edward chadwick photography

Star Gazing.

2010-02-02T23:08:00.011Z

'Rail Trails'

Rossendale 2010

Well, here we are into February, the deadline set in my last blog post has passed by in a flash. Anything to report? Lets just say, it's looking increasingly likely that 2010 really is going to prove to be a year of some pretty major changes. The major decision has been made & not lightly either, plenty of deliberation & time spent in front of the abacus, but it has to be for the best, it also has to work & there's only yours truly who can make sure it does. Talk about upping the ante a tad!

I've got to keep a little quiet for the time being don't want to go shooting myself in the foot or jinxing the great escape before it's all finalised. So I'll pad the rest of the blog out with some idle photo-chatter, I've been shooting a lot of new stuff of late, a camera is with me at all times, I'm hitting on a real stream of creativity & throwing everything at it. First my snowy shoots back in early Jan, then a fantastic moon & clear skies arrived at the end lending itself perfectly to some night - shooting. The last time I did any of this with any seriousness was back in 2002 on the west coast of Ireland with my Cambo5x4 being the tool of choice, subject matter: stormy seas & skies. This time I've gone for some more cutting edge equipment - just to see what it's capable of & have to say I'm pretty pleased, I'm just playing at the moment - experimentation is the name of the game, it's usually conducive to stumbling upon something magical.

There's something wonderfully serene & quite beautiful about night shooting, I think it's because of the patience involved. Sat in the peaceful darkness, just a camera & thoughts for company - it's both a contemplative & reflective activity, in these days of ever increasing demands for instant results & gratification it's a rather pleasing experience - that to create something beautiful it actually takes a little time to do so. So I had a whole weekend of shoot after shoot, landscapes by day, the sky by night, very uplifting if a tad exhausting. Especially when interspersed with the usual end of week high jinx with the Common pals.

In other news, the new website is coming on apace, it's going to have a cross section of my images on there & also a shopping section, so finally people will have the opportunity to buy my originals online. It's really not before time, I get so many enquiries about buying over the web from customers through the gallery that I confess I've been far too tardy in getting it sorted out.

What else? Oh yes, it may be the last we hear from this blog for a while, there's new & exciting things going on over on tumbr.... here infact:

http://edchadwickphotography.tumblr.com/

Hopefully like the night shots, all these little things will be worth the wait...

Blue Moon.

2010-01-14T13:25:00.009Z

'Blue Moon'

Manchester NYE 2009

It's far too late to be uttering 'Happy New Year' - The season for such merriment has been & gone, despite all best intentions & resolutions made back in September, it's been without doubt a bleak season for the blog. So why the lengthy silence? For now I'll blame a hefty workload for the distraction incurred over the last quarter, times in the gallery were better than expected over the festive season with plenty of activity & new work cropping up to tempt folks with. It was definitely a season of hard work but of riotous times too, it would be remiss not to mention certain nights spent in Common Bar with a fine crowd of pals being the particular highlights.

Over the well earned break I got out into the wilds with the cameras, shooting snowy landscapes, frozen streams & spectacular skies. It was good to do, an odd respite trudging though powder lugging a heavy tripod, but strangely, satisfyingly contemplative & rewarding. Already, new photographic projects are appearing in my mind as well as dusting off some long dormant creative streams.

And now, here we are, halfway through January 2010 & there's something in the air & I'm not refering to the over-generous amounts of frozen precipitation that have been dumped on us over the past month or so! Change feels like it's just around the corner, well into my second week back at the gallery, a serious bout of the new year blues are only just starting to lift. Things are afoot, everyone I speak to is bursting with enthusiastic optimism for my mooted plans. An opportunity has arisen, bigger & hopefully better things are up for consideration, but part of me is reluctant to move away from the current scenario, unwilling to take the gamble & commit to a leap of faith into the unknown - I did it 7 years ago without a second thought - youthful optimism perchance? Why not now, what do I do? Stay safe or throw caution to the wind & go for it?

I've set my deadline for the end of January. Another year here or a new year there?

Time will out.

Spellbound.

2009-09-15T11:44:00.007+01:00

Crimpolenes Poster 2009

Saturday at the gallery was somewhat overshadowed by the prospective excitement of the evening ahead, it was good however, to sell a couple of pieces to some appreciative customers. Time duly served, a dash was made for the sticks, a swift bacon sandwich was consumed before a brief show of face was made at a garden party, Guinness & Cava seemed like a good idea, but proved to be a more than peculiar combination.

