will definitely be coming back again… and again. J’adore Paris. x

Damn you snow!

2010-12-06T17:54:00.055Z

This has been a very, very good year... and it was on course to end brilliantly!

The class I teach at the art school is looking to be oversubscribed next term, so I must be doing something right (my students even bought me a nice bottle of wine to sweeten me up on the last class - bribery does work by the way). On top of that, two good sized sums of money came in unexpectedly on Monday for the charity. They weren’t massive but it’s thrown us a life line and some hope for 2011. And also, my solo exhibition kicked some pretty impressive butt. I must admit, my own financial situation hasn't looked this good for a very long time either.

_

I'm tired but I'm happy. And this was why I decided that it was time to take I break with a trip to Paris. Life is looking good and the future is looking even brighter.

Except for one thing… the damn snow!!

I'm supposed to be flying out to Paris tomorrow afternoon for 10 days but Edinburgh airport is closed again!

I was so looking forward to Paris as I’ve never been. I have lists of things to see and do, restaurants to go to, wine to drink and books to read. This was also the time for me to reflect on this last year and to evaluate my artwork and practices – and, more importantly, this was a time to plan the goals I want to achieve in 2011.

I was going to Paris to find my muse, damn it!

And here I am now, following Edinburgh Airport on Twitter and waiting impatiently for each update. I’ve posted two of their evil 140 character max tweets below.

1pm: Edinburgh Airport is closed until 18:00, with a further update at 16:00. Please contact your airline regarding rescheduling.

8 minutes ago: We're open. Due to the continuing weather conditions, please check with your airline regarding your flight times.

I have no idea how this is going to play out. I don’t know if I’ll make it out or if I’ll be spending my holiday in my flat. God only knows.

No matter what happens, I guess I’ll just have to make the best of it and hey, the comedy channel plays non stop reruns of Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, 2 ½ men and Scrubs. When I think about it like that, who needs Paris!? Now where’d I put my slippers?

Oh, anyone have the number of a good Chinese takeaway? Gotta be delivery...

Success at the UNIONgallery

2010-12-05T11:16:00.087Z

I would like to extend a huge thank you to Rob and Alison of the UNIONgallery for all their hard work and preparation for my exhibition Synaesthesia II.

But even more importantly I would like to thank them for the belief they had in me and my painting. It was very courageous of the UNIONgallery to commit to a solo show of purely abstract work in the current economic climate.

And so I’m overjoyed the show greatly exceeded our expectations with almost all of the paintings finding good homes to go to and with such an overtly positive response by so many people! The synaesthesia concept, and the colour and the music, really managed to capture the imaginations of those who came to see the artwork.

I wanted to find a way to encourage people to spend a little longer with the paintings, to investigate and examine them, and to really ‘see’ them. While abstract painting can often seem impenetrable, contemporary music is accessible and I think this connection helped create a bridge to the artwork. With this exhibition I hoped to break down certain views and preconceptions held by some people and to make the point that a degree in art history isn’t necessary to enjoy and appreciate the many gifts a painting has to offer, whether it’s on an intellectual level or purely a formal one.

________
A comment book was kept at the gallery for the viewers to leave behind their experiences in words. I loved reading them and thought I'd share a few with you. Here is what others said about Synaesthesia II.

“Gorgeous, gorgeous… and looking a bit longer, more gorgeous”
Joette

“Hi Trevor. Came back again to really look. Love it and your colour sense”
Leigh

“Loved this exhibition! Complex, spacious, sensuous.”
Alan

“Hi Trevor. I know your friend Audrey. She brought us along to the art gallery. I’m so thankful she did because your paintings are amazing. I like Swim Until You Can’t See Land and I also like the colours you used in Second Step I.”
Young art fan

“What a great exhibition, loved the music that goes with it! What an innovative idea."
Sam & Nina

“Not enjoyed Harry’s in Heaven (song by Martyn Bennett) that much in ages!”
B.J.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-03T13:44:00.013Z

Merry Christmas from Banksy and a couple other unforgettable Santas.

Happy holidays everyone! xx

The kilt. With or without underwear?

2010-11-25T11:38:00.056Z

On my morning bus journey to work yesterday I opened up the Metro, the source of all that is important in the universe, to an unnerving discovery. Needless to say, I was a little taken aback…

A true Scot wears underwear?

I’ve lived in Edinburgh for almost 12 years, this is my home now, and I feel Scotland has welcomed me with open arms. I know there are many purists who argue that a non-Scot should not wear a kilt but I do and I enjoy it. Ironically, however, I'm becoming something of a purist too.

“Wear a kilt with underwear? That’s absurd!”

Funnily enough, I found myself involved in a discussion just last night about this topic with two friends of mine, who happen to be Scottish. They both wear underwear with their kilts! While listening to this revelation I somehow managed to hide my surprise and ok, they did make a couple points… but “underwear? Really?!”

So what do you think? Is commando the only way to go or is this trend of wearing something underneath about to take over?

Commando or not?

Check out the article below and let me know what you think.

------------------------------------

By BEN McCONVILLE, Associated Press Posted: Wednesday, November 24, 2010

EDINBURGH, Scotland - A true Scotsman is said to never wear anything under his kilt. But now Scots are being warned the sartorial tradition could be both indecent and unhygienic.

The organization charged with maintaining standards in Highland dress has backed kilt-rental firms who say the age-old custom of "going commando" has got to go.

"We are saying please use common sense and decency, as it can be unhygienic and it can be offensive," Brian Wilton, of the Scottish Tartans Authority, said Tuesday. "If you are out and about in a kilt then remember to show some decorum.

"If you are hiring a kilt, then wear underwear because some of them are left in a horrible state."

The tradition comes from the clansmen warriors of the Highlands who wore little but long kilts that wrapped around the shoulder. The Scottish military took up the idea, and Scots regiments still parade sans underwear to this day.

"My father was a sergeant major in the army and used to clip a car mirror on the end of his pace stick and held it under the kilts of his men to check they were suitably undressed for parades," Wilton said.

Wilton also offered etiquette advice for anyone meeting a man in a kilt: Don't ask too many questions.

