Hugh's final touches to Local Types

Hugh at work

Hugh Bryden is putting the finishing touches to the Local Types exhibition this week. Thomas Tosh customers have been leaving  suggestions of nicknames to be added to the wall over the past few weeks. Hugh will be putting the last of these up. And this coming Saturday (30th June), he'll be launching the pamphlet of the exhibition. It's filled with his great visualisations of nicknames, and will be a memento once the exhibition disappears forever after the 14th July. The pamphlet launch is at 3pm.

written by Paul O'Keeffe

BATTLE VALLEYS BOOK LAUNCH

Ronald Turnbull's New Book

Local author Ronald Turnbull will be bringing to life the fierce history of some of the finest glens and valleys  in the region next Tuesday (12th June) at Thomas Tosh in Thornhill. 

Ronald will be launching his new book on the historic and violent background of what he calls 'the Battle Valleys'. He'll give a talk with accompanying slide show, and will take part in a question & answer session. 

Entry is free. The event starts at 7.30pm and there's a licensed bar with refreshments. Copies of the new book, priced £16.99 will be available to buy. And Ronald will be happy to sign editions.

Local Types launches at Tosh

Hugh gets to work on the installation

It's the launch weekend of the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival, and Thomas Tosh's wall has become a riot of local nicknames as part of the festivities.

Hugh Bryden has worked with local customers, and residents to turn nicknames into pictures in what he likes to call a `printstallation'. It's a unique project, combining humour with the growing interest in typography. It's well worth a visit. Entry is free.

And Hugh's work is not yet entirely complete. If you have any ideas of nicknames that you think should go up on the wall, he wants to hear.

Thanks to Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival for its collaboration, and to Margaret Marchbank, Jane, Mary, and Anne for the inspiration.

written by Paul O'Keeffe

Salon Special: Local Types

It's a Salon Special tonight (Tuesday 8th May) at Thomas Tosh. Hugh Bryden is going to begin his work on Local Types, as part of the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival. It is an installation celebrating local wordplay: from nicknames to stories.
Tonight, Hugh will have his pen poised to put into pictures local nicknames from the past and present. So please come along with your ideas. Those ideas will help in Hugh's work, which will cover the gallery space at Thomas Tosh.
Hugh McMillan will be joining us too. He's reading from his latest poetry collection Thin Slice of Moon. The event starts from 7.30pm. Entry is free. There's cakes, coffee and a licensed bar.
Written by Paul O'Keeffe.

Melville Brotherston at Tosh

Melville Brotherston will be with us tomorrow Saturday April 14th. He'll be around from 12 noon to 2pm to chat to customers about his new show, Points North & West.

The exhibition demonstrates Melville’s continued fascination with colour and light—and the ability of the landscape to fire the imagination.

Melville's taken inspiration from the dramatic mountains and seas of Wester Ross and Sutherland, and other points in North, West and South West Scotland.

He's used watercolours, oils and mixed media in the recent work that will be on show. Points North & West marks his first solo exhibition at Thomas Tosh in three years. Please pop in and see us if you are around.

JANE BLAIR LEADS BUSY WEEKEND AT TOSH

Jane Blair will be with us this coming Saturday (17th March) from 11am-3pm in what's going to be a bumper weekend at Thomas Tosh.

Jane will be on hand to chat about her latest exhibition, While Walking the Dog.

Given its title, it’s not surprising that the show features a range of landscapes and rural animal paintings by the popular Nithsdale-based artist. But the exhibition also demonstrates Jane’s love of marine life.

“The fish thing is a bit of a passion,” explains Jane.

“If I'm anywhere near an aquarium when the weather is too bad for painting, I love to go in for a warm up.

“They are such lovely calm places, low lights and the sound of water. The fish are beautifully illuminated and silvery scaled.”

That warmth and serene coolness comes out in Jane’s work.

And there will be an extra chance to catch the exhibition as Thomas Tosh opens this Sunday 18th March from 11am-4pm to celebrate Mother’s Day. To book lunch on the Sunday for our usual delicious menu please call: 01848 331 553.

Jane Blair's new exhibition starts at Tosh

Paul O'Keeffe writes: Jane Blair's new exhibition starts today March 6th and continues until the 31st March.

There's a good range of oils from marine life, to rural animals, to landscapes; in a cool and relaxed palette. It's not sentimental, but there is a theatrical flourish here and there. Jane's going to be in at Tosh a week Saturday (17th March) to chat to customers about the exhibition. Free entry of course.