Hello, and a Happy new year!!! It’s been ages since the last post… so where am I at?

Moved through to Glasgow on the 3rd of January 2012 & I am now 31yrs old… & it feels nice to be out of Edinburgh I must say, a fresh project, a new chapter.  But at the same time, I get waves of total fear in that ‘what have you done’ line of thoughts…

I spent pretty much 10yrs in the Edinbubble and I can’t have any regrets about the paths taken, because its led me to this point… and I like this point, so it’s all worked out rather nicely in the end.

I’ll still travel over for the church work if anything surfaces but it’s nice to be making my own work priority number one again.

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So the studio is set up.  I have a selection of paintings going back from 2006 up to last year’s efforts on the walls.  My glass works are set up on the light box looking lovely.  Along with all that is the totally excellent new range of work that was Secret Master Plan 7B.

Ahhhh Secret Master Plan 7B??? well well, let me tell you about this!!!

Part of the plan was always to take things up a level.  The hangers are restricted in size due to weight issues and the tie/hook system.  To make larger items I needed to have them ‘framed’ in some way so I could use more substantial hooks and chains to support them. But I had a very definite style and look in mind.

In the November period, I made a few items that were never publicly displayed, I did put up some in-progress photos while I was working on the painting side but I stashed them away for the ‘Secret Master Plan 7B’ project.  These were intended to be wood framed and the first 4 are done!!

Framed in White American Oak wood, this is what I have been aiming to produce for some time.  The wood surround really finishes the work off so beautifully. I can’t explain how happy I am with these and the prospects for the next line of designs taking this as the template.

And that’s the direction I’m going to head for now, although I do have plans for the next set to be quite different, considerably different.

My new business cards arrive, hopefully, tomorrow plus a heap of postcards for distribution locally.  The only thing left to sort is signage for the building’s front door so people know where I am.  A girl from a studio upstairs said she was going to look out for a phone number for a company they used to make these nice perspex signs, a few studios have them so it would be nice to have the same…providing it’s not mentally expensive.

I have a till.  By chance I got chatting with a guy in a Vintage clothes shop and tills came up in conversation he had one in his garage spare. Score.  No idea how it works though.  I need to find a PDF manual… (mental note to add that to the to-do list). (Oh add a kettle to the list, I really need a kettle), (and some coffee).

At times it feels like I’m rushing around doing a zillion things, then I get impatient cause things feel like they aren’t moving forward quickly enough. It’s hard not to get caught up in the rush of it all too much, yet if I’m not moving myself at the maximum pace I feel like I am not working hard enough, and that just leads to burnout.  Yes, I know it’s only been 14 days…is that a long time? Have I got lots done or not enough, and in whose opinion am I asking these questions? Of myself? Aghhhhh.

It’s half 12 go to bed.  Well, go to the couch, yes day 14 of the couch tour of Glasgow.  Hoofing around Glasgow with a rucksack & a sleeping bag. We do like to keep it interesting don’t we Pete? At least I know exactly where to get a decent Glasgow bacon & egg roll now. That’s 14 days of good work right there!

All going to plan its open doors this weekend as a test run of how the space works, identify & iron out immediate issues, and from Monday it will be working hours as it says on the new cards… 10 am / 6 pm. .  Taking a provisional Sunday & Monday off, although I’ll probably work.

I love it.