I always have good intentions to create quarterly blogs and email updates, but life gets in the way and so here I am once again reflecting on a year which has ended!
Exhibitions and Awards
April: "Give Me These Moments", Arkade Gallery Aberdeen
I planned my first group exhibition with 2 lovely peers from Leith School of Art, the talented Joanne Cruikshank and Ceri Hughes.
The show was a great success with almost 100 visitors. We really enjoyed chatting about our work and seeing satisfied customers taking some of our pieces home.
RSA Annual Exhibition, The Royal Scottish Academy Edinburgh
Having a painting hang in one of the big upstairs galleries in the RSA building on The Mound in Edinburgh was a long-term aim. Smashing that goal the year I "dropped out" of university was a huge confidence boost, made even better by the fact that my painting sold prior to the exhibition opening. Wow!
My sister and I enjoyed the glamour of the private view, chatting to all of the other artists and many photos were taken!
June: "Nothing is Forever", Haddo Estate Aberdeenshire
I was really pleased to be invited to join this exhibition organised by Experimental Use of Space collective. I created a site specific piece as an "Ode to the Steamie" which you can read more about here https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct7VjKaIFqz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
June: Jacksons x ASP Award Winner
July: "Alt-D, Through Drawing", Arkade Gallery, Aberdeen
Artist Mentoring with Olivia Irvine
Already a fan of Olivia's work, when I was matched with her though Edinburgh College of Art's mentoring scheme I was delighted !
Olivia is an incredibly knowledgable and talented painter as well as a kind, grounded and practical artist with many wise words to share.
Her mentoring helped me to find confidence in a studio practice outside of college/university, and to believe in myself as an artist again. Alongside other creative advice she encouraged me to organise an exhibition and to submit a piece to the RSA Summer Show, which was subsequently accepted thus achieving one of my long-term artist aims!
I am incredibly grateful to have worked with her. You should definitely check out some examples of her beautiful work here https://irvineart.co.uk/paintings/.
Workshops and Teaching
Over the course of 2023 I developed my professional practice in leading participatory arts sessions for adults as well as children.
In January I hosted a Photo Transfer Workshop for adults at the gorgeous Snug project in Aberdeen, which was a great day.
I was awarded a place on the course Sustaining Life as a Creative: Working with people which included a bursary to run plein air painting sessions with Healthy Minds Aberdeen. This course connected me with a network of creatives and provided a great foundation in Participatory Arts Practice.
Between March and December I supported some work with Grampian Hospital Arts Trust's Artroom project. This provides arts and wellbeing sessions to NHS patients and staff in Aberdeen. It was a delight to work with the participants and the other talented artists who run the sessions week to week, and gave me insight to working in an independent local arts organisation.
In the Easter, Summer and October holidays I worked again with Creative Learning Aberdeen to host workshops for children.
The honest truth... highs and lows
2023 was also a tricky year at times. After the high of the RSA exhibition, I experienced rejection from several other open calls. I recognise it's an integral part of life as an artist but that didn't stop it feeling demoralising. Being honest and discussing it with my peers brought comfort that I was not alone.
My family in Glasgow had various health scares, which made me re-evaluate living 3 or 4 hours away from them and decide to move back nearer home. Planning the move and trying to find work in the central belt took over the second half of the year!
I support my art practice by working as a primary teacher. However, the jobs crisis for teachers had become far worse than I realised. Most councils are completely closed for recruitment due to an oversupply of new teachers and a lack of sufficient budget year on year. The few jobs that do come up are generally filled by those entitled to permanency and waiting on ever increasing lists. I navigated months of dead ends, bureaucracy, and rejection while filling online applications several nights a week. Finishing 2023 with a mortgage in Glasgow and a job in Aberdeen is not ideal and not where I'd hoped I would be, though thankfully my school in Aberdeen is wonderful and makes me feel appreciated.
To top the year off, on the drive down to Glasgow for Christmas I crashed on the motorway and wrote off my car. Thankfully I escaped with only a broken big toe!
This all meant that in the latter part of the year my studio practice has been squeezed out. I have felt shattered and distant from my identity as an 'artist'. In creating this blog post though and going back over all that I achieved in spite of a hard year I've felt really affirmed.
Lining Up for 2024
2024 is going to be all about my move to Glasgow, settling in, finding my art network, securing reliable income (!) and establishing myself as an artist in a new location. It's a bit daunting but really exciting.
Thanks for those who made it this far, you are truly dedicated supporters! I appreciate you hugely and look forward to hopefully sharing some successes with you in 2024.
Fiona x
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