Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson’s Bicentenary Birthday 9th April 2017

The renowned and influencial Glasgow architect Alexander Thomson , was born in the village of Balfron near Glasgow on 9th April 1817. He was the seventeenth of twenty children.
He never travelled abroad, spending most of his life in Victorian Glasgow.
As well as a superb creator and planner of buildings,Thomson was a deep thinker and religious man who’s work was influenced by Egyptian, Assyrian and notably Classical Greek design and architecture.
For more information about Thomson and the events being held to celebrate the bicentenary of his birth go to http://www.alexanderthomsonsociety.org where a programme of talks, walks and other celebrations for this year are detailed.

This image shows the detailed layering of a  collage.

The design for this small collage was inspired by the beautiful decoration adorning the walls and floors of Holmwood House, Thomson’s villa masterpiece in Cathcart, Glasgow.

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ARTchitecture Exhibition November 2016

Many thanks to all those who attended the opening event of the exhibition in early November and to the steady number of visitors who came along to Argyle Street to view the show. Your support is greatly appreciated. I have a selection of new collage ideas which I will be developing over the next few months. I will be exhibiting again with new work in a city centre venue during June 2017. Details to follow…

ARTchitecture Exhibition at The New Glasgow Society

Walls and Tiles:  Glasgow School of Art collage features in this display in several forms. The original collage was shown alongside a giclee print and 2017 desk and wall calendars.

This view features 5 collages including ‘Glasgow Street ‘in the centre of the display area.

The exhibition was supported with window posters and a sandwich board which was placed appropriately.

This image was photographed on a clear crisp and bright November morning.

The exhibition displayed 24 original collages and a selection of prints.

ARTchitecture Collage Exhibition at The Tron Theatre

The Tron Theatre in Glasgow’s historic Argyle Street is hosting an exhibition of collages in the theatre foyer and lounge areas to help celebrate the Doors Open Day Festival 2016.  The areas are connected by a corridor linking the restaurant and bar areas with the theatre entrance. It is a pleasure to be exhibiting in such a prestigious location.

On display are 8 pieces including two of the Tron Steeple. The collages also represent the architecture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson and William Leiper.

The Tron Theatre lounge area where four collages are exhibited.

The largest collage on display is ‘Glasgow Street’. It is situated in the lounge area of the theatre. This collage depicts some elements of fourteen of the city’s finest and most significant architecture, creating an imaginary building and illustrating the diversity of cultures and religions reflected in the architectural styles.  To assist the viewer to identify these features, a key to the building detail hangs alongside the art work.

You can view the collages at The Tron from Monday to Sunday, 10am till late, from Monday 12th September – Sunday 25th September 2016.

In the main foyer of the theatre are 4 collages including two of the Tron Steeple.

Gateway Hall: Cathcart Baptist Church Collage

The Gateway Hall was a trolleybus powerhouse in a former life but is now used as a community and youth sports and health club. For Doors Open Days on Saturday 18th September, I am taking part in an interactive family event. I am also exhibiting a selection of architectural collage prints and and an original collage of Cathcart Baptist Church.

An  alternative layout of the collage.

 

The layering technique of the collage can be seen in this detail.

 

The centre section of the collage.

 

The completed collage.

 

 

St Andrews In The Square Church Collage

St Andrews In The Square Church in Merchant City is the property of The Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and is being used as the Doors Open Days hub this year. It is here that I will be exhibiting 4 collages including a new collage of the building.

The Georgian church was built between 1739 and 1756 and was designed by Allan Dreghorn and Mungo Naismith.

This collage with 3 others can be viewed from Monday 12th – Sunday 18th September 2016 between 10am and 4pm. at St Andrews In The Square.

The completed collage  depicts the clocktower, arched windows, decorative stonework including the carved Glasgow Coat of Arms and several important internal features.

 

The hands of the internal clock inside the church and the Roman numerals have been reconstructed in the centre of the collage to form a new imaginary clockface.

 

An alternative layout of the collage at the construction stage.

This design depicts various internal architectural features.

 

ARTchitecture Exhibition at the Doors Open Days Festival Glasgow 2016

I am excited and delighted to be taking part in the festival this year with an exhibition of collage work situated  in four locations throughout the city. The festival celebrates Glasgow’s architectural heritage with events, visits, tours, walks and talks being held from Monday 12th to Sunday 18th September 2016.

The collages for the ARTchitecture exhibition are being displayed at The Tron Theatre, St Andrews In The Square, Gateway Cathcart Baptist Church and Greyfriars Garden in Merchant City.

I have created new collages specifically for the exhibition venues, including artwork inspired by the plants and garden features of Greyfriars Garden in the heart of Merchant City, nestled between the buildings of Strathclyde University.

