At some stages I was using the computer to make edits before drawing on the picture to see how it would look, normally I do this in my head but it was fun to make bold changes without touching the actual picture until I was happy to do so. Here is the start to finish….

Click to view slideshow.

Drawn using 5b pencils, 9b graphite stick, soft & hard rubbers and a cloth.

Gallery news… well I have not had any actual visitors yet apart from friends & family members which is a bit depressing but it’ll take time. I am learning to accept the things I cannot change & deal with the things I can.

I did get a phone call at the weekend about a painting I took up to a craft show in December. It was a hellish journey marred with missed connections, invalid tickets, snow & ice… but I got there in the end with the painting I wanted to display and 3 months later I get a call to ask it I still had it.  SOLD! So that validates that effort… and a possible sale from Folksy, well not a sale but a commission so I’ll get that made next weekend. So quiet, but busy….  Feeling positive, the initial burn of sorting everything out had really tired me out but this last week I am starting to feel alive again, helped a lot by getting to see Justice the other weekend in town. Vicious beats, just what I needed to bring back my funk.

And a reminder to see the facebook page where I have added a shop ‘app’ for my glass work.

Click to view slideshow.

If you have not already please join my facebook page I have a competition for the first 100 ‘likers’.

See you smilers later.

]]> http://peterjgillies.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/copper-stars-2/feed/ 0 peterjgillies http://peterjgillies.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/light-boxes-alley-cats-networking-blues/ http://peterjgillies.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/light-boxes-alley-cats-networking-blues/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:41:33 +0000 peterjgillies http://peterjgillies.wordpress.com/?p=1037 ]]>

Yo, word up people. Here is the news, and the news is bright.

What about that then!  Whooooey she’s a fine beauty. 6 feet of twin tube light and opaque perspex. Damn straight I tell you she be the finest box in all the land !

Its been a mad week, today (saturday) we put up the new box specially built to display the new wood framed hangers.  The rest of the week I sat down and went for a  full on networking publicity mission.

Firstly the facebook page, Pete Gillies Glass & Art. At the start of the week I had about 20 ‘likes’ and by Friday I had got 45.  I put up a post that there will be a prize going to one of the first 100 folk on that list. Generally sharpened it up and posted some new photo’s. That   is hopefully going to be useful in letting folk know about the gallery, cause I need to get people to visit & spread the word.

Next up my Folksy shop. I sorted out the paypal business which was not a difficult as I had built up in my head. Took photos of some of my current favourite items and uploaded ‘em.  So they are up n for sale.

Next up from reading some forum posts on Folksy I discovered a whole heap of things I should be doing. So I joined Flickr, Craft Juice, updated my Craft Scotland details, got on twitter.

So it seems you need to make a daily effort to all these sites and more as well as looking & commenting on other things to get kick back to your page.  I’d rather just make a nice shop and then someone looking for glass will search, find it and i’ll have a sale. But that doesn’t happen, the game is publicity even though in a way it feels totally contrived.. And if you aint doing it the hundreds of other folk are, and your work will never be found.  So im all over that like a rash.

Now the alley cats.  The girl who had this studio before me said there were some feral cats that kick around here and will come and sit in your window if you leave it open.  They are pretty wary and will bolt if you try pay them attention, but its kinda cool seeing them hanging about out my window.  Like gang members, ragged ears and scars. Maybe there is a cat version of the Warriors going on right now outside. A wet Saturday night in Glasgow a group of cats have to make it back across town…

I managed to unlock the grills on my window and climbed out into the alley out back, it faces south and is great to sit and enjoy a coffee.  Thats going to be a favourite place come the spring / summer.  This week it was nice for like 5 minutes but as its about -1 degree I wasn’t hanging about. The cats sat and watched me, I kept an eye on them… I wouldn’t put it past em on trying something. Note to self, don’t fall asleep out there in the summer.

ART – I haven’t mentioned art in a while, well last week I spent a couple days on this picture.  Its a combination of some other ideas, and it worked out rather well. The only change I would make is making the background hills more a very dark sepia colour, not straight black. But the pencil work over the paint worked great and will definitely translate into a future painting. This was on card and my masking fluid nearly ripped a couple parts of the picture so it would need to be done on canvas or board next time.  I have always wanted to paint on board because sometimes the canvas isn’t smooth enough. Especially as I like doing a lot of pen liner work over acrylic and inks.  Thats something I need to read up on.