"Really, you shouldn't ask a Scotsman what he wears under his kilt." he said. "Imagine the offense you would cause if you were to ask the same of a woman."

To bare or not to bare, divides opinion.

Ian Chisholm, of the Scottish Kilt Makers' Association, said "it's traditional to go without and there is nothing wrong with it."

Howie Nicholsby, of innovative tailoring firm 21st Century Kilts in Edinburgh, has worn only kilts for the last 14 years and does not own trousers. He agrees underwear is often an asset.

"In my line of work I am very active and the capacity for wardrobe malfunction is endless," he said.

"Men feel pressured not to wear underpants because of this macho culture we have around the kilt. It is silly as you really should wear underpants if you're hiring a kilt.

"But the best thing to do is buy your own - then you are free to do what you want."

Nothing more needs to be said...

2010-11-25T10:07:00.007Z

Stop your wandering mind with sex

2010-11-21T10:55:00.052Z

So studies suggest that negativity and depression are inextricably linked to a wandering mind… and I would wager that artists' minds wander more than most...

This may add some insight to a recent post ‘Must an artist suffer for his or her work?’

Interestingly, this study also states that a wandering mind DOES 'underlie invention'. I have to agree that daydreaming is an essential part of my creative process. :) Ok, admittedly, this is a precarious line to walk, and to be a productive artist a vivid imagination must be balanced equally with self-discipline, work ethic, and motivation.

Stop the press!

However, the research article explains there is a quick and easy solution to the problems we artists must face every day (well, hopefully not TOO quick and easy). It was identified that the mind wandered the most during grooming procedures such as brushing one’s teeth; yet there was one activity that could stop one's consciousness dead in it’s tracks. It seems if you would prefer your safari-loving mind to ease out of those old hiking boots, put down its walking stick and settle into that big, comfy, La-Z-Boy for a little bit of NOW time, all one has to do is have sex!

Genius!

It’s brilliant and enlightening research like this that puts the world into place so effortlessly for me. The stars have aligned, the heavens opened, the angels’ trumpets are blaring, and all of life's little mysteries now make sense.

... the only problem is, I’m in my studio, clean paint brushes at the ready, fresh paint on the palette, and all I can do is think about sex.

Click here for the article

If you have any suggestions as to how you prepare yourself to ‘get out of your head’ and into your studio, please feel free to comment below.

Synaesthesia II exhibition opening night and paintings

2010-11-19T15:34:00.010Z

This is one of the videos made for me in trade for some of my artwork. See my blog post Things to think about: Tips for artists #1

The benefits of charity work

2010-11-11T22:14:00.037Z

Ok, obviously it's not about the money, each day I wonder if I’m going to have to update my CV and send it out to the nearest Tesco or Sainsbury. And I'm certain 'long-term stability' is something that walks hand-in-hand with other imaginary creatures like the Snuffleupagus and the Tooth Fairy.

Nevertheless, working for a charity brings a great sense of job satisfaction, I sleep easy at night (when I'm not worrying about whether the charity will see another day), and it also provides the opportunity to meet some really amazing people. Today was exceptionally cool as I got to hang out with Jon Lord, a rock pioneer who played with Deep Purple and Whitesnake (I have to admit I was a Whitesnake groupie back in the late 80’s having seen them play in Vancouver when I was just a young buck.) Jon was receiving an Honorary Doctorate for Music in Edinburgh and he took some time out before the ceremony to have a wee chat with me, sign our charity fundraiser guitar and have some photos taken.

So ya, working for a charity is definitely not all bad.

Rock on!!

ps. You can win this very cool guitar by clicking here WIN GUITAR

Three time lapse life drawings to jazz

2010-11-08T09:35:00.006Z

Trevor Jones Art from Trevor Jones on Vimeo.

Things to think about: Tips for artists #1

2010-11-07T18:43:00.024Z

Let’s face it, everyone loves art but few are willing to pay for it.

And when I say 'pay for it', I mean pay enough for it to make it financially worthwhile for the artist.

Let me put it another way, I have an absolutely massive student loan to pay back from six years of post-secondary education – one art foundation year and five years studying for my MA Fine Art degree. Now if I had chosen to do so, I could have instead taken those six years to study engineering, accountancy, architecture, or something along those lines and come out with a job and an income that would ensure I could pay my ginormous student loan back. Instead, I decided to paint.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change my decision for the world; however, it does mean that I have to be a little more creative in how I go about making ends meet. And, if I’m ever going to become that very rare bird, the financially successful artist, while not completely compromising my artistic integrity, I’m going to have to cover all the bases.

Chartered accountant vs creative, artsy person

We could get into a discussion as to why someone will not hesitate to pay a chartered accountant £50 - £100/hour for their services while an emerging artist (with just as many years of education) feels guilty about selling a painting for £1500 when, after all expenses have been paid including 40%-60% gallery commission fees, framing costs, studio rental, overhead, paint and materials, (and don't forget the friendly taxman now!) they’re lucky to make £8 hour – but I’d rather not. It’s pointless. This is the world we live in and this is the life the artist has chosen.

I used to be the guy who was so happy that someone liked one of my drawings or paintings that I would just give it to them! I became everyone’s best friend and before I knew it I was being invited to every birthday or wedding going because they knew they would get a painting as a gift. Why did I give away a painting that could have sold in a gallery for £500 when I could have bought a perfectly nice £25 toaster for them instead? Because artists are inherently insecure and we’re renowned for undervaluing ourselves. We get all excited when someone tells us they love our work. We’re like little puppy dogs wagging our tails and dancing on our hind legs for a pat on the head.

So how can you, the artist, benefit from this information?

Let’s look at the facts again:

• People like artwork
• Very few people are willing or able to pay (enough) money for the work
• Artists like to give their work away

So I put my thinking cap on, added it all together, and came up with a simple conclusion. If most people won’t give me hard cash right now for my paintings (because my name isn’t Bellany, Crowe, Rae or Innes) what will they give me? Well, you’d be surprised.

