A cure

I'm on the verge of so many colds at the moment - drawing outside demands wooly hat, long-johns and the fingerless gloves I don't possess. I am beginning to wish I'd booked a holiday somewhere warm. This is a famous pub just around the corner from work. It stands just near the old city wall and the building was put up to mark the opening of the nearby infirmary. Thus the name. It's where you go for a 'cure' the next day.

Posted by stupot at 07:59 PM Friday 14 Nov | Post comment (0) comments

remember, remember, November

Our old celebration of thwarting those early terrorists on the 5th seems to have passed me by this year - probably due to Guy Fawkes night being mid week and coinciding with a deadline. I popped up to the castle today - a working garrison and its war museum being part of the National Museums five sites. If we go up out of hours to install part of an exhibition you have to pass the lone, armed sentry - a bit of a shock first time around. Today there were kids in the forecourt drawing which was really nice to see. It seemed fitting to note some names of the fallen. Earl Haig - who gave his name to the Scottish poppy appeal - was overlooking the proceedings upon his horse.

Posted by stupot at 06:12 PM Tuesday 11 Nov | Post comment (0) comments

Stockbridge

Really chilly again today with a blustery wind from Scandanavia. Blue skies for the most part though. This was drawn on a back street just near where I drew the cheesemonger earlier in the year. Quite a posh part of town. The building on the left was put up in 1650 and now home to a Thai restaurant. Noise around is car tyres on cobbles - you can hear them a mile off. Cobbles are a nightmare on a bike! We hit a deadline on Friday at work and off to Osaka next week so hope to update from there.

Posted by stupot at 11:13 PM Sunday 9 Nov | Post comment (0) comments

the back streets

I like weaving between back streets in a city - as well as seeing how the place is serviced they are also a calm within the madness. Atholl crescent lane sits behind Shandwick place and the road mimics the curve of the more grand frontage. The lane looks a lot more like how the city would have looked a hundred years ago - few cars, few signs, little noise - at one point during rush hour all I could hear was a church bell. visually, the down pipes are just as prominent as the repetition of the gable ends - cobbles camber down to large stones which act like a gutter - I like the function.

Posted by stupot at 05:26 PM Sunday 19 Oct | Post comment (0) comments

credit crunch

Have a bowl every morning!

Posted by stupot at 10:49 PM Sunday 12 Oct | Post comment (0) comments

Bealach na ba

Shieldaig - Applecross - Bealach na ba - Shieldaig
50 miles

Despite the weather getting better as we neared our destination, it would have had to have improved considerably to shake off the wet and mirky conditions which hung over us from the Forth bridges to north Perthshire. In the end we settled for what was not an unpleasant September day on the Applecross peninsula. The views started to take over from conversation and Gregor was keen to swap accelarator for the other, rotating type of pedal. Shieldaig is a lovely wee village with its houses hugging the shore overlooking the nearby island in the cove.

Continue reading "Bealach na ba"
Posted by stupot at 07:11 PM Sunday 14 Sep | Post comment (0) comments

Strontian

Headed up to the bunk house at Strontian for the weekend with Ross and Calum for fishing in Morven and Coran. The night fishing for Dogfish with toads and Stag enroute was amazing even if the weather was mediocre. Ross' poncho kept us dry though and most of the rain was quick to pass. Calum's expertise allowed us to pick the right spots and at one point Ross had 5 mackarel on his line. We got some polock as well but they're not quite so much fun to reel in.

Posted by stupot at 09:18 PM Monday 25 Aug | Post comment (0) comments

waterstones, george st

people study while hiding from the rain last month.

Posted by stupot at 06:41 PM Tuesday 5 Aug | Post comment (0) comments

Real Slow

I really love trains. Seeing my dad off on the old fossil fuel locomotives with their compartments, the means of escape to the big city as a teenager, the way to travel through Europe by seeing places and meeting people, the disbelief of a shinkansen approaching for the first time, getting on one as you would a plane and seeing the sky when you bank, sitting at a table with an ever changing view and having no-where to go. gradually arriving somewhere and understanding the climate, architecture and agriculture before you meet the people.

Continue reading "Real Slow"
Posted by stupot at 10:17 AM Friday 25 Jul | Post comment (0) comments

Manchester

Popped down to Manchester today for work - I used to go down quite a lot about 5 years ago with the company I worked for and I really enjoy it as a city - despite most people I speak to having little good to say about it. The office I was visiting is in Deansgate so I got off the train at Oxford road and managed to make my way past Harry Hall Cycles for what has become part of my routine when I visit. It was the first time I'd been in since his passing last year. Last time, I bought some arm warmers and as my knees have been playing up a bit I decided to get some knee warmers today. The neoprene wrap I wear sometimes is a bit too thick for summer so these look good. I was not surprised to find out that my goat-like legs equate to a size S. The amount of passengers on the train back was horrific to start with but eased up past the Lakes. I felt, for the first time in a long time that I needed to be wearing a watch so hastily drew one to get over the urge. I'm thinking about getting a tattoo without hands and adding in for appointments.

Posted by stupot at 10:34 PM Friday 11 Jul | Post comment (0) comments

Kopenhaven Torsday - Fredag

a day of trains. a peaceful roll through the countryside. helsingborg. malmo. danmark. turbines. blustery beach houses. grey to sun and back. houses growing out of fields. no roads. different rocks. feminine pylons. off at Kopenhaven. dirty air. white caps on trucks. drunk. hotel in red light district. confusing tourist information prices. beer in 7-11. manic streets. fast bikes. incredible buildings. wide streets. amusement park. timeout. side streets are needed. sit with a beer and people watch. rickshaws scream by with tanned bear chested drivers. best chicken and bacon roll ever. six quid but.

