Our bones forever in stone, Monuments of life

After all this great weather we have been having (mostly...) it has turned pretty grim here. Not stopped raining all day and really getting pretty cold. Even weather warnings of high winds. Back to normal then. Looks like Nicolette and the team picked exactly the right time to visit Scotland and do all the pre-production filming at Aldourie Castle last week!

Ourselves? We are thankfully indoors for a while but it's not quite so much fun costing jobs and putting those kind of details together. The good news is that we are doing it for our jobs in Banchory and in Derby which are taking shape nicely.

Derby is all ready to go - just a few small details to work on regarding risk-assessments and timescales but we are happy with the way its sitting now. We have also come up with names for the pieces which has taken a long time (maybe three years or so!). Will keep it quiet for now until the commissioner gives it the go-ahead.

Banchory is also ticking along nicely. We had a meeting with Nicola from Woodend Barn this week to outline some of our initial ideas and she was happy with the direction we were taking. Lots more to do on the overall plan and concept but for the moment we are learning about new materials and techniques. Its like being back at Uni - with the exception of actually doing something.

Rather than finish on a note like that. Someone whose work displays techniques and skills that we would love to master was Michael Grab from Gravity Glue. He is due to be in the final movie as well and what he does by combining rocks with patience is incredible. Definitely worth looking at his website. - FIN

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Foo Fighters - Statues

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)

After all this great weather we have been having (mostly...) it has turned pretty grim here. Not stopped raining all day and really getting pretty cold. Even weather warnings of high winds. Back to normal then. Looks like Nicolette and the team picked exactly the right time to visit Scotland and do all the pre-production filming at Aldourie Castle last week!

Ourselves? We are thankfully indoors for a while but it's not quite so much fun costing jobs and putting those kind of details together. The good news is that we are doing it for our jobs in Banchory and in Derby which are taking shape nicely.

Derby is all ready to go - just a few small details to work on regarding risk-assessments and timescales but we are happy with the way its sitting now. We have also come up with names for the pieces which has taken a long time (maybe three years or so!). Will keep it quiet for now until the commissioner gives it the go-ahead.

Banchory is also ticking along nicely. We had a meeting with Nicola from Woodend Barn this week to outline some of our initial ideas and she was happy with the direction we were taking. Lots more to do on the overall plan and concept but for the moment we are learning about new materials and techniques. Its like being back at Uni - with the exception of actually doing something.

Rather than finish on a note like that. Someone whose work displays techniques and skills that we would love to master was Michael Grab from Gravity Glue. He is due to be in the final movie as well and what he does by combining rocks with patience is incredible. Definitely worth looking at his website. - FIN

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Foo Fighters - Statues

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)

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Get my honey come back, sometimes

I would say that summer has been and gone but the weather over the last few days would make you think otherwise. Sunshine and wall-to-wall blue skies but know it won't last...rain is on its way.

Anyhow, it made me think about a photography project that was finished over the summer. I worked with the lovely folks at The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew on the Grow Wild project on sites in both Edinburgh and Shotts (see blog here for the "beginnings" of this!) and although all kinds of things went against us - timing, weather, holidays - we managed to get some really nice images.

Think it is a really good idea to turn unused spaces into wild flower beds. My dad did it this year and ended up with a beautiful collection of daisies, poppies, cornflowers and marigolds among others.

Perfect for bees to make our special Scottish Honey! - FIN

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Moby - Honey

Play (1998)

I would say that summer has been and gone but the weather over the last few days would make you think otherwise. Sunshine and wall-to-wall blue skies but know it won't last...rain is on its way.

Anyhow, it made me think about a photography project that was finished over the summer. I worked with the lovely folks at The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew on the Grow Wild project on sites in both Edinburgh and Shotts (see blog here for the "beginnings" of this!) and although all kinds of things went against us - timing, weather, holidays - we managed to get some really nice images.