As a fairly recent art graduate I know I need to do all the right things to separate myself from the millions of other artists out there. And trust me, there are a million great artists out there creating amazing work so how am I going to stand out? Of course good artwork is essential but one more time, let’s face it, when it comes to the big numbers, people don’t by the art, they buy the artist.

So how does one get their work AND their reputation to that magical level?

By magical level, I mean, where the punters will pay enough for the art that the artist can make an adequate living after all expenses have been paid. Well, we do it with the help of others but, as I said above, although we can’t pay these people with cash we can pay them with artwork.

It all clicked when I decided I wanted a website that was better than all the other artists’ websites out there. Do you have any idea how much the service of a quality web designer costs? Let me tell you. Much, much more than the average artist can afford!! After trawling through loads of fantastic businesses’ and artists’ websites I put together a wish list for my own site, took it to an excellent web design company and explained my situation. They wrote a number on a piece of paper, showed it to me and I almost passed out.

Nevertheless, after a glass of water and a cool, damp cloth on my forehead, we continued to talk and they were absolutely amazing. They understood where I was coming from (perhaps felt a little sorry for me) and we agreed I would pay about half the costs in cash and the rest in paintings. I saved a bundle and they have some beautiful artwork. You never know, that artwork may just appreciate in value too, making it an extra good deal for them!

Spread the love and the knowledge

And I’ve taken this discovery to my work place. I work for a small charity that lends art to healthcare centres throughout the country. We are in desperate need of a website makeover but we have no money! We do have, however, limited edition, signed prints created by well known artists that we sell to raise funds for the charity. Times are tough and people aren’t spending like they used to and selling the prints is a lot more difficult. Therefore, I offered our charity’s website designer two unframed prints to fix up our old website, which costs us about £38 each but they retail at £600 together. He accepted. Happy ending #2

We also needed a valuation for the charity’s art collection as our insurance company requested an up-to-date total value. Again, we couldn’t afford to pay for this service as it’s just not in our budget; however, we offered a professional a framed print which retails at £410 and costs us about £135. He agreed to do the work for us. High five to happy ending #3

And finally, I’m currently working with a highly motivated and driven student from the Edinburgh College of Art film department. He’s putting together various film clips for me of my life drawing, exhibitions, art events, etc…which I’ll upload to my website or blog to boost my online presence. I’m paying him with drawings from the figurative classes I take. He’s a smart, young guy who’s building up an art collection AND a portfolio of his own professional practice before he’s even graduated and I’m finding new and creative ways to establish myself as an up-and-coming artist. I’m separating myself from the other artists out there by working with highly skilled people who can do things for me that I don’t have the time or expertise to even attempt. They like my artwork and as I can’t afford to pay them in cash I’m paying them with my art. It’s a win-win situation.

Look, you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that times are tough.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a small or large business owner or an artist; those who will not only make it through to the other side of this economic lull but who will actually thrive are the ones who work smart, who use ALL their resources and who build relationships with other qualified and talented individuals in diverse fields.

At the end of the day, we’re artists and we love when other people like our work – so give it to them! But if it’s not money we’re getting for it let’s just make sure we get something that’s really going to help our creative journey AND our career… not just a nice meal and a slice of wedding cake.

If anyone else has any ideas as to how to thrive as an artist and develop ones creative career please feel free to comment below!

What's the worst that could happen?

2010-11-07T16:38:00.039Z

It's funny cause it's true – I was in the 3rd year of my degree, a mature art student, thinking to myself, “Why am I here and what exactly am I doing with my life? Ma and Pa Jones obviously dropped me on my head when I was a baby and never told me about it.”

Regardless, I resigned myself to following my crazy dream and came to the conclusion that if I didn’t make it happen no one else was going to do it for me. I organised my first solo show at the end of that year in a local bar and lounge where I drank (way too much... often) and although I was more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs a lot of friends came to the opening, told me how great I was, and I even sold a couple paintings. Celebrations!

A few days later I stopped into the exhibition to bask in all my glory as a great and successful artist and while exalting in my work, some guy walked in, looked at the paintings, looked at me, back at the paintings and back to me, and said, “What is this shit? I’ve never seen anything so horrible in my life. Whoever did this has gotta be having a laugh.”

I’ll be honest. It hurt. I wanted to knock him out but I didn’t. After a couple stutters and stammers, I told him that I was the artist and he just about shrivelled up and died right there. I kind of wished he had. Nevertheless, I’m glad it happened. I found out very quickly that an artist has to be able to take some pretty solid punches if they’re going to keep the love and passion to continue what they’re doing.

And so here I am, not too many years on from that experience and, to be completely honest, still a little nervous and insecure about what I do. But my skin is thicker and the passion is even stronger. The opening of my first gallery solo exhibition Thursday night went down amazingly well (photo right). The place was packed from start to finish and more than just a couple paintings sold this time too.

There’s been some really positive responses (and not all from my mum), a couple good reviews, and I can see the hard work and tough chin is starting to pay off. I came to the realisation that to be successful, I have to take chances. Also, some people are going to like what I do and some people are not. It’s that simple. And lets be honest, what’s the worst that could happen?

Was it all worth it?

2010-10-24T21:12:00.107+01:00

It's not much longer now until the opening of my show and my nerves are beginning to get the better of me.

I didn't think it was possible but I'm actually sleeping less than I was last week! Although all the paintings are finished, there is still so much more to prepare for and to do...

Nevertheless, no matter what happens, there's one thing I'm happy with and that's the artwork. I feel my paintings and the ideas behind them have really come on.

It's hard to believe just a little over a year ago (and a mere year after graduating) I was ready to pack it all in because I was so worried about trying to 'make it' as an artist. I thought no one would be interested in what I was doing and I questioned myself every day for making that absolutely rash decision to go to Art College at such a late stage in life.

College hadn’t instilled very much confidence in me either. Admittedly, there are flaws within every type of institution and an art college is no different.
However, I didn't feel the college cared much about what happened to me after I left (actually, I felt like that even when I was there). And although there were some tutors who did go ‘above and beyond’, there were just as many who seemed as if they’d rather be somewhere, anywhere, else.

