wander into the sea...

 

wander into the sea, mixed media on paper 5x7"
© 2012 Megan Chapman, sold
http://www.etsy.com/shop/artmaven

There was more art viewed in the lovely city of Edinburgh this past week as eight commercial galleries were visited. We started with the lovely Union gallery as I wanted to catch the Winter Wonderland exhibition before it closed for the month. Stewart and I both had work in this group exhibition and I have to say it was quite a thrill to see my work in a gallery in Scotland. My work has been many places around the nation and now the world, but rarely do I get a chance to travel with my work and see it installed. So this unique experience was very important to me. The work looked lovely next to Stewart's.

Next we visited, Open eye gallery this gallery was showing some works by Frank Stella and Josef Albers. We then visited The Gallery on the Corner, which was a lovely little space, showing work by individuals with "a physical or mental health condition or those from a disadvantaged background." It was a comfortable and cute gallery and the range of work was quite good. I can stand behind a project gallery such as this, art is so important on so many levels. I am glad this gallery exists.

Next was Axolotl a gallery with several different shows on at once. One room contained large drawn portraits on huge sheets of paper crinkled to provide the wrinkles and facial structure to the faces rendered. The size and use of paper was impressive. Sadly for the artist, the view out the window was equally so. I can imagine much of the art viewed in this gallery looking better in a different space. There was also a room of resin worked that I liked but again I wanted to see it somewhere else. There was a giclee print that really touched me, of a monkey. It was called prayer monkey by Kirsty Whiten. I went back for a second look at this piece.

There was Colours gallery with burlap walls that lent a 1970s feel with a wide selection of colorful art and nice man running the place. We also visited Flaubert gallery and this gallery stood out for me. It was a large gallery and I liked a lot of what they had on display. They were playing jazz and offered us an espresso while we looked. Friendly, nice atmosphere and good art, a winning combination! I was particularly taken with the work of Claudia Massie.

There was the small Rosie Mckenzie gallery and what I remember most was a small space and a sweet gallery dog. We also visited Scotland Art a mid size gallery, with creaky wood plank floors and a spiral staircase that takes you downstairs view the art on the lower level.

I also visited the National Museum of Scotland, which is more of a natural history museum, but on the art front, notably I saw works by Andy Goldsworthy and Hiroshige .

So as you can see and read I have taken in a lot of art in the past two and a half weeks. It really has been amazing. I love the different spaces, the way the work is handled, the way one is greeted or not. It all comes together to create this "art world."

Also this past week, I got to meet many of my friends and acquaintances from my blipfoto community. As some of you know I keep a daily photo journal at blipfoto and that is how I met Stewart and why I am in Scotland. Well this past Sunday, we had a closing meet and greet for the Winter wonderland exhibition at Union Gallery. Many of the important players of blip came out to say hello, including the founder Joe Tree. I was pleased that my fellow blippers could see my art as well. It was a fun Sunday afternoon and I feel I have more than a few real friends in this city and surrounding area.

Besides all this art and culture viewing and community building, perhaps even more notable on a personal level, I actually created art this week! Yes!!! With few supplies and only a kitchen counter studio space I made nine new small works on paper and listed them in my shop on Etsy. Four pieces have already found homes! If you are enjoying my travel stories I hope you will consider buying one of the small works that I create while here. I will be making more small works this week, but until the new ones arrive, please consider visiting my shop and snapping up one of these.


After all that, yesterday I spent the day at the North Sea! It was just what I needed; the water is peace, the colors are art, and the sounds make me feel alive.

Until next week, keep fighting, the world needs your art.