By 8 p.m, the Chadwick tour bus arrived and haste was made to get a good seat in 'The Lion', the Golden Pippin flowed, The Crimpolenes were, as ever, faultless. Good friends arrived & joined in the fun, requests & encores were made & all too soon it was homeward bound. An extended Whiskey nightcap was indulged in despite disappointment at the lack of Siouxsie & the Banshees on the old iPod.

The Buy Art Fair approaches at a distinct rate of knots, I've made the decision to show some of my black & white silver gelatines - partly I think as a little antidote to all the digital malarky I seem to indulge in these days. I just need to root through some nice big negatives & decide on a theme. I also need to design my 2010 calendar & think about Christmas at the gallery - perhaps even a re-paint if I have the time.

Better get on....

Autumn Leaves.

2009-09-08T15:37:00.007+01:00

'Summer Oranges'

Rochdale 2009

This morning dawned a blustery affair. Over breakfast, contemplating the traffic chaos of the day before, strangely coincidental with the return of the kids to school, a decision was made to take a slightly more scenic route to work, hopefully avoiding the furore that seems to go hand in hand with the school run round our parts.

Thus a little Fiat splashed its way down a pretty back road, made all the more spectacular as a brief shaft of sun burst through the clouds and illuminated a huge Chestnut in all its orange tinged glory! Yes, the leaves really have started to turn, so I guess that really does signify the start of Autumn. Such was the intensity of the leaves it put me in mind of an outing back in the slightly warmer climes of June when a visit was made to a park in Rochdale to view a similar Chestnut graced with a host of Oranges, fruits in this instance, albeit knitted ones, a stunning piece of yarnbombing created by ArtYarn as part of the Knitted Nature project with Touchstones Rochdale.

As September progresses at a brisk clip, plans are afoot choosing pieces to show on the stand at the forthcoming Buy Art Fair hosted at Urbis in Manchester. Current favourites in the running are some large format black & white abstract pieces, however some of my more obscure colour work is also vying for attention, decisions...

In other news, at the weekend a couple of gents shaved 2 whole hours off their annual 'round the hills' ramble and the forthcoming weekend promises an audience with a good pal, a certain Mr Liam Spencer and his band of reprobates 'The Crimpolenes' - heady times await...

Summer's Closing.

2009-09-02T13:20:00.008+01:00

Cancale

France 2009

Well, that was quite a break from the bloggery! Many apologies, perhaps it's just not something that appeals to me as a Summer activity. Now that the weather's started to turn, the evenings drawing in ever closer I've had the urge for a couple of weeks to fire this up again and it's seemingly taken that long to actually remember the password to get in here!

The Summer seems to have passed in a flurry, it seems only two minutes since I was planting out my rows of beans, potatoes, onions and other assorted vegetable treatery at Chadwick Towers. Now I'm down to the last of the courgettes and a raft of garlic that appears reluctant to bulb, everything else has been cropped, eaten, pickled or put into deep storage in the infamous cellar. Even the Elderflower cordial has run dry.

Work wise, we're just limbering up to busier times. Calendars need to be designed, new work printed and exciting shoots completed. Look forward to more regular updates as Autumn unfurls.

Lighter Nights.

2009-03-25T11:52:00.010Z

Jane Blease Light Box

Manchester 2009

Over the last week or so there's been a real sense of spring in the air, balmy days have become more frequent and the bulbs are starting to nose upwards in the pots. There's a real sense of seasonal change just around the corner and it's seen a renewed surge of activity in the Chadwick camp.

Cellars have been tidied, neglected projects kickstarted and the vegetable patch has been dug and tilled to perfection. The Spring Equinox was welcomed in with spirited style, some neighbourliness by a pair of gents with a box of cheap plonk was a precursor to the newly arranged bottles in the cellar having a bit of a purge. Two or maybe three choice bottles were liberated and quaffed in a celebratory style, the talk was of Summer bonfires and long walks up in the mountains and a 3a.m finish was cantered to with ease! The following morning whilst rattling to work on the train in a slightly hazy reverie, I was rudely jolted back to reality by a barrage of brisk correspondence from a cheeky chum. On her way to NYC, and only too eager to relate first class flying, concorde lounging, bucks fizz quaffing activities in a most excitable manner, the swine!