That reminds me of my fourth year painting tutor who actually was pretty much anywhere else, having only spent an hour and a half session time with me over the entire year.

OK, enough of my wee rant – I also want to make the point that so much good came out of the experience too. I met a lot of amazing people who inspired me and helped me through the tough times, both students and yes, some tutors. I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in right now if I hadn’t attended Edinburgh College of Art.

So here I am with my first solo show coming up in a cool gallery in Edinburgh city centre and although I'm nervous and anxious, I'm excited and, somehow at the same time, I feel content. I can honestly say I've done my best.

For a great article about the pros and cons of Art College check this out.
Why Art School (may or may not) Suck!

Paintings:1. She's Coming Down, 122 x 122 cm

2. Harry's in Heaven, 122 x 122 cm

3. Milk, 91 x 91 cm

4. Swim Until You Can't See Land, 61 x 61 cm

5. Who's Got a Match, 61 x 91 cm

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what your time at art college was like...

Must an artist suffer for his or her work?

2010-10-23T14:22:00.040+01:00

Frida Kahlo had a very difficult life and when asked about her self portraits she replied, "I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best."

But is the romantic notion of the artist and the tortured soul only a myth?

"Now where did I put my absinthe and opium?"

Van Gogh was not a happy guy. I consider myself quite perceptive and I'd wager you don't cut your ear off and give it to your prostitute friend if you're happy. I’ve been through some tough times but self mutilation never crossed my mind.

Gauguin definitely suffered for his art. He pretty much brought it on himself though. He left his wife and five children for Tahiti, created some brilliant paintings and then died an excruciatingly painful death from syphilis.

As I’d mentioned in a very early post (It's OK, I'm a professional), Eva Hess and Francisco Goya both paid the ultimate price for their art. It actually killed them.

So...

what are the chances of me following my dreams, finding an adequate amount of financial success to be able to buy that little B&B in Sardinia, create great work and paint away till the candle burns out? I’m a pretty easy going, happy guy. How is this positive attitude going to affect my future market price and brand identity? Perhaps I should fabricate a completely new image: over the top eccentric, verging on mad, temperamental, a recluse, and on the rare occasion I do come to one of my exhibition openings, I arrive on a horse... naked.

Na, that just seems like hard work.

I guess I’ll just continue painting, try to work with honesty and integrity, and see what happens. If you have any suggestions however; I’m all ears… at least for the foreseeable future.

Now that I think about it, the framing cost for my upcoming exhibition just came in. OUCH! That hurt!

Etymology of LUST

2010-10-19T20:19:00.036+01:00

I love words.

They very much have a life of their own. I find it interesting how the meaning of a word is able to shift and change with the passage of time. Words are chameleons.

What happens to a word's inherent value as each generation expropriates this arbitrary grouping of letters and adds its own values and belief systems to it? Where does it's symbolic resonation disappear to? Or is ‘meaning’ itself the constant and only its description transient? Here's another question then, "Can a society’s overarching views, morals and values, in essence, its social fibre, wax and wane with the evolution of its language?"

LUST...

The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman "lustrum", which literally meant "five years". This was the cycle time for the ritual expiation of "sins" called the lustration as practiced in ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Sexual intercourse was one of a list of sins requiring lustration.

The Seven Deadly Sins, written during the 5th century is a similar list of sins requiring expiation or forgiveness. These doctrines forbade even thoughts and desires for fornicatio (fornication) and luxuria (luxury). The concept also was progressively embodied in debates about mandatory Clerical celibacy beginning in the 1st through 5th centuries and following. For example, Henry Charles Lea states that "Sixtus III barely admits that married persons can obtain eternal life" in his "Sacerdotal History of Christian Celibacy" . He also states, "Siricius and Innocent I ransacked the Gospels for texts of more than doubtful application with which to support the innovation of required celibacy".

However, in the 11th to 15th centuries the northern European usage of the verb still meant simply "to please, delight;" or "pleasure". A related form "lusty", originally meant "joyful, merry" or "full of healthy vigor".

The word "lust" moved closer to its present meaning in the 16th century with its use in the Reformation's early Bible translations. This is despite the fact that the original Greek Bible has no single word that is uniquely translated as heterosexual lust.

Today, the meaning of the word still has differing meanings as shown in the Webster definition. Lust: 1. a: pleasure, delight b: personal inclination: wish 2. intense or unbridled sexual desire: lasciviousness 3. a: intense longing: craving b: enthusiasm, eagerness .

After writing this post, for some reason I could really use a stiff drink or three. Unfortunately I'm only on day 49 of a 60 day detox/health kick (sans alcohol). Damn me! It seemed like a good idea at the time! Well, I guess I can always start researching another word... hmmmm what I can find out about honorificabilitudinitatibus?

Cartman sings Lady Gaga

2010-10-17T19:24:00.013+01:00

If I don't laugh out loud at least ten times a day, I did not have a good day.

The first time I saw this episode with Cartman and the boys playing their Xbox 360 and singing Lady Gaga's Poker face, tears of laughter were streaming down my face. I still laugh out loud when I watch it. Call me crazy but I think Trey Parker is a genius!

Those were the days...

2010-10-13T20:49:00.013+01:00

It's true, I was a fan.

After my last post "The Rape of the Sabine Women" I came to the realisation that this entire blog is pretty much made up of painting stuff, exhibition stuff, studio stuff, and charity fundraising stuff. I decided I've had enough of that stuff and would like to take a little stroll down memory lane for a change.

Yes, I admit it, I listened to David Lee Roth back in the 80's and, to be honest, I still enjoy a dose of lowbrow entertainment once in awhile... actually, I'm a huge South Park fan and could watch an episode or two every day if I had the time. And saying that, I may just post a Southpark clip as well, between my painting stuff, exhibition stuff...

Rape of the Sabine Women

2010-10-13T09:34:00.025+01:00

Today it is common for a husband to carry his bride across the threshold of their new home the first time they enter it. Few know the origin of this tradition.

According to Roman Legend Romulus and Remis built a city. A fight between the brothers left Remis dead and Rome was named after its surviving founder. Rome found itself full of strong brave men but few women to assure its survival.

