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The Sheep Are On Fire

Aberdeen City, Creative Writing No Responses »

Mar 202014

By Bob Smith.

Fae Inverness an Aiberdeen
Doon ti east o Glesga Green
Fitba fans in reid or blue
An fegs they war a motley crew
.
Scarves an flags aa ower the place
Some fowk they wore a sheepie’s face
Dons fans aa decked in new attire
Statin aat “The Sheep Are on Fire”
.
The atmosphere it wis rich braw
Celtic or Rangers nae missed ava
Fans aa oot ti enjoy the game
Yet only ae team wid fin fame
.
Baith teams strode on green sward
90 meenits awa fae their reward
Fa wid win ess ‘eer’s League Cup
An fae its innards git ti sup?
.
The fans war still at fever pitch
Fin Dons they suffered a major glitch
Wee Jonny Hayes lost ti the fray
Nae mair wid Jonny git ti play
.
Only ae team wis tryin ti win
Some fitba tactics they are a sin
Caley Thistle they defendit weel
Frustration Dons fans began ti feel

A huuner and twenty meenits we did get
Yet naebody cwid fin the bliddy net
A penalty shoot oot wi did hae
Nae goals war scored fae open play
.
Up steppit CT’s Billy McKay,
The chiel he wid hae first try
Bit “Clangers” wis an instant hero
An Inverness stairtit wi a zero
.
The Dons wint inti a twa goal lead
As Inverness hairts they did bleed
Adam Rooney hut the winnin strike
Celebrations? Ye’ve nivver seen the like
.
Forty thoosan fans lit oot a roar
Fit wid hae bin heard in Baltimore
The cup wis oors – oh michty me
Fae doots an fears we noo war free
.
Russell Anderson wi een o his hans
Held up the cup tae delirious fans
Growne mannies an wifie’s hid a greet
An geets war liftit aff their feet
.
The sheep are on fire, the sheep are on fire
A Scottish Cup win wis noo the desire
Ti win at Parkheid an syne at Ibrox
Wid hae Weegies teerin oot their locks.

©Bob Smith “The Poetry Mannie” 2014.

Stonehaven Cooking Demo – Sat March 22

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Mar 202014

With thanks to Ed Walker.

Want to Save Money and Reduce Your Food Waste?

Come along to our Free Cooking Demonstration and learn some creative ways to use leftovers from the Foodie Quine

St Bridget’s Hall, Stonehaven Dunnottar Church

Saturday 22nd March, 10.30am – 1.30pm

Please contact Karen or Gillian on 01224 560360 email kwood@aberdeenforward.org to book a place

New Action For Threatened Woodlands And Species

Environment, Featured, Information No Responses »

Mar 202014

Pine Marten. © Laurie Campbell www.lauriecampbell.com

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

With concerns over the state of many Scottish woodlands, and fears for the long-term survival of iconic species including red squirrel, pine marten and capercaillie, the conservation charity Trees for Life is marking its 25th anniversary this year with a significant expansion of its forest restoration work across the Highlands, and with new projects focusing on the recovery of endangered species.
Trees for Life is now extending the geographical range of its forest restoration activity, from its previous project area of 1,000 square miles west of Inverness and Loch Ness, and is exploring opportunities to restore neglected and derelict Caledonian pinewoods in other parts of Scotland.

At the same time, the charity is developing a wider range of ecological initiatives to conserve forest species.

New projects will deliver practical field research, habitat assessments and species relocations to aid the conservation of key species such as pine marten, red squirrel and wood ants.

Trees for Life’s Executive Director Alan Watson Featherstone commented.

“Without urgent action, key parts of Scotland’s ancient Caledonian Forest could be lost forever, and forest-dependent wildlife such as the Scottish wildcat and capercaillie could become extinct in the UK,”

“As we celebrate 25 years of pioneering conservation action, including the planting of more than a million trees by our volunteers, and the creation of 10,000 acres of new Caledonian Forest, we aim to increase the impact and scale of our work. We want to ensure that our children and grandchildren also have the opportunity to enjoy Scotland’s wild landscapes and its rare and spectacular wildlife.”

