And that's a...

And that's a PAINTING colour

Indeedeeedooodeee. putting the digital dots on the digital map for NEOS tonight... 254 dots to place... 2 and a bit hours later... and they thought I was joking when I said "5 mins a dot on average"... (that's 21.2 hours)... OK, so we've done it over two days with Emma in 8 hours.

Daddy? am I your best...

Daddy? am I your best monster?

Gabi and I have our opening tonight, with the most excellent and chipper "Poppy sales Girl" on Cards / Tea Towel duties... (Thanks Ali!) - Our friends and some new fans come in to check out the work, lovely comments, thanks guys...seems everyone does have a favourite monster...or even their own that they'd like to see as a print!

If you fancy checking out the show, just visit the beautiful mountain, on Belmont Street, Aberdeen - go on, have a coffee and a sit down, enjoy the art.

well that's six hours...

Well that's six hours down, just a few more to go!

Emma and Gabi did a sterling job in mapping out the 2010 NEOS participants tonight... on paper... so now, I've just got to put them onto the digital print set up...



NEOS booklet is nearing print completion.. we just need some maps to stuff into them now!

Downer...

Downer, Downer! Downer!!

Poppy is trying to get mummy to put her seat (in the car) further down, so she can tickle her head...

We were rattling...

We were rattling them ooot!

We (Gabi and I) were at Peacock's for the second day's printing today... and the pressure was on to get the final print run done... gulp. Needless to say, with all the screen prep, paper cutting and sheeeeit out the way, Gabs and I get tore in... I think we'd managed to cram the most exposures on to one screen in the whole of Chrissingdom! - Parcel tape and some clever uses of "the Sun" (the only good use of that newsprint with ink on) served us well. so, after 7 hours of printing today, we managed to rattle off 12 two colour prints each... not all the seps we had prepared, but, pretty damn good.

Wowzers! check out the three...

Wowzers! check out the three forensic coppers!

On our way to Peacock Visual Arts for a screen-printing sesh today - we drive past a crazy scene of police, men in white forensic suits (no, it's not an Altern8 gig) on Golf Road ... A pretty bizarre sight.. sad news, that 10 people seem to have kicked a man's head in... news.stv.tv/scotland/north/184322-gang-leave-man-57-lying-in-street-after-vicious-attack/

Do you want to be famous?...

Do you want to be famous? or do you want to be happy?

I was lucky enough to be asked to give a talk to the new graduates at Gray's School of art today - you know, the inspirational, go get em (and I mean that!) speech... it all went well, sharing the time with Gary Cameron - the culture office for Aberdeen City Council (one of two people that really care about Culture in Aberdeen - good guy!). I even think the bogus phone number for Charles Saatchi went down well on the first slide... he he. Anyway, Allan Watson ended the day with a personal message, about the struggles - of all "artists" - no matter what level - citing his "famous friend" (he has more...err.. doh!) as worrying a lot about sales, marketing etc... I added my comment, and he scratched his chin, and thought "what an excellent quote to end the day"... I wish all the graduates well, please consider working and creating new work in Aberdeen / Shire - as I want to experience it! - it's all selfish, don't you know!

Ah, the keys are...

Ah, the keys are usually in my Laptop bag...

Yes, the amazing Chaos Phil is in full effect today. A meeting at 10.30, at the loft, superb, leave the house early to get there 1/2 an hour before... but hit a massive traffic jam at Bucksburn, then, I get stuck behind two learner drivers, terrified of roundabouts and those massive metal beetles that scurry around, I get to the links road... only to be stuck behind a man in a massive truck ambling along at 15 mph, looking like he's lost. excellent. Finally! I get to the Loft (Fiona waiting nervously), the door is locked, "no worries, I'll just get the.... sheeeit." - I jump in the car, do a Jimmy Hendrix and manage to get Libby's set of Keys - Geddy Lee it back to the Loft to see everyone patiently waiting outside (in the sun, thankfully!)... Hot, Sweaty, Discombobulated, Embarrassed... not a good way to start the day. Moral of the story? Check you've got your keys before leaving the house for an important meeting at your work.

I'm opening this window...

I'm opening this window, so you can't fart Daddy

Driving to Claypots, I think my daughter is fed up with Daddy's tum tum. he he...

Link had one...

Link had one delighted eye!

We've been out at the fantastic Gray's Degree show from 3 - 7 pm - so we treat ourselves to Fish n Chips...mmmm... Poppy pings a flake to Link (our cat) and declares this. I think she had two, actually...

My Daddy...

My Daddy clowns around!

Poppy made me a fathers day card in School during the week, and all the kids were asked to say what they liked about their Daddy - I think the teacher wasn't sure if poppy meant what she meant... but she doesn't know the trapping your nose in a sliding door routine, the falling over your own shoes routine, the "my hat won't stay on" routine... hilarious.

Red is the mummy...

Red is the mummy of pink!

and white is the daddy...

Well, that's bummed...

Well, that's bummed me out now!

Enjoying the fantastic Gray's Degree show tonight, Gabi, Poppy and I are strolling around - get in early (6pm) and headed to the top of the building (cool air at the start of the night!) - we head on down, and who are strolling around the 2nd floor? - just ACSEF and Sir Ian Wood... grooo! what is this? Is it a joke? are they the conceptual artists everyone says they are? Amazing audacity and bravado! Anyway, my "focus" to enjoying new graduates art was sadly destroyed. "you shouldn't care, it shouldn't get to you" I was told by someone... too sensitive? I didn't think so - It's just a shame that I'm so cynical to think that some rich old men can buy some graduates work, and think that this will be seen as "supporting the arts". Where's that Nirvana video again?....