Romulus petitioned the surrounding tribes for rights to intermarry. Despite great effort the Roman requests were all met with stern declination. Romulus decided that if the neighbouring towns would not share their women, Rome would take them.

The Romans hid their dismay and sent out word that they would hold the grandest festival and greatest games in a celebration, to honour 'Equestrian Neptune'. Excited at the prospect of such a festival and curious to get a glimpse of the new city, the surrounding tribes flocked to Rome.

The Sabine came in the greatest number, bringing their wives and children. All were hypnotized by the great city; the men ready to compete against its builders, the women and children anxious to watch.

When the games began and all were distracted; the signal was given and the Roman men rushed after the young maidens, most the women of the Sabine, swept them up and carried them off in all directions to their homes. Startled, most of the visitors fled, leaving their women at the mercy of the Romans.

Capturing the persons of the Sabine women proved far easier than winning their affection however. Romulus went round to all and sought to alleviate their dismay. He promised that, “They would live in honourable wedlock, and share all their property and civil rights, and…would be the mothers of freemen.” And he assured them that in Roman husbands they would find more affection than in all other men to make up for their loss and unhappiness.

Retaliation was slow to come. Most tribes were unaffected as the Sabine and feared war with Rome, but an army was raised; with the Sabine fathers at its head, it fell on Rome with violent intention. The Romans met them with the same. The two armies traded insults and missiles then charged forward, the fathers of the Sabine women on one side, their husbands on the other.

Before they could meet the Sabine women threw themselves into the fray. "Stop they cried. Kill us before yourselves, for no matter the victor we will be either orphans or widows; a fate worse than death." Both sides were moved by their plea and honoured by the love of their wives and daughters. The battle was stopped and peace was made. Rome now had its wives and the Sabine their daughters.

The top image is a drawing I did while in Florence of Giambologna's stunning, 16th century sculpture 'Rape of the Sabine Women'.

Text by B. Brown, 2008

For everything else, there's MasterCard

2010-10-09T18:53:00.058+01:00

Milk
91 x 91 cm
Mixed media on board

An original painting by Trevor Jones - Priceless

"There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's MasterCard."

Such as...

1. JACKSON POLLOCK

"Number 5, 1948", 1948
$140 million
Private sale, 2006, Seller: David Geffen. Buyer: Unknown (rumoured to be Mexican businessman David Martinez)

2. WILLEM DE KOONING

"Woman III", 1952-53
$137.5 million
Private sale, 2006, Seller: David Geffen. Buyer: Steven Cohen

3. GUSTAV KLIMT

"Adele Bloch-bauer I", 1907
$135 million
Private sale, 2006, Buyer: Ronald Lauder.

4. PABLO PICASSO

"Nude, Green Leaves and Bust", 1932
$106.5 million
Christie's New York, May 2010. Buyer: anonymous

5. PABLO PICASSO

"Garçon a la pipe", 1904
$104.1 million
Sotheby's New York, May 2004. Buyer: anonymous

6. ANDY WARHOL

"Eight Elvises", 1963
$100 millionPrivate sale, 2008, Buyer: anonymous

7. PABLO PICASSO

"Dora Maar au chat", 1941
$95.2 millionSotheby's New York, May 2006. Buyer: anonymous

8. TITIAN

"Diana and Actaeon", 1556-1559
$91 million
Private sale, February 2009, Buyer: United Kingdom

9. GUSTAV KLIMT

"Adele Bloch-bauer II ", 1912
$87.9 million
Christie's New York, November 2006. Buyer: unknown

10. FRANCIS BACON

"Triptych 1976"
$86.3 millionSotheby's New York, May 2008. Buyer: European private

OK, but in all seriousness, you can definitely get an original painting by Trevor Jones at a fraction of the cost of the ones on the list above. I’m pretty sure that the UNIONgallery, who will be hosting my exhibition in November, take MasterCard and even Visa or American Express. Why fork out for a Picasso or Klimt when you can get a beautiful piece of art without having to break the bank. I’ll even pour you a glass of wine and we can have a laugh at the guy who paid $95 million for a portrait of a green woman with a nose growing out from under her eye.

See you at the show!

The benefits of being an artist

2010-10-07T22:52:00.005+01:00

I only wear a suit when I want to.

To get your hands on this funky Gibson guitar click here http://bit.ly/bIkxjE

photo by John Need

An omen?

2010-10-04T22:49:00.041+01:00

I haven't been sleeping that well.

It's getting pretty tight financially at the charity I work for and on top of that there is obviously my forthcoming exhibition racing uncontrollably towards me. I remember from the joint show I was involved with last year that the stress affects me in numerous ways. I'm dealing with it at the moment but as the exhibition fast approaches the hours of sleep I manage each night diminish.

So I didn’t need to see this comic in the Metro paper today when I jumped on the bus to go to work.

Or could it be an omen? }:-)

Are there any other artists out there who struggle with exhibition openings? Don’t get me wrong, I love the show and enjoy the chat and the numerous glasses of wine at the opening. It’s just the build up to it that takes its toll on me. Feel free to write and tell me how you deal with the stress of the lead up to your opening night. Cheers

cartoon: Nemi by Lise Myhre

Painters are like athletes

2010-10-03T15:15:00.078+01:00

I often make analogies between painting and sport. I think there are a lot of similarities between the two, such as the necessary physical aspects of hand/eye coordination or practicing techniques until a particular motion becomes second nature - intuition through repetition. Every athlete is constantly striving to get into that elusive “zone”, which I believe is the aim of the painter too. In sport, Michael Jordan was the king but I’d bet money many of the great painters like Titian, De Kooning, or Velasquez (how’s that for mixing it up?) would have agreed that being “in the zone” was essential to their work too.

Ok, am I just grasping at paintbrushes?

Here’s an excerpt from Athletic Insight – the Online Journal of Sport Psychology which I hope will help me to explain myself a bit better.