But the copper ink spray as the stars looks great, and I really liked the leaf area at the top of the picture. Loosely painted them in watery white, not being too pure about it, mixing in some dirty water  and kept it loose, its the pencil work over the top that sharpens it out and you can make use of the paint work.

Feeling good with what I completed this week, if I can get the blog views up and a lot more likes on the facebook page i’ll be a very happy man.  I caught a group of ladies leaving the tea room this afternoon and invited them to come and see the studio.  I think that might be what I have to do next week, just sit out there at the lunch time period and invite folk in.  Good old fashioned ‘Word of mouth’ at the end of the day is way more valuable than any amount of blog views and facebook shares I think, getting people through this door is crucial.

Moved through to Glasgow on the 3rd of January 2012 & I am now 31yrs old… & it feels nice to be out of Edinburgh I must say, a fresh project, a new chapter.  But at the same time I get waves of total fear in that ‘what have you done’ line of thoughts…

I spent pretty much 10yrs in the Edinbubble and I cant have any regrets about paths taken, because its lead me to this point… and I like this point, so its all worked out rather nice in the end.

I’ll still travel over for the church work if anything surfaces but its nice to be making my own work priority number one again.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

So the studio is set up.  I have a selection of paintings going back from 2006 up to last years efforts on the walls.  My glass works are set up on the light box looking lovely.  Along with all that is the totally excelent new range of work that was Secret Master Plan 7B.

Ahhhh Secret Master Plan 7B??? well well let me tell you about this!!!

Part of the plan was always to take things up a level.  The hangers are restricted in size due to weight issues and the tie / hook system.  To make larger items I needed to have them ‘framed’ in some way so I could use more substancial hooks and chains to support them. But I had a very definite style and look in mind.

In the November period I made a few items that were never publicly displayed, I did put up some in progress photos while I was working on the painting side but I stashed them away for the ‘Secret Master Plan 7B’ project.  These were intended to be wood framed and the first 4 are done!!

Framed in White American Oak wood, this is what I have been aiming to produce for some time.  The wood surround really finishes the work off so beautifully. I cant explain how happy I am with these and the prospects for the next line of designs taking this as the template.

And thats the direction I’m going to head for now, although I do have plans for the next set to be quite different, considerably different.

My new business cards arrive, hopefully, tomorrow plus a heap of postcards for distribution locally.  The only thing left to sort is signage for the buildings front door so people know where I am.  A girl from a studio upstairs said she was going to look out a phone number for a company they used to make these nice perspex signs, a few studios have them so it would be nice to have the same…providing its not mental expensive.

I have a till.  By chance I got chatting to a guy in a Vintage clothes shop and tills came up in conversation and he had one in his garage spare. Score.  No idea how it works though.  I need to find a PDF manual… (mental note add that to the to-do list). (Oh add a kettle to the list, I really need a kettle), (and some coffee).

At times it feels like im rushing around doing a zillion things, then I get impatient cause things feel like they arnt moving forward quick enough. Its hard not to get caught up in the rush of it all too much, yet if I’m not moving myself at maximum pace I feel like I am not working hard enough, and that just leads to a burn out.  Yes I know its only been 14days…is that a long time? Have I got lots done or not enough, and in who’s opinion am I asking these questions? Of myself? Aghhhhh.

Its half 12 go to bed.  Well go to couch, yes day 14 of the couch tour of Glasgow.  Hoofing around Glasgow with a rucksack & a sleeping bag. We do like to keep it interesting dont we pete? At least I know exactly where to get a decent Glasgow bacon & egg roll now.        Thats 14 days good work right there !

All going to plan its open doors this weekend as a test run of how the space works, identify & iron out immediate issues, and from Monday it will be working hours as it says on the new cards… 10am / 6pm. .  Taking a provisional Sunday & Monday off, although I’ll probably work.

I love it.

When it comes to doing a painting I believe the picture presents itself and it will offer the clues for you to pick up on.

This happens in life as well, sometimes its easy to miss the clues  because our heads are so cluttered with noise and distractions.  Now I can’t quite remember when I noticed, but recently my inner compass has been steering me & pointing towards the city of Glasgow.

Through a chain of events I found myself looking at Gumtree Glasgow and having a wee nose in the Office Space rent section where I saw something that caught my eye……

Well a week later & I have a lease & put down a deposit & will be able to move into my new studio later this month & probably be ready to open officially in January. Whooooosh!

