Glasgow Art Fair

Went along to the Glasgow Art fair in George Square on Friday and was very impressed byt the show they put on, as always. Plenty to stimulate the eyes! There were the usual Peter Howson, Francis Boag and John Bellany pieces to attract the crowds and there's nothing wrong with that but it's great to see the new artists emerging as well. Anna King's great landscape and architecture paitings are really atmospheric  for me and The Lost Gallery from Aberdeen is always a favourite with it's mix of sculpture, portrait  and landscape work. Quite a 'safe' exhibition but obviously one that's there to make money. The more money they make the bigger the Fair will become in the future.

Intelligent Big Brother

Kind of lazy day. Off work at the moment, catching up with my emails and doing a bit of painting, not to mention cleaning the oven and a bit of the housework. Then off to the gym for an hour or so. In fact, not lazy at all!

Just sat and watched the first episode of the new series of "The Apprentice". First time I've ever watched it to be honest and I have to say I'm pretty hooked already. It's on it's third series now I think and it's always been one of those programmes I've always meant to watch in the past but never have got round to catching it. It's a bit like intelligent Big Brother really isn't it? Bunch of folk (in this case very intelligent, already successful folk) are brought together to perform tasks to the whims and wishes of a 'boss' in this case Alan Sugar...sorry, SIR Alan Sugar and at the end of each week one is booted out. A formula that seems to work for many 'reality' television shows but 'The Apprentice', in my opinion showing how it should be done. Some of it was very funny however and I'm not sure it was meant to be. Some of the guys in the team are quite obviously ego maniacs (but not afraid to admit it!) and I was actually quite happy that the worst ego of the bunch got the boot in the first episode. He could have been a danger to me sticking with the rest of the series the way he prattled on about how wonderful he was, how many A grades he achieved, and how much better he had been educated in the ways of culture and the arts than the rest of the guys (what that had to do with anything I don't know?!). Looking forward to next weeks episode already.

Website update

Finally uploaded some new pages for REIDNET. Gave it all a bit of an overhaul really and it looks a bit healthier now, if I do say so myself. Lots of new photos, a new Gallery section for my paintings and artwork and a bit of a redesign for the home page which was long overdue. Bit of a time consuming job this 'keeping a website' lark but it's all worth it in the end (hopefully!).

Arthur C. Clarke dies aged 90

"The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible."
Sir Arthur C. Clarke CBE

16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7304004.stm