More NYC Museums

Yesterday I learnt that Americans call all places that sell artwork Art Galleries, and all places that show art but don't sell it Museums. Just one of the many little misunderstandings I am having with people - it is really making me wonder how much of my blog is readable by non-scots, and how much of other people's blogs I am really understanding. Huh, as New Yorkers seem keen an saying. Anyway, I've been wandering around a few of these museums - MoMA, where this marvelous goat statue by Picasso lives in a lovely little outdoor space. Unfortunately I was generally underwhelmed by the place - I was expected tons of abstract expressionist works, lots of people I'd never heard of, and a better understanding of abstract art as practised in America. But no. What you have is like a mini Tate Modern, with the impressionist/post impressionist bit of the National Gallery added on. Oh well.

So I went to the Guggenheim. Half of which, it turns out, was closed. But again, the strength seemed to be with the post-impressionists. Still, I had fun drawing the inside of the building, and lots of legs of folks appreciating these big torn metal sculptures. Then I thought I'd have something substantial and warm to eat, so ordered the fixed price menu of a sandwich, chips and a glass of wine. OK, I thought, chips and a sandwich seems a strange combination, but I'm in a foreign country so I should try and eat what the locals do. Except I had forgotten that what they call chips here are crisps. Duh. Still, the sandwich was nice, as were the wine and the crisps, and I had another go at drawing the building, this time with a little bit of Central Park thrown in.

And Back Home . . . PAI 2012

If any of you are paying attention, you'll notice that this painting was posted back in December. However, this particular image is the product of Lighthouse Photography who has done a much better job than I have ever managed. Also, I believe it is currently on display at Paisley Art Institute 2012 exhibition.

Exploring the Metropolitan

The Metropolitan Museum is huge. I knew this, but it really didn't prepare me for the reality of just how huge. Think the National Gallery and Tate Britain and The British Museum all added together.

So far I have been twice and am planning on going back at least another couple of times - although I wandered around the Impressionist section (so many Degas! Heaven!) I was too tired to really pay attention (like you can sorta see from my sketch I was in the American wing).

This wing is interesting and I particularly liked the storage area, which has rows of paintings hung vertically in glass containers. What was particularly good was that you could get real close to the paintings and the area was deserted - enabling a very good gander at how the paintings had been painted. Invaluable. In that section there was, of course, lots of stuff other than paintings - including this statue. (Sorry no scanner presently, so all pictures photos - hence much darker and less clear than normal)

First Night at Vytlacil Residency

First night at Vytlacil Campus and I am rather knackered, so please excuse the out-of-focus photograph. There are more (of varying quality) at my flickr page. It was lovely of the last resident to leave me a nice smiley face to welcome me - thank you!

Dreaming New York

"You want fame? Well fame costs. And right here is were you start paying, in sweat."
If you are in your 30's and British you know the show. Re-watching the series has been an unexpected pleasure - not least for laying bare what is probably the root of my wish to go to NYC.
A very high propertion of movies/books/T.V. shows based in New York (especially the ones close to my heart) seem to be based on dreamers - from Travis to Gatsby, via Tootsie, Tony Manero, Joe Buck and Ratso and the real fake Miss Golightly. Let us not forget King Kong and, of course, the Kids from Fame. Even Michael Corleone was a dreamer in the beginning, and Matthew Scudder negotiated the journey from a drunken cop via almost-bum to being teetotal and happily married whereas Popeye Doyle got his man. The Ghostbusters dreamed of ridding the city of ghosts and the Warriors of getting home.
New York must be one of the most written about cities in English, and a fair amount of writers are dreamers themselves - and have, of course, made the journey from hicksville to the Big City. London has a few of these tales itself, but they have never lodged in my imagination in the same way - partly because to become a success in London for a Scot is type of failure and partly because I am a visual person and New York has become the symbol of city on screen (even if most of it is filmed in back lots!)
So 30 years later I am following in the footsteps of Bruno, Leroy and Doris by going to school in New York - even if only for 4 weeks. I hope the cost is worth the effort and not too much sweat is involved. Wish me luck!

Glasgow Art Show 2012

When I went to see Frances at Art Exposure at the weekend, she told me that my paintings were all wrapped up and ready to go to the Glasgow Art Show - most exciting! Unfortunately she wasn't sure if she would have space for them to hang or not (especially as she had just got a delivery of pretty big still-wet Paul Kennedy paintings, which looked pretty amazing. She also has a few Howson's to show.
It was a couple of years ago that I visited the old Glasgow Art Fair, which used to be held in George Square, and promised myself that one day I would be one of the artists showing. Now it's happening and hopefully this new show will be as interesting as the old fair. It is happening in the Grand Ballroom at the Thistle Hotel, corner of Renfrew and Sauchiehall Streets, and there are about 50 galleries showing - Art Exposure is opposite the bar, which is nice and handy. Hopefully some of you will make it along and if so, please tell me what you thought.

28 Drawings Later - The Party

And to end it all, there was a party!
This drawing is from before people arrived, after all the helper monkeys had plastered the walls with reproductions of everyone's work - there was so much great work that I didn't remember seeing. Upstairs we had space to hang the originals - this was fab as we got to meet each other in real life - it is always great to actually talk to people you've only met online and to see there work in reality - it is always so much better!
Now it's all over it seems an appropriate time to write about my favourites of the year - like Fiona Wilson and her absolutely amazing sketchbook from Argentina (mega inspiring) or Donna Nicholson-Arnott's delicate line drawings, or Neil McChrystal and of course Victoria Evans our very hard working organiser who stunned us all with her great portraits this year (and her even more stunning sketchbooks!) - she is now accepting commisions for drawings at an unbelievably low price - a bargain not to be missed if you are in the Glasgow area. Joe Hendry stunned everyone with his graphite drawingsthis year, and even Frank To managed a couple of drawings. Moira Buchanan showed lots of lovely studies (especially liked the apples) as well as appearing in one of my drawings. Penny didn't do any drawings that she was willing to share but was the subject of at least 2 artists work as well as mine.
Above are all folks I know, so the following is a list of those that stood out - Graeme McNee's series of lost friends was charming - I hope he met up with a least one of these people. June Russell's work was as stunning this year as last and it was a real pleasure to meet her. She was probably the furthest travelled artist and I hoped she enjoyed her stay in Glasgow. Another returner from last year was the Cameron family - just brilliant. And Holgar's number series was tremendous - and very original. Also enjoyed Eileen Shona's work and Drew Johnson's bananas. Lin Chau was another I was pleased to meet, as I was the very imaginative John Grieve .
Oooof I'm running out of energy and I know I'll have missed several brilliant people off the list - this year it was so big it was hard to keep track of everyone. Looking back there are so many drawings it is next to impossible to look at them all. Still, I will try and come back here and post o few more later.