Less than half, 46 percent, of Scotland’s native woodlands are in “satisfactory condition for biodiversity” and much must be done to reverse centuries of damage, according to Scotland’s first complete survey of these important habitats, published by Forestry Commission Scotland last month. The report found that natural regeneration of native pinewoods is scarce.

Following a long history of deforestation, the Caledonian Forest reached a critical point some 200 years ago, with too few remaining trees and too many deer eating seedlings – leaving ‘geriatric’ forests of old trees. Today, only a fraction of the former forest survives, with 35 isolated remnants of native pinewoods.

The need for concerted conservation action, and the lack of young trees to replace mature specimens when lost, is also being exacerbated by the threats posed by climate change and extreme weather, and the risk of disease affecting the Scots pine, which forms the forest ecosystem’s ‘backbone’ and on which many species depend.

“We want people to get involved through volunteering or financial support, to help restore Scotland’s threatened habitats and species. Wildlife tourism generates millions of pounds every year, so bringing new life to impoverished woodlands and barren glens can bring economic as well as environmental benefits,” said Alan Watson Featherstone.

The charity’s plans for 2014 include an ambitious project at Trees for Life’s flagship Dundreggan Conservation Estate, a biodiversity hotspot in Glenmoriston near Loch Ness. They paln to convert a 300-hectare commercial plantation of non-native trees planted by a previous owner back to native woodland. This will involve the felling of the alien conifers and a pioneering mire restoration scheme, funded by a grant from Scottish Natural Heritage. The whole project will take over 10 years to complete.

Dundreggan is also home to one of Scotland’s greatest concentrations of the nationally scarce dwarf birch, Betula nana.

An area will be fenced off for restoration of these ‘wee trees’, as part of a broader plan to create a woodland link between Glen Affric and Glenmoriston, and to expand this habitat for species including black grouse, ptarmigan and golden plover.

A programme of research on forest ecology will also be carried out at Dundreggan, and the estate will host a 25th anniversary open weekend on 24th – 25th May.

Meanwhile, a new tree planting project will begin in a Caledonian pinewood remnant at Culligran in Glen Strathfarrar in the autumn.

Trees for Life has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018, creating expanded habitats for wildlife including strawberry spider, wood ants, red squirrels, rare sawflies and ospreys. Over the past year, the charity has expanded its volunteer Conservation Weeks and Conservation Days, offering more opportunities for people to gain conservation experience.

Trees for Life’s story began in 1986 when Alan Watson Featherstone made a commitment to an environmental conference at Findhorn to launch a Caledonian Forest restoration project. Practical activity began in June 1989, with tree guards used to protect Scots pine seedlings in Glen Cannich from being eaten by deer. In 1991, volunteers began planting some of the first new trees to grow in the forest for 200 years.

Trees for Life has grown into an award-winning, leading conservation volunteering charity, with a dedicated staff team and thousands of supporters and volunteers. Wildlife film maker Gordon Buchanan planted the charity’s millionth tree at Dundreggan in 2012, and Trees for Life played a key role in the successful campaign for the Scottish Parliament to name the Scots pine as the country’s national tree.

People can support Trees for Life by becoming a member, carrying out conservation action, sponsoring trees for special occasions or sponsoring an acre of native forest. See www.treesforlife.org.uk.

Trees for Life’s awards include UK Conservation Project of the Year, Millennium Marque, Top 10 Conservation Holidays worldwide, Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Environment Award (2012) and RSPB Nature of Scotland – Outstanding Contribution to Nature Award (2013).

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Grampian Transport Museum Launch 2014 Season

Aberdeenshire, Featured, Information No Responses »

Mar 202014

The Grampian Transport Museum is preparing to open its doors for the start of the 2014 season, launching a packed events schedule with a ‘Mothers Day Special’ on Sunday 30th March. With thanks to Martyn Smith, Marketing and Events Organiser, Grampian Transport Museum.

The Maudslay which is with us for the 2014 season. There are believed to be just 6 of these left.