Think it is a really good idea to turn unused spaces into wild flower beds. My dad did it this year and ended up with a beautiful collection of daisies, poppies, cornflowers and marigolds among others.

Perfect for bees to make our special Scottish Honey! - FIN

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Moby - Honey

Play (1998)

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So move your feet to the summer song

Summer is well and truly here - although may in fact be already over if the weather forecast is right... but we're looking forward to all the exciting projects we have ahead of us. These include a couple of really cool paint jobs with our mates from Blameless (website coming soon) in Perthshire and Leith, workshops in Dunoon and a new Start/Finish line in John O'Groats. It's all good.

However, the job we are really excited about is in Banchory. Back at the beginning of May we replied to a call for artists to create a brand idea and implementation plan for Banchory town together with public realm works focussing on Scott Skinner Square. We were shortlisted and to our delight were selected as artists to do this! This is a BIG job with plenty of challenges but also with plenty of opportunities.

I made a visit there with Margo and the wee one to the River Festival on Friday and Saturday and it was good fun. Lots to do for kids (a beastie hunt in Burnett Park was a winner). Stalls, choirs, musicians, pipe bands - all very well organised. The ceilidh on Friday wasn't bad either with The Big Fat Electric Ceilidh Band doing their thing. Great to see the guys again and they had everyone moving to some great music...

All in all a great weekend. The big surprise was walking in to the local Tesco and spotting ourselves on the front page of the local paper!  - FIN

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YACHT - Summer Song
See Mystery Lights (2009)

Summer is well and truly here - although may in fact be already over if the weather forecast is right... but we're looking forward to all the exciting projects we have ahead of us. These include a couple of really cool paint jobs with our mates from Blameless (website coming soon) in Perthshire and Leith, workshops in Dunoon and a new Start/Finish line in John O'Groats. It's all good.

However, the job we are really excited about is in Banchory. Back at the beginning of May we replied to a call for artists to create a brand idea and implementation plan for Banchory town together with public realm works focussing on Scott Skinner Square. We were shortlisted and to our delight were selected as artists to do this! This is a BIG job with plenty of challenges but also with plenty of opportunities.

I made a visit there with Margo and the wee one to the River Festival on Friday and Saturday and it was good fun. Lots to do for kids (a beastie hunt in Burnett Park was a winner). Stalls, choirs, musicians, pipe bands - all very well organised. The ceilidh on Friday wasn't bad either with The Big Fat Electric Ceilidh Band doing their thing. Great to see the guys again and they had everyone moving to some great music...

All in all a great weekend. The big surprise was walking in to the local Tesco and spotting ourselves on the front page of the local paper!  - FIN

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YACHT - Summer Song
See Mystery Lights (2009)

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I had watched you taking in the spring

We decided to make a trip to Invergordon to see how our public art piece Foundations was holding up after a wet winter. Both of us were delighted to see the new growth in both the tree and the surrounding daffodils. It couldn't have been a better day for taking photographs and it really is the first time Al and I have seen it with some life around it (installing in November kind of limits that!)

The artwork wasn't designed to sit right in the middle of these blooming flowers but its a happy coincidence - adds to our intention to create an organic work that will interact and change with the seasons.

The Gaelic word Sàmhach you can see on one of the stone seats means peaceful. It certainly felt like it that day. - FIN

 

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Two Door Cinema Club - Spring
Beacon (2012)

We decided to make a trip to Invergordon to see how our public art piece Foundations was holding up after a wet winter. Both of us were delighted to see the new growth in both the tree and the surrounding daffodils. It couldn't have been a better day for taking photographs and it really is the first time Al and I have seen it with some life around it (installing in November kind of limits that!)

The artwork wasn't designed to sit right in the middle of these blooming flowers but its a happy coincidence - adds to our intention to create an organic work that will interact and change with the seasons.