Continue reading "Kopenhaven Torsday - Fredag"
Posted by stupot at 01:12 AM Sunday 29 Jun | Post comment (0) comments

Stafford Street

Posted by stupot at 07:08 PM Sunday 15 Jun | Post comment (0) comments

Air Na Morthirean

ILE - TAIRBEART - TIGNABRUAICH - GLEANNDARUEL Dist: 45miles

After the day off and an early ferry to catch, I wasn't enamoured by the young trees being thrashed about outside the window. If ever it had looked like rain it was now. I had a quiet breakfast and left my food for others before packing well and applying some Ralgex I'd been forced to by at the end of day two. For almost half the journey I kept small and ground round the pedals but by the time I reached Bridgend - a nice wee village at the mouth of the loch - the clouds had lightened and I changed direction to take the high road to Pt Ellen. It was a bit like the never ending road of dips but soon enough, after passing the occasional car with sleeping wean in rear, I was going downhill and heading for the ferry. I was made a roll in the spar by a man who seemed to resent the business but his staff kept me entertained by the young girl, whilst unpacking crates of cheap brandy, asking the time-served one - "so why is it they like this so much?" - "Compared to whisky?........... It's got more of a kick."
And with that I left this whisky mecca and rolled on to the ferry waiting for me just around the corner.

Continue reading "Air Na Morthirean"
Posted by stupot at 07:16 PM Saturday 31 May | Post comment (0) comments

UISGE BEATHA

ILE - REST DAY

I woke up to a little bit of wind. The Guiness I thought.
It was also breezy outside - something that was becoming as typical a part of the day as the sun was, breaking though mid to late morning. for the first time on the trip I made my own eggs and bacon in the generous sized kitchen. Pans and crockery were laid out with military precision and after I'd turned out the fluorescent strips in the dining room I could relax and look out the windows to the hypnotic swaying of the trees and rolling waves. A friendly fellow from East Kilbride and a Swedish Chef shared breakfast with me and we discussed our respective days.

Continue reading "UISGE BEATHA"
Posted by stupot at 08:12 PM Friday 30 May | Post comment (0) comments

Leth-Eilean

GEARASTAN - TOBAR MHOIRE DIST: 61miles

It's been a long winter. The sun deprivation was getting to me. Scotland's not the first place you might choose for guaranteed rays but if you get it, you get it good. May is always a good bet and it didn't disappoint. I started the Islands tour the day after Jeni and George's Ceilidh in West Kilbride to celebrate the new vets opening - a great time was had by all but it has to be said that young lassies cannae burl no more. The seventy year olds were throwing us 'round the hall!

Continue reading "Leth-Eilean"
Posted by stupot at 06:35 PM Tuesday 27 May | Post comment (0) comments

Richard Scarry

Richard Scarry was a massive influence on me as a child and probably still is. His books (notably 'What Do People Do All Day?' Collins 1968) gave, for the first time, a real insight into what happened in the real world, quite literally but with a very sensitive touch. And damn, could the man draw. Sasek, Steadman and Herge were other huge influences on wanting to draw, create and explain 'stories'.

Posted by stupot at 02:48 PM Sunday 25 May | Post comment (0) comments

walker terrace

May has produced it's typically fair weather (remember exam time at school?) and it's nice to sit out the front and draw. You can get the idea of how close my neighbours are to me by the drawing above. The wee shop on the other side has put up a satellite dish with no-one's permission. The colonies are listed so I wouldn't imagine it'll last long. Just got a BBQ in last night before the rain came tumbling down. And so starts summer......

Posted by stupot at 02:29 AM Saturday 10 May | Post comment (0) comments

brewery

Today is warm and sunny and the wind has calmed for the first time in what seems like a very long time. The park was heaving with out-of-practice frisbee players and new wardrobes had been un-boxed. Yesterday there was a hanami party in the Meadows and it was fun to talk a bit of Japanese and meet some other devotees whilst viewing the blossom. Next week should be as good as the flowers had barely opened. I took some edamame and Karaage and later met a few Osakans. I could spot the first who turned up late with some discounted wine from the supermarket. The second was a guy who came a little later and was spotted slugging from the same bottle. You can take them out Osaka but you can't take Osaka.......

Drawing is of one of the breweries which give Edinburgh its distinctive smell. Was looking forward to the drawing but I wasn't in the mood.

Posted by stupot at 06:05 PM Sunday 27 Apr | Post comment (2) comments

mews

A well-to-do area in Dean village lie these lovely old mews buildings. Down a cul-de-sac, a few expensive cars drove by and the drivers grimaced. A friendly chap waved from an old MG which gave hope for humanity. It was warm in the sun but still there's a cold breeze around. Cherry blossom is poking out....

Posted by stupot at 03:11 PM Saturday 19 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

the basin

A colleague suggested I visit the Union canal basin at Fountainbridge, five minutes from Haymarket. The area has been renovated with new offices and coffee shops although old workshops still exist which stop the place from becoming too sterile. New flats canteliever over the water and contrast with the old riveted, iron bridge. Start of cobbled bike routes too.

Posted by stupot at 05:04 PM Wednesday 16 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

spartan

It was quite a nice weekend down in Ayrshire but it was still raw in the wind and there was an occaisional spitting of rain on Saturday. Despite the blossom pushing. I popped into Irivine Harbour on the way back from the bike shop - my second bike, which I haven't used since Japan, looks like it was squashed a little in transit and the drop-outs need straightened before I can take it up north. I also can't find my old ortelieb panniers so looks like I may have to buy some new ones......... or borrow. Offers on a postcard.

Posted by stupot at 08:03 PM Tuesday 15 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

waiting for the bus

Edinburgh was full of cheer on Saturday night after we beat England to win the calcutta cup. Droves descended on the pub when the Murrayfield emptied, the place becoming smothered in tartan. This morning I nursed my head again and stood waiting for the bus, sobering up in the freezing wind looking west as the reek of malted barley filled my nose.

Posted by stupot at 09:26 PM Sunday 9 Mar | Post comment (1) comments

manchester

I'm doing some drawings right now for an ad agency in Manchester who are compiling an annual report - they're mixing the drawings with photo's and it seems to working pretty well - especially the more linear, which suits my style. Should be nice to see the finished article when it comes along.

Posted by stupot at 10:01 PM Tuesday 4 Mar | Post comment (0) comments

colourful scarves

During their visit I was reminded at the beginning of the year by Gunnar, the son of my first Japanese teacher, that Edinburgh is swamped with Tardis from Doctor Who. A lot of them are now coffee stands but I can't help thinking the dormant ones have huge, circular control rooms with flashing bits of perspex and a guy with a long, colourful scarf inside running around trying to set the dials to teleport away from cybermen!