Although the museum has been closed since October a dedicated team has been hard at work, refreshing and updating the exhibition over the winter months.

A topical new exhibition, based on a temporary exhibition produced by the British Postal Museum and Archive to mark the 50th anniversary of ‘The Great Train Robbery’ describes the daring raid on a mail train in August 1963, that has also been described as the Crime of the Century.

The exhibition includes two of the three vehicles actually used on the night of the robbery, an Austin Loadstar lorry and an ex-Army Land Rover and also material loaned by New Scotland Yard and private collectors.

New attractions include a stunning state of the art HGV simulator which uses high definition graphics and a full motion platform to accurately simulate and teach the driving of a large articulated lorry.

For the first time ever the Museum has been able to secure for display an example of an extremely rare ‘round radiator’ Maudslay motor car dating from 1910. Maudslay were popular in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City possibly due to the influence among the car owning wealthy elite of the time of Sir Charles Forbes of Strathdon who was the Chairman of the company.

Alongside the new displays a few old favourites return, including Billy Connolly’s motortrike and the Pop Icons collection – with a display including Daleks and two examples of the first AND last of the original Minis.

QR codes will once again accompany many of this year’s displays, allowing visitors to access video and archive material from the collections of the Museum and British Pathe using their smart phone.

2014 also sees the return of the Junior Driving School, a fun and educational introduction to road safety and driving for visitors aged 5 to 11 years, which proved extremely popular in its first year. The diary is already filling up with bookings for birthday parties.

Following visitor feedback ‘The Traveller’s Rest’ tearoom will also be open to Museum visitors every day throughout the season, providing a range of hot and cold beverages, soups, sandwiches and a fine selection of snacks.

The Museum opens to the public at 10am on Sunday 30th March, with a special preview evening being held on Thursday 27th March from 6pm (invited guests and members from 7.30pm).

Frequent visitors to the Museum can take advantage of the popular gtm+ membership scheme, which offers unlimited free access to the museum and events, along with a range of exclusive member’s benefits. Membership starts from just £30 for an Adult membership.

2014 Season Preview Evening

Date:           Thursday 27th March
Venue:        Grampian Transport Museum, Alford, Aberdeenshire
Time:          6.00 – 9.30pm (Press)

General Enquiries: Tel: 019755 62292 ~ Fax: 019755 62180

E-mail: info@gtm.org.uk
Web: www.gtm.org.uk

Events Office: Tel: 019755 64517 ~ Fax: 019755 62180

E-mail: events@gtm.org.uk

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Festival Of Politics – The Future Of Trident and NATO

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Mar 202014

With thanks to Jonathan Russell.

As part of Aberdeen Festival of Politics, Aberdeen and District CND will host a public meeting to discuss the future of Trident and Nato.
Speaker, John Finnie MSP (Independent, Highlands and Islands region), who is well known for his opposition to both Trident and NATO, will be helping us navigate the multiple security questions confronting humanity in the 21st Century.

With escalating tension between Russia and the US over developments in Ukraine, anxiety about nuclear war inevitably begins to loom.

These two superpowers still retain vast arsenals of these weapons of mass destruction.

Time & Date: 7pm, Friday, 28th March
Venue: the Seminar room, Belmont Cinema, AB10 1JS

For more info, contact: Jonathan Russell, on 0758-245-6233 or email Aberdeen and District CND.

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The Positive Case For YES – Fri March 28th

Aberdeen City, Events 7 Responses »

Mar 182014

With thanks to Dave Watt.

With the Scottish Independence Referendum just 6 months away the positive case for a YES vote in September comes to Aberdeen on Friday 28th of March, with the visit of 4 major YES figures.

Author Alan Bissett of the National Collective is joined by Scottish Greens leader Patrick Harvie MSP, Alan Grogan, head of of Labour for Independence and Natalie McGarry of Women For Independence as they tell us why they believe we need a Yes vote.

Each of these acclaimed speakers will give a brief description of their vision for an independent Scotland and why they’re voting Yes before the audience is given the unique opportunity to put their questions to some of the most prominent figures in the Yes campaign.

