Posts From Michelle McWilliams

Launch of The Kelpies, Falkirk

A spectacular night-time arts event called HOME will launch both the opening of the John Muir Way and the The Kelpies, Falkirk prior to their opening to the public on the 21st April. On two evenings, 17th and 18th April, a selection of one-off, specially-commissioned night-time artworks will illuminate Helix Park creating an extraordinary, animation of the horse head sculptures to a pulsating soundtrack. Artist Andy Scott’s 300 tonne, 30

Leaning into the afternoons: some Pablo Neruda for your Valentine's Day

It’s Valentine’s Day and for anyone sick of the empty, headache inducing bubbles of Champagne and garish red of garage-bought roses, here’s a drop of the good stuff… Leaning Into The Afternoons Leaning into the afternoons I cast my sad nets towards your oceanic eyes. There in the highest blaze my solitude lengthens and flames, its arms turning like a drowning man’s. I send out red signals across your absent

Other people's shoes: tales of forgiveness and empathy

Exploring the possibilities of forgiveness through real stories: the Forgiveness Project is a UK based charity that uses the stories of victims and perpetrators to facilitate conflict resolution and promote behavioural change.  The project encourages people to consider alternatives to resentment, retaliation and revenge and central its efforts is work with ex-offenders and victims of crime. As well as collecting stories, the Project has created a powerful touring exhibition and

Loux, The Vintage Guru of Namibia and retro African style

Loux, (above, pictured above) the vintage style guru of Namibia buys clothes at markets in Windhoek in Namibia and Pretoria in South Africa and adapts them to create what he decribes as a ‘sophisticated punk’ look – all his outfits are recorded on his tumblr . With no formal college qualifications in fashion he’s learned from local tailors in Namibia. He’s hooked up with Khumbala, a group of stylists based

Men made miserable by shopping

A source of fascination are those couples who manage to shop together without ending up in the divorce courts. One man decided to photograph his peers instead of spending the time sleeping or constantly looking at his mobile phone and the result is a very popular Instagram, ‘Miserable men that went shopping. I felt their pain’.          

Siobhan Wilson sings Joni Mitchell at Celtic Connections

Let’s ease our way gently in to Monday morning shall we with this crowd pleasing Joni Mitchell cover by rising Scottish star Siobhan Wilson performing at Roddy Hart’s recent Roaming Roots Revue – a sell out Celtic Connections show Avocado Sweet was lucky enough to attend. The night was a paean to the wordy, gentle and summery sounds of the Laurel Canyon music scene of the 1970s – Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills

Robert Burns and the Love-Begotten Babies

It’s a pity that the reputation of Robert Burns, a prolific and uniformly brilliant poet, is consistently condensed into the same few poems, quoted and misquoted over and over again. He wrote on diverse topics – money and politics among them – but on ly a few of his works are widely known. A recurrent theme was his love for and lack of shame in babies born in unconventional cirncumstances.

Upcycled furniture and the irresistible charms of Scottish men

The charms of Scottish men proved irresistible for two Canadian sisters and explains why ‘Georgia Rose‘, a furniture upcycling company happens to be based in Dunfermline, Fife instead of Prince Edward Island, Canada. Two days after missing her flight back to Canada, Natasha Gallant Marr, who had been visiting her sister Carrie in Edinburgh, was in Wester Hailes when she met Charlie, her future husband. Several years have passed since then

Masked 60s photography by Steinberg and Morath

Between 1959 and 1963  artist Saul Steinberg and the photographer Inge Morath – who married Arthur Miller in 1962 – photographed friends wearing paper bags and cardboard masks decorated by Steinberg. It is not clear why they embarked on this project, nor why they stopped. The masks are fantastic but what strikes most is how elegantly everyone is dressed. There are some great outfits and poses – not to mention