Fit like!

Fit like! Nae bad, yersel?

gabi was showing at the Dundee jamboree (petit Noel) craft fair. She decided to take a few wooden 'fit like' badges to test them out a wee bit further south... Seems there are a few escapees living in Dundee! Even one from the Brough! Sailt a pucklie few, n'ah. Grand.

you have...

You have Alien Eyes!

Someone thought it'd be a good idea to give Poppy some eye make up today... "oh, lets put it on daddy too"... aye, bonny.

If you eat a drumstick when you are seven...

If you eat a drumstick when you are seven, all your teeth get sucked out

Don't they? (A dentist told me!).. we visited Anstruther today, Gabi dropped off a parcel of Small Stories clobber to "the Lovely Pigeon" pop up craft shop, she's their best seller!... hooray! We bought some lovely things too... (Tommy Perman Postcards for one... he did say he'd send a pack...bah humbug to you sir! I "FOUND" them myself. thuurrrp!).
Anyway, after our wee shopping spree, we had some fish n chips, then a visit to a sweetie shop (how healthy!) Bubalishous! Melody Pops! oh! Drumsticks! we're all kids today.

Blood turns into...

Blood turns into Jelly Blood

A Christmassy, jolly, snow filled trip to the shops to buy a tree... we've only ever had a 2 foot high, mini jobber... and now Poppy is getting right into Christmas, we thought we'd get a decent one!... so, safely bagged, in the car, driving away, we get this Christmas gem from Popps... what does go on in that head... and, should we be worried...

I wonder if Mark Quinn would have Poppy help him in his studio?... hmmm....where's that phone...

I'll get that for you Morag....

I'll get that for you Morag CRUNCH

- A split second slows, as I turn and watch the fantastic Morag McGee's face "about" to say "pick them up by the legs"... Phil, slow down, think... it's a simple ask. What a twit I am.

I'm going...

I'm going stir crazy!

We're holed up this morning due to the crazy amount of fantastic snow in Inverurie. Anyway... I think we need to go for a walk, somewhere...anywhere! Someone's so bored, she's doing dastardly things with pens! "I'm the wicked witch"... aye, tell us about it.

Ah, it's coming...

Ah, it's coming together nicely!

Sory for the delay in posting this by one day, I was trying to keep my Peacock Visual Arts show "under wraps" before it opened... so I'd decided to keep this post a day late. Anyway, I've had a fantastic time thanks to Peacock Visual Arts and volunteer Scott for being so helpful... Writing this after the opening, i can safely say the show was well received and I had a lot of great conversations, and overheard a lot of interesting opinions... cheers to everyone that come despite the snow. The show continues until the 22nd of december.



Peacock Visual Arts - ME~Idea by Philip Thompson

I like the three Penguins...

I like the three Penguins, they are my winner!

Gabi and I were asked to judge the Christmas card competition for Anne Begg today, Poppy was very excited about it too!... We went through around 500 cards! So many great designs to choose from... ah, but only one can be the winner... this will of course be announced in December...

Beth, do you want to...

Beth, do you want to go outside?

We were at the Foveran Store's Christmas Crafts Fair today, it's a fantastic farm shop, with delicious local produce. We were sharing a space with Lindsay (Daisy Glaisy)& Beth (Lindsay's daughter)... Poppy and Beth got on like a house on fire, and Beth was a superb surrogate "big Sis" to the demanding (but always polite(!?)) Poppy. Good turn out, a lovely day out for everyone!



This is Lindsay's BlipPhoto from today

check the "what's hot"...

check the "what's hot" in the Frieze magazine...

does this mean I'm trendy? Hard to know if the frieze editorial is taking the piss... "pages from newspapers that have sections blocked out or painted on" is in the "hot" list of art trends... I wish I hadn't read that in the "what's hot" list ...

hooliga huewl hewligans...

hooliga huewl hewligan's haircut!

Poppy is loving my time machine amazon purchase today! on the doorstep, a massive slice of inspiration when I was 17... jamie hewlett and peter milligan's fantastic book about madness and reality... or is it?...

Hey! that looks like...

Hey! that looks like E.T. !

no word of a lie, Popps saw a packaging box for some mugs, and "saw" ET... I'm guessing Duchamp would be beaming! Hairs on the back of the neck moment, was that one (#proudartdad)

Now that's a lot of...

Now that's a lot of rope!

with my peacock visual arts exhibition coming up, I'm scurrying around picking up all my materials, and amazing! Tim rankin from transition extreme has kindly given me a load of old rope! No money needed! You are a toff tim!

I want to sleep with...

I want to sleep with my special plaster on!

We've been to the special discount night for junction art tonight, and Elaine's mum and martin are kindly entertaining Poppy, she's been given a special bog-roll finger wrap (a plaster, according to Popps). This, is her mew favourite thing.

The bum snuffler...

The bum snuffler snuffles the bum of the head bonk monster!

I think, when I have a little more time on my hands, I have to do a drawing for this one!

Seems the world kicks art in the nuts...

Seems the world kicks art in the nuts, when the need it the most

Just found out today that the fantastic "Roxy Art House" in Edinburgh closed its doors after only 10 months... a little cultural cog in a big machine that's been "expended" due to ... once again... bloody money. When "money" is being cut left right and centre, from the people that need financial "assistance" the most, we watch and stand agog, as banks get millions (billions?) in bailouts, phone companies get let of with billion pound tax bills... apparently "we need these institutions to retain and generate wealth in the UK"... how does that work? they take all the money, find clever ways of not paying tax, charge us through the nose... What would it be like in a country that didn't think money was the most important thing to strive for in life? I've been chatting with a friend whom has just come back from West Africa, she met heaps of "poor" locals but were entirely happy with their lives, perhaps we all just need a little bit of sun, some white sands and delicious local, fresh food to keep us "happy" ? (Keep dreaming? I will, thanks).

This is the best class ever...

This is the best class ever, I don't want it to finish!

Gabi and I had the pleasure of running a mask making workshop for danceLive, in line with Gabi's images she was commissioned to produce for the "Games for Scotland" (Aberdeen). We didn't have many kids attend sadly, but the ones that did come, were brilliant and loved every minute of it. We even had Poppy with us, and she made a few new friends! (in the cardboard fort and outside!). Young Amy gave us the Quote for the day, as she made a dragon mask, fake flames on a stick, and some double sided fire bugs to boot! ace fun.

I was also lucky enough to host a CCS networking night in cityMoves too, where Andrew Dixon (head of Creative Scotland), Professor Paul Harris (Head of Gray's) and Ian Spink (choreographer) gave us an interesting night of talks and performances... thanks to everyone that came

Are you going to learn...

Are you going to learn about democracy?

on my way to Aberdeen to see the Oliver Ressler's, "What Is Democracy?" exhibition in peacock visual arts, I spy a local councillor... I think their serious job has sucked any chance of having fun out of a Friday night ... Or perhaps it wasn't that funny afterall...

At least I live in a place I'm allowed to speak my brains... For now...

You have to wink...

You have to wink, because you are Aughra!

- 8 am... (I'm rubbish in the mornings)... I feel some fingers on my face (pretend "plucking out thine eye" !)... what?! who?! where?! wha?!... Ah, mr Henson, I applaud your inspirations...

NEOS was nice...

NEOS was nice and bleargh!

"why's that Poppy?"..."well, it was nice playing with everyone, but I had to stay in the hall for HUNDREDS of years and it was boring." Well, that's me tailt.