This event is a perfect opportunity for those who remain undecided to listen to and then question leading Yes figures as to why Scotland should vote Yes in September and their views as to what an Independent Scotland will look like following a Yes vote.

The event begins at 19.30 at the MacRobert Lecture Theatre, Aberdeen University on Friday 28th of March.

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Salmon Farm Escapes: Threat To Wildlife?

Articles, Environment 2 Responses »

Mar 182014

With thanks to John Robins, Animal Concern.

Following another mass escape of farmed salmon into the wild the Scottish Government has been asked to ban marine fin fish farms and move all production to on-shore enclosed pond and caged systems.

Such systems pump in seawater which is filtered and returned clean into the natural environment.

In on-shore salmon farming fish welfare is raised and maintained, sea lice problems are eliminated and escaped fish cannot enter the marine environment where they can introduce disease and genetic damage to wild salmon stocks. Land based salmon farmers have no excuse to shoot and kill seals.

John Robins of Animal Concern states;

“Increasingly windy and stormy winters greatly raise the risk of floating factory fish farms being breached and releasing vast numbers of genetically inferior and perhaps diseased fish into the wild. Escapees cause havoc within wild salmon stocks. The only way to protect the marine environment and protect the welfare of farmed salmon is to get this industry out of our seas and into controlled on-shore facilities.

“The Scottish Government must realise it is not actually in the fish farming business and recognise that it has a duty to properly control the industry and protect the marine environment from the many downsides of intensive salmon farming. If the Scottish Government refuses to do this perhaps the companies which insure salmon farms will.”

Below is a copy of our request to the Scottish Government.

Rt. Hon. Richard Lochhead MSP,

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment,

The Scottish Government,

EDINBURGH

Saturday, 08 March 2014

Dear Minister,

I write concerning the news that recent storms have caused the escape of 154,569 fish from a Meridian Salmon Group farm at Ness of Copister in Shetland. The company has also stated that they were unable to reach the farm for a period of two weeks because of the bad weather. Just over two years ago Meridian lost 300,000 salmon in a similar incident at another of its farms in Shetland.

These incidents highlight the very detrimental impact salmon farming inflicts on the marine ecosystem. They also raise serious questions about the welfare of salmon in floating factory fish farms.

Many of the salmon involved in this latest incident will have died from starvation, stress, physical trauma and entanglement in the mesh of the cage nets. Others will starve due to being unfit for life in the wild. Tens of thousands will however survive and compete with wild salmon for food.

The surviving escapees will migrate to rivers and may interbreed with wild salmon thus degrading the wild salmon gene pool. Many salmon farms rely on medication to control or suppress disease and there is a very real risk of escaped fish transferring disease to wild salmon.

As has been seen over the last few years we are experiencing new patterns of weather including, due to movements in the jet stream, far stronger, more prolonged and more frequent winter storms. Gusts of hurricane force winds are no longer a once in twenty year occurrence but are being recorded several times a year.

The only way to maintain the welfare of farmed salmon and protect the marine ecosystem from the damage caused by mass escapes of wild salmon is to move salmon farming onshore into self- contained pond and tank units. This was pioneered in Scotland by Otter Ferry Salmon in Argyll and I believe they currently have a very successful halibut farming operation on Gigha using these onshore techniques. On-shore farming also eliminates the sea lice problem encountered on marine fish farms, avoids the pollution of large areas of seabed and gives salmon farmers absolutely no excuse to shoot seals.

I urge the Scottish Government to protect our marine environment and maintain the welfare of farmed salmon by legislating to remove all fin fish farms from Scottish waters and encourage the industry to change to onshore tank based systems.

Yours sincerely,

John F. Robins,

For Animal Concern

PS. I find it unlikely that Meridian were the only salmon farmers to suffer loses in recent storms. Can you tell me what salmon farms have reported escapees since October 2013? Please give details including locations and number of fish lost. If necessary please regard this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and/or the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

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Musings Of A Not So New Music Photographer

Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Mar 182014

Julie Thompson continues her series on photographing bands in Aberdeen taking in The Beards/Massive Horse, The Answer/Estrella and Federation of the Disco Pimp/Kagoule/Marionettes at The Lemon Tree, The 1975/The NBHD/Wolf Alice at The Music Hall, and chats to local music photographer Dod Morrison.