The Gaelic word Sàmhach you can see on one of the stone seats means peaceful. It certainly felt like it that day. - FIN

 

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Two Door Cinema Club - Spring
Beacon (2012)

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And a picture tells a thousand lies, little dots in black and white

I'm not known for working weekends but couldn't resist the course offered in Polymer Photogravure at Highland Print Studio. I've been looking forward to this for a while and the course didn't disappoint.

Photogravure was a technique developed in the 1830s and as a way of making prints that wouldn't fade - almost the holy grail of early photography. Photographic images were exposed on to copper to create an etched plate. This then could be used to make multiple copies by the means of a printing press.

It has a high quality and richness that expresses a wide variety of tones and was used by, among others, the two very important 19th/ 20th century photographers Arthur Stieglitz and Paul Strand for many of their publications.

The technique we were using did bear many similarities to the initial way photogravures were done but without the potassium dichromate, ferric chloride baths and gelatin and copper plates. Polymer photogravure replaces these with polymer coated steel plates and water! A simpler way of producing the same results (although some with eyes for such things would argue the depth of tones aren't quite as good - it looks great to me!!)

A nice small group of five worked with John McNaught over two days working through the entire process from digital image to finished print and everything in between. John was patient, easy to follow and relaxed in his teaching manner. Backing this up with his knowledge of the process and a good sense of humour made it all really enjoyable.

That moment of feeling peeling back that first print from the plate after it going through the press...it was like some of the lost magic of photography was coming back.

I will be back. - FIN

All images courtesy John McNaught

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Tom McRae - Keep Your Picture Clear

King Of Cards (2007)

I'm not known for working weekends but couldn't resist the course offered in Polymer Photogravure at Highland Print Studio. I've been looking forward to this for a while and the course didn't disappoint.

Photogravure was a technique developed in the 1830s and as a way of making prints that wouldn't fade - almost the holy grail of early photography. Photographic images were exposed on to copper to create an etched plate. This then could be used to make multiple copies by the means of a printing press.

It has a high quality and richness that expresses a wide variety of tones and was used by, among others, the two very important 19th/ 20th century photographers Arthur Stieglitz and Paul Strand for many of their publications.

The technique we were using did bear many similarities to the initial way photogravures were done but without the potassium dichromate, ferric chloride baths and gelatin and copper plates. Polymer photogravure replaces these with polymer coated steel plates and water! A simpler way of producing the same results (although some with eyes for such things would argue the depth of tones aren't quite as good - it looks great to me!!)

A nice small group of five worked with John McNaught over two days working through the entire process from digital image to finished print and everything in between. John was patient, easy to follow and relaxed in his teaching manner. Backing this up with his knowledge of the process and a good sense of humour made it all really enjoyable.

That moment of feeling peeling back that first print from the plate after it going through the press...it was like some of the lost magic of photography was coming back.

I will be back. - FIN

All images courtesy John McNaught

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Tom McRae - Keep Your Picture Clear

King Of Cards (2007)

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Will they tear apart? Will you break my heart?

Sometimes you get asked if you want to do a job a little bit different, something that challenges you practically and mentally. That's what happened to us last week...

We were contacted by Nicolette from a Canadian production company called ImagiNation. They are planning on producing a film that will be partly filmed in Scotland and the bulk of that was to be filmed at Aldourie Castle on the shores of Loch Ness. 

The film is based on the idea of a child's imagining of a paper castle and they have the backing of an Oscar winner for Art Direction in Avatar (has also worked on Alice In Wonderland and Return to Oz) as well as some other well known names in the industry.

We were asked if we could assist by doing some test pieces of paper art on the entrance to the castle. After a number of attempts we found adhesive that worked and was gentle on the sandstone. Most of the pieces were created by an artist and assistant in Canada and our job was to group them into a suitable arrangement. That was great and it all went well...

As part of our thanks we were then invited to a special dinner on Friday evening. When I say special I mean SPECIAL!

They flew a top Canadian chef (Blair Lebsack from RGE RD) over together with ingredients and alcohol to make a Scottish/Canadian Fusion meal. It was a special night with other interesting invited guests - no names - sharing some amazing food, drink and chat.