But hey! I'm not envious in any way... I can derive my pleasures relocating my raspberry canes! Workwise, things have been a little quiet at the studio, commissions have been done and are gracing the walls rather nicely while they await collection. It's also been an absolute pleasure to do a small shoot for my pal and frankly fabulous lighting designer Jane Blease, it's not often I do product work these days but when the product is something special it can be very rewarding indeed.

With lighter nights nearly upon us, I can't wait to spend more time in the garden, riding the hills on my bike, or tinkering with some machinery if I'm ever allowed to buy that Lotus.... Sssshhh...

Arts & Crafts.

2009-03-15T22:14:00.007Z

Blackwell House

Cumbria 2009

The week was a bit of a whirlwind with some important ethical decisions having to be made both in terms of my own practice and attempts to implement of a jot fairness in a particularly convoluted financial affair. So it was nice to escape for a fine day out in the Lakes come the weekend.

By 10:30 on Sunday morning a Fiat 500 was hoving its merry way up the M6, the morning coffee fixture coincided neatly with a service station stop and to my delight a surprisingly smooth latte was procured along with some soft fruits to help the journey along. After exercising some blind faith in my role of navigator, we arrived at our destination just in time for lunch. Blackwell House was the venue, a quirky Arts & Crafts pile with a stunning interior, lots of nooks and crannies to explore and some particularly choice wood panelling to be investigated, primarily in the quest for secret passages. Outside there was a definite sense of spring in the air, the sun beaming down, I dallied for quite some time in the garden, exploring the oddly proportioned exterior and reveling in capturing some fine detailing with my trusty old 20D. After a drop more coffee and a delightful slice of chocolate & black pepper Panforte it was time to head for home, excited to catch the last of the day getting the vegetable patch in order.

The less said about the 'Capture Manchester' debacle the better I think, in this instance. Suffice to say it was regrettable to have to decline the prize and withdraw from the exhibition, but sometimes it's important to retain the high standards which have been striven for over the past few years of running my own show. Sometimes tough decisions have to be made for the greater good and this was one of them, along with a few others this week that have yet to come to fruition, hopefully before it's too late.

In an Instant.

2009-03-09T22:12:00.008Z

Just a quickie, a little heads up for the forthcoming program of exhibitions at Touchstones Rochdale. I thought it was only right after they graciously accepted two of my pieces to be included in the forthcoming 'Instant' exhibition. A celebration of Polaroid instant film photography in all its wonderful permutations, an eclectic mix of this now virtually non-existent and often underrated medium, so well worth a visit if that's what floats your boat.

The opening is on a Saturday, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to escape my commitments at the studio, but I'm going to try my best to get on down. It promises to be an interesting show.

In other news, I won an award in the 'Capture Manchester' competition, which as we go to press, I'm on the verge of handing back, but more on that in the next installment....

Cripes!

Final February Fling.

2009-02-27T21:32:00.015Z

Afternoon Session

NQ 2008

Well, time seems to be galloping by. Fun and games have been and gone, lost in the ether, until the point that there's simply too many adventures to blog about. I either need to get it down more often or lead a less hectic life!

So, what's been going on since the last installment? Midweek, a glass roofed Victorian market building resounded to the sound of some heavy guitar rock, by 8ish the two protagonists, ears ringing, made their way to the fortnightly institution that comprises Common Knowledge. The scant team of two barely informed gents was buoyed on a wave of slightly misplaced optimism going into the final round towards the top of the table! But Bloody Hell! What's this? A super special secret round of hoola-hooping! And I'm not refering to some kind of scoffing comp with the similarly named potato based snackery, I'm talking full on gyration with a florescent pink circle of joy! With the requisite skills of a certain elfen pal missing, a swift team talk revealed a reluctance to compromise integrity and discretion proved the better part of valour as two chaps bowed out gracefully, reputations thankfully still intact.

Commissions at the studio duly completed, Friday evening began as a pleasant little real ale crawl, the scene of some previous shenanigens The Marble Arch was made for with a view to sampling their rather choice array of freshly brewed beverages. An initiation for some in our little party, the Marble's excellent '1425' ale was hitting the spot nicely, food was planned but somehow got lost in the fray. I think in this instance the less said the better, suffice to say unfortunately the curtain had to be drawn down a little prematurely on the nights proceedings after a misunderstanding and slight overreaction regarding some fairly innocuous boyish prankage. A sour taste was left and a lamp-post lived up to its name, admirably unmovable...