Posted by stupot at 08:06 PM Saturday 23 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

dirty wee rascal

Went to see the Rascals last night - the Arctic Monkey's Liverpudlian step brothers. I met a few friends at the classic if sterile City cafe before heading to Cabaret Voltaire which was a well sized venue for the band. Afterward I flew home on the bike, peering through the haar that could have been hiding burke and hare down the lanes.

Posted by stupot at 10:01 PM Tuesday 19 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

view to the world

This is the view out of my living room inspired by a joan eardley sketch I saw last month at the exhibition in the national gallery. I'm always intrigued by what others surround themselves with and so this is what surrounds me. You can see the upstair doors to my neighbours I tried to describe in my last entry.

Posted by stupot at 06:18 PM Sunday 17 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

living in a colony

HAPPY NEW YEAR! AKE OME!
January's been a bit of a slow burner - such is the darkness outside the window which slowly turns to snow flurries set against a grey background. I forgot what Scottish winters can be like. On the plus side I'm living in a lovely new house in the west end of Edinburgh - one of the colony houses in Dalry which were originally co-operative houses built for railway workers. It's a close-knit community with a narrow path running between the gardens and no cars in sight. The people who live above access via stairs to the rear and those below access from the front, with respective gardens. It's pretty tight living but doesn't have and urban feel. I met a neighbour walking through the gate the other day and we slowly walked up the path chatting, stopping on the doorstep, just a fence width apart, to finish our conversation. Edinburgh's a bonny place and hopefully I'll get more drawings up soon now the energy is returning......

Posted by stupot at 09:32 PM Monday 28 Jan | Post comment (0) comments

faces

Are you one of those people who see faces in common objects? There are measuring scales behind the sink in the house and I always see a big mustache with screws for eyes and the brand name as the mouth. It reminds me a lot of the rotund, copper robot from the Return to Oz film.

Posted by stupot at 10:27 PM Wednesday 14 Nov | Post comment (0) comments

....just left the building

Waiting for a delayed flight this afternoon I was reminded how much the local airport has changed over the years. It still retains it's 50's charm though - with the hanging, sherical speakers of the PA system and the tall, glazed facade. My lasting memory as a child is seeing off the Canadian contingent of the family in the days when going to the airport really was an event and when Prestwick used to look like something out of 'catch me if you can'. Incredibly the Ryan air hub still lives off Elvis' visit from the sixties and there's even an Elvis bar. I think it's all good fun but you wonder if there's not something about the local area you might try and sell more. When I rode back into ayrshire on the bike yesterday I was reminded that the county's slogan is 'gateway to Arran'. As kind to the island as that is, you feel that being simply a transition point doesn't quite do the place justice!

Posted by stupot at 06:37 PM Monday 29 Oct | Post comment (0) comments

caffe coretto cognac

Nardini's in Largs is an institution. The main, art deco clad restaurant is being 'refurbished' but I'll believe that when I see it. Fingers crossed. Fortunately there are still three cafes in and around the town and the one just across from the ferry slip offers as close to the Italian experience as you might find locally. The service is fast and the coffee is good. The last time I was in, I realise, was four years ago before the annual time trial around the isle of Cumbrae when we had espresso to get us going. The hastily drawn sketch shows chatty but efficient waitresses in aprons, a reassuringly well stocked bar (for a cafe) and a barista curious as to why I keep looking over. This time I was with my sister and nephew after a bracing half hour at the swings. I had a caffe coretto cognac which was an espresso with a shot of brandy - a drink from a bygone era which I think I'll be seeing a lot more of now I know it exists!

Posted by stupot at 09:03 PM Monday 22 Oct | Post comment (0) comments

SWG3

I spent quite a lot of time in Glasgow over the past week upgrading the flat, working and going to a wedding. It was nice to be back in Yorkhill in at my old local, popping in on old friends and I forgot how at home I felt there. I popped in on my lovely old neighbour Joyce who gave me tea and told me how bad I looked on a hangover, "you'll need to do something about your eyes," she said to me as I bounced off to the wedding.

Tipped off by Hannah at the Recycling Project, I headed around the block and down the train lines to the studios of SWG3. When I lived here it was almost soley an unofficial club venue, tip off's would often come about gigs on the night, in the pub. There was a good wee exhibition on reused materials as products, including african masks from skateboards I'd seen on the web a while ago. Great space, shame there's a hundred people on the waiting list.

Posted by stupot at 09:50 PM Thursday 11 Oct | Post comment (0) comments

WEST KILBRIDE MUG

When I came back to my hometown this year, so much had changed. The town won the DTI's UK craft and design town of the year last year thanks to all the work done by the local initiative and councillor. For the past few years there has been lots of craftspeople and designers making use of the subsidised studios which were redundant shop units a few years ago. I noticed, however, that there was no smaller items for sale that people could buy if they were just passing. I've put together designs for merchandise and the mugs are the first things to be completed. Hot off the press - mail me if you want to buy one! These boys are 8oz bone china - say good bye to strained arms when picking up your tea!

Posted by stupot at 08:55 PM Thursday 27 Sep | Post comment (0) comments

waking up to breathe

I seem to remember mentioning my shock, earlier in the summer, at the baton being passed from bad skin to malfunctioning airways. The heavy chest remains and I'm now a few weeks into a regimented stint on the inhalers and keeping a diary which includes diet and lung capacity. It turns out I eat a lot of chicken, pig, egg and salad. I'm fairly honest about the donuts too. Now I've been asked to start cutting out wheat - which can affect asthma - and can be added to the fish, nuts and dairy products already off my shopping list (anaphylaxis). It's a slightly restricted diet but fortunately vodka has been ruled out as a trigger.

Posted by stupot at 10:36 PM Monday 24 Sep | Post comment (0) comments

les chapeaus

Posted by stupot at 05:35 PM Wednesday 19 Sep | Post comment (0) comments

campy

There's a competition to design the graphics for campagnolo's bora wheel. Since it's carbon fibre there's a nice black canvas to work on - I decided to sketch out (and invert) some key innovations the company has produced (quick release skewer, derrailleur) and I've interwoven ribbon between them. The colours represent those worn by the world champion (many of whom have ridden campagnolo over the years, not least Eddy Merckx). Deadline next Friday.

