The many piano stories

What a joy it is to explain where materials of my work come from, and what an even greater joy to hear everyone’s stories about pianos.
I shared a stall with Gail, from #gailpowerartdesign1 at the #COLABScotland market yesterday and here are a few of the stories people shared with me, this project is really becoming a fascinating experience.

“My brother died a while ago, the only thing I have left of him is his piano, he used to play the piano and I looked after it while he was living away”.

“Pianos bring so much joy to people for such a long time, those keys have probably been played by many fingers and they are now still bringing joy to somebody, and to somebody’s fingers!”

“You are wearing the music that was played and cherished”

“We should have all had something like this made for all the sisters before we threw our old piano away to remember our dad…”

Advertisements

Ready for the fair

Jewellery, graphics and packaging are now ready for the Country Living Christmas Fair in Glasgow. https://www.countrylivingfair.com/exhibitors-glasgow/ this coming week end.

PLEASE NOTE: THE WEBSITE AND ONLINE SHOP ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, if you need to get in touch please send an email to contact@nereabello.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Covered in black sawdust and cuts

Reflecting in the studio

I am spending long hours in the studio, sometimes in silence, some times listening to the news or downloaded radio programs. Everything is covered in black sawdust and I don’t mind. I am making a lot of jewellery and I am having difficulty sleeping due to the ideas flooding my brain.  It’s all good, I got a delivery of recycled silver today, I will be making more pairs of long earrings, I still need to find a good cement, the two part epoxy resin is ok but would like something less messy… but I do like the design.

Last days of a piano, still 1.

The dismantling of the piano is leading to some very exciting processes and ideas. The forms are quite modernist and minimal. Using materials that exist and have already told many a story fills me with joy, being able to add to those stories is even better.

I am producing one off bespoke pieces for Zakata pop up shop that will hold a stall at the Country Living Fair in At the SECC IN Glasgow in November

https://instagram.com/zakayapopup?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=1upyxtj4hd9is

 

 

by Simon Kirby

 

 

Last days of a piano, part 1

a logo, finally

It is hard to make a decision when it comes to representing one’s work, but it is now done and I lost no sleep over it.

 

Where are you from is not a straight forward question

Migrant Voice is an organisation that aims at having migrant voices heard. Making sure stories of migration told by migrants themselves are heard.  I am a member of Migrant Voice which organised a photography exhibition at the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow this summer. Images and words of migrants in Scotland.

Marina, Basqwegian

 

Naia, Basqwegian

A happy memory. Sitting with my dear friend John Lorne Campbell in his library on the Isle of Canna and listening to his wax cylinder recordings of Gaelic song and stories. He told me how many of these only survived far from Scotland, in Nova Scotia, New Foundland and other distant lands. He also told me they were of great value for they speak of people’s relationship to land, to work, to leisure. They speak of men lost at sea, of death and love. They were filled with wisdom. At 5 I didn’t know what wisdom meant, now I am older and I know what it is meant to mean although I am no wiser myself. The song is older than the singer, that is how she learns of the pain of her future broken heart. That was my first experience of Scotland, of archives, of what migration meant and what we carry with us. I only recently I realised how much this experience has informed my life so far and will continue to inform it, I suspect.

 

I come from a fishing town in the Basque Country. After a 4-generation friendship with Scotland, and the island of Canna, I settled in Glasgow. I work with languages, art and song to build bridges across communities. My children are Basqwegian. Where are you from is not a straight forward question

A little holiday obsession

“Txintxorro” is a small vessel used to go from the shore to a bigger boat in the Basque town of Hondarribia, I don’t know how old these are, but they certainly have been painted and repaired many a time…

 

One night, three days

 

This  week has been busy organising an exhibition at Venner gallery, in the Finnieston area of Glasgow. It was a new experience for me, but hopefully the first of many, it was fun arranging the work, answering questions and watching people look at the work. And the feed back was encouraging too!  The poster was designed by Caroline Hussey, one of the jewellers, there was also work by Lisa Crockard, Julia Bauer and Paula Hutchinson among many others…myself included. unfortunately my phone camera and the light of the place were not terribly compatible and I don’t have decent images of the event.