Saturday saw a return to more sedate and salubrious surroundings as a jaunt was made out to the ever excellent Inn at Whitewell. Some simple honest fare was consumed in front of a crackling hearth overflowing with logs, the perfect foil to the madness of the preceding evening, some fine cheeses and a tot of port drew the evening to a warm glowing close.

This week a slightly quieter time at the studio opened up a few little opportunities to indulge in some off piste activities, nipping out for lunchtime pie and afternoon coffee & cake, both enjoyed in pleasant company. In addition, the last minute cancelation of an important meeting led to an early evening visit to see a sporty little number with a sting in the tail, which proved to be rather revealing!

As February draws to a close, a fine finale is planned for the evening ahead. A little caper to my home village is in order to watch our pals band 'The Crimpolenes' provide some sterling 80's derived entertainment, with the company and music sorted, lets hope the ale proves to be equally quaffable. A veritable cornucopia of joy awaits...

Quirky Folk.

2009-02-16T15:15:00.012Z

Adapt & Survive

Newcastle 2007

Whilst musing over some of the last week's events, a quest for a suitable image was embarked upon, initially frustratingly fruitless, I'd almost given up when I stumbled upon this from a couple of years ago. It couldn't be any more apt, I think I even let out a little yelp of barely contained amusement!

After a delightfully fruitful week in the gallery, a certain cheeky chum and her impetuousity towards early Birthday celebrations made for a brisk Friday finish. Ensconced in Common Bar with all good intentions for 'just a couple' the afternoon began to snowball into a full on evening affair! Others arrived and a heated discourse was held regarding the validity of my medium during which some unfortunately naive and maybe slightly misconstrued comments led to some minor toy throwing on my part. Eventually my thoughts turned to mild disappointment rather than ire and the realisation that even after quite a few years of running my own reasonably successful show I still don't know nowt! Not to worry, 'carry on' I think the phrase is. And carry on we certainly did, hosteries visited, buses home missed, the whole works....

Saturday morning dawned quiet and clear, which set the tone for the day at the gallery, patiently contemplative. By close of business, the days efforts well rewarded, haste was made to a small hotel on the south side of town for an evening of romance. A meal at Piccolinos started things off nicely before moving on, cocktails for Y and choice ales for moi slipped away nicely. Way was made to Fuel to catch some pals perform their particular brand of guitar based folk, the evening progressed at a pleasantly sedate pace and by 2 a.m it was time to retreat into the night.

Sunday morn brunch was scoffed in the ever excellent Folk, a grilled haloumi pitta hitting the spot. A day of relaxation bekoned, papers were read, soup was made, then it was out again to watch even more folky guitar musings from our pals The Roman Empire, oh dear, what's that they're serving at the bar, Golden Pippin? Yes please, just the one etc....

In other news I've made another submission to a show and had 2 pieces accepted for the forthcoming 'Instant' exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale. I've also got a real urge to shoot some exciting new stuff too.... Keep your eyes peeled. And don't forget, high end is the way forward.....whatever that means? I can think of a choice comment or two!

Roadhouse Blues.

2009-02-09T21:41:00.005Z

Les Paul Standard

Foregoing the opportunities presented by two exhibition openings last Thursday in favour of an evenings work, the tone was set by Friday for a little light relief. Things began sedately, work commitments fulfilled and enjoying an apres-work ale another opening dropped like the proverbial bombshell! The rumour was invitation only, however a couple of quick phone calls to some old chums dispelled any concerns and haste was made in the direction of Oxford Road. A brisk trot was embarked upon, briefly interrupted to quench the thirst in the Peveril at the halfway point. Arriving at the Whitworth just after 6, more pals were met and sparkly stuff quaffed, an audience with Nicholas Serrota added to the excitement and a brief glance at the rather darkly impressive show was made.

The conversation flowed, a small telling off was received and artistic nonsense was spouted, by 9 though it was time for excuses to be made as 3 made their way back across town to the Marble to sample some rather excellent ale. Ensconced at a table in the tiled paradise with a fine pint of 'Lagonda' a sudden realisation was made that no food had passed our lips for quite some time, crisps didn't go very far and after a tad more sampling it was time to head for home. Back at a reasonable hour for once, even taking into account a frankly ridiculous excursion up a particularly icy hill!