The Beards – Credit: Julie Thompson

It seems somehow appropriate to be interviewing Dod Morrison, given that we both recently paid a visit to The Lemon Tree to photograph The Beards.

Dod sports a fairly substantial beard himself, although arguably not as luxurious as those attached to the band.

The Beards, a novelty band over from Australia were here to entertain us, along with their support – Massive Horse. Massive Horse are a couple of rappers, who use a projection screen to show videos, filmed to go with their songs.

These sorts of thing can be useful props when photographing bands – although getting the right moment for the image you’re after can sometimes require patience and a lot of luck.

Beard stroking commenced when The Beards came on. They stroked their own, they stroked each other’s. They even stroked the beards of members of the crowd.

The Beards base their act around the fact that all of their songs are about beards, but that aside, they are actually pretty good. Mostly rock but with some slower numbers, they entertain between songs with banter and some set pieces such as the band taking a break – the singer & lead guitarist had a chat over a beer while the bassist read a book about beards – leaving the audience to carry the chorus.

One track in particular tickled my funny bone; Shaved off his Beard . You can watch them perform on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJkLH4uZ73M

All in all, it was a fun night.

The bearded (and often Mohicaned) Dod Morrison has been shooting gigs for some years – about half of them with professional gear – since getting the bug when he first took photographs of Hayseed Dixie on his wee camera back in 2004.

His biggest frustration is a fairly typical one, as I have found from reading other music photographer interviews:

‘PR companies messing ya about or be replying or forgetting to add you to list and the restrictions you get put on you when everyone in the crowd has a camera anyway.’

It does seem that people spend more time watching gigs live through a phone than actually looking at the band these days. It can be a problem for us when we are limited to shooting from the sound desk up at the back – all you can see is a sea of arms and hands with phones in them.

So, what bands has Dod found the most fun or exciting to photograph?

Dod (bottom right) at The Temperance Movement – Credit: Julie Thompson

‘The Adicts are the most exciting, along with Cock Sparrer and Rancid.’

He singles out the Adicts because he went on a 21 cities tour of America with them from coast to coast (New York to LA and back) including the House of Blues in Los Angeles. This was the furthest, to date, that he has travelled to shoot gigs.

The most famous names under his belt include U2, Iron Maiden, and Katy Perry and on that note we’ll stop for a while. The second half of this interview will continue next time

I’ve been busy photographing other gigs between my last Musings and this, but I never got chance to write them up before a chest infection, exacerbated by some smoke machines at The Music Hall, knocked me out of commission for a couple of weeks. I’ll quickly mention some of them and there are photos linked below for anyone interested.

In late January, Federation of The Disco Pimp arrived at The Lemon Tree, along with Kagoule and supported by local band Marionettes.

We arrived at The Lemon Tree to find the usual photographers pit missing – a new one to me at this venue. It did mean, after some discussion with security, that we had a bit of a free rein on shooting, as long as we didn’t get in the way or annoy anyone.

The local band, Marionettes, kicked off the evening. The band consists of 5 mostly local lads (some hail from Glasgow) and were actually good fun, sparring with the crowd and producing some nice bouncy music.

Next up were Kagoule, who are a very young (17 years of age) three piece grunge/post punk band – 2 lads on drums & guitar/vocals and a lass on bass and are already proving to be an exciting new addition to the music scene. In a departure from my normal gig routine, another photographer and I had a short back stage shoot with the band.

FOTDP are a seven-piece funk band – 2 saxophones, a trumpet, keyboards, 2 guitars and drums make up this ensemble. No vocals as such so finding the focal point for shooting was tricky. However, concentrating on the instrument lead at the time seemed the way forward. They were a pretty good band – if you like to strut your funky stuff, try and catch them if they come again.

The 1975 – Credit: Julie Thompson

The 1975, supported by The NBHD and Wolf Alice, played the Music Hall in early February.

