Jenny Bean, Jenny Bean, Where have you been?

Zoey Van Goey Album Launch, Stereo, Glasgow, July 08

...I've been to Glasgow to check out the Music Scene,

Jenny Bean Jenny Bean what did you there?
I got overwhelmed and hid under a rather quaint Tchai-Ovna armchair.'

(Ooooh, I'm good eh?)

So, it's been 6 months since I moved to Glasgow - and actually, I've been spending a bit of exciting time in Edinburgh too - and so far I've managed to cover the Projector Animation festival, a bit of the 'Aye Write' festival - of which a drawing ended up in the Skinny, exhibited my drawings from last year's StAnza Poetry Festival residency at the Byre Theatre St Andrews, The Arches Theatre Festival in the Spring which will be followed up by my covering their next one this Autumn, exhibiting while also drawing the fantabulous last ever Triptych festival at the Tramway and Arches, Drawing the West End Festival (yes sometimes in the rain), having my first solo show in Glasgow 'A Taste of Soep' at the fabulous little quirky Scotsome restaurant 'Roastit Bubbly Jocks', have a picture in the Transmission group expo at the moment until next week (Arab Strap picture - I ain't selling 'em, I love 'em too much), plus will have something at Tchai-Ovna soonish. I've also apparently got my drawing in The List which came out on Wednesday the 16th July to illustrate the article on the Arches 'Scratch Night', but haven't seen it yet.

I drew a poignant gig at the Oran Mor - Edwyn Collins, where I even got my best picture of the night nicked by some sweaty mad man - well at least he had good taste, and I did get my picture back relatively unharmed! In the last few months I've drawn Teenage Fanclub, Average White Band, Justin Currie, Karen Mathieson, Dananananakroyd, and particular favourites Melt Banana, Phantom Band, Zoey Van Goey, Second Hand Marching Band, Mike and Solvieg, Found and Steve Mason of Beta Band and now Black Affair - fantastic gig at the GRV in Edinburgh.



Black Affair - Cuts and Strings Night, GRV, Edinburgh, July 12th 2008



Steve Mason - Detail - Black Affair - Cuts and Strings Night, GRV, Edinburgh, July 12th 2008



Found - Support - Cuts and Strings Night, GRV, Edinburgh, July 12th 2008



Found, Ziggy and Gav's Diamond T-Shirt - Support - Cuts and Strings Night, GRV, Edinburgh, July 12th 2008



DJ Sean Keltie - Support - Cuts and Strings Night, RGV, Edinburgh, July 12th 2008


Bird of Prey - Support - Cuts and Strings Night, GRV, Edinburgh, July 12th 2008

My drawings have also been featured in the Evening Times centre pages - ooooh! - plus the West End News twice, a couple of extra curricular illustrations in ScotCampus and BIG NEWS, I will be covering an arts debate by the Scotsman at the end of August which will be featured in their paper 'What is dominating the Arts scene in Scotland just now?' and will have the following big fish - Tommy Smith, Scottish Jazz maestro,Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland, Dr Richard Holloway, Chairman of The Scottish Arts Council, an extra special guest star plus chairing the whole event will be Joyce MacMillan. It promises to be a fantabulous event so will see what we can do with it. It is right before Connect - this could be a logistical nightmare!!



Meanwhile, not that you'd ever likely catch me as it's so sporradic, but I work now and again at Tchai-Ovna, a fabulous little tea house in the West End of Glasgow, my retreat with ritual, great tea, food, atmos. and lovely folks.


Ciao for now!