Posted by stupot at 06:12 PM Wednesday 5 Sep | Post comment (0) comments

a new favourite shop

I came across the web site of the highly talented Jill Calder and dropped her a mail to tell her how much I rate her drawings. When I asked where to check out in Edinburgh I got two great suggestions that I'd pass on to anyone - the current Picasso exhibition of pottery and lino prints at the Museum of Scotland and Analogue books by the Grassmarket. I'd urge anyone vaguely interested to head on down. I think Analogue has become my new favourite shop - packed with loads of illustration and design books as well as a gallery and prints to buy. I spent lots of satisfying time and money there. Thanks Jill!

Posted by stupot at 12:59 AM Monday 3 Sep | Post comment (0) comments

service

Posted by stupot at 07:42 PM Sunday 19 Aug | Post comment (0) comments

fossil fuels

Coal certainly seems to have been the running theme over the past few days. With the visiting Japanese, the first half of the week was devoted soley to seeing the west coast. We first visited the mighty Mount Stuart house on Bute (funded largely by coal sales) and then today we headed to Mallaig on the Jacobite Steam Engine also powered by the black stuff - flakes of which are landing on me as I write, through the old slide windows above the table. The type of train is one which I just remember as a child when our local village station still had two functioning platforms, a bridge and a waiting room. We'd see my Dad off to work having his ticket inspected and boarding through a narrow, hinged door with handle, two steps up. Now that everyone drives and our railway stations have become lifeless and trains sterile, it was nice to remember how we used to do it. Some of the best views in Scotland were helped by the rare summers day and after a picnic overlooking the harbour, we headed back to Fort William on the Hogwarts Express.

Posted by stupot at 09:17 AM Wednesday 15 Aug | Post comment (0) comments

THE FRINGE

The Edinburgh festival officially started yesterday. I didn't actually know until we reached Princess Street and the parade was about to start. After a leisurely coffee with Ali and her friend Ruth, I went off to have a draw before I picked up my Gran. I wanted to go to the Warhol exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy but I decided I'd be too rushed so I opted to draw the building and return to see inside on the 25th. Princes, George and Rose street were already filling up with an international crowd at 9.30 on Sunday morning and I remembered the special feel Edinburgh has with its focal point of the gardens and castle. It started raining so I got the bus and headed out of town, feeling a bit guilty - as you do - for the tourists.

Posted by stupot at 01:57 PM Monday 6 Aug | Post comment (0) comments

swim, fish, drink, sleep

As Dave finally reached maturity we decided to surprise him by taking him to a cottage on the other side of Arran for the week. The fishing rods were packed, the weather held and fortunately birthday boy remembered his hair straighteners. So no tears. Carradale, between Tarbert and Campbeltown, was a great place to chill out with all of us bringing our respective weights on shoulders but managing to discuss possibilities for a more ideal future. We had a few walks planned with the OS maps at the ready but we found that sitting fishing with a beer and good company was at least on par with a good walk, though perhaps even better. Despite the allergy I can see myself getting down the pier of a sunny eve to catch maw and paw's tea - great meditation. Ross and I managed to get in for a few dips in the sea before dinner on two days - invigorating stuff and partially x-rated. In the evenings we played with alcohol and abused the wii. So Callum didn't manage to work off the beer belly but quality time it certainly was.

Posted by stupot at 08:42 PM Wednesday 25 Jul | Post comment (0) comments

clocks

I notice there hasn't been any entries regarding food or trains since I've been back in Scotland - it's no coincidence. Infact I've used trains a fair amount since I've been back and still find a romance much more like that of the ferry than cars or airplanes. It's the being able to wander freely and sit across from and talk to your fellow passenger which must make the difference. Even if the prices are a bit high. There's a real grandness to British stations and Glasgow is no exception. Sadly the old, large faced clocks have been replaced by digital ones but such is life......

Posted by stupot at 06:41 PM Friday 13 Jul | Post comment (0) comments

edgy

I had lunch in one of these nice 21st century places that serves decent food the other day. You know - like Toast or Pret or somewhere like that. Growing in popularity but at complete odds with the traditional British mentality of waxy chocolate and prawn cocktails. I was sitting across from Harrods on Brompton Road and got in a quick drawing with my coffee. I also drew a nice jewellers on Old Bond Street despite being constantly sized up by the well dressed security, who seemed to think I was casing the street. It reminded me of the Blackadder episode where he orchestrates getting an MP blind-drunk and gets him in bed with a prostitute before ordering Baldrick to fetch "the fastest draughtsman in London town" to document the scene for blackmail pruposes. One of the security guys stood across the road eyeing me side on before walking very slowly over, passing me and hanging around behind me like a bad smell. Another came a few minutes later in the calm, slow walk that is surely much less subtle than they believe it to be. The two lingered together behind me before I told them they were making me nervous, smiled and they eventually meandered away to size up a bus party of primary school children.

Posted by stupot at 01:16 PM Tuesday 10 Jul | Post comment (0) comments

print works

This was the Flemish Scottish Temperance League offices on Hope Street in Glasgow - just around the corner from Central station. It also sits on Renfield lane (a notorious place known for it's crime and violence) down which is the Mackintosh designed, but largely unseen, Daily Record print works. Now the offices have been overhauled and sometimes I work in the loft at a friends studio.

Posted by stupot at 12:37 PM Tuesday 26 Jun | Post comment (0) comments

muckle cuddies

I've fallen in love with cows and sheep again - they had all but been wiped from my memory whilst I lived in urban Japan but now I can see them every day and my smile is certainly wider. There's a beautiful herd of belted galloways just outside the village and I stopped to say hello this afternoon. Cows always strike me as being very content animals with their big friendly heads and placid expressions. The moors are littered with sheep - occaisional cycling spectators and an altogether more uptight family who roam freely only limited by the subtle and baffling cattle grid.