I kinda know my way about Glasgow to find my way here & there, but I have no idea really about the arts scene. So when I initially saw the ad about the studio space I had no idea where it was.

Well its looking damn interesting, a ‘hidden lane’ in the west end on Argyle Street near the Kelvin Grove Art Gallery.  Tucked away behind the tenements is a complex of studios housing artists, designers, recording studios and all sorts.  It even has a great wee tea room.

I am completely buzzed with the possibilities, this is a really major change.  There is that inner ‘nay sayer’ who was whispering doubt in my ear on the bus to Glasgow today, but thankfully I didn’t listen to its negative chat & I wasnt sick on the bus with nerves, got to the studios and got my lease.

http://hiddenlane.co.uk/

Got one more christmas show this weekend, in the Inverness Town House.  It’s a very nice building inside and im looking forward to it. I am also really looking forward to the fact its the last one because it has been pretty full on since the start of November.

It’s also kind of interesting to be finding myself heading to Glasgow, the home town of my mum and where her father as a young man had a workshop doing Silversmith engraving.  The wheels turn and what goes around often comes back around, and here I am setting up my studio.

Life just accelerated up to a unpresidented speed!!!!

The path is unknown, destination unseen.

The winds blow cold and say “turn back fool, turn back!”

But I got my boots & my beats

And its time to move on  & move on up

]]> http://peterjgillies.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/pastures-new/feed/ 5 peterjgillies IMG_1404 http://peterjgillies.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/slow-trains-cold-trainers-and-invalid-tickets/ http://peterjgillies.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/slow-trains-cold-trainers-and-invalid-tickets/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:24:19 +0000 peterjgillies http://peterjgillies.wordpress.com/?p=968 ]]> Okay its the last of the 3 day shows, here at Eden Court Inverness this weekend & the final show next Saturday at the Town House.  It took an epic 5hrs to get from Edinburgh to Inverness today.  What a nightmare and a total farce, but fortunately didn’t get pulled up on my apparently invalid ticket and made it to Inverness, slightly later than planned but not too late for the show so no problems.

Classic scenery once I was past Perth, had to sit by the door as I had a massive painting with me to try sell at the show. It wouldn’t fit anywhere so I sat by the door, and could only shoot out the wee door window.  Not much angle, but i enjoy clicking away as the train rolls along.

Lets hope the weekend proceeds well, and maybe I’ll have some exciting news next week…….

”This imposing castle stands in rich Morayshire parkland. Dating from the 16th century, Brodie has unusual plaster ceilings, a major art collection and tells the fascinating story of the Brodie family”. - http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Brodie-Castle/

It was a windy rainy morning and just before we were due to open for the day, the skies darkened and the snow swept in.  It was quite bonnie seeing the snow flakes out of the grand windows.

Hopefully in for a good weekend, didnt expect to see many folk today but the numbers were okay considering the miserable weather.  Im always interested to see what sells from the table first especially when I have a bit of a selection.  As usual its the item I only have 1 of that was a bit of an experiment.  I didnt get a photo of it but it was a wintery looking tree, 3 layers of paint, a tracing black structure and a dusty matt coat with scratched out branches then grey green branches ontop. It started as a Rowan tree but kind of deviated.

Looking forward to the rest of the weekend, ill post extra photos on sunday…

Alright, Eden Court done, 3 to go.  Great numbers this year through the door and loads of chat.  My pine branch work went down a storm so that’s going to be the main focus over the next few days in the studio see if I can expand on the idea.

Next weekend I’m in Brodie Castle, then the following weekend back in Eden Court, then the Town House and were done!  Again it was another glorious weather weekend.  A bonus for the weekend was the discovery of a painting I thought I had lost, I was pretty sure it had not been sold but it disappeared in 2008.  Well it reappeared on Friday morning so I took it to the show.  It’s always been a favourite and glad its back.  It’s an Oil Painting of a Night scene, coastal bay type of thing. It’s very dark but depending on the lighting there are actually some nice colours in there.  If memory serves it was painted just with the pallet knife.

So this isn’t a really extensive post, this week is going to be much the same as the last 3.

Mon / Thurs in the studio.  Thursday night travel north and do the show.  Back down the road Sunday night to hit the studio Monday morning.   And repeat.