Saturday was a quiet time in the studio, a perfect foil to the evening planned ahead. Arriving home, arrangements were made and it was 'Chadwicks on tour', hurtling towards a local hostelry down bumpy back roads in the Jeep. Our pal of certain notoriety Mr Liam Spencer and his compatriots were providing the entertainment under the guise of 'The Crimpolenes'. The White Lion offered some very good pints of 'Golden Pippin' and a table with a fine view was soon procured, the company was good, 'The Crimpolenes' absolutely first class and the opportunity for some impromptu pogo action for one member of our little party certainly put a huge smile on my face.

Finally after an encore or two it was homeward bound once more, the boys wanted Shiraz but the girls wanted bed so it was time to acquiesce for once.

"Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel"

Ta Ta Trophy.

2009-02-05T22:16:00.014Z

Renaultsport Clio Trophy No:69/500

With another steed relinquished from the stable, I thought a little homage was in order.

Widely recognised as the pinnacle of its particular breed, the recipe of a large punchy motor shoehorned under the bonnet, low weight and a tailored chassis was second to none. First acquaintances were made back in 2005 when garage space was shared with a twin in a rather fetching shade of french racing blue, given the choice, my blue example always won out oddly, the rarity of the Trophy somehow tempered any real use in anger.

Over the course of time, newer, more salubrious machinery came and went, yet the Trophy remained, eagerly skipping down Irish back roads at a brisk clip, tripods and DSLR's rolling around behind somewhere. Waiting patiently by streams, shrines and shorelines whilst shots were hastily arranged and rearranged, the hot metal ticking as it cooled. A fine partner for a blast to an early morning shoot, the sun cutting through the morning mist, flickering like an empty slide projector as trees merged into a blur, slightly moist tarmac adding a dash of anxiety, race spec dampers keeping the rubber in contact with terra firma (most of the time), heady days indeed.

Eras all eventually come to an end and tough decisions made, goodbyes were finally made on a cold, snowy morning outside a gothic town hall. A momentary pang of regret was lost to the four winds and best wishes were extended as a happy young chap cantered off into the sunset with his new pride and joy.

Time, it seems, for someone else to enjoy something really rather special...

First February Flutter.

2009-02-02T13:54:00.010Z

Iconic Interior Ireland 1996

polariod dry transfer

Well, sat on the heater, looking out of the studio window at the snow flurries I feel like I ought to have posted up something wintery. However, not one to be predictable, apart from admittedly my penchant for hot coffee at 11ish every morning, I've put up a little preview of one of my pieces recently submitted for the forthcoming 'Instant' exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale.

The piece was shot in a derelict house on the west coast of Ireland more than a decade ago. I created a series of images, intimate details of crumbling rural domesticity juxtaposed with the iconic presence of religious reliqury and imagery. The images began an exploration into iconography that has continued throughout certain elements of my work ever since.

Anyway, enough of this dreary pontificating, can tell I've been busying myself writing Artists statements. What's been going on in the real world? A eye-opening Burns night at the local, haggis, the highland fling and northern soul rounded the evening to a fine 4:30 am finish. The week however was troubled by a slight chill in the air which turned out to be thankfully quite unfounded, frost thawed by Friday and a fine evening was enjoyed with some choice chums. Real ales, bawdy conversation and oddly a Chinese meal at 2:30 am made for a success, not a mixture of elements that usually spring readily to mind I have to confess but there we are.

This week so far promises some inclement weather, an exhibition in the offing and dabbling in the dubious world of used car sales???

Life is never dull.

Financial Affairs.

2009-01-24T11:12:00.011Z

Hog

I've had a bit of blogging block lately, that and too little time.

Meetings discussing the future of craft have been taking precedent over mostly all else, leaving a smidgen of time to concentrate on my own projects and virtually nil for any carousing. Finally by Thursday the fog of financial finicalness was beginning to clear, a trip to a small local village was hastily arranged to watch some pals indulge their passion for vaguely experimental electro folk. The venue was intimate, the ale good and the company was surprising, especially for me, a friend of a friend turned out to be a real blast from my heady days as a student, when I still had far too much hair. I always find it a bit weird when people crop up in your life after long absences, strange coincidences leave me slightly spooked. It's the same when new pals also remind you of old ones too, perturbing...