Posted by stupot at 05:04 PM Sunday 24 Jun | Post comment (0) comments

rituals

Posted by stupot at 10:51 PM Monday 18 Jun | Post comment (0) comments

hjaltland

The ferry we sailed on from Aberdeen was pretty new so it eased the 'moderate' sea levels for the more weak stomached amongst us as we chased the sun up to Shetland. Mid summer is, after all, only three weeks away. Actually, the lack of darkness has been by far the biggest shock of moving back to summer time. Three years on I still instinctively remember that I have to give the shed door a very well timed kick while locking it yet the nights being light until eleven had just left my system.
The crossing was only a little bumpy but nothing a few pints of eighty and a couple cinnarazine couldn't sort out. When we arrived on Thursday morning the wonderful calm of Island life could already be felt: the loudness of the birds, the wash of the tide, the narrow closs' of Lerwick with fishing nets lying at out to dry, the deserted, white beaches. You can have a peerie peek.

Posted by stupot at 11:05 PM Sunday 3 Jun | Post comment (0) comments

the graffiti project

If you live anywhere near Ayrshire, you should definitely check out the graffiti project at Kelburn Castle. We headed over after the stormy start to the weekend had passed and had a blast. Basically the roughcast is being replaced in a few years and so it's a great excuse to go to town with the cans. Kelburn is an amazing place to go if you have kids - we went with the nephews and there's stuff to keep you amused for hours including the timeless adventure playground. The walled garden and walks keep the ageing amongst us amused.

Posted by stupot at 04:34 PM Wednesday 23 May | Post comment (0) comments

current residence

Posted by stupot at 03:58 PM Sunday 22 Apr | Post comment (1) comments

draincover

There's something to be said if you can find beauty in a draincover, but it's not that difficult in Japan. They often act as a clue as to where you are - being the visual embodiment of an area in just a few lines. When I escape a new subway station I always look for the north arrow you find at the entrance, just to get my bearings. I also like to see what the place is known for and for that I try and find a drain cover. In Taishi it's the twin peaks and temple complex. There's a wonderful selection here which illustrates the diversity and beauty of such a common item. On the flip side of the deal, when it rains, draincovers are a cyclists worst enemy. Today it rained and so caution was observed.

Posted by stupot at 12:04 PM Sunday 22 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

design matters

I gave a talk at the Apple store in Osaka on Tuesday to a design group that meets once a month. Good bunch of folk. I don't really talk in front of big audiences so it was a bit strange. Everyone said they liked it though. Met some really good people as well which was a nice bonus. There's some pics here if you really don't have anything better to do.

Posted by stupot at 05:22 PM Saturday 21 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

gargoyle

Posted by stupot at 01:24 PM Saturday 21 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

preparation

'It's getting pretty busy. I'm sitting right in the middle of kitashinchi, late on a friday afternoon, and the pace of deliveries to Osaka's entertainment district is at it's weekly peak. Old 'butchers' bicycles, mopeds and mini-vans litter the street before driving off and being replaced, minutes later, by the next delivery. Mainly it's all alcohol around here - I'm sitting outside a sake-ya, the workers busily filling crates with expensive whisky and sake. Fish, meat and vegetables arrive from around the city and face cloths come too. So many trades are involved. It's non-stop and exciting. Satisfying for those involved. A few tourists come and go but middle aged women in kimono far out-number them. The suits they will please later in the evening already out-number the kimono, but for now, the men in aprons out-number all. This is a thriving community with it's traditions and wealth and payment system of trust - the sights and sounds of which warrant an hour or so of study.'

Posted by stupot at 12:17 AM Saturday 21 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

kyoto

you can see some photo's of kyoto here.

Posted by stupot at 03:28 PM Thursday 19 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

country life

Having survived the partying of last week it's back to the quiet life in the country once again. Strolling around the upper, old town of Taishi is great - the alley's, the kids playing, the cherry blossom fluttering about, the peace. Today I met a few local's slightly bamboozled as to why someone would not only stray as far as their village, but attempt to draw the impossible Japanese roof. I was wondering the same.

Posted by stupot at 05:00 PM Monday 9 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

the Sakai Suji Club

Yesterday was Dan and Miko's wedding and the best man speech has thankfully come and gone. As has 4 days of being drunk (my body is not happy). I went out a few weeks ago, in what was still winter, to draw Dan and Miko's wedding venue - the Sakai Suji Club. Nice Gaff - a colonial bank building near Nagahoridori. In the end I left it as just black ink because I thought the slpotches of rain that bled into it looked nice.

Posted by stupot at 06:05 PM Saturday 7 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

mannen

Posted by stupot at 06:50 PM Thursday 5 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

concrete in a jungle

After visiting the ward office to change my address and national health insurance (it took about an hour and a half and, at one point, 6 public servants), I came home via Chikatsu Asuka Museum (Ando Tadao, 1994). It's only about a kilometre and a half from my house in Taishi and whilst it's not the kind of architecture I'd like to live in, the design actually does, and will continue to, blend in to it's surroundings. I reckon in 100 years it'll look great. I drew by the edge of a nature trail before getting up, with a numb arse, to go and jot down a couple of details. Today was surprisingly cold but people were happy to greet strangers along the way - something I've missed in the city. The women in the cafe did a double take when I spoke to them, in that way rural people do when they're confronted with foreign country people speaking their own language - even just to say "one coffee please". There were a few hardy family's up the trail doing hanami but I know how chilly it was to be sitting about. The fresh weather will hopefully prolong the sakura though.

Posted by stupot at 06:52 PM Tuesday 3 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

Tondabayashi-Jinaichou

I had some small errands to do today so I went into nearby Tondabayashi on the bike (20 mins south from Kintetsu Tennoji stn). I managed to change address using the ATM at the bank and find a framers. Afterward I passed through Jinaichou - a place I had only been once, at night, about 2 and half years ago when I got lost on the way home. It's a beautiful old village within the town which I promised myself I'd revisit. I sketched at leisure and listened to an elderly local who was happy to have an ear. I got a bit of what she said - managing to distinguish between the Meiji and Taisho architecture by window details and building height. I thought about the fact that toward the end of the Meiji era (it finished in 1912) the 4 storey sandstone building where I used to live in Glasgow was being built. Oh yeah, and the Kousa came today - visibility was down to a few kilometres.

