The Edge Of The Known - A Group Exhibition at Glasgow Gallery

Getting to the Edge — and What Comes Next

Getting work to a gallery is usually straightforward — but you do have to do your sums! Glasgow is just across the water from where I live, but the city centre is a Low Emission Zone … and our car doesn't meet the requirements.

Cascade by Connie Liebschner (lead artist in the exhibition)

So what are the options you might say, you might even say “Hire a van”! But when you do that you have to factor in the ferry crossing — with or without a vehicle — plus the hire cost itself,. Suddenly the logistics start to eat into a budget that, as any artist will tell you, needs careful watching. Well, you might then say, “There are people on the island who offer mainland deliveries”. True — a genuinely useful service — but again, not cheap.

The honest truth is that while I'd love to sell every piece in the show, the reality of exhibiting means you can't count on that — and after gallery commission, an expensive delivery could quickly turn a modest success into a financial loss. So the decision was made: public transport it was. Car to the ferry terminal, ferry across, train into the city, then a taxi from the station to the gallery — six framed pieces, twelve unframed prints and a browser in tow. Was it straightforward? Not exactly. Did everything arrive safely and in one piece? Absolutely. And would I do it again? Without hesitation.

This exhibition feels like a significant moment for me. My relationship with Glasgow as a place to show my work began a few years ago when I joined Glasgow Print Studio and had a small selection of pieces in their browser. More recently, I approached Glasgow Gallery — and they agreed to take me on, which meant a lot, not least because they had never shown the work of a printmaker before. For the past year a small selection of my prints has been on their walls, but this is the first time I have work formally in one of their exhibitions, alongside three other artists. That feels like a real step forward.

My gut feeling about the gallery was confirmed when their newsletter landed in my inbox promoting the exhibition. It included a beautifully presented online catalogue with a dedicated page for each artist and a comprehensive biography — exactly the kind of support that makes a real difference. For those who don't know the gallery, it has strong connections to Jolomo, one of Scotland's best loved artists — there is even a dedicated room at the back showcasing his original paintings — and is run by his son. It is, in the best possible sense, a gallery that understands artists — because it has always been run by them.

Over The HIll by Connie Liebschner

That matters more than it might sound. I've known artists who resent the commission they pay to galleries, and sometimes that frustration is completely valid — there are galleries that do the bare minimum - I don’t repeat the experience, but the galleries I do work with, earn their commission. This one is one of those, which is exactly what it should be: a fair exchange - a two way street. For my part, I feel it is just as much my responsibility to promote what they are doing for me as I do to make the work itself.

The catalogue is live now with a taster of what's in the show, and all the available work goes live on 21st May.

If you're in or around Glasgow, do come and see the show. And if you can make it on Saturday 30th May, I'll be at the gallery between 11am and 1pm for a Meet the Artist event — bringing some of the printing plates used to make the work so you can see a little of what goes on behind the scenes.

And what comes next…

Sneak peek at what’s coming to Dennis Kilgallon Gallery

Glasgow is just the beginning of a busy summer. In July I'll be heading to Northumberland for an exhibition at the Dennis Kilgallon Gallery — a beautiful space in the hills that I've long admired and am delighted to be showing in for the first time. I'll be exhibiting alongside ceramic artist Steph Jamieson, a long-time friend whose smoke and wood fired work feels like a natural companion to my prints. More details very soon.

A note on workshops

I repeated Burn, Melt and Print in October by customer request — and that one is now sold out. Thank you so much to everyone who has booked!

There are still places on Explore Rothesay in Print in August, so do book soon if that appeals. And if the timing doesn't work for any of the listed workshops, get in touch — I'm always happy to discuss running a session on a date that suits, or putting together something more tailored to your interests. You can read this blog post to find out more about my printmaking retreats — the studio, the island, and how it all works in practice. Happy reading.