The following morning, a chat with a pal over coffee revealed more opportunities for some evening fun and frolics, a trip to a trio of exhibition openings was in the offing. By 5 impetuousness found me in the Bulls Head enjoying a couple of pints of a rather appropriately named 'January Sale' ale, which slipped down very smoothly indeed. Thirst quenched I rolled to my first cultural port of call at International 3 to peruse some dark drawings and meet up with some pals. The conversation turned to real ale and rock which was enjoyable.

Next on the itinerary was Cube where a delectable young lady was waiting to join me in the evenings fun, the world of craft was put to rights over a scant glance at some architectural models and a particularly average glass of Chateau Irwell embankment. The evening was progressing at a swift clip so some forward planning was in order. A table was swiftly booked before the pace was slowed with a scamper down the steps into the rather cosy Temple Bar. After hitting the jukebox for a couple of choice numbers, tracks were made to Cornerhouse where the highlight was a pig in the gallery - yes a real one!

The final port of call before the gallop back to the sticks was a revisit to the scene of some of the pre - Christmas crafty capers where a rather excellent night cap in the form of an 'Old Fashioned' was delivered after a good quarter of an hour of preparation. It wasn't the only thing being stirred either...

Piety Pie.

2009-01-14T10:56:00.007Z

Ireland 2008

The goodness is paying off.

Since the last installment of petty thievery, things have gone from strength to strength at the gallery. Sales, commissions and general good things have helped put the unfortunate loss behind us.

Saturday, being particularly fruitful demanded some light evening celebrations, being sub-zero out, a trip down a riverbank was embarked upon in my 'christmas sneaks'. Ground hard and crispy crunching underfoot illuminated by a frosty moon it seemed like a great plan, the local was arrived at in good time for an evenings daftness. A generous landlady, perhaps a little too much sweet soul music and stunning form on the pool table culminated in the loss of a 'sneak' in a particularly boggy hole on the homeward leg, not the best way to round off the evening, precarious infact.

A decision was made on Monday for a little reformation. Opportunities arose for more silliness, but were swiftly rebuffed in favour of a nice bit of pie with a pal. The pie worked it's magic but still left a little bit of hankering for cake, so there's still room for a jot of naughtiness in the new regime.

aut viam inveniam aut faciam...

Known to Cross Lines.

2009-01-08T20:56:00.010Z

hv_02_08:01:09

Just a little preview of my forthcoming exhibit, virtually finished after a heady bout of creativity, just a few loose ends to tie up.

The week so far has had its ups and downs, a particular low point was having a piece stolen from the gallery on Wednesday, a pursuit though the Northern Quarter followed, albeit slightly compromised by the axe and saw along for the ride! Unfortunately no miscreants were apprehended, so we'll just have to write that one off, however, if you're offered a black & white photograph of Manchester town hall in the boozer the likelihood is that it's rather hot!

Art theft! Pah! Completely interrupted my flow on my 'horror vacui' project. However, progress resumed today and completion was consumated with a celebratory ale with a fine pal in one of my favourite watering holes.

Justly deserved.

Instant Gratification

2009-01-05T12:53:00.008Z

This winged it's way into my inbox this morning!

Like proverbial buses, I now have two exhibitions to prepare for. Quite excited about both, 'Horror Vacui' is going to be quite a departure from my usual form. My submission for Instant however will be more centred around some old sketchbooks full of Polaroid lifts & transfers. If I feel really frisky I may even drag my 5x4 kicking and screaming out of its comfortable retirement and root out those old boxes of Polaroid I have in the attic somewhere gathering dust amongst all the photographic reliqury from the last century.

Exciting times...

On the Brink

2009-01-02T18:37:00.007Z

NY View

The holiday season draws ever closer to it's culmination, just a few days left, the hours trickling by seemingly too fast. Soon a Tuesday will dawn and it'll be back to the gallery to see what we can achieve in 2009, it would appear that positivity is all the rage this year, thinking big things will help you achieve greatness - that sort of thing.

The optimism sounds good to me, best laid plans and all. Sometimes however, things can't be planned for and fate, chance or shear luck can upset the apple cart for better or for worse. My usual trick is not to plan and some out of character attempts to do so for the new year have already fallen foul of diversionary tactics!