THE GREYFRIARS GARDEN COLLAGE

DESIGN IDEAS

The first Greyfriars Garden Collage Design.

 

Greyfriars Garden Collage variation

 

 

Greyfriars Garden Collage with plants and buildings.

 

Greyfriars Garden Collage highlighting the architecture of Strathclyde University, framed within in the spaces between the garden railings.

 

This composition features a purple flower and a wooden barrel from the garden.

 

More sections have been added to enlarge the design.

 

The finished collage. The collage can be viewed at Greyfriars Garden, Shuttle Street, Glasgow G1 5EZ   Monday -Friday 10am -2pm and Saturday -Sunday 10am -5pm during the Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival.

 

 

 

2016 Festival of Architecture. Scotlands’ Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.

 

I started this year with the challenge of drawing, sketching and illustrating daily, a visual diary for 2016. This is an inspiring and enjoyable activity which is significant for several reasons not least because this is a special year for celebrating creativity, with the focus on architecture and design. It will be a source of ideas for the development of collages and other work.

The photographs below illustrate some examples of the drawings and ideas I have sketched in the diary.

The materials I am using include permanent pens, various grades of  ‘lead’ pencils and  aquarelle soft coloured pencils which I can also use as watercolour, in a 14cm square sketchbook of  200 gsm cartridge paper.

 

Sketch designs  inspired by the Minton floor tiling at The Arlington Baths Club, Glasgow.

A small section of a simple geometric repeating pattern   reflecting the colours of the encaustic Minton tiling on the floor of the Turkish Suite.

 

Drawn and repeated Minton motif using pen and ink.

Mosaic Tile Design from the Turkish Suite. 

Small blue and white Squares with a hint of Greek or Roman  classical design.

 

Wall Tile design from The Arlington Baths Club.

 

A variation of the pattern using a rearrangement   of the motifs in the original tile.

 

Wall tile drawing above, with alternative colourway using crimson, turquoise and green .

 

A section of the design repeated in black and white

Winter Exhibitions 2015

  

As a member of The Glasgow Southern Art Club I exhibited with artist members in The Glasgow Club from 31st October until 14th November 2015. The exhibition was held in The Billiard Room and opened by Paul Murray RSW PAI.

http://www.glasgowsouthernartclub.org.uk

I exhibited the collages called Elements of The West End and Glasgow School of Art – West.

Elements of The West End

A section of  the West End Collage.In the foreground, the cobblestone lane behind Byres Road, Minton tiles from a door porch in Saltoun Street and above, wrought iron railing motif painted silver.

Glasgow School of Art –  West Elevation

The central detail of the art school collage features the west facing wall and interior ceramic stairwell tiles. The photographs were taken before the fire caused devastation to the  west wing of the Mackintosh building.

 

The Lillie Gallery in Milngavie held it’s annual Chrismas Show from 15th November until 19th December 2015 and I was happy to be participating in this exhibition with several collages on display, three illustrated in the photograph below.

The three postcard collages are from the top; Oran Mor, The Lighthouse and Glasgow School of Art.

http://www.edic.co.uk/arts/lillie_art_gallery

I also have several collages displayed at ArtVillage in Shawlands, Glasgow with new collages showing from  November 2015. This work is currently on display.

Two of the several collages exhibited at ArtVillage, Shawlands in Glasgow’s Southside.

http://www.artvillagescotland.com

September Exhibitions 2015

September has been amazing!

I have exhibited my collage work in three places this month which has made it an exciting, enjoyable and incredibly busy time transporting and hanging work, meeting people and  explaining and talking about the collages.  I was given the opportunity to talk live about the ARTchitecture exhibition at The Lighthouse on BBC Radio Scotland’s Culture Show with Janice Forsyth. This experience was tremendous and I am so grateful to Janice for having me on her show and helping to put me at ease during the interview.

The photographs below were taken on the second floor of  the new foyer in the Theatre Royal, the premises of The New Glasgow Society in Argyle Street and The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture in Glasgow.

There are a few days left to see the ARTchitecture Exhibition this weekend at The Lighthouse. It finishes on Monday 27th September 2015.

The Theatre Royal foyer where the AmeetsA exhibition of participants work was displayed. After the exhibition, the work was auctioned to raise funds for ENABLE, Scotland.
I was delighted and proud that Glasgow Street raised £200 and Glasgow Landscape raised £175. A huge thank you for supporting my work and boosting funds for Enable.

The New Glasgow Society walls displayed 2 prints and 2 original collages as a part of The Tenement Project which ran during the Doors Open Day festival.

I completed the hanging of the collages at The Lighthouse, on a beautiful September day with a perfect backdrop of clear blue sky and a variety of Glasgow rooftops.

The postcard collages were mounted on a white board and placed in front of glass panelling.