The Harbour and Old Course images have been selling very well at the St Andrews University shop, but I thought it would be good to create something new! So here is the lastest design showing all the undergraduate hoods created from Fife maps! Some have been hand tinted to get closer top the actual hood colours. The design really pops against the “ocean” sky.
BA747 Jumbo Jet "Take Off" greetings cards
Finally had greetings cards made of many of my collage images. Really pleased with the quality and colour reproduction. They have also been created using paper from managed forests, which is excellent!
Strathearn Marathon Commission
I was recently approached by the organiser of the 2024 Strathearn Marathon to ask whether I could create a souvenir map collage mug for competitors to purchase. The emblem of the Strathearn Marathon is the red squirrel, often seen here in Perthshire, and the design was to include both this and the marathon route. The squirrel was really tricky to create, especially the tail, but a section of the American Rockies gave just the effect I was looking for! I’m so pleased at how this has turned out!
Strathearn Art Commission
After moving to Perthshire around a year ago, I was incredibly lucky to be invited to create artwork and associated merchandise to represent Strathearn Arts, a charitable organisation supporting the arts in Strathearn through promotion, education, community engagement and the provision of a sustainable arts centre in Crieff. I decided the best way to represent Strathearn was through all the iconic and notable buildings within the area, creating these with map collage and including map sections where the buildings were specially named. It’s finally all come to fruition and a formal launch will take place shortly. The photo shows the original artwork, plus mugs, ceramic coasters and greetings cards.
Botanics Cottage
Well it’s been a long time since I posted due to COVID, but I have been busy doing more collages. I thpouhgt I’d take a change of direction and look to doing buildings. We have the most amazing Botanics Cottage at the RCGE in Edinburgh that was rebuilt, brick by brick, from where it was originally sited on Leith Walk. This cottage was an ideal candidate for a collage!
Bird boxes collage
When on holiday in France I took a photograph of these colourful bird boxes on the front of an old building. I just love the more abstract effect this collage has compared with my usual work.
Panoramic Edinburgh
I recently completed a “special” birthday commission that shows a panoramic view of Edinburgh from the “Rest and Be Thankful” bench on Corstorphine Hill. Like many others during lockdown, I spent some restorative and peaceful walks on the Murrayfield Golf Course, shown here in the foreground. This image is currently available as a mounted and limited edition giclee print, of overall size 40x50cm.
New Piano Book
It’s been a long time in the planning and preparation, but my very first piano book, Piano Scale Mnemonics, has finally been published. Scales are finally so easy to learn and to memorise! The mnemonics and illustrations have all been created by myself, and the book is now available for purchase at £12.95 plus postage and packing. If you’re interested in purchasing a copy, please visit PianoScaleMnemonics.com
"Open Door" song artwork competition
Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park recently held a competition for both vocals and cover art for his new song Open Door. I used a profile photograph of Mike as a template, and created the image using both a World Atlas and a Tokyo City Atlas. Mike has both American and Japanese connections, and the Tokyo maps worked really well for his face. It was delighted to find that out of over 1000 entries, I was selected for the top 50!
Some bird collages
Thought I’d extend my collage making to some birds. Love the result! These birds make good use of all the map colours.
First collage commission
Just completed my first collage commission, and it’s another BA 747-400! This one was done for my dentist, as a gift for his son later this year when he graduates from flying school in Spain. Rather than do a duplicate of my own son’s BA 747 collage, I had the plane taking off, so I could include both the runway, some sea, and land in the distance.
Another "map" collage takes off!
My elder son travels regularly and likes to fly with British Airways if he can. As a Christmas present for him, I made this collage of a British Airways 747, using an old atlas and star map bought from a local charity shop. I was concerned it wouldn’t look quite right as the colours in the atlas were limited, but I’m really pleased with the outcome!
Collage
Yet another new art technique; collage! The colours in an old atlas worked really well for this collage of a Cavalier King Charles puppy.
Pencil Sketching on Holiday
When your “other half” is still recovering from food-poisoning and you can’t go far, what better to do than a pencil sketch of the villa’s beautiful pool house! And have a swim afterwards of course!
An "artist" photoshoot
Lauriston Castle kindly asked me to pose as an “artist” for their new events programme. It was particularly fun as three young children were also there, having been asked to pose for a Teddy Bear’s Picnic.
Exam results
I’m always delighted when pupils do really well in their exams, but this term I was especially pleased to hear that a pupil had achieved an amazing mark of 144 for their ABRSM Grade 3 exam! Wow!
Cyanotype Printing
A really interesting class, again at Lauriston Castle, using fabric and paper treated with light sensitive solution. Some great prints were made by placing natural materials like grasses, seeds, leaves etc. onto the surface, and allowing the print to develop in the sunlight.
Mosaics at Lauriston Castle
Back at the lovely Lauriston Castle doing a two day mosaics course. That wall is starting to resemble an art gallery!
Woodblock Printing
Enjoyed yet another great course at the National Galleries of Scotland doing woodcut and printing using primary colours and a roller. Tried to be a bit more abstract than in my usual artwork, and enjoyed the sense of “freedom”!
Wedding commission
I loved doing this commission for friends to give to a bride and groom as a memento of their wedding day. The subject was the wedding venue with the inclusion of lots of related images. In an inspired moment (!), I decided to do the painting as a group of photographs attached to a cork pin board. Turned out really well and was fun to paint.