We then stayed the night in beds that had without doubt the softest pillows I have ever slept on. I could only describe them as "marshmallows wrapped in clouds". Check out the pics below - some aren't great quality (done on an iPhone) but hope they give you an idea of the work, evening and location.

Sometimes you have to take jobs as they come along...who knows what they might lead to. - FIN

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Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - Paper Castles

Paper Castles/Teenage Love - Single (1957)

Sometimes you get asked if you want to do a job a little bit different, something that challenges you practically and mentally. That's what happened to us last week...

We were contacted by Nicolette from a Canadian production company called ImagiNation. They are planning on producing a film that will be partly filmed in Scotland and the bulk of that was to be filmed at Aldourie Castle on the shores of Loch Ness. 

The film is based on the idea of a child's imagining of a paper castle and they have the backing of an Oscar winner for Art Direction in Avatar (has also worked on Alice In Wonderland and Return to Oz) as well as some other well known names in the industry.

We were asked if we could assist by doing some test pieces of paper art on the entrance to the castle. After a number of attempts we found adhesive that worked and was gentle on the sandstone. Most of the pieces were created by an artist and assistant in Canada and our job was to group them into a suitable arrangement. That was great and it all went well...

As part of our thanks we were then invited to a special dinner on Friday evening. When I say special I mean SPECIAL!

They flew a top Canadian chef (Blair Lebsack from RGE RD) over together with ingredients and alcohol to make a Scottish/Canadian Fusion meal. It was a special night with other interesting invited guests - no names - sharing some amazing food, drink and chat.

We then stayed the night in beds that had without doubt the softest pillows I have ever slept on. I could only describe them as "marshmallows wrapped in clouds". Check out the pics below - some aren't great quality (done on an iPhone) but hope they give you an idea of the work, evening and location.

Sometimes you have to take jobs as they come along...who knows what they might lead to. - FIN

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Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - Paper Castles

Paper Castles/Teenage Love - Single (1957)

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Where the blacktop cracks weeds spark through

Have had a busy old week - Al back from India so had to find his feet again pretty quickly. He had a great trip although with it being charity work they had him working pretty hard! He did manage an elephant ride though...all good!

Al has spent his week working hard on the new panels for Timespan Museum (only 21 of them!) so that has taken up most of his time but they should be finished by the end of next week.

I've been working on putting together part of a brief for an application we hope to be making for next year. A lot of potential little things just bubbling away in the background so if some of them come off we'll be pretty happy.

I also had a wee trip to Edinburgh and Shotts taking establishing shots for a nice little project with Kew Garden and Greenspace Scotland so it was a lot of travelling but also good to meet some interesting people with a real passion for their environments. Will have a few more shoots over the next month or so as the projects develop...

Images are my own edits of shots from the shoot - don't know if the clients will want them this way!  - FIN

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Wilco - Side With The Seeds

Sky Blue Sky (2007)

Have had a busy old week - Al back from India so had to find his feet again pretty quickly. He had a great trip although with it being charity work they had him working pretty hard! He did manage an elephant ride though...all good!

Al has spent his week working hard on the new panels for Timespan Museum (only 21 of them!) so that has taken up most of his time but they should be finished by the end of next week.

I've been working on putting together part of a brief for an application we hope to be making for next year. A lot of potential little things just bubbling away in the background so if some of them come off we'll be pretty happy.

I also had a wee trip to Edinburgh and Shotts taking establishing shots for a nice little project with Kew Garden and Greenspace Scotland so it was a lot of travelling but also good to meet some interesting people with a real passion for their environments. Will have a few more shoots over the next month or so as the projects develop...

Images are my own edits of shots from the shoot - don't know if the clients will want them this way!  - FIN

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Wilco - Side With The Seeds

Sky Blue Sky (2007)

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All of these moments I'll never replace...

Many of you know how important photography is to me and its use as a form of artistic expression. I have a number of obsessions that go along with that which include the collection of old camera's. There are polaroid and roll film, medium format and 35mm, working and broken.