I really just...

I really just miss him so much!

After seeing the Bill Hicks "American" movie today, It just compounds my sadness, and wish that he was still with us. I was fired up and raging, as always, after hearing his rants and philosophies - amazing how they are still transferable and universal - with added poignancy with the UTG in the back of mind.

Will daddy still be...

Will daddy still be a birthday boy tomorrow?

Lovely wee Poppy wants my birthday to keep going it seems... Dear Pops... when you get above 30odd... they don't really matter any more, but thank you for my kisses, card, pressies and singing, I love you!

look at the...

look at the dirty clouds getting in the way!

Heading into town (or more importantly away from Inverurie, seeing as it's overcast!) - the clouds thin out - and a few white clouds are being "chased" by grey ones...Poppy is worried for them, aww, bless.

No dogs are allowed to...

No dogs are allowed to bark in here! Shush!

We were at the vets today... Link has stress (?!) and is going bald on her tummy and arm pits... not as bad as it sounds (£20 for the 5 min consultation to say "don't worry about it"...cheers!) Anyyyyway... Poppy was defending Link's poor ears from a noisy, yappy brown Lab... not sure what its owner thought of that!

You've got sock...

You've got sock fluff in your belly button!

Having a bit of a tussle with Poppy, my t-shirt rises to reveal a blue fluffy belly button... Poppy stops in her tracks, fascinated by this aberration! She wanted to keep it as a pet, which is more worrying!

This sign is...

This sign is as crap as the CSP

The "mass picnic" in UTG today... Gabi and I got there just before 2pm and the place was jumping... we sadly had to scoot off (funnily enough, to Peacock Visual Arts) to see Faythe Levine (Handmade nation) - she'd come to Scotland exclusively because PVA had asked her here... with a whistle stop tour of the DCA and PVA - world class creative people being attracted to Aberdeen? without having a massive concrete (planters, shrubs, turf, yeah, whatever) square? hmm...





you can also see John Rutherford and my ex boss Joan Ingram in that video...

my god that bull has...

my god that bull has tiny nipples!

... right next to its massive balls. Claypots again, Mr Bull is frisky today... two cows getting his special attention... I can't help but notice the tackle on show, not 5 meters away. A fascinating chance to see what's what on the usually distant bull in a field...

I didn't have my camera, so here's a funny photo of a man with a bulls horn in his bottom.

If I rub my arm on your beard...

If I rub my arm on your beard, will I get a hairy arm?

He he, I love the way poppy thinks. it's fascinating watching a 3 year old wrestle with things that make sense yet are impossible at the same time...

Are you tired from driving...

Are you tired from driving your open top monkey?

Poppy is having a "can I climb on your back" phase - and riding mummy and daddy like a: bear, donkey, goat, horse, giant dog... etc. Today, She was slightly too tired to hang on - so I asked her if the sporty, convertible simian was to blame?

I'll give you...

I'll give you n3rd rage!

Had a little exchange about football on TV making everyone that loves football think that everyone else does / should...on facebook today... my point? how come when artists / creative people get passionate about art / culture - they are called elitists and selfish? and yet all the tribal "I'll shout at colours cos that's what I have to do" people are passionate and representative of the public? rassafrassinsuckerarassin.

hello my Mexican...

hello my Mexican doppelgänger!

Strolling up from the Loft into Aberdeen today, I happened to stroll past a small Mexican / South American looking man...in a green jacket, blue t shirt and blue trainers... Exactly the same shades and tones as I'm wearing... we spy each other and have a sly smile. On the way back from town, we walk past each other at the same point! he he...

knock knock!

knock knock! Come in...oh, use the door

We're out at Claypots today and sadly, a wee chaffinch seemed to think that an avian inspection was called for...

I never knew Chaffinches had such cute wee feathers sticking out of their heads... sad way of finding out.

I love ash...

I love ash, because it destroys people

Pretty speechless at this one from my little, darling Poppy. We got a fire going at Claypots today - and Poppy sat mesmerised by the flames... blurting out this gem.

"hot winds burn me, I'm burning as I fall..."

While you were sleeping...

While you were sleeping, I sniffed your feet!

The rather worrying and sinister statement from Poppy after she came into the bedroom this morning... After doing the Claypots garden yesterday, Gabi and I were in a deep sleep...only to be told that as we sleep...poppy will creep....gulp!

Fill the Fillings...

Fill the Fillings, oh noooo!

Poppy and I were singing this last night, as Poppy brushed her teeth...to the tune of Nirvana's "Serve the servants"...

holy...

Holy Smokes

I'd not heard the news all day today - and driving home, heard about the massacre in Cumbria... can't really say any more than that.

Channel 4 time line of Cumbrian Shooting

That's the best thing...

That's the best thing I've seen in ages!

Some very kind words from Joe Coleman (Transition Extreme, Skatepark manager) - when I dropped in to show him (and Ashley Bird) my interactive digital installation / image-maker... projecting the "image abstraction" from a webcam (real-time feeds of skaters / BMXers in the skate park). Here's to taking this a step further, and having an interactive digital art evening in Transition Extreme!... watch this space.