Mogwai, F**k Buttons, Errors, and Crashing Celtic Connections Launch

Yep, I get about a bit. Just got back from Edinburgh, it's 01.50, pishy wet and windy and cold weather, I fancy tunneling under my duvet covers and hibernating for the rest of the winter.

Celtic lost 3-0 to Man U. Just so's you know. But when people weren't watching that, including the very band, they were at the Corn Exchange for the brilliant line up that was tonight - Mogwai, supported by the very very very fantastic F**k Buttons and Errors. Great stuff. Nae Bad, as King Rab C might put it.

So here's the pictures in their mighty raw form, just incase y'all thought I did my pictures from memory.


Mogwai, Finale



Mogwai, Green.



F**k Buttons ( but if you can read and you're young/vulnerable enough to be scarred, then I'm in trouble...)

Plus I also managed to get along to the launch of Celtic Connections at the Royal Conert Hall. Was really moving actually; it looks like it's going to be an amazing lineup for January/Feb 2009. Seriously, it looks really quite something!

Bit of a Newsletter/Connect/Expo/Big Draw

Big Draw in Schools, organised by CAST, October 22nd – November 9th 2007

What an amazing experience this was. Organised by CAST (Creative Arts in Schools Team), I got to travel around 14 very different primary schools in Argyll, my home county, and do drawing workshops with them!! Perfect job! I got to play about with loads of like-minded beings, command the games, and do loads of drawings to music; all inspired by my own live drawing practice!! And what a stunning part of the world I live in, really! There were so many highlights (as well as the low ones!) but one particular memorable experience was working with two excluded boys who were more artistic than they thought they were. Here’s something that I’d really like to pursue, however I need to make sure I’m successful as an independent artist though – I can’t help anyone if I’m a hypocrite.

If you would like a little insight into what I did with the different schools, you can take a look at an example on http://www.pcps.ik.org/p_Jenny_Soep.ikml, which is a link to a page dedicated to my visit by Port Charlotte Primary on Islay. I was really blown away by how up-to-date, innovative, enthusiastic, well organised and technologically ‘in touch’ this school was. You can check it out on - http://www.pcps.ik.org. You can also email me on info@jennysoep.com if you’re interested to know more, or would like me to come your school. I’ll be most happy to supply you with references.

http://www.drawingpower.org.uk


Open Mike/Open Draw October 13th

The day after was a bit of an experiment as part of the Big Draw – a nationwide drawing event launched in October up until November – look it up under http://www.drawingpower.org.uk for some drawing inspiration! You too can hold a drawing event next year! Anyhoo, I organised an Open Mic/Open Draw as part of my exhibition, with Garry again providing some VJing support for young and old artists alike. We also had ‘Sound’ support from Stevo and Louie from the grand old Oban open mike nights that Garry and I have been providing a bit of visual entertainment for! Thanks guys!!

We had solid live music from various different wonderful musicians from mid-day till 4pm with the Sorren MacLean band and friends, my lovely friends/blues band ‘Bluescaster’, the wonderful and enigmatic Matt Goodwin from the smiley U.S. of A, and complete troopers The Lemmings who traipsed up all the way from Glasgae to play a stomping set – Stu on the Rose Tin Drum and Key Chain Plimpsole, as well as Ben Fitzgerald doing an excellent Lap Tapping session. We were also very privileged to have Liz Lochhead there to recite a couple of her raunchiest and sweetest poems. My own dear Nana even hobbled up on her crutches – recent hip operation – to give us ‘The Old Violin’. You could have heard a pin drop!