Posted by stupot at 05:14 PM Monday 2 Apr | Post comment (0) comments

taishichou

Posted by stupot at 06:14 PM Saturday 31 Mar | Post comment (0) comments

human horses

So finally I got to see Keirin. The Japanese cycle racing that replaces the dogs and horses with weightlifters. We went to the relatively local Kishiwada track in south Osaka (Haruki station - Nankai airport / Wakayama line from Namba) and enjoyed the rusting structures and old men's chat in what certainly feels like a bygone era. Keirin's a lucrative sport though - over 20 million watch every year and betting is just as popular as in any other country. Because so much is at stake, there are tight standards for bikes so that no-one is at an advantage. Being Japan, you can believe rules and regulations are adhered to. After working out the betting form with some help from the vets (it's diffficult enough in english) we started putting small bets on. Nothing came of them until the final race when Matt, Lukes mate, on holiday - and a keen Keirin fan - chanced a top two finish (each way) and cashed in 14,000 yen from a 100 yen bet. that's pretty good odds by anyone's standards! All the fun of the fair.

Posted by stupot at 12:18 PM Friday 30 Mar | Post comment (0) comments

the big men

There was a 'get together' in my honour later in the evening so on the way to the tournament, dressed traditionally, I sneaked glances of the yukata-clad sumo wrestlers, furoshiki's in hand, as they stared at my skirt and smiled. Traffic was moving slowly and hundreds stood outside waiting for the arrival of their heroes as we were perched across the street in the sun, munching on kebabs and trying to shake off our respective hang-overs.

Continue reading "the big men"
Posted by stupot at 05:05 PM Monday 19 Mar | Post comment (3) comments

Daimaru

Met Dan and Miko last night to discuss their impending wedding which will no doubt be upon us faster than you can say 'holy matrimony'. I had half an hour to kill so I got the sketch-book out across the road from Daimaru department store on the Midosuji - one of the few, fairly nice-looking buildings in Osaka. I had to give up due to blue fingers - my whole body was chilled in the wind that was blowing from north and east. We went for mexican at El Pancho which was great, as ever. I filled the drawing with colour very quickly in photoshop this morning.

Posted by stupot at 01:52 PM Monday 12 Mar | Post comment (0) comments

kang - kang - kang

level crossings are an integral part of most neighbourhoods. I can't imagine living right beside one but the bar I was in the other night was by the tram line and after a while I had gotten quite used to the noise. You get accustomed to being very up-close-and-personal with trains here. I like how colourful level crossing's are - the one near my house has a shrine behind it which is the only place you can find old trees in the city. Usually they have their sacred straw and paper bow wrapped around which now-a-days feels more like a good luck charm to ward off the real estate people from knocking them down.

Posted by stupot at 06:46 PM Wednesday 7 Mar | Post comment (0) comments

suzuki

A drawing done last week of the garage across from the flat I was going to move into 2 years ago. Do you ever pass an old house or somewhere you almost bought and wonder what tales go on inside? I'm glad I didn't move there - not much of a view and I don't like the smell of cars.

Posted by stupot at 07:32 PM Friday 2 Mar | Post comment (0) comments

jungle

Jesus. City life can be brutal. I headed to the back streets of Nanba and the smells were ever-changing but tended to be of shite, going in and out of tramps pish by way of old mince. The woman preparing her restaurant for business was giving my subject matter very suspicious looks in that way that it's okay to draw a temple but not the smallest car park in the world. It was her neighbourhood - perhaps she should have taken it a bit more as a compliment. Or maybe she no longer sees the devastation that is her surroundings.

Posted by stupot at 07:21 PM Tuesday 27 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

tsutenkaku

Was meant to go skiing today but the weather in the mountains/workload of my companion was not conducive to a day in the snow so I was contented with a lazy day drawing. I headed for Tennoji and walked a route through the old town I'd always meant to. Looking for something interesting, I realised I had never been to the Hitachi tower - Tsutenkaku - a major landmark of Osaka (which is kind of fitting as it's both industrial and dilapidated looking). The weather held out and I spent a nice hour or so amidst the madness of a tourist haven - it wasn't actually busy but there were still small groups who seemed to come off each train and enough business men having lunch and Friday beers. The locals were fairly jolly and squatted to chat on occaision.

Posted by stupot at 06:01 PM Friday 23 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

Battleship

Wednesday's drawing of a typical Junior high school (and one that I work at). It seemed to resemble a battleship as much as a school. Inside half the crew slept.

Posted by stupot at 06:25 PM Wednesday 21 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

curiosity and generosity

It was another nice evening so I headed out after work to draw an old sake shop in my neighbourhood. Just when I was finishing, a wee woman who lives beside the shop came out to take a peek at my drawing. Suddenly a small gathering of elderly housewives swarmed me from out of nowhere and a typical conversation ensued while I towered over them. How long did it take? Just pen? How long have you lived here for? Do you have a big sketchbook as well? To the last question I answered 'no I didn't' as I kind of stumbled over the difficult word which I didn't really understand. Soon enough she was off into her house and came back out a few minutes later with a lovely, unused sketch book for me. A thousand apologies later I headed home, a wad of paper the richer and the new talk of the steamie.

(Interestingly I decided to leave the denchu (telegraph poles) out of my drawing for a change. It's amazing the difference it makes. With the trees in the background you could almost imagine it's not Osaka).

Posted by stupot at 05:50 PM Tuesday 20 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

kohiya

I was walking underneath the umeda sky building today and was going to draw it but a) the sun was in my eyes, b) it's ugly and c) I found this much more interesting, run-down coffee wholesaler.

Posted by stupot at 07:55 PM Monday 19 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

vices

Posted by stupot at 05:09 PM Friday 16 Feb | Post comment (5) comments

over the hill

Posted by stupot at 06:54 PM Saturday 10 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

higgelty piggelty

Korean yakiniku (bbq meat) is always a favourite in Osaka. I go out with the boys from time to time for a huge tabehodai (all-you-can-eat) and always regret it the next day when I have massive amounts of smelly wind: quite the departure from rice and veggies and man, do the guys take the 'all-you-can-eat' literally. This picture is a wee skanky, if typical, eatery in Nanba. Crates piled up outside, storage and kitchen bench on the street, numerous extractor fans winding their way around the building, bins on show.

