Three sculptors were on site when I arrived selecting their stones. Tom Gilhespy and Trevor Clarke from the UK and Luis Afonso from Portugal had a choice of selected stones. I heard there was some local discussion about who had one particular stone - but Trevor got it and I thought Tom was very pleased with what he found later.

Luis had a thoughtful approach. They all had been given a tour around the Castlefield site where the sculpture cluster will be placed. He wanted to make something tall - like a column that would be seen on the hill from the road.

There was some discussion about whether the truck would be strong enough to move the stones. Luis was doubtful but it did......

Tom Gilhespy

Trevor Clarke

And eventually they got their chosen stones to their work stations....

First I visited Pam Newall's studio

Then it was around to Carola Fielden's garage studio.

The last studio I could manage was Neil Mapes

Sorry I could't make more. Anybody who did post your comments please.

He will be doing a live blog of the day starting 6am Tuesday 23rd June which you can view here.

Oswestry Open Studios reported good numbers and very interested customers. BVA has taken this from strength to strength. The room was filled with Taiko Drums at one point with a workshop involving brave volunteers - a great workshp leader with a big vehicle matching the size and numbers of his drums.

These event are important networking opportunities for artists - they happen in the north and south so if you spot one happening they are well worth a visit.

"For Theo Jansen, ‘It’s not easy being God; there are plenty of disappointments along the way. But on the few occasions that things work out, being God is the most wonderful thing in the world’.

Dutch engineer and kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen has been creating mechanical, skeletal creature-like devices named strandbeests since 1990. Made of really basic Blue Peter stuff - plastic electrical tubing and 2 litres water bottles - these gigantic, complex beings get their energy from the wind, so they don’t have to eat like regular animals.

Theo’s ultimate wish is to release herds of these new species to roam the world. And while he doesn’t quite get to do that in Shrewsbury, you can see his latest species Umerus – all 13 metres long of it - in The Quarry Park".

Here is Theo taking about his stuff

Ideas are coming together - an Arts Council Application for an exciting project posted - a new plan for the next 3 years emerging and the Thursday night course I am running hitting Google Mail and Facebook all in 2 hours. I hear the plucky participants are still sane and coming back for more next week.

I am looking forward to Peter Blake coming to the North (his pictures not him) 6 boxes worth so look out for the dates.

I have asked a few people to be citizen reporters of Council projects so I hope they go to the Hive on Tuesday at 6. Borderland Visual Arts opened there open studios last Sunday - this is the first weekend so looking outside it looks like it will be a total washout. Good luck for next weekend.

Shrewsbury Open Studios is nothing to do with VAN anymore - same people - same ideas just no connection. Typical Shrewsbury.

Its at the end of the month - hopefully not raining cos its just 1 weekend.

Not to end the week by being as dour as the weather - exciting projects comming - possible new connection with Finland artists as welll as links emerging with Houston USA. That is my office life. My artistic life has moved to an attic garret near St Martins - the months ahead will tell what emerges.

Jon King is the Darwin Festival organiser. Shift Time is a big arts project he is running as part of that. He explained that the Arts Council have been very involved and the event is being curated by the digital media ACE officer Anna Douglas.

Jon wants artists and artisans to blog about Shift Time - set up a blog, to blog about Shift Time - post pictures on your blog or flickr or facebook - video on you tube. Let them know and they will link it all to the Shift Time website www.shift-time.org.uk

If you want to find out more go to the Hive in Shrewsbury 6 -8pm on the next 2 Tuesdays.

Questions

Why are their posters in London and not in Oswestry?

Does the fact that some people are asked to blog about something, stop an arts project being landed on an unsuspecting public?

Where is VAN in this? I only heard about it by chance and was only invited because I commented on Pete Ashtons blog.

And whats coming?

A taster...

This has brought to the fore my thoughts about Visual Arts Promotion in Shropshire. I was shocked not to hear about Shift Time until Friday – and all by chance. It’s a big project – a festival of ideas (my partner came across a leaflet last night at her dance class). It’s a project totally worth shouting about.

Now I am not Joe public – I work in the visual arts – I try to share information about events. Parts of the arts establishment seem immune to the thoughts of having a Shropshire arts comradeship – sharing through the hard fought portals and infrastructure that the voluntary sector has fought to establish.