“Numerous coaches and athletes maintain that the ability to reach optimal sport performance is 90 percent mental (Porter, 2003). According to Daccord (1998), professional goaltenders claimed that their mental skills contributed most to their ability to stop the puck. Theoretically speaking, a goaltender in ice hockey spends almost the entire game following the play. This leaves the goaltender with ample time to think about what has happened or what is to come, and many times this could be to the demise of the goaltender. Thus, psychological skills training is vital to a goaltender’s success. Gaining knowledge in areas such as concentration, arousal control, imagery, and self-talk will provide goaltenders with the tools needed to take control of their game.”

And the connections are?

The painter is similar to the goalie in that we also spend so much time actually looking and making decision after decision in our head as to the next action we'll take. It's easy to fall into the trap of continually second guessing ourselves but this is guaranteed to bring about certain failure. As Nike says, "Just do it!" Because of this the painter also needs to train and maintain levels of concentration, arousal control (mind outta the gutter please and don’t laugh! I can destroy a painting in 60 seconds flat if I get a little too excited about the brush marks I’m making or the new colour I just mixed on my palette), imagery (definitely!!), and self talk (how many of you painters talk to yourselves, in your head or out loud, to reaffirm what you need to do next with your painting?

“You have to risk going too far to discover just how far you can really go.” T.S. Elliot

Risk taking is something that every great athlete, whether they play football, basketball, baseball, golf or snooker (are snooker players sportsmen?) etc, has to embrace if they’re to excel. It’s also something every artist must consider if they’re to continue to create work both exciting to make and to view. The painter, like the athlete, is always shifting back and forth between intense thought and decisive action, reason and intuition, confidence and self-doubt; all playing important roles in the final outcomes.

How to make £150 000 a week

Admittedly, I’m at a very early stage in my art journey. I’m learning every day but I realise that this process accelerates through practice, research and study, and by taking risks in my painting. What happens more often that not? I make silly mistakes and then I make them again… and, knowing me, I’m very likely to make them a few more times, until I begin to get a better understanding of what I’m looking for and what I’m capable of doing. The good thing about all of it is, if I make a mistake, I’m not going to cost the team the World Cup, the Super Bowl, or the Stanley Cup. Then again, I’m not getting paid £150 000 a week.

Please tell me about your painting methods and experiences:

- How easy is it for you to “let go” and try something with absolutely no idea what’s going to happen?
- What steps do you take if you're feeling in a rut with your work?
- Like an athlete, do you prefer to “warm up” with quick sketches or mark making exercises for example, before you really get into your painting or do you jump right into it?

Above image: Harry’s in Heaven, 122 x 122 cm, mixed media on board. It will be showing in my forthcoming exhibition 4 November at the UNIONgallery, Edinburgh. Click here for all the details

Country Girl

2010-10-02T22:46:00.022+01:00

61 x 61 cm
Mixed media on board
£800

"Euphoric Rock n Roll"

This is an image of my very latest painting inspired by a song called Country Girl by the Scottish band Primal Scream. In the words of lead singer, Bobby Gillespie, the band wanted to write "euphoric rock n roll songs" for this album (Riot City Blues, 2006). They nailed it with this song I'd say. Loud, colourful, and warm rhythms - a feel good painting for a feel good song…

Kat Healy

2010-10-01T13:49:00.051+01:00

This is a drawing I did a couple years back from a photo (sorry) of a talented friend of mine called Kat Healy.

Kat has the voice of an angel and she brought it along with her guitar to play some songs at a recent art event and talk I organised at a local gallery.

I had some of my latest paintings on display and attempted to explain topics of interest including abstract expressionism, the pros and cons of creating artworks directly related to and influenced by music in a Post Modern world (whatever that means), and the phenomenon of synaesthesia.

Matisse knew best

I'm not sure what everyone thought of the talk but I do have to agree with Matisse’s words of wisdom, “Whoever wishes to devote himself to painting should begin by cutting out his tongue.” When it comes to trying to articulate an idea I tend to fly off on tangents and then follow that up very quickly by contradicting myself. To the listener it probably seems as if I haven’t got a clue, and who knows, they could be right. Nevertheless, I try to learn from my mistakes, develop my presentation skills, and strengthen my ideas. I’ll let you know how it’s going when I start seeing progress.

By the way, I’m off to the Lot tonight in the Grassmarket (Edinburgh) to check out Kat’s gig. There are a few other bands performing as well and I’m sure it will be an amazing and entertaining evening. Anyone in the vicinity should come by and join me! And if you have a chance, can you please explain to me what Postmodernism is again…

Swim Until You Can't See Land

2010-10-01T09:13:00.025+01:00

This painting was inspired by a brilliant song by the Scottish indie band Frightened Rabbit. Why did I choose this song, you ask? Well...

I wanted to focus on contemporary Scottish music for my exhibition, Synaesthesia II, for a few reasons including the obvious ones like the fact that I live in Scotland now. I also wanted to develop my music interests. I don’t really listen to the radio and I’m one of those people whose music taste has evolved very little since youth. Although I do have an iPod (really!), it’s crammed full of all my old CDs, which, if I’m being completely honest, were bought mostly to replace my old cassette collection that had become obsolete. Damn you Progress!

You can’t go wrong with AC/DC

Although I will never tire of walking to work on a crisp, clear morning whilst head banging away (in my head at least) to AC/DC or Mötley Crüe (give me a break, I grew up in 80’s small-town, Western Canada), I figured it was time to broaden my musical horizons. This was an ideal opportunity. I also concluded that attempting to visually reinterpret a song with lyrics imbued with personal meaning and symbolism would inevitably skew any kind of pure, intuitive response. Of course one may argue that a Canadian painter visually reinterpreting Scottish music could never fully comprehend or appreciate the cultural context of said song and would subsequently produce an irrelevant artwork anyway.

I’m sure we could get into a huge debate whilst arming ourselves with key words like semiotics, modernism and postmodernism, deconstructionism, and a whole lot more ‘isms’ but I’d rather not. I’m confused enough, thank you.