A number of these are gifts from people and last week I was given another such gift from one of my wife's colleagues at her work.

This camera is a Montanus Delmonta. A German made TLR from the late 1950s. It seems to be in working order and will try a roll of film through it soon. It belonged to her grandfather - a keen photographer himself. She even gave me a photo of him together with his dog - Pat. Somehow, this adds to the value of the camera. What life was captured on this camera, what moments, celebrations, sadness even?

Is it not amazing how the image can speak unspoken words to us years later, even in the silence? The power of photography... - FIN

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.

When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.

Ansel Adams

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Foo Fighters - Home

Echos, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)

Many of you know how important photography is to me and its use as a form of artistic expression. I have a number of obsessions that go along with that which include the collection of old camera's. There are polaroid and roll film, medium format and 35mm, working and broken.

A number of these are gifts from people and last week I was given another such gift from one of my wife's colleagues at her work.

This camera is a Montanus Delmonta. A German made TLR from the late 1950s. It seems to be in working order and will try a roll of film through it soon. It belonged to her grandfather - a keen photographer himself. She even gave me a photo of him together with his dog - Pat. Somehow, this adds to the value of the camera. What life was captured on this camera, what moments, celebrations, sadness even?

Is it not amazing how the image can speak unspoken words to us years later, even in the silence? The power of photography... - FIN

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.

When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.

Ansel Adams

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Foo Fighters - Home

Echos, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)

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All we like sheep...

Over the last few weeks we have been working a lot on a commercial project for Fearn Farm as they launched out into a new business venture. Needless to say we now know a lot more about rams/tups than we ever believed was necessary. However, between doing flyers, catalogues and signage for Farmer John Scott we hopefully produced a strong piece of work that helped him to hold a very successful event (the first of its kind up here...)

The event was also helped by the addition of beer from Cairngorm Brewery with a very inappropriate name and lamb on a spit cooked by Quintin from Storehouse of Fowlis.

A great time had by all.

Some of the pictures taken that evening are below - FIN

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Handel - Messiah Part II Scene 1  26. All We Like Sheep (chorus)
Messiah (1741)

Over the last few weeks we have been working a lot on a commercial project for Fearn Farm as they launched out into a new business venture. Needless to say we now know a lot more about rams/tups than we ever believed was necessary. However, between doing flyers, catalogues and signage for Farmer John Scott we hopefully produced a strong piece of work that helped him to hold a very successful event (the first of its kind up here...)

The event was also helped by the addition of beer from Cairngorm Brewery with a very inappropriate name and lamb on a spit cooked by Quintin from Storehouse of Fowlis.

A great time had by all.

Some of the pictures taken that evening are below - FIN

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Handel - Messiah Part II Scene 1  26. All We Like Sheep (chorus)
Messiah (1741)

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You and I parted ways...

Its been a very long time since we blogged and its not because we've been sitting around doing nothing...

Over last month we have been working on a number of projects with a lot of our energy going into the design and organisation of the artwork for Invergordon Off The Wall. We now have a date for the opening - 16th November - so we are working very hard towards that date. There is also the small business of getting the cookbook ready as well which is really taking shape and looking good (if we do say so ourselves...)

Anyhow, thought I would blog about a project I have worked on for the last couple of years with a group of folks in Wester Ross.  Called Shot In The Dark the project was developed to help people who are recovering from mental ill health an opportunity to learn about digital photography.We have been running a series of photography workshops which became more an exercise in critique and its been a lot of fun. Have built up relationships and seen more confidence develop in group members and also stylistically seeing how they have developed.

There have been a number of small exhibitions over the last couple of years but on the 5th September there is one opening in the Inverness Museum & Art Gallery called "Isolation". The subject was chosen because of different associations the word conjures up - living in small communities, being alone, dealing with health issues etc.

