All at Sea , but the music and the words go on

6x6 inch Acrylic wash on paper ( available for the Winter Season )

As we came to the end of the year its a good time to look at a year on when the project was merely a crazy idea.  Although the idea of basing an artistic project on the Shipping Forecast has been in my head for some years it was only the end of 2014 when it started to come together.
So how far have we come?  The Opening event at the Thistle Gallery in Glasgow started the project with 31 postcard sized pieces painted in the gallery during a Winter's Sunday.

10 months on and 5 regions under my belt, 2016 should see many more regions completed and thoughts are now moving to exhibiting the artwork influenced by my journeys so far.

THAMES, MALIN, CROMARTY, FAIR ISLE and FORTH now completed. HEBRIDES is coming soon in 2016 . Other regions well into the planning include PLYMOUTH, PORTLAND and WIGHT.

Some of the views from the Journeys so far............

 THE PICTURES

Sunrise on the River Blackwater from the barge "The thistle"

The Ayrshire coast as we head out to the Island of Ailsa craig

Looking out into the bay from the Mareel in Lerwick Shetland

Back on the mainland looking out across the Pentland Firth to Orkney from Thurso.

Port Edgar Marina on the Firth of Forth.

THE WORDS

The literary element has continued to be a success with the contributions of Sir Andrew Motion ( Poet Laureate 1999 to 2009 ) Simon Armitage CBE, Don Paterson OBE, and the Estate of George Mackay Brown.

THE MUSIC

The New departure is the planned collaboration with the award winning Film and TV Composer Andrew Phillips http://www.andrewphillipsmusic.com/about.html we hope work together to produce a contemporary music setting for the Shipping Forecast theme with the help of a number of International Artists.  The artists that have already agreed include UK musician and composer, Peter Coyle http://www.petercoyle.com/  and Canadian Cellist , Julia Kent http://www.juliakent.com/

Before the sale of the main art works their are a number of ways that you can support Macmillan Cancer Support and the project: I have a Just Giving Page connected to the project and for the Winter Season I still have a number of small acrylic studies on paper which can be purchased to support the logistics of the project as we head into a New Year.

JUST GIVING

 https://www.justgiving.com/shipping-forecast/

Winter Season artworks on paper:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/125468664@N02/albums/72157662102038426/with/23580956346/

I would like to thank the following people for their kindness

Top Sail Charters   Maldon Essex
Mark McCrindle - Ailsa Craig Trips
Stuart Garrett - MD Northlink Ferries
Sarah Young - PA Northlink Ferries
Colin Henderson - Edinburgh Boat Charters
Simon Armitage
Sir Andrew Motion
Don Paterson
Peter Coyle
Elizabeth and Kris Bevan - Estate of George Mackay Brown
Macmillan Scotland

A very special thanks to Carol Dunbar of the Thistle Gallery for backing up this crazy idea in the early days!

To my wonderful wife Marian for being in the rock in the Sea of Craziness I continue to throw myself into!

Ian
Ayrshire Coast
January 1st 2016
Email : rawnsleyart@gmail.com