The year started out in excellent style on the dancefloor of a slightly down at heal venue filled with northern soul and I'm not just refering to the music, the clientele being particularly favourable to a fine evenings entertainment. Earlier on hotel rooms booked added a dash of spice reminiscent of shenanigens enjoyed in years gone by, the evening began with visits to some favourite hostelries. After a whiskey chaser to dispell a sore throat a sensible approach to consumption was adopted and much welcomed by home time not to mention the morning after.

I had to concede that this NYE was better than the last not least for the lack of a naked man in the bar, having to witness some particularly busy hands ran it close though, but at least I didn't have to get the polish out the day after unlike some, that kind of thing is tucked firmly away in its box for now.

My Horror Vacui black book is calling and I haven't even started it yet....

Need to get on.

Dreaming of Revelry

2008-12-27T20:15:00.004Z

rev•el•ry

noun

lively and noisy festivities

Time keeps spiraling on, the week and its festivities seem to have gone by in the blink of an eye.

The week began with the final dash to the finish of the years work commitments, it was busy right up to the line, which was in some ways welcome after recent times. Any last minute pre-Christmas debauchery was swiftly sidestepped and Christmas Eve saw pals going their own separate ways which was in some ways quite emotional. Any metaphorical tears spilt in the car park were blown away by the time we hit one-ten on the motorway away from civilisation, out to the wilds for the holiday season, an evening of Champagne and optimism was only dampened by a cloud of undertheweatherness on Christmas morning.

Arrangements were cancelled then hastily re-arranged as clouds cleared and clarity blossomed, dinner was missed but I still ended up with the beef and cake after an impromptu guitar performance, so smiles all round. A trip to a seaside of sorts beckoned where more cake was consumed, garages inspected and feathers ruffled by open windows.

Quiet times ensued for a short while, now however, movements are going on behind the scenes for New Years Eve antics. Plans are being hatched, wardrobes honed and drinks selected to make sure things start of with a bang for 2009...

If you don't hear owt between now and then...

Then it's best wishes from me to you all...

Horror Vacui.

2008-12-20T10:59:00.012Z

Fear of the Void

Manchester 2008

Well here we are, the week's installment of creativity and misdemeanor.

For the most part it's been work, work, work. Things have been pretty busy at the gallery, which I suppose is a given for the time of year. With the current economic scenario things could always be better, but then again they could be worse too, so best not to dwell.

Socially it's been relatively quiet, until last night that is, what started out as a few drinks with some choice chaps descended into debauchery by 9 p.m! Hungry boys meant I was left to my own devices in my favourite Jazz club, later, the promise of some good company saw us hopping in a cab to the south side of the City.

A few fine wines, hot spirits and some high jinx provided a healthy dose of hilarity, dampened only by the hours accelerating by too fast to concentrate on, before long it was 4 a.m, the saintly advice given by a good pal earlier was rather tarnished. Finally, way was made to a spare room for some welcome respite from the evening's storm.

Today dawned wet and windy, a bus heaved and rattled it's way back into town, peering out of the steamy windows, surrounded by the foist of damp students was the cue for a return to reality, hot chocolate and a fine dose of Sex on Fire brought things onto an even keel.

Creatively the week has been positively bursting at the seams, new work has been made for the gallery and for some of my other more personal projects. An invitation has been extended to feature in a small sub exhibition running alongside the forthcoming Horror Vacui exhibition at the Manchester Craft and Design Centre so after much contemplation of ideas for a conceptual piece - a final path has been chosen - to be embarked upon with renewed vim & vigour over the Christmas break...

Watch this space...

My Giddy Aunt!

2008-12-12T11:37:00.006Z

Crafty Ladies

Well, well, where to begin?

The official Crafty Christmas frolics are done with for another year, and I believe much fun was had by all judging from early reports coming in over the radar.

Stepping back and reflecting on the last 24 hours or so. The day in the world of craft began under a cloud of misinformation and petty nonsense, quickly dealt with, much work was produced before a fine pal was coerced into a swift warm up ale. Ale duly quaffed, further preparations were made for the jollity ahead, a bottle of something sparkly was dispatched to draw in the ever tightening knot of intrigue, dapper clothing was donned and all headed out into the night.

Common Bar provided the first port of call, before someone got silly and bounded into the Millstone much to the consternation and puzzlement of both colleagues and clientele of said less than salubrious watering hole , a quick snifter led to a gallop across town at a brisk clip, still arriving at the restaurant before a certain Mini lurched onto the double yellows outside.