Metaphysics vs. physics

To make a point, and a long story just a little bit longer, let’s get back to Swim Until You Can’t See Land. Interestingly, I began working on the painting without really paying much attention to the lyrics. Yes, I’m bad for that too. All I was responding to was the instruments, the voice and the chorus. Although I wouldn’t consider the musical arrangement as dark in any overt way, there’s something about Scott’s voice that’s haunting and ethereal. There’s a tangible fragility that comes across in the song that, to me, could only be expressed with darkness and depth and layers. The mixing of phthalocyanine blue and burnt umber creates those deep, almost green/black hues nearer the top of the painting which fade down to a Prussian blue nearer the bottom. The seemingly arbitrary use of collage creates a sense of chaos, instability and loss. The mark making is more primitive and the occasional symbol or word helps create a bridge for the viewer into the painting.

So does it actually work?

You tell me. Listen to the song and visually explore the painting. Or, even better, come to the UNIONgallery for the exhibition, slip on an MP3 player available and really ‘see’ the painting whilst listening to the song. I think Kandinsky said it best when he described how 'vibrations' are experienced within the soul when a painting truly connects with the viewer. When I listen to this song and look at the painting, I feel that they are connected somehow. If feels right. I hope to see you at the exhibition opening night for a big glass of wine!

Oh! And before I forget - "why this song?" It's an amazing song. That's why. :)

Click here for Frightened Rabbit

Jazz Musician Graeme Stephen

2010-09-14T22:10:00.020+01:00

And the autographs just keep coming fast and furious. The back of the guitar is quickly being filled with the names of members of some very cool indie rock bands (see post below) and so I thought I'd mix it up a bit and approach one of the hottest jazz musicians in Scotland for his John Hancock.

Graeme was very happy to meet me at the Hard Rock Cafe today to lend his support for the Art in Healthcare Gibson guitar charity fundraiser. Adding his name to the others we may just have the most sought after guitar in Scotland now. If you'd like to get your hands on it you can pick up raffle tickets at the Hard Rock Cafe, Edinburgh or online at http://www.trevorjonesart.com/

The guitar will also be on display at the UNIONgallery on the opening night, 4 November, of my exhibition Synaesthesia II. Hope to see you there. x

And if you'd like to see Graeme in action, the Graeme Stephen Sextet is playing tomorrow night at the Jazz Bar on Chambers Street. Click here for details

ps. Not a bad axe hanging behind Graeme... Pete Townsend's Gibson Flying V! Nice.

UPDATE Sunday 3rd October: The guitar has now been signed by Canadian legends the Barenaked Ladies and I've just found out that Jon Lord of Deep Purple will be signing the guitar upon his arrival to Edinburgh! wooo hoooo!

Rod Jones of Idlewild

2010-09-02T15:17:00.010+01:00

I'd read in the Evening News a couple days ago that Rod Jones, the guitarist from the Scottish band Idlewild would be at Tynecastle High School where he's kicking off a mentoring programme for young Scottish music students. I managed to get in touch with the organisers and was invited to bring the Gibson guitar I painted for the Art in Healthcare charity fundraiser to the school to be signed by Rod.

Click here to find out how to win the guitar

He was a really nice guy and as he was signing it he offered to have the guitar signed by the other members of Idlewild. He then suggested I bring it to a gig he’ll be at 1 October where we could have members of Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad also sign it. This is exactly what we needed to draw more attention to our fundraiser! I’m now in the process of writing up a press release to see if we can get a little media coverage. :)

FYI Since posting this the guitar has now also been signed by the members of hot indie bands Frightened Rabbit and We We Promised Jetpacks! Get your raffle tickets now!

My studio

2010-08-28T09:24:00.015+01:00

Can you believe I'm actually quite clean and tidy? I really am. My flat's always in decent nick yet for some reason when I paint I become so obsessed with what I’m doing that everything else fades into the background. And by the time I finish for the day I’m so knackered the thought of cleaning the studio is the last thing on my mind! Looking at the state of the space it’s hard to believe I can actually get anything done let alone prepare for a big exhibition!

Here's an image of one of my more recent paintings. It's possibly the most textured of all of them with sand and gauze, ripped card and bubble wrap along with paint and pastels, pencil and spray paint used. I actually began working on this one way back in January but I really struggled with it. There were a few times I thought it was almost there but then a few more ‘minor’ adjustments and the next thing I knew I had a completely different painting again. So I’d start all over - and again… and again. Inspired by a Mogwai song called The Sun Smells Too Loud the painting has something of a landscape feel about it.

Joan Mitchell

2010-08-01T11:47:00.024+01:00

I've been online checking out some of the various events and exhibitions coming to Edinburgh and I stumbled upon a painter I hadn't heard of. Joan Mitchell was a contemporary of Lee Krasner and Helen Frankenthaler.

The Joan Mitchell Foundation writes, "as an absract expressionist (Mitchell) composes with long curvilinear strokes or broad stains of colour, contrasting warm and cool, often on unprimed canvases. Her perceptions enrich her work with a fascinating sense of the unfinished."

I see stunning, organic bursts of nature, overflowing with life and vibrancy - and very much complete. I can't wait to see them in person.

Pop along to Inverleith House at the Royal Botanic Gardens 27 July to 3 October and let me know what you think of the exhibition.

For an excellent review by Jackie Wullschlager click here

Image: La Ligne de la Rupture by Joan Mitchell

Never say never

2010-07-31T15:10:00.016+01:00

This will be just a quick note to retract what I'd said in my very, very first posting a way back in february of this year regarding my mystification with the Twitter phenomenon. Slowly, slowly I'm beginning to see the strengths of this social media tool. As a newbie I'm still making the usual faux pas while at the same time spending a lot of time baffled by the various Twitter hieroglyphics; nevertheless, the more I use it the more I get my head around its value.

On that note... please click on the wee, red happy face right here :)

Annie

2010-07-30T10:21:00.033+01:00

This is a life drawing I did a couple years back during the Saturday afternoon class I organised at Leith School of Art. The model's name was Annie and although she hadn't done a lot of modelling before, she held this 4 hour pose amazingly well (of course she had breaks in between - I'm not that mean!).

What I like about this drawing is the contrast between the academic approach to the model; well observed and a real sense of form through tone, and the loose and expressive pencil work for the other figure in the background. The contrast highlights the strengths of both figures, I think, and adds a tension to the overall image.