Thanks MAJORIS to everyone who gave us help and support – very much appreciated, especially to our sponsors, to Maria my mum – world porridge making champion 2007!! - for helping out with the canapés and other morsels of marvellousness, the Sinclair family for all their help and support, Andrew Sinclair for his belief, help, support, gallery etc etc –
Andy Stuart for his interjection of assistance the night before while I Chicken-headed around, and lastly Kim – superb sister of mine who was The Best event organiser/designer, artiste liaison, and canapé creator I’ve ever had. Can definitely recommend her although, I’d hate to lose her…

http://www.myspace.com/redwinesoep - Kim, Event Organiser
www.myspace.com/jennysoepsexpo - for details on the expo
www.resipolestudios.co.uk - Great Exhibition/Music Venue


Solo Show, Resipole Studios, Ardnamurchan, October 12-28th

October came round with my exhibition which opened on the 12th with the fabulous Sorren MacLean band who filled in for Popup who’d got lost on the way to the Ardnamurchan via Ardrishaig from Glasgow…Better send them proper directions next time. Martin Hay from the Yellow Bentines entertained the audience with his one-man band replacing his normal entourage of drummer, two trumpeters, a guitarist and bassist. The boy did well until after the after show party when he got lost in his own caravan…Garry Whitton, leading local animator was on hand with his cunning animations/filming/time-lapsing/VJ-ing wizardry of my drawings and the live happenings.

www.myspace.com/jennysoepsexpo


Connect Festival, August 31-Sept 2nd 2007.

A great first experience for a ‘Wee Boutique’ festival that used lots of great local services/foods/drinks/location and a fantastic array of international and home-grown music talent. Great shows, onsite alternative entertainment, late night partying… Will just state though, that camping was pretty sketchy, particularly in the rain, and I heard a few people got fleeced by a gang of head-torch donned ‘tea leaves’. Don’t be a wally and leave valuables in your tent!!

Highlights – drawing Bjork, Areogramme, King Creosote, Bat for Lashes, The Beastie Boys, LCD Soundsystem, Seasick Steve and quite a few others! A very memorable weekend. Getting to hang out in the Press Pit while the photographers got moved on (guess the security felt sorry my slow ass!) and finish my pictures was really quite exciting. My brother Ben capitalised on being my ‘gopher’ boy and running round the back of the stages after each performance to chat to the musicians while I tidied up my materials. Think I’ve got that the wrong way round…

http://www.connectmusicfestival.com

Open Mic/Open Draw and Exciting Solo Show in Scotland!

Start tuning up folks and getting your paints and pencils out of their untouched packaging - it's time to be inspired to play/sing, draw and enjoy. Any original musicians in the vicinity please do get in touch - info@jennysoep.com.

STV NEWS!!

Forget painting still life, this is real life


Article by Euan Wemyss
Video report by Euan Wemyss

The life of a toiling artist could be considered by some to be a solitary pursuit.

But a young Oban woman prides herself on getting as close to the action as possible when depicting live music events.

Jenny Soep, based in Oban, travels to cultural events - including dance, poetry readings and live music - in an attempt to express the energy, movement, emotion and colour of the occasion in a way that photography perhaps cannot.

She said: "I'm looking for unique events that I think I can work with; showing the uniqueness of it, showing how creative and beautiful they are and how they are in that moment. I think anyone can take a photo these days and I'm trying to draw attention to the details in those pictures that they're missing out on."

Originally inspired by a trip to the Dundee Jazz Festival; Jenny travelled and painted in and around Taiwan for three years after graduating where she developed her technique.

"I practiced Chinese calligraphy whilst out there and it's really captured by how you're just working the moment. That's why I use watercolours and ink, because it's fast and it can dry quicker than oils basically."

Since then she has captured hundreds of events in a variety of different locations including a performance by the Proclaimers on Arran and was even sponsored to paint at the recent T in the Park festival.

Despite the often riotous atmospheres at many gigs, Jenny has never been afraid to wade into the thick of the action.

"I initially started being in the mosh pits so I've been sort of quite crushed at some points but it all adds to the picture - I'm trying to create visual souvenirs that are all affected by the whole event so it just adds more excitement to the drawing."

Jenny is already developing her work into new areas.

She and a friend are currently animating the paintings to further enhance their live feeling and the results will be on display at the Dunstaffnage Music Festival next weekend.

Jenny’s solo show runs from the 14th to the 29th of October at the Resipole Studios in Acharacle, Argyll.




(c) stv