Majestic March!!! - Drawing events and performances for your diary!

Hey hey! It's cooking up to be a busy March!
I'll be back in Scotland for 6 weeks from next Monday for a few events I'm drawing/participating/co-organising. If you fancy something drawing based, alternative and involving, cast your eye over these.


First up - 3rd March, Sound Thought Festival, The Arches, Glasgow/7th March, Videolab, Edinburgh

Three Lines: Improvised Drawing/Music/Dance
Jenny Soep, Jer Reid, Monica de Ioanni

Two improvised drawing/music/dance performances I'm part of with experimental musician Jer Reid and the beautiful dancer Monica de Ioanni as part of Sound Thought in Glasgow, and Videolab in Edinburgh.  I'll be creating projected drawings inspired by Monica de Ioanni's dancing which will then inspire Jer Reid's music which will then inspire my drawing.  A chain of influential actions.  Get tickets for the Arches performance here.



Second Up - 4th March, The Old Hairdressers, Renfield Lane, Glasgow 6pm until Midnight

Exhibition Launch - 28 Drawings Later
Glasgow based artist Victoria Evans is the brainchild behind this fantastic project to get anyone and everyone drawing. As it says on the poster, 'What happens if 200 people draw everyday for a month?'
It's been such a great project to be part of - confidence boosting, inspiring, enlightening, educational, frustrating, fun, and above all gratifying.
The exhibition of originals will be upstairs for one night only, with the copies downstairs being exhibited until the 7th.  The copies will become part of a recycled drawing workshop at the International Women's Day event. (Info below!)



Third up - Thursday 8th March, The Old Hairdressers, Renfield Lane, Glasgow 12pm until Midnight

The Garterstitch all day event for International Women's Day, which you might be interested in (it's going to be pretty awesome by the way!!)  Following on from last year’s gloriously colourful celebration of the centenary of International Women’s Day, Loop|Garterstitch100 has organised a day of events in the Old Hairdressers to be enjoyed by the women, men and children of Glasgow. Browse the pop-up Glasgow Women’s Library, participate in a drawing workshop, watch and dance, try out some alternative crafting with the Garnethill Women’s Institute, eat some cake, listen to music, reflect on talks and information, participate in a sound project, browse and bid for the art works of illustrator Jenny Soep…
Check out more info on what exciting artists/musicians will be performing and what workshops you can participate in here.


Myself and Emma Hagen have a workshop in particular between 1-3pm. Details as follows -

WORKSHOP - DRAWING LIVING THEATRE with Emma Hagen and Jenny Soep

Think of a woman in your life. She could be you. 

What's your least favourite thing about her? What's your favourite?

Drawing Living Theatre is an interactive workshop using drawing, drama and creative action methods to explore a chosen topic.  

At this particular event, the 101st year of International Women's Day, we look at one negative aspect of a woman in your life, the possibility to accept this, and celebrate the positive. There are always at least two sides, and it can be good to take a fresh look at the flip side.

Thursday 8th March, 1-3pm, upstairs at The Old Hairdressers (opposite Stereo) Renfield Lane.

Fourth up - 19th-25th March - 360 Narrative Residency with playwright Lynda Radley

I'm going to be part of a pretty cool residency in Stirling with the pretty fantastic playwright Lynda Radley. It's going to be about a couple of sisters called Snow White and Rose Red who are midwives in a strange and alternative possibly post apocalyptic Earth.  Having been a fan of Lynda's previous work (Birds and Other Things I Am Afraid Of, The Art of Swimming, Futureproof) it's been a boon to get involved.  The project is part of the 360 Narrative initiative to find other platforms for theatre/playwrighting and there are 5 other groups/partnerships involved.  Have already looked at the itinerary for this intensive creative blowout week, and as much as I feel super privileged to be a part of it all, I'm super excited to get stuck in.  There's also going to be a darts tournament!!!  Need I say more...


Apart from all that, I'll be creating my 'documentary' style drawings at various artsome and quality musicsome events as usual.  Keep updated on my Facebook page - Drawing The Experience.  Perhaps I'll see you somewhere with your own sketchbook!

International Women's Day, Loop and Inspirational Women

The following are the 16 drawings created between 10am and 10pm.

It was a very emotional day.

Glasgow Women's Library - What's your Dream Library?

Daniella Nardini reads from 'Women Who Run With Wolves'

Kate E.Deeming - Women Dancing - Why We Have, Why We Should

Kate E.Deeming - Women Dancing - Why We Have, Why We Should - The Dance Off

Dancers of Scotland with Kim Moore and Robin Masson

Dancers of Scotland with Kim Moore and Robin Masson 2

Dancers of Scotland with Kim Moore and Robin Masson 3

Circle Dancing - The Main thing to remember is to keep moving the way you are currently facing

Maryhill Integration Network - Costumes From Around The World

The Men Folk - Half The Sky

The Madrigirls

Cora Bisset - Stitched Up

Skye Reynolds and Florencia Garcia Chafuen Rigg - Secrets

Pauline Goldsmith - The Ukeladies

Lisa Fannen - Dialogue

The Final Dance to Adopted As Holograph

Well, I've just come back from drawing all day at the Tramway. 10 am - 11pm with an hour away for an errand, and half an hour for an interview and quick dinner break.