I have attached a few images taken by some of the group - each telling different stories. If you are in town go and see it - its worth it.  - FIN

That's What It's Like To Be A Bird

This photograph of my nephew was taken on a day's kite flying. It shows the intensity of concentration of a child's focus, isolated from all around. 

Completely in the zone.

So Near And Yet So Far

Some people disrespect places of isolation. They seem to enjoy visiting, yet cannot keep them tidy.

No Reception

Taken at Elphin Community Hall. The subject sits outside alone, attempting to get reception.

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William Fitzsimmons - We Feel Alone

The Sparrow And The Crow (2008)

Its been a very long time since we blogged and its not because we've been sitting around doing nothing...

Over last month we have been working on a number of projects with a lot of our energy going into the design and organisation of the artwork for Invergordon Off The Wall. We now have a date for the opening - 16th November - so we are working very hard towards that date. There is also the small business of getting the cookbook ready as well which is really taking shape and looking good (if we do say so ourselves...)

Anyhow, thought I would blog about a project I have worked on for the last couple of years with a group of folks in Wester Ross.  Called Shot In The Dark the project was developed to help people who are recovering from mental ill health an opportunity to learn about digital photography.We have been running a series of photography workshops which became more an exercise in critique and its been a lot of fun. Have built up relationships and seen more confidence develop in group members and also stylistically seeing how they have developed.

There have been a number of small exhibitions over the last couple of years but on the 5th September there is one opening in the Inverness Museum & Art Gallery called "Isolation". The subject was chosen because of different associations the word conjures up - living in small communities, being alone, dealing with health issues etc.

I have attached a few images taken by some of the group - each telling different stories. If you are in town go and see it - its worth it.  - FIN

That's What It's Like To Be A Bird

This photograph of my nephew was taken on a day's kite flying. It shows the intensity of concentration of a child's focus, isolated from all around. 

Completely in the zone.

So Near And Yet So Far

Some people disrespect places of isolation. They seem to enjoy visiting, yet cannot keep them tidy.

No Reception

Taken at Elphin Community Hall. The subject sits outside alone, attempting to get reception.

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William Fitzsimmons - We Feel Alone

The Sparrow And The Crow (2008)

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Take me to my beach

Last month might have seemed quiet as we only did two blogs, in fact it was quite the opposite...
We can't believe how busy the start of this year has been and it shows no sign of slowing down.

In the next few months we have a sculpture to design and install, a major street-art project at a secret location (this is a BIG job - excited about it but can't give anything away yet...), a photography exhibition, a cookery book to design, together with a branding and full promotional pack - not to mention a pile of other jobs we are working on. It's a wonder we have time for anything else...

That being said, we recently took a long weekend off to go camping with some mates up in Sandwood Bay (NW Sutherland) which is definitely one of the most amazing beaches ever, existing in splendid isolation at the end of a 4 mile hike in and surrounded by cliffs, sea stacks, dunes and a freshwater loch. It really is a great place to unwind so we both came back feeling the better of our 3 night trip (but perhaps not smelling so great!) - FIN

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All Saints - Pure Shores

Saints & Sinners (2000)

Last month might have seemed quiet as we only did two blogs, in fact it was quite the opposite...
We can't believe how busy the start of this year has been and it shows no sign of slowing down.

In the next few months we have a sculpture to design and install, a major street-art project at a secret location (this is a BIG job - excited about it but can't give anything away yet...), a photography exhibition, a cookery book to design, together with a branding and full promotional pack - not to mention a pile of other jobs we are working on. It's a wonder we have time for anything else...

That being said, we recently took a long weekend off to go camping with some mates up in Sandwood Bay (NW Sutherland) which is definitely one of the most amazing beaches ever, existing in splendid isolation at the end of a 4 mile hike in and surrounded by cliffs, sea stacks, dunes and a freshwater loch. It really is a great place to unwind so we both came back feeling the better of our 3 night trip (but perhaps not smelling so great!) - FIN

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All Saints - Pure Shores

Saints & Sinners (2000)

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