Posted by stupot at 08:31 PM Thursday 8 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

flower market

I headed over to the bike shop on Sunday to ogle things I didn't really need and found myself coming back via the huge Sumiyoshi Taisha. The reason I'm often at a shrine is because they're basically the only open, uncontaminated places around - a bit of solitude in the madness of the city. There's a lively flower market that's on every week and you can try your luck with the auctioneer. It's a lot chillier than the spring but still people love to come and hang around. I bought a coffee and a pastry and had had the hindsight to take along pencils and my pop up stool so that I didn't catch a cold as I did drawing in Kyoto in November.

Posted by stupot at 07:54 PM Wednesday 7 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

oni / bean combo

As we hit the quiet back roads in the mountains, on this morning's ride, I could see crushed beans all over the road - remanents from yesterday's setsubun festival. I headed to the local temple with friends at about 9 last night and we soaked up the atmosphere. Everyone was out to celebrate the equinox and the full moon shining in the distance was both a reminder of the old lunar calendar and of how cold it was. The stalls ("de-misay") are half the attraction - Abiko fills with hundreds of them, selling everything from toy guns to delicious castella sponge cake - a Portugese import which is very popular at festivals. It's kids heaven. I had some taiyaki - a fish-shaped sponge with red bean paste (anko) inside.

Continue reading "oni / bean combo"
Posted by stupot at 12:02 PM Sunday 4 Feb | Post comment (0) comments

wood on wood and asparagus biscuits

Winter is a strange time. Dark and mysterious. Cold and pure. In Kyoto earlier in the month, perhaps around dawn and drifting in and out of conciousness, I could hear the clack of wood on wood in a slow rythmn - a sound I've only heard in Japan - primitive and a bit eerie. It's a simple and natural sound you hear monks making but around Osaka, in winter, the sound of wood on wood is also used in the evenings to warn people against fire. In the relative safety of Japan - one of the biggest concerns is that of fire and its potential to spread through the warrens that are Japanese neighbourhoods. Having witnessed an urban residential fire on a windy day last year I can vouch for the anxiety. I also post a general diary entry from my notebook. These scribbles tend to be a lot more personal than the blog itself, which is more a means for me to air my thoughts on Japan.

Posted by stupot at 09:09 PM Tuesday 30 Jan | Post comment (1) comments

abiko kannon

I headed to the local temple today and sat in the late afternoon sun drawing the water trough where you wash your hands before praying - the chouzuya. There were quite a few vistors and lots of, albeit calm preparation going on in advance of next weeks big setsubun festival. Trees were being pruned, temporary buildings set up, lanterns hung and piles of neatly stacked timber with messages in red ink sat ready to be burned. There was a general air of anticipation but things were just as normal - kids chased pigeons, people prayed, the sun set.

Posted by stupot at 05:35 PM Saturday 27 Jan | Post comment (0) comments

local restaurant

This wee gaff is totally inconspicuous but that's exactly why I drew it - it's the kind of place I pass every day going to work. My neighbourhood is full of similar looking tiny businesses. The elderly couple living upstairs come down in the afternoon to start preparations for the evening punters. With the amount of restaurants in Japan I wonder how they all stay alive - I suppose that working out your house saves on rent. I believe that you could count all the restaurants in Glasgow, if you were so inclined, but I really don't think that such a thing is possible in Osaka. That almost goes for hairdressers too. I love the old Sprite sign - a relic from 30 years ago? The main sign is almost totally faded and there's no co-ordination in colour or materials - it's just evolved at it's own pace and, like so many other similar small eateries, relies on local knowledge and the strong coloured noren curtains for trade.

Posted by stupot at 01:53 PM Saturday 27 Jan | Post comment (0) comments

the hood

I finished work early today and stopped on the way home to draw. There's a tiny vintage Honda that I've wanted to draw for a while. To give the thing some scale you only have to look at the telegraph pole. The number plate is possibly motorbike size. It was a nice, sunny winter's afternoon which actually resembled autumn more than late January. It's still not really cold yet. As I stood and drew, old people met each other on the street and quizzed each other about what day it was and what time they'd meet tomorrow. Kids met each other and travelled off to anothers for tea and cookies, shouting "car" whenever one was about to meet their chaotic path, just as I had done on the small street where I grew up. Some old geezers eventually approached me when they returned from the corner shop and we had a quick chat - certainly something that doesn't happen when I take photos. On the back of my adventures with an albino snake last week - I saw an albino Japanese woman today. A pretty rare sight. Which was probably what she was thinking about me as I stumbled down the road towards her.

Posted by stupot at 04:03 PM Thursday 25 Jan | Post comment (0) comments

dekita!

I don't have any pictures of the harrowed looks that dave and I were putting out at 5 o'clock, through sheer tiredness, or the faces of the girls in short tartan skirts as they passed me in my kilt later in the night, but yesterday was ultimately great fun and a satisfying end to our work. We took 4 hours to set up (much to the apparent dismay of our - all-be-them-paid - hosts) and then sat back with red bulls awaiting our public. In Japan, galleries are often rented for a week at a time and set up times are equally as short. Allowing 2 hours to set up is making a rather bold presumption that you have, say, 10 standard pictures to hang. 50 pieces later and without an inkling that the walls would be made of kevlar, saw us eventually finish early afternoon much to the relief of everyone. it was nice to see a few curious people wander in as we were finishing and look genuinely cheerful for having seen the work. I have to say it did look quite interesting on arrival - many, very colourful pieces . A decent crowd had appeared by 8 and I was glad to have quite a few positive comments about my power-line drawings.

Posted by stupot at 10:17 PM Wednesday 29 Nov | Post comment (3) comments

yellow cowboys

A week on Tuesday is the opening of my first exhibition in Japan. Dave and I will be having a party that evening (28th) from 7pm - 9 so if you're in Umeda please come around. The drawings, paintings and photo's will be on show until December 3rd (jesus, it's almost December) so feel free to pop in any time should you have a minute.

Posted by stupot at 07:24 PM Saturday 18 Nov | Post comment (2) comments

naoshima

If you ask a visitor about Naoshima they'll possibly know of it. If you ask a Japanese the chances are much more slim. It's one of the hundreds of islands between shikoku and honshu and, perhaps typically, is part industrial (recycling centre) and part unspoilt. We were staying at the swanky Bennesse house hotel on the south coast which was just beside the two art galleries also designed by Ando (a treat from my folks). The coast and nearby village has a scattering of installations and sculpture which make the place a wee bit like the set of the prisoner.

