islay's open workshop

Friend of boo vake, drummer and jeweller extraordinaire Islay Spalding is having an open workshop event this weekend. So if you are anywhere near Dundee go visit!

Islay Spalding's biomorph studs

open house

Friend of boo vake photographic artist Jenni Gudgeon is having an open studio event this weekend. You can find Jenni over in Dunshalt (near Auchtermuchty) in Fife.

And if you don't manage to make it remember you can buy a selection of Jenni's new photographic Christmas cards right here in boo vake.

perthshire open studios

On Sunday we headed off to visit a few of the studios/workshops open for this year's Perthshire Open Studios. In the end we only managed a tiny bit of the orange and blue routes (as the area covered is so enormous) - which luckily included the workshops of woodturner extraordinaire Angus Clyne (no 84) and nearby sculptural ceramicist Shona Leith (no83), both of who do the most amazing work, and are lovely people to boot.

Beyond POS, for those wanting to benefit from their expertise, Shona holds regular ceramic classes at the Birnam Institute and Angus offers woodturning tuition in his workshop.

POS runs all this week and continues into next weekend (some are open in the evenings too). For more details check the website, or pop into the shop and pick up a brochure.
ps. Special mention also to boo vake favourite Ceri White (no75). Well worth a visit!

perthshire open studios 2010

Back again after some computer troubles (thank you wonderful brother Andy for getting the machine back from the brink (once more!)) and while there's still time.... a first mention of this year's Perthshire Open Studios event which takes place from the 11th - 19th September. You can pick up one of the brochures from boo vake or browse it online at www.perthshireopenstudios.com. This year you can also follow it all on the POS blog, Twitter & Facebook.

perthshire open studios

The second annual Perthshire Open Studios kicks off this weekend (sept 5-13th) with around 80 studios, workshops & galleries taking part. Here at boo vake we will be celebrating our Perthshire artists and makers with new work by ceramic artist Ceri White and driftwood artist Garry Brown, brooches & purses by Roobedo, ceramics from Glenshee Pottery and lovely handmade soap by Barony Crafts.

Ceri has kindly (on boo vake's request - thanks Ceri!) added a majestic stag to her ceramic 'flock' tile range (which she imprints with intricately cut flock wallpaper).

We also have a new batch of driftwood clocks by Perth based Garry Brown. Thanks Garry for getting them here on time!

Ceri White will also be participating in the Open Studios event on her own behalf and you can visit her in her own studio near Dunning throughout the week. Highly recommended! You can also visit soap maker Claire from Barony Crafts & the maker of the 'wee bothies' Diana at Glenshee Pottery. You can see all the participants on the Perthshire Open Studios website or if you are in Perth come and pick up a copy of the brochure here at boo vake.

perthshire open studios

We've just got our bundle of brochures for the upcoming Perthshire Open Studios - so if you would like to plan ahead you can pick one up here at boo vake. Alternatively you can download it from the POS website here.

pittenweem arts festival

hilke macintyre

The Pittenweem Arts Festival opens this weekend (1st-9th Aug). If you have never been this is when the good citizens of the picturesque Fife fishing village open their houses, garages & sheds to a multitude of local and invited artists. There's about 100 exhibitions so unless you've got a week best not to try to see everything or you'll go bonkers and loose the will to live. My advice would be get your hands on a programme, go for a cup of tea and mark off what takes your fancy.
Not to miss for me would be boo vake favourite Hilke MacIntyre (of course!) who will showing paintings & linocuts (above) as well as her wonderful ceramics, beautiful jewellery from Hannah Louise Lamb, gorgeous ceramics by Gavin Burnett, and equally gorgeous glass by Nicola Cairns.

happenings this weekend....

Also this weekend is the North Fife Open Studios event where you can meet artists & makers on their own turf. The event this year takes in Saturday, Sunday and Monday so perfect if you're looking for something to do this bank holiday weekend . Details of participating artists are on the website.
Above you can find (clockwise from top left) Sandra Davie, Dot Sim, Lucy Turner (aka Lucy Moose) and Jenni Gudgeon. Jenni is also serving tea, coffee & soup in Dunshelt Village Hall so that might just be where you'll find me!

perthshire open studios - ceri white

The Perthshire Open Studios event started at the weekend and runs until next Sunday. We managed to visit a few venues on Sunday including that of boo vake favourite Ceri White (above!) at Baldinnies near Dunning. The highlight for me was finding out how she does her animal 'flock' tiles (I've spent many a quiet moment pondering this!) .... and was impressed to find out that it's all down to good old-fashioned time-consuming labour-intensive fiddly stuff!!!
If you want to visit Ceri or any of the other artists & makers taking part most venues are open daily from 10-5 right up to and including Sunday the 5th.