When I arrived, there were young folk queuing into Golden Square, and some of those at the head of the queue were wrapped in blankets after being waiting for some time.

First up was Wolf Alice, which is a four-piece alternative rock band with a female lead. The lights were really down low for this band, giving me a challenge.

The NBHD (also known as The Neighbourhood) are an alternative rock band from California, formed in 2011. The crowd at the Music Hall seemed pretty familiar with this second support act. For this band and the next, there were strobes and smoke machines – not my favourite combination.

Headlining the young trio of acts, The 1975 hail from Manchester and are an up and coming alternative/indie foursome whose debut album hit number 1 in the UK Album charts back in September last year.

Fronted by Matthew Healy, sporting a floppy Mohican, it was a surprising accomplished performance with Matthew having the stage presence you’d expect from the lead. They are no boy band and they don’t stick to single instruments – swapping between guitar & keyboard, or adding in a sax solo and they seem to enjoy what they do – which shows in their performance.

Their highest charting single, Chocolate, reached 19 in the charts last year. They will be playing at T in the Park along with The Isle of Wight, Reading & Leeds festivals in the summer.

Later in the month was The Answer at The Lemon Tree – signed to the same Agency as The 1975.

The Answer – Credit: Julie Thompson

The Answer is an Irish rock & blues band, formed in 2000 and, as well as supporting the likes of Deep Purple & Whitesnake, they toured with AC/DC in 2008/2009.

Their most recent album, New Horizon, was released last year.

They were supported by Scottish band Estrella, originally from Thurso but relocated to Aberdeen. They play 80’s style rock and have the look to match – entertaining and fun to shoot.

Coming up next – the second part of the Dod Morrison interview, along with Indian Red Lopez at the Peacock Visual Arts Centre, Kid Canaveral at The Tunnels and March of the Mods.

More Photos:

Federation of the Disco Pimp (FOTDP)
Kagoule
Marionettes
The 1975
The NBHD
Woof Alice
The Answer
Estrella
The Beards
Massive Horse

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GLASSHOUSE Contemporary Fair

Aberdeenshire, Events, Featured No Responses »

Mar 182014

The best of Aberdeenshire’s creative industries will be put on display in a contemporary art, craft and design fair in Westhill. With thanks to Margaretha Simpson.

Artists and designers from Aberdeenshire and across Scotland will be showcasing their top-quality enterprises at the GLASSHOUSE event on March 22 and 23.
People across the north-east are being invited to embark on a creative journey to discover the wide range of top-quality creative products being made in Aberdeenshire and in Scotland.

A greenhouse in the heart of Westhill’s thriving subsea sector is the unconventional backdrop for the GLASSHOUSE event, commissioned by Aberdeenshire Council’s creative placemaking programme Be Part of the Picture, in collaboration with local arts agency SMART Consultants.

The journey begins with the GLASSHOUSE Cultural Tour Buses, travelling to and from the venue from available parking at Westhill town centre and the Subsea 7 east campus. Leave your car and hop on the tour bus where a Creative Conductor will take you on an artistic journey of visual and audio wonders.

The unique GLASSHOUSE event is supporting local arts and creative industries and giving local communities the opportunity to access high-quality artistic work in a way the never have before.

Artists from a number of Aberdeenshire communities are taking part, including: Aboyne, Sandend, Fraserburgh, Kinellar, Tarves, Banchory, Whitehills, Alford, Boddam & Kintore.

The contemporary fair is also celebrating the world-class status of Westhill’s subsea campus as a centre for skill and innovation, fostering links between the local creative and business sectors.

Members of Westhill’s residential and business communities have been involved in a series of creative engagement events in the run up to GLASSHOUSE and have helped produce the designs for the Cultural Tour Buses.

International textile designer Donna Wilson, from Banff, who is creating a new tartan for Aberdeenshire, has also been involved in putting together the creative journey that visitors will experience.

Aberdeenshire Provost Jill Webster said:

“GLASSHOUSE is a really unique way for us to showcase the creative talent of artists and designers in Aberdeenshire and beyond. And what better place than Westhill to help strengthen links between our business and artistic communities, two very important sectors for our local economy.