Once inside and firmly ensconced at without hesitation the best table in the place, the wine flowed as did the conversation, spurred on by a cheeky young chappy and his penchant for tequila, amaretto seemed like a good idea....In the middle of a meal, most odd but not without it's attractions. By the finish, the combination of a hugely inflated bill and some particularly tardy attendance saw some toys being tossed about with a little bit of abandon, arriving at the Perveril of the Peak just in time for closing, the night was on a downward spiral. People were scuttling off into the night at a rate of knots, retreating back to their crafty burrows in the search of solace wrapped up in a double weight extra tog duvet.

A text from a good friend righted the ship and haste was made towards Odder, where the company far from being odd was particularly choice. Much merriment intermingled with some mild flirtation ensued and then only 5 were left. Come closing, 5 hopped in a cab across town and got their MoJo on in a busy spot unfortunately spoilt by some surly bar staff. For a pair of older gents a jot of tiredness, a dash of boredom and a sprinkling of regret and frustration for one at least saw a final stomp to the Northern Quarter to make final arrangements for heading back to respective resting places.

All in all, quite an evening, the veritable rollercoaster of emotions not being helped by some garden path shenanigens, and today?

Fresh as a daisy of course? No, really...

Winter Blues.

2008-12-08T10:51:00.005Z

Frosty - Silence

Edinburgh

A girl said to me this week, she had a bit of the winter blues, I know how she feels, it's an odd time. Filled with expectation yet with the inevitability of an anti-climax, and I'm not just refering to our Crafty Christmas Party coming up this week.

I thoroughly explored the winter blues aspect of things midweek, the evening started off splendidly with a visit to Matt & Preds Jazz Club with some choice company. Once said company had departed the wheels got a little shaky and at once rather disenchanted with the Bars of the Northern Quarter a gallop was made to the sticks, where things became, shall we say....Eventful...

A subsequent evening spent in a wing back chair in a more salubrious environment with a very good friend delivered some home truths and some demons were battled, whether to good effect has yet to be seen...

Creatively, things are coming on apace despite the above distractions, plans are afoot for some new directions next year. Last week in the gallery was an improvement on recent times with plenty of purchasing and commissioning going on which is starting to get things back on an even keel after some lean weeks past, which is a weight off my mind, it's been difficult remaining optimistic at times.

Enough of this ramble (preamble) now, as I have work to do, I do...

Starry-eyed.

2008-11-29T12:28:00.003Z

star•ry-eyed.

adjective

naively enthusiastic or idealistic, failing to recognise the practical realities of a situation

This morning dawned crisp and clear out in the countryside, a blanket of frost covered all, minus 4˚ on the thermometer, the sun gently warming the ice on the windsceen. The city on the other hand is under a blanket of fog, like a legacy from the week's madness. Photographing stars at 4:30 a.m on Tuesday set the tone with the cresendo arriving at our Christmas shopping evening on Thursday, followed by a visit to some local bars, culminating in some less than honourable behaviour on my part. Any caution was caught in the proverbial gale and was in complete tatters by the early hours of Friday morning.

However, not being one to dwell, I need to throw myself into my images, reheat some long neglected streams and work on those new projects I keep thinking about.

Working at the gallery every day is going to take it's toll over the next few weeks, and it all kicks off tomorrow on our Sunday launch. I'm hoping it will be a rather more sedate affair than Thursday, for me anyway. If you're in the area, come on down, live music, warming winter beverages and 10% off all purchases, what more could one possibly want?

www.craftanddesign.com

for more details

It's Monday, Time For The First Post!

2008-11-24T12:41:00.001Z

Well here we are, the blog has arrived, first post and all that!

Thought I'd kick things off with a pic of my gallery at Manchester Craft & Design Centre, we've got a couple of exciting Christmassy things going on this week, first up on Thursday 27th there's a Christmas Shopping evening from 6-8pm - highlights include 10% off at all the fantastic studios and nibbles and drinks too, I'll be serving cheese & biscuits and Port (if I haven't quaffed it all myself beforehand!). Secondly there's our Sunday Opening Launch on the 30th, heralding 7 days of work each week until Christmas Eve for me, Yay!

For more details visit: www.craftanddesign.com

My plan with the blog is to post a new photograph every week to keep my creative juices flowing and indulge in a bit of light hearted gossip and idle speculation about the world of craft....

Be afraid, you know who you are....Craftspeople.