With all the cards im handing out over this period I expect a fair increase in Blog views so ill take this moment to say if you have received a hanger as a gift or have bought one for yourself and have any questions you can email me on petejgillies@gmail.com  and if you spoke to me regarding a window then do contact me or come and see me at one of the next few shows.

Especially for the window lights above your door, if you get in quick you could have one designed and fitted before christmas.

I’ve been doing these fairs intensely over the last few years.  Over this time I’ve been personally really pleased with the progress and directions my work has taken.  Especially this year.

Over the years I have ploughed any money I did make back into the glass relentlessly.  This year however, as I turn 31 in January, I hope to make enough to take some time out and travel to the Huangshan Mountains in China & do some drawing.

So if you have bought a hanger thank you very much as this year it really means a lot to me and if your reading this blog after meeting me do come to the next show and invest!

I made my first hangers in 2003 i think and since then I estimate there to be well over 1000 out in the world hanging in people’s windows from Dingwall to New york.  There is even one in an Antarctic Research station!  Apart from ones sold through galleries which would be no more than 100 all the rest have all been sold by myself.

The secret thinking was always, be it in my lifetime or not, if you make enough of something inevitably its going to get noticed so since I sold my first hanger I’ve been on a quest to get these out into the world.  All individual, keep changing and progressing and make better and better work.

And as the over ruling idea of these items is to make people feel happy if I can get enough out there then all across the globe these little beacons of light are sending out ripples of good energy into the world!!

So this is what your purchase is about, you are not only buying a peice of original art but you’re helping me to continue, investing in me as an artist and allowing my art to grow & progress.  This year I would like to travel & hopefully this will inspire the next phase of my artistic direction.  So if you would like to be a part of helping me then you know where i’ll be

So its down to the studio for me, and hopefully ill see ya’ll in the forthcoming shows.

• Monday afternoon got back to Edinburgh.  Slept the rest of the day, completely broken from Strathpeffer.
• Tuesday workshop, 3 items made.
• Wednesday workshop, 2 items made. really unmotivated.
• Thursday… being that I have a fair on Saturday I really need to make something!
• Workshop motivational day!

1. 12pm Bought a new sheet of white creamy glass to paint on & a moss-green & a streaky brown to border.
2. Worked till 6pm painting when the Kiln was full and ready to go.  Put the kiln on & went home for food.
3. 10pm returned to studio and did second round of painting.  Things looking great, best painting yet!
4. 1am ready to do second fire, got half way to temperature and ran out of gas.
5. AGHHHHH
6. Abandoned studio at 2am.

• Friday 7am studio.  No gas available till monday.  Crisis because I only have 14 items in my stock box.

1. 9am moment of clarity, using the small gas bottle from the soldering iron on the old small kiln to do my final fire. Yes, plan!
2. Assembly day.
3. 10pm Home and asleep.

• Saturday

1. 3am.  Studio, made 4 items. Box total 20 items, im happy with that & what I made. Some wicked painting happened on Thursday night.
2. 5am Box pack and load up the trolley.
3. 6.30am train leaves to Dunkeld.
4. 8.30 arrived in Dunkeld, fair finished at 5pm.
5. Got fortunate lift home to Edinburgh, home for 7pm.
6. 8.45pm writing this, so tired!

All again tomorrow……  maybe not a 3am start, I think it’s a 9ish train so semi lie-in.

Photies from the mission.  Mostly out of the train window.

Click to view slideshow.

• Sunday….

1. 9.30 Train to Dunkeld, nothing to carry bar laptop so it’s a pleasant journey. Slept well last night.
2. 11.20 Arrived at the show.
3. Finished at 5pm, someones taking my light box back up north for me & the remainder glass stock so I’ve got a light trolley back to Edinburgh.
4. 6.20pm Train …… 1 change in Sterling to a fortunately delayed train that I could catch….
5. 9.30 Arrived in the flat, that journey was hellish.  3 hours!!!!
6. 9.32 Opened a bottle of Bons Ventos red wine, reward! Put the fire on.  Put feet up.

A woman on the train asked me across a very busy carriage what it was i had (in reference to the trolley). I thought she just meant the trolley itself, no “whats attached onto the trolley”?…..

Ahhh “its my table I say, we go on adventures”.  This statement may appear slightly crazy to the other passengers. Some guy in a 70′s Tweed number takes a Bamboo table around on trains going on what he calls adventures…….