Spending much longed for time – concentrating on growing ideas for my Littoral Art Project exhibition in 2016 & 17. To do this I have become a happy inmate of studio 4 at An Talla Solias  in Ullapool. My week’s residency has so far focused on beginning to story-boarding  my animation idea which will be an integral piece of my exhibition . Its  exciting to be venturing into an new medium which has intrigued and inspired me over the years.

With over arching thoughts writ large to keep me on track  post-it notes multiplied daily and my narrative has begun to develop, re-positioning the notes aiding rethinking twists and turns of the plot.

Gradually ideas are being sketched out across the studio wall  to try and envisage the 2 min film I’m aiming for. Thankfully I have  many friends and colleagues here in Ullapool well versed in my journey and happy to listen to my latest sequence of thoughts.  I also wonderfully have film and documentary maker Sara Nason to call on for mentoring advice , who reminds me of the importance of keeping emotion in the mix.

My aim is for sound to be central to the animation though crucially without dialogue, with this in mind I am about to re check my sound notes  on each page before copying and posting to my film collaborator JJ Jaimieson in Shetland for his comments and input.    My plan is to shoot the film on both Isle Martin (Summer Isle) here in Ross-shire and on Shetland in the spring.         JJ Jaimieson will be generating the sound track and editing, this will take  place at the Mareel, Shetland Arts Centre next summer. Shetland Arts have sponsored the studio and editing time for the film.     Thank You.

Before leaving  my wonderful  ATS studio and heading back to Edinburgh I will be sorting through a bag of beach litter carefully selected to make a piece of work  which connects this coastal WASTE issue to the bigger Climate Change issue. I will be showing the work here on the blog and on TWITTER #artsgogreen as part of the ArtCOP Scotland events  responding to  the important climate change negotiation (30 Nov-12 Dec). Other arts responses can be found at  Cape Farewell with UN updated over view at COP21

Scotlands Climate March

Saturday 28th November 2015, gather at 12 noon on The Meadows, Edinburgh