Creative Aberdeen (2008 - 2024)

Its been another hectic few months and with Christmas and New Year looming there's not much sign of it slowing down. But its good to take a minute to recap what's been happening probably for the last time this year and to see what's coming up for 2019!   Before that though press play on the mix tape above from Lucky Me artist Jacques Greene . I've been listening to this a lot over the last couple of weeks and I've found it an uplifting trip for this rather bleak and depressing time of year. Although released in April the EP which features many of these new tracks has just been released and can be purchased via his website / Lucky Me shop . Other musical highlights this month include this beautiful cover of 'Avril 14th' by Aphex Twin on a pedal steel guitar, rediscovering the amazing Jeff Buckley and despite not going to see him at The Lemon Tree I've still had 'SIX' by Mansun on heavy rotation, a masterpiece from the late 90's that ...

Another hectic month but lots of great things happening so here's my round up of whats been happening and whats coming up! Local skateboard company Doric Skateboards have just celebrated their 1st year in business, a year that's seen a dream become a reality for founder Gary Kemp and one that's helped add a bit of community spirit that I think has been missing from the Aberdeen skate scene. As Gary has grown in confidence so has his output as he continues to promote Aberdeen and also noting the importance of the cities creative community. His first collab series with artist Honk went down a treat and now he's teamed up with designer extraordinaire Gabi Reith aka Small Stories . Riffing off the classic John Rattray photo where he's doing an impossible looking wall ride next to graffiti "Adeen thugs kill all visiting fans" Gabi has switched things up and added a more positive spin as a skater drops in on a giant beard. Decks have been selling fast ...

Although finished now, Nicola Williams had a great show of new paintings over at Grays School of Art which provided a nice survey of her work from the last 2 years from her studio located in the Anatomy Rooms studios at Marischal College.   I'd started to see Nicolas work popping up on instagram and it stood out amongst the usual visual barrage. I've actually spent the last while cutting down my digital intake as its detracted a little from my enjoyment of seeing artists work as things which once wowed and stimulated become normal and common. But Nicolas work flips that and instead depicts scenes of the everyday and mundane but her use of shape and colour give them a heightened sense which feels almost psychedelic in some paintings.  Her preferred medium of household gloss paint and enamel paint add a distinctive sheen to the works which can be traced from one of her degree show pieces titled 'Rabbits, Rabbits, Rabbits'  painted in 2003 with its hig...