Two Days to Go!

Well almost 2 days to go! It's nearly 2am & I have finished for the day!

Wednesday 12th Sept and the - I have delivered two lots of work to galleries ~ the Milton outside Banchory and the Butterworth at Balogie. I also collected the prints (x25) of my "Up Close and Personal" (fruit) series and have spent most of the day cutting mounts for them and this evening wrapping them in plastic wrap ... not very taxing ... rather tedious really as I have so many other things I should really be getting on with.

Luckily all the artists have delivered their creations and master pieces by the deadline of today. PHEW!!!

My favorite part of today (sad as it may be) was shutting the shop at 5pm, putting up my window screens (hiding the next couple of days until the big off) ... and taking ALL the work off the walls and shelves. And then slowly, but surely, chaos spread across my one haven of tranquility in our home. My studio gallery is one big mess!!!


See what I mean!!! AGHHHHHHHHHHH!


Now the walls are bare, looking big and empty, and, I have finally finished poly filling all the nail holes and repainting the walls ~ there were surprisingly rather a lot of holes.

So, now I'm ready for tomorrow. But, bed first! ZZzzzzzz

Countdown to North East Open Studios '07

Well the countdown has started!

Sunday 9th Sept ~ Husband decided that it was a good idea to get out with the kids ... change of scene ... breath of fresh air ... It feels as though I have had my head stuck in my kiln for about 2 weeks now, getting pieces bisque fired, glazed and some pieces lustre fired, as well as pieces for Mina Rusk who is also exhibiting at Platform 22 for NEOS. Its amazing what starts to happen when the pressure of a deadline approaches... then the panic attack starts ... what have or haven't I done?

Monday 10th Sept ~ Hours, minutes and seconds have no meaning. Where is my list and my list of lists? I know I should have emailed out all my press releases last week and earlier... but no, not me. What about the invitations... Everything is getting done right now! And I've just run out of mounting board, as have most of Aberdeenshire I've now discovered ... some art shops are holding back their stock supply, because its in such high demand so don't want to let it all go!!!! Oh help!

Yes I know it sounds as if its mayhem here in my studio gallery. Most of it is in my head. I'm not making much sense these days and I keep forgetting where I'm going with conversations (too much to think about), but somebody said today "no change there then!" - thanks for that!

This part of the week is a bit like the lull before a storm. I cannot do anything until I have all the work here. I don't know what my artists are bringing me to an extent, this can be nerve tingling but also very exciting. Some work has started to arrive and I'm beginning to feel more confident. This is going to be a great show!

Tuesday 11th Sept ~ Invites are out - most of them (check), press releases sent (check), weeding flower beds (sorted), posters out (check), work almost finished (ish), prints printed & mounted (tomorrow), walls painted and poly filled (tomorrow) drinks & nibbles for opening night (check) , hanging picture and installing work (all day Thursday) Panic (Friday afternoon only) ... so you see I'm getting there. I just have to keep telling ... reminding myself of that!

So, do come and join us for the opening of this years NEOS exhibition at Platform 22 on Friday 14th September 7 to 9pm. Celebrate with us over a glass of wine! But, if you cannot make it to the opening NEOS at Platform 22 is open to the public from Saturday 15th to Monday 24th September 10am to 5pm daily, it would be lovely to see you.

Artists and makers showing at Platform 22 with Emma Pattullo are Timmie Penny, Stephanie Vandem, Robert Grey, Jan Holm, Mina Rusk, Sandra Gorrara, Annabel Pattullo, Alan Steele, Jane Frazer, Alex Philp, Michael Zappert and the Shire Dweller.

As well as being able to enjoy a wide range of exhibits visitors to the gallery will also be able to see an artist at work with wood turner Alan Steele giving demonstrations of his skills making fairy goblets during the Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th.

During NEOS week Platform 22 will be open from 10am to 5pm and the gallery cafe will be operating offering weary culture vultures a chance to enjoy a restorative cuppa!

Hope to see you soon! I'll keep you posted as things progress ... hopefully lots of images soon!

Time flies...

I have hardly had time to get back to make more posts, I apologise.

Its heads down and work hard ... deadline next Friday! Platform 22's preview night for its part in North East Open Studios 2007. My kiln is firing away non stop with no room for mistakes.
So, for now, I must get on ... & try to make more posts with pictures (as and when I can) ... So, for now it is hard slog and no procrastinating!!!

Wish me luck!!!

New web site

I have decided to set up my own web site which you can have a look at. I was inspired by Gwen Black's web page with Spanglefish (please see link), and decided, if I can get this blog going, I can make my own web site too! At the moment its all written words, and I'm about to start incorporating my images ~ so do take a look, its listed under my blog links. Let me know what you think!

Tomorrow is my last Aboyne and Deeside pottery sessions. It always amazes me (Sorry! I've said this before), but you give each individual in the class the same size of lump of clay and the work that is produced at the end of the session is always so different. I'm not speaking about quality or quantity, but the approach to the material and what is created. Some people are very timid and need their hands held while other are really quiet gungho! And the work can either be detailed, concentrated or protective, while other pieces produced feel rather zesty, experimental and liberating. It is also exhausting! So over the last 9 weeks I have seen a huge array of work and approaches (some of which has inspired me with my own work), so, I will download some images for you tomorrow.

Its been an interesting and fun time over the summer (forgetting the weather), and although I have enjoyed the pottery classes enormously, I'm glad they have now come to an end. I'll do them again next year, and some more evening classes come late September through to December. But, my own work is pressing ~ getting ready for NEOS'07, sorting out my commission and it is time to move on.

Holidays and work! Work!! WORK!!!

I haven't posted for a while now. I have got caught up with the holidays, children and the shop open 7 days a week as well as...

My Pottery morning sessions at Platform 22 and one at Woodend Barn, which are all going swimming-Ly well! It always amazes me the different work people make with the same sized lump of clay. I love it!

My BIG commission ... this has hit a huge glitch. All started so well, I painted the owl, bats, cockerel, foxgloves, butterflies, bees, moth, robin and a fabulous squirrel ~ popped them into the kiln and started on the tree ... But when I opened the kiln ... DISASTER! More than half the tiles had split in a very unusual way. So I have spent the last two weeks trying to sort out why this is happening and how to fix it. I have lost so many tiles now its just unfunny. My clients are away until this weekend and I can't progress. This sort of stress and upset I can do without, and I don't cope very well... there have been many tears this week. But as my hubby keeps saying "It will be alright in the end, we just have to get there!" I hope so (A LOT!).

Artaboyne Exhibition went very well. The exhibit was hung really well and the work this year was of a great standard and of such variety (I think I have told you this already) ... Anyway I sold out, which is even better!

I've had a boost in more commission work, which I am just about keeping up with, just one more to go.

And now I am frantically working towards NEOS'07 too. I have no work left from exhibitions to pass on... so the pressure is on. I luckily work well under this type of pressure... it forces the flow and you HAVE to just do it!

This year has been amazing so far, what with taking the time to paint as well as do my pottery and its been really interesting for me to keep my thoughts on this blog, it seems to make me think much more about what I am making and why. May be it is just expressing myself through words ~ this is something I have never felt comfortable with... the blog seems detached and nonthreatening and so I'm able to waffle on! Maybe by doing all these experiments and exercises, I am more fulfilled with what I am making, therefore this could be why my work is doing so much better this year?!

Keep watching... Bye for now!