“GLASSHOUSE is going to be an event like no other and I would encourage everyone to come along and take a look at the huge variety of creative wares and ideas on show.”

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, which oversees Economic Development, Councillor Peter Argyle, said:

“A greenhouse bustling with artistic and creative energy is going to be an unusual sight in Westhill and one worth seeing. As a focal point for innovation and collaboration, Westhill is an ideal setting for this exciting event.”

SMART Consultants Creative Director, Sally Reaper, said:

“We are delighted to have been commissioned by Aberdeenshire Council to build such a unique event celebrating the creative industries for the region.

“It’s exciting for us to extend our creative energy into Aberdeenshire, enabling us to build and develop a unique event for the wider community, as well as the creative practitioner. It will be interesting to see how the communities engage with the creative journey and how they respond to the unconventional setting of GLASSHOUSE.”

The GLASSHOUSE contemporary art, craft and design fair will run from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 March at Foxlane Garden Centre, Tarland Road, Westhill.

For more information on the event, go to www.bepartofthepicture.com.

No More Nails – Allan Watson at SMART Gallery

Aberdeen City, Events No Responses »

Mar 182014

With thanks to Margaretha Simpson.

SMART Consultants are delighted to present ‘No More Nails’ an exhibition of contemporary sculpture by local Scottish artist, Allan Watson, Head of Fine Art at Gray’s School of Art from Saturday 15 March at the SMART gallery.

This exhibition highlights the hand of the maker in many ways, new and old, it celebrates traditional craftsmanship in a unique, contemporary and unfamiliar way and demonstrates the importance of passed trades and workmanship.

Allan describes the ethos behind his exhibition –

“Growing up on a Perthshire farm in the 60’s meant that I became familiar with working with my hands from an early age. My grandfather taught me to work with tools when I was very young, not that he was making anything artistic: just the necessity of sawing logs, chopping kindling, digging the garden.

“When doing these ‘chores’ my mind would wander and what was going on in my head seemed unrelated to what I was doing with my hands. When Roger Deakin writes in Notes from Walnut Tree Farm “working with a scythe is silent, unhurried, rhythmical, and conducive to thinking . . .” I recognise this sentiment straight away: I think best when I’m working with my hands – and thinking leads to more making.

“Repetition was of course everywhere on the farm – tattie howkin’, pickin’ berries, shawin’ neeps – work which, at the end of the day you could see what you had achieved. Such formative experiences very much inform what I produce in my studio today: whether concerned with our changing relationship with tools, the visibility of labour or the ability of our imaginations to interact with reality and create infinite variation.”

The exhibition features a large-scale sculpture of ‘miniature’ pallets made from reclaimed wood with over 4000 hand cut pieces and over 5000 panel pins! A selection of ordinary hammers found at car boot sales are encased behind glass like historical artifacts preserving these once personal and valued tools.

Scaled down miniature sawhorses are elevated on plinths presented as beautiful art objects, once the trusty tool bench used by the local joiner and carpenter. Other highlights include a large-scale wall installation of found postcards documenting the American logging industry from the early 1900s.

This exhibition does not disappoint, it is a real showcase of our local contemporary talent and a highlight for the gallery to showcase contemporary sculpture in Aberdeen.

The SMART Gallery is at 9 Albyn Terrace, Aberdeen – it is open Saturdays and Sundays 12noon to 4pm or to arrange a viewing out of hours please contact info@wearesmartconsultants.co.uk or phone 01224 561977.

Exhibition runs from: 15 March to 27 April 2014

Allan Watson

Born Blairgowrie 1960, Allan Watson studied sculpture at Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen, graduating in 1986.

Since then he has continued to live and work in the area, participating in a wide range of projects including exhibitions, public art projects, artist-in-residence schemes, international workshops, and the completion of a PhD in 1992 that focused on chance and decision making within creative practice.

In 1994 Allan joined the teaching staff at Gray’s and is currently Head of Fine Art.

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