It's been bloody intense, emotional, exhausting, inspirational, enlightening, fun, sad, moving, captivating, involving and momentous.

Females and Males of all different shapes, sizes, ages, inclinations, colour, culture, innovation and creativity proliferating the epic yet cosy performance space peppered with the awe inducing collection of 20 million 'stitches' - multicoloured woollen patches presented and curated in various forms taking over the Tramway like guerilla knitted elastoplast for the soul. 20 million stitches of the 100 million that signify the amount of women missing in the world today.

'It is estimated that 100 million women are missing from the world today for reasons of gender discrimination. These reasons include: gender provoked infanticide and abortion, the sex slave industry, and the channelling of resources and medical care to the men in communities first (eg vaccinations). They include the consequences of poor education, and preventable complications in child birth, and conditions like fistula.'

http://garterstitch100.posterous.com/pages/bigknit

At least 15 drawings were created of - but not all - the 100 events that were due to happen today. I do need to check them tomorrow. For now though, rain battering on my bedroom window, it's time to rest in a dark room with no expectations, for a new day tomorrow.

To my mum, nana, sister, good friends and to all the other great and deserving women in the world, Happy International Women's Day. I doff my cap to you all.

January Ensues - Monday - Research, Inspiration, Activities and Future Plans

The lovely open plan fire place at my parents house during Christmas - my first official drawing on my very own iPad. With the annoying and way too sticky 'muvit' stylus that doesn't exactly 'muvit' very well. :) But we'll make friends never the less.

(The above is a wee bit of fun/birthday message for the artist who 'inspired' me to buy Inspire Pro, complete with a wee quick sketch of an owl from Legend of the Guardians, another animation that I really fancy seeing. Saw 'How To Train Your Dragon' the other night - excellent :)

So, moving on.

Today was very much a research day. As well as a drawing day. 2011 is most definitely the year of drawing drawing drawing in SO many different ways.

Discovered some new art and artists, including the very intriguing Gordon Robin Brown, the folk behind the massive multicoloured sculptures in the CCA that I saw recently who I found to be Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan - the sculptures will apparently be unfolded on some unused land that could otherwise be used for the great good/surrounding communities, though this I need to check up on. Then there was the great international video/multimedia artist Nam June Paik who's retrospective show is on at the Tate Liverpool until March. I so very very much need to see this show. I can't believe I've only just learned about him - he apparently heralded the arrival of the internet way before it was a reality. For any artist interested in multimedia and/or interactive art this is a MUST.

Then there was Interpretive Touch Drawing - Which appears to be intuitive reflections of the 'soul' in response to live events, poetry readings, lectures, live music. The music on the video isn't my sort of thing, but I like the process and I'm sure it can be very therapeutic. Might give it a try for some automatic drawing responses, a path I'm leaning to follow this year instead of drawing what I see with my eyes, but more the images I see with my mind in response. Try to tap into that ol' subconscious of mine to music that irritates, moves and motivates me to respond emotionally and dynamically.

Regards checking out art collaborations for the benefit of society - I found this image from the front cover of Scotland's free arts magazine Variant - the last panel discussing collaborating with a Police College particularly interests me. I've had lots of experience with primary aged children, and not so much with Secondary aged which I feel a real desire to do as it's the one part of society I know least about.

So today I did some normal paper & pencil sketching of Basil the dog as I took him for a walk in the park, a quick sketch of myself feeling a tad more determined and forward looking about this year than I felt last night. I also bought a couple of new apps for my iPad and tried one of them out via recommendations from a couple of artists who lives across the Atlantic. Thanks L and F - I'm much looking forward trying them out. As many art apps as possible. I was inspired to get Inspire Pro as it was on sale - if you're lucky and read this quick you might get it also, as well as ASKetch for super cheap. I played around with Inspire Pro and managed to start to enjoy some drawing. Not too keen on my current 'muvit' stylus from playline that I'm trying as there is too much friction. Thinking of regularly daubing it in talcum so it glides better. I'll give ASKetch a try tomorrow.

So then there's a multi-arts party in Stockholm very conveniently while I'm there for a week which sounds absolutely excellent -

'In three venues there will be experimental sound art, performance art, noise, electronica, techno, video art, art-pop, art-rock and DJs.'

Right up my street :)

Finally, for a bit of woman power to make sense in the world, seeing as how the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day is happening on the 8th of March this year, I looked up two links - the first from a fellow artist/musician Kim who shared this link (if you can knit - go for it, or even better, learn!). Then finally this empowering video of first Halla Tomasdottir, a female financial advisor from Iceland discussing the past, present and necessary future for a sustainable economy in Iceland and the global community, with an extra beautiful video afterwards about four African women with very different dire needs being given the help and support to then share it with others.