Continue reading "naoshima"
Posted by stupot at 05:29 PM Tuesday 31 Oct | Post comment (0) comments

live painting

Live painting is very hip in japan just now - that is to say, painting in front of an audience. Karl, a new aquaintence from Kyoto, was talking about the demand for it at the last design matters talk at the apple store and sure enough, yesterday, when I visited the art show at River Place in Osaka there was some going on. The show comprised of about 50 stalls with local painters and deisgners and there was a live painting wall for joe public to use too. It had quite a carnival feel and had that surreal quality you get when random people walk about with oversized goats heads and cardboard boxes over their heads. There was also a random guy hitting bits of woods which is the kind of thing, as a child, you don't get and when you're older you still don't get. I guess I could imagine what he was trying to suggest were I to give it the time, but people were interested and it put a smile on my face so I guess he did his job. good fun.

Posted by stupot at 04:38 PM Monday 23 Oct | Post comment (0) comments

the mark store

As I've always liked drawing, I've always liked going to stationery shops and Japans is like the Mecca of stationery. The delight of becoming excited about buying a very cheap material posession, that most people take for granted, is a nice feeling to have. Especially if you're as tight as I am. Like cash will never die in asia, neither will the mark - it is after all, why the fax machine put email back by 10 years. The mark is such an important part of the culture in Japan that pens are constantly being redefined here. As much R+D seems to go on at pilot as does at honda. If you've ever tried to write complicated Kanji (Japanese characters) on a typical application or order form in Japan then you'll appreciate why there are so many different thicknesses of pen. Going by shelf presence, Pilot's Hi-Tec C is the best selling pen in Japan. I've used one since I was in the UK but a few years ago they were getting difficult to find there. The quality of line that the Hi-tec gives is pretty flawless and for only 210 yen. I recently said that you should visit a builders centre if you ever visit japan. You should also add a stationery store to the list. Tokyu Hands in Osaka has a huge section that any creative would salivate at but the wee local dusty places still possess the charm and prize finds you can't get in department stores.

Posted by stupot at 10:53 PM Wednesday 18 Oct | Post comment (2) comments

package

well, the invites for the show arrived today. I guess that means it's really happening. excitement is mixed with the usual pinch of anxiety. for anyone in osaka or nearby who is interested - there's info below. the show, scheduled for the end of november, will no doubt be here faster than you can say 'what happened to octob....' hope you can make it.

Continue reading "package"
Posted by stupot at 02:42 PM Saturday 23 Sep | Post comment (0) comments

thatch

despite my frequent rants on the ugliness of osaka there are occaisionally little gems to be found. not far from the picture I posted last friday, you can find this quaint, traditional house with thatched roof. of course your view will always be scarred by a telegraph pole though.

Posted by stupot at 06:52 PM Wednesday 9 Aug | Post comment (2) comments

barn

I'm not sure what this is - I suppose I've always thought this was a barn - it's one of those things you don't discuss and forget to ask about. or like a brand you see everyday but never say outloud and when you do it sounds alien. the proportions and openings at odd heights make me think it's some kind of a barn - perhaps for drying crops and storing equipment (it's not unusual for this to be within the city as rice paddies can be found well into the urban area). these days you're much more likely to see a thrown together corrugated iron shack than a well kept traditional structure like this and so it's lovely to see one in such good condition as a reminder of how beautiful japanese architecture once was. can anyone clarify what this is?

Posted by stupot at 04:00 PM Sunday 30 Jul | Post comment (1) comments

tokyotokyoto

I met up with benjamin and satoko in kyoto who managed to make it down for the weekend on their visit from NY to kamakura. it's been two years since I saw ben and the first time I met satoko who was, as I'd suspected, just lovely: we had a wonderfully relaxed time being lazy tourists. on saturday we strolled up the west side of town from kiyomizutera, through gion, and watched the live music being played below the stilted, outdoor restaurants on the river. after checking into our ryokan we had the much anticipated hot bath which ben, never one to pass up the opportunity of getting naked, was really getting into during his brief stay in japan.

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Posted by stupot at 11:24 PM Sunday 23 Jul | Post comment (0) comments

get out of town

I've become obsessed with overpasses. even as a kid the sight of the 'spaghetti' junction just east of glasgow filled me with awe and a subconcious respect for that level of engineering. I remember watching bladerunner and metropolis and wondering if places like that really would become reality. how wonderful they looked and how free we could be.

Designing a motorway to run through the centre of a city is, of course, crazy: people have to live there. a city is not somewhere you just travel to to work - cities are for people and not cars. last year we saw some soul destroying apartments which sat between overpasses and shook like new york apartments from those movies in the sixties and seventies.

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Posted by stupot at 05:26 PM Sunday 2 Jul | Post comment (0) comments

sumiyoshi taisha

we're lucky to live near a complex of shrines called sumiyoshi taisha. apart from anything else there is a bit of space and big trees which tend to be a rarity in osaka. however, sumiyoshi is a real historic site with ancient shrines similar to those at ise (in the back you can see the antler type roof details from the building behind). as I haven't sketched from real life for a while I thought I'd take advantage of the good weather and get the pens out. sketching really gets you understanding a subject so well - that's the beauty of it - you absorb the most minute details that you usually skip. well out of practice but good fun and worked on the tan.

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Posted by stupot at 11:15 PM Sunday 25 Jun | Post comment (2) comments

Posted by stupot at 11:59 PM Thursday 1 Dec | Post comment (0) comments

the nakata

for posterity I thought I'd record this hair cut. popular with young men at the start of this century, and popularised by hide nakata (now plying his trade in sunny lancashire), this was spotted on a student studying in a coffee house in kyoto. although it's very much accepted now, I remember I studied with a guy who had this cut at art school about eleven years ago and people used to think he had escaped from a (different type of) institution. funny how much goes around comes around. eventually. I like to refer to this style as 'the reverse monk' but perhaps there is a more scientific name out there.

Posted by stupot at 11:50 PM Thursday 1 Dec | Post comment (0) comments

Posted by stupot at 10:56 PM Thursday 22 Sep | Post comment (0) comments

Posted by stupot at 11:52 PM Friday 1 Jul | Post comment (0) comments