Not everyone is like this. Information flows around – exhibition here – workshop there – grant fund over there. All delivered by committed groups and small businesses. Information about these are sent to me by email post and facebook sometimes – I even read about them in the STAP newsletter. Not many of them have the budget to produce leaflets.

So why isn’t Shift Time shouting to the arts community? I was excited to read about another council event - the River Severn Project – I get the Art Council Enews too. I thought at long last it being publicised. Then I realised it was events happening in Gloucestershire and it all happened in Shropshire last year. It was a great success apparently. http://www.severnproject.com

Perhaps all the info is coming this month – I know about it now so let’s hope I can put my marketing strategy where my mouth is.

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I just found out I have been invited to be a citizen blogging workshop so blogging hell perhaps my blogging moaning will get me to blogging heaven.

Well a Quantom Leap for Shrewsbury!

Does this say a lot about the art on display? To my mind i liked individual pieces. But as an exhibition an eclectic mix hung in groups - little conection between the groups - but lke lots of shows I see in the adhock galleries in Shropshire. Will the well made boat win out against paintings ceramics textiles jewellry sculpture and of course the woodwork - all of which was on display? The idea of a beautiful thing having a function - an easy imagination route to adventures you can have, while art can be intulectually challenging and will take you on a  journey more difficult to describe.

This morning Beth Fletcher at the Gateway http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105870388973&ref=nf wonderful paintings -  just a beautiful exhibition of landscape painting that deserved more space.

Have you heard of Shift Time? I hadn't till last night www.shift-time.org.uk kindly sent to me by a shift artist.

Set on this bright background was darker admin and management stuff coming from two places. Its not getting me down though getting on with house and garden stuff long overdue and avoiding listening to the radio 2 doors down as I wish Shrews well and its bad luck me listening or watching but even that didn't work.

I can forget the evaluation - budget analysis -  project cost analysis for a few days yet. I hear Ruth Gibson is showing at Hills soon - BVA open studios beginning of June - Belleview Arts Festival and Shrewsbury Open Studios coming up. Loads to look forward to.

The technician scratches his head too - more and more work is unpacked - technician shakes his head - my thought  is lets choose and use space up stairs if we have too. We begin to sort starting with key gallery areas - major impact areas that lead the audience in. Pieces are chosen pieces moved around spaced - finding what works with what.

My technician relaxes as my curatorial skills rise to the fore and the sifting slows and balance is being achieved. Two hours in pictures go up and I leave the technician to do his job and my volunteer works on the price list while I am called to meeting with my manager - explain my projects - how are they funded? - how much will they cost? evaluation targets, cost of my mailouts too much the list goes on.

But exciting times ahead - lots of projects to blog about here and great people to work with. I hear in VAN too with empty shop becoming gallery - just keep listening.

Today has been the other side of being an art angel - funding - training on how to do it properly. I now know all the phrases I wish I didn't need to know from value added and full cost recovery. I am now the complete expert and go back to the office on Thursday with a new armory.

It would be good to see comments posted here - questions and debate - other art bloggers just contact VAN and they will get you started.

Catherine was the workshop leader and she led a lively discussion about the history of land art. She had a wide variety of books and publications illustrating her points and showing examples. The conversation led to the point of not pre judging - it will be a slow job (as the model tortoises on the table suggested) and not a quick fix that a romote control could deliver. Let the landscape inspire what you decide to do.

Our morning task was to walk around the land around Secret Hills and "forage" for materials to make art with, to take inspiration from the landscape and find favorite locations.

As we walked, talked and foraged, the sun appeared and the wind did't arrive like the days before. Coats came off and the heavy bags were made redundant. The grounds offered a variety of locations with potential. Resources were there that inspired many thoughts. Rocks in the river, piles of branch cuttings, a pebbly bay, a muddy marsh, disused structures and beautiful meadows.

Ideas were flowing when we met again. People made small artworks with the material collection they had gathered in the courtyard. After lunch we talked again and many ideas emerged. Great creativity that these pictures hopefully convey. Just a great day - thanks Catherine!

Art Angel of the North