This is definitely one of those drawings I wish I never sold. But as long as it's gone to a good home I'll be happy. :)

Who's idea was this anyway?

2010-04-06T21:54:00.005+01:00

Ok, here are a couple photos of me in my exceptionally messy studio sanding away on that damn guitar still! My initial bright idea to just strip the top of the guitar and leave all the nice, shiny, varnished, deep cherry red on the back, sides and neck didn’t work. Unfortunately, after doing some painting I took the tape off to have a wee peak and it just didn’t look right. So here I am spending Easter weekend in the studio taking off the rest of the paint. If this guitar plan isn’t an absolutely massive success, we don’t raise a load of money for Art in Healthcare and The Edge doesn’t call me to ask me to paint one of his guitars for U2's next tour I may just have an emotional breakdown.

Below is a self portrait I did during happier times on the weekend - although it doesn't look like it. It's surprisingly difficult and a bit odd to try to draw oneself with a smile on one's face.

click to enlarge

It’s ok, I’m a professional…

2010-03-22T21:33:00.012Z

There's a long history of artists seriously injuring themselves and even accidentally causing their own deaths. Francisco Goya died of lead poisoning for example and Eva Hess unwittingly poisoned herself as the noxious fumes from the materials she was working with rose up through her studio ceiling and into her bedroom, which was directly above.

And then there is me. I somehow managed to slash both my thumbs with my blade cutting tape to cover areas of the Gibson guitar body I was painting for my charity fundraiser raffle prize. Ok, I admit, it’s not exactly life threatening but you try to peel an orange with cuts on both thumbs!! It’s very painful!

Please post one of your funny art-related accidents below to reassure me that I'm not the only muppet around. :)

Stairway To Heaven

2010-03-16T21:21:00.022Z

So Gibson Guitar is providing me with a guitar to paint, which will then go on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Edinburgh.

It will be raffled off 31 December 2010 with all proceeds from ticket sales going to the charity I work for Art in Healthcare.

Dave Pellow, the GM of the restaurant called me today to let me know the guitar will arrive tomorrow. This is a picture of what it will look like before I get a hold of it.

Now, I would like to say that I feel no pressure at all with this charity fundraising event but please let me explain, "This is a Gibson!" I’m going to strip and sand it down (let me clarify that I will not be naked as I sand it - it will be the guitar that's stripped), and then get out the paint, pastels and spray paint and have my wicked way with it (this really isn't coming out the way I want it to)! I will definitely be going to hard rockers hell for this violation of such a sacred instrument!

On the flip side however, if our projections are correct, this one charity event will raise more money for Art in Healthcare than we normally raise in a year! So, it looks like I might just be giving St. Peter that cheeky grin and high five after all as I skip through those pearly gates!

(ps. this is an old blog post and the guitar has now been painted and signed by various, super cool rock stars!) To find out more about the guitar, who has signed it, and how you can get your hands on some £1 raffle tickets please click here

We're a small but perfectly formed charity; however, things are not looking good for us financially. We need all the help we can get. Buy a ticket or 10!! Thanks and good luck!!

Step Into My Office

2010-03-13T22:32:00.009Z

Here is a rare view of my studio space. I tend to be the kind of artist who doesn't like anyone coming into my work area. Not because I'm territorial but because I don't like anyone to see my unfinished paintings!

Anyway, the photos will hopefully give you a better idea of my working process.... messy! There is paint everywhere (most of it ends up on my jeans and shirt to be honest), spray paint cans lie about and I spend the majority of my time looking for things like pastels and letter stencils that I've dropped on the floor and never seem to find again.

click on image to enlarge

I've popped my latest finished piece into my virtual room for your viewing pleasure. It was inspired by the KT Tunstall song Hold On. An upbeat, swing, jazzy kinda thang, the song is a constant progression of change ups and rhythms, various instruments coming and going and making fantastic use of the underrated hand clap, Hold On, in my view, needed this particular approach with colour and media to properly visually interpret it. I have to admit, this painting takes my chromo-amore to another level!! But hey, the song makes me smile and so does the painting - a decent match I think.

Studio Visits...

2010-02-11T12:19:00.004Z

I dropped off a couple of my new paintings at Framework the other day to be framed up and ready for when Alison Auldjo, the owner of UNIONgallery stops by my studio next Sunday to view my progress. Of course this is a wee bit stressful for me as the UNIONgallery has offered me my first solo exhibition opening Thursday 4 November and the pressure is on. It will obviously also be a wee bit stressful for Alison as she's taking a chance on yours truly.

I've never had a gallery owner come to my studio before, which is a little intimidating. What if she hates my work? What if she doesn't 'get it'? What if she slips, falls, gets paint all over her new jacket and decides to cancel the show? That reminds me, the studio is in desparate need of a tidy!

So I'm trying to figure out how to post photos onto this damn blog. Damn you BLOG - tell me how you do it! Stop toying with me!

OK! I figured it out - above is an image of one of my new paintings photoshopped into a 'virtual room'. I haven't titled it yet but, like all the paintings I'm working on for this show, it was inspired by a song by a Scottish musician or band. This painting above is my visual representation of the song Who's Got A Match by Scotland's heaviest rockers Biffy Clyro. Brilliant band! ...You can take the boy outta (80's) Canada but...

Jumping into the 21st Century!

2010-02-11T12:00:00.005Z

Finally! I will put it off no longer. Here is the first post to my new blog. Why do I need a blog you ask? That's a very good question and I'm still trying to figure it out myself; however, there's just no way I'm going to jump on the Twitter bandwagon. A blog does seem to make more sense.

So, here I am, an artist in 2010 and I've got my website, I have a facebook page, I've now got a blog and, to be honest, I do recognise the relevance of these (although they tend to be fairly time consuming when I should instead be in the studio painting my ass off!) but what the heck is Twitter all about? Please explain to me.

Speaking of all this new media... if you would like to peak inside my head a little more you can also check me out at -

click Website:
click Facebook:

ok, so here's to lots of great things happening in 2010!! VIVA LA BLOG!!