word in pictures

The Word Festival Marquee and the Crown Tower of King's College Chapel

Elphinstone Hall

I spent Saturday strolling around Old Aberdeen - visiting the Word festival, browsing bookshops, nosying at the Alasdair Gray exhibition in the Old Town House and being inspired by the very shy but super funny Tim Dowling. Strolling round Old Aberdeen feels a bit like stepping back in time; it's a small university town surrounded on all sides by an oil obsessed city and has a vibe all its own. Totally separate and the better for it. Perhaps I'm biased because King's College Chapel also the place where my parents got married.

The Old Town House

And at the end of the day (and quickly donning my day job hat), I hijacked the members of all girl ceilidh band Danse McCabre after their performance in the festival cafe and forced them to pose in our organisation's tshirts for the front cover of the newsletter I'm currently working on! So all in all a very productive day.

designing (not illustrating)... boo

Lots of design work is keeping me from working on my book... (but is paying the bills)

Not too bad, at least they're all music or arts related - nice people to work with and interesting to do (plus I get to find out what's on first!).

no good comes of procrastinating...

I should be starting the Jumis illustration for the Italian exhibition (it has to be in Italy by the end of June, and I should be worried...). I sketched out the composition yesterday and my paper is stretched and ready, but instead I'm in a harping mood and have been struggling once more with Phil Cunningham's Monday Morning Reel.

Now my procrastination (and Googling) has turned up this - and I feel like chucking my harp on the skip! Catriona led a workshop for us (my day job) in February; she is amazing. I have never met anyone who is quite so enthusiastic about her instrument and music generally. Maybe if I practice daily for the next 100 or so years...

phase II

Tartan Day seems a while ago but above (top) is a pic of the band I got together for the day. They were fabulous, especially considering most of them only met for the first time at the rehearsal the night before!!! Andy is playing the bass. It was also incredibly lucky that Graham Dolan (second from right) was passing through on his way to Shetland. He was kind enough to help out and share his knowledge of trad guitar accompaniment with Scott and Andy. Looking back (and now that my knee is healing nicely!), it was a big success!
The cupboard project has progressed, phase 2 and 3 above. It's on the wall now and I just need to source the perfect handles!!!