We're Okay.

Hi everyone... I'm sure that many of you have heard (since it made the BBC only a half an hour after it happened)...

A major bridge collapsed in Minneapolis.

NEWS

Fiona and I are fine. As are most of the people we know that live in the Twin Cities.

At the moment, it's still a bit chaotic. We've been spending some time trying to get a hold of friends and family, and we're assuming that we'll hear soon, if someone is hurt.

But this is about me. Fiona is fine. My mother is fine. Our friends seem to be fine.

We're still waiting to hear from others.

Say a prayer/peaceful thoughts... To the families of the injured and missing.

-- Tucker and Fiona

Wizards, Queens and Smoke Machines

Hello Everyone,

My apologies for the lack of communication recently in this blogspace, it is definitely my turn to post and I should have done it ages ago. So this being a post that has to sum up events over the month of May and most of June, it will not merely be what we bloggers refer to as a 'cheese sandwich blog' it will be one of those jumbo sandwiches that they make at Subway for parties of 20 people or more.

So the last post that Tucker wrote featured my bike. I am still loving it and I ride it to and from work at The Soap (8 miles) everyday. In addition I have been enjoying the influx of bike events available in the Twin Cities during the Summer. My friend Andy and I very much enjoyed the 'Bike in' at the Bell Museum with bands and open air movie.

Anyhoo enough about my mode of transport. I am simply loving having a lot more time on my hands since quitting the pub (where I had too many hours and too much agro) and starting at the coolest new pub in the Twin Cities, Merlins Rest. The place just has this amazing energy and I haven't enjoyed working the service industry as much since Tucker and I worked at the Bell and Crown in Canterbury. Plus I only work two nights a week, so I actually have time to make my art work. Although having said that The Soap has been pretty busy recently, it goes in fits and waves when there are openings, so I haven't been able to get that much done.

So at The Soap we've just had an exhibition opening this last Saturday (GLBT or LGBT - Brit), a Pride art show and this next week we have a poster show going up, a video projection/installation and another installation with smoke machines in the boiler room. The place is just of hive of activity and I've been loving it!

What else....well Tucker and I had our much belated wedding shower (Stateside) which was lovely. We can now finish stocking up on towels and such at JC Penney as it's not very functional having only one set.

I have now finished my curatorial statement for the 24hr performance festival that I am hopefully organising next year. So I'm just waiting for confirmation and then I can do some real work on it (-;

I didn't get the arts grant, much to everyone's surprise (travel and study grant). so I'm just trying to keep submitting work to shows both here and in Europe. Although I'm certainly bloody-minded enough that if I keep getting rejected I'll just find a way of funding my own shows. It's pretty annoying like filling in job application forms. I've just gone for a show in Bristol and I'd be ecstatic if I actually got it.

I have some good news that I know some of you know about already. My work is to be featured in a book featuring 200 composers and artists influenced by musical notation. With an art show in New York next year as an added bonus here's the preliminary website: http://www.notations21.net/index.html It's amazing that due to the power of the internet they found works that I made at university in 2004.

Um en plus the Agamemnon doggy is well and seems to be mellowing somewhat with age, which is good because I was beginning to think that he was always going to be permanently hyper-active.

Art-making wise. I've actually been painting again in order to develop some film and performance ideas. I'm also going to make a very morbid sculpture out of sillicone rubber because like Goya recognised sometimes a little morbid art work can enlighten people to some of the horrors in the world. In order to make the work I have to get volunteers to put their hands in this molding solution that feels a lot like jello (or Jelly), it actually feels quite nice.

Well anyhoo I should stop blabbing and get on with my painting that I should have finished a week ago for the $99 Sale at The Soap Factory.

Love you all,

Fiona

More excitement THIS past weekend.

Hi friends and family of the Two Artists.

Fiona has worked VERY hard the past two weeks to prepare for "This Mango is Now an iPod", the first show of the Soap Factory's 2007 season! (See the Soap Factory for more details) The opening reception (Private View to all our Brit friends) was this past weekend, Saturday April 28th. As Fiona's the new Manager of the Volunteer Programs, and me being a good little hubby... I'm of course a volunteer at the Soap Factory this year. Both of us worked our tails off... And the exhibition's opening was a grand success. Fiona, once again, proved her mettle, and "kayed some a's" and "took names."

Anyhoo... It was a romp, and we're glad that the hard bit is over. Fiona is, of course, keeping busy with the Soap, 'cause she has to organise all the volunteers to do 'gallery guarding' or 'invigilating' of the exhibition.

We took some time off today, however, to go "bike shopping."

Fiona LOVES her new bike... And I'll throw up a few photos of her new baby.


Fi and her new bike


The bike's brand is: Pake, as you can tell from the frame. Yes, Brits... It's pronounced the "bad way." We have a feeling that this particular brand wouldn't sell very well in Pakistani neighbourhoods in Britain.


Fi and her bike, last one...

So... There's what's up in our life. We're off to see my mother for dinner. Yay! She buys when we all three go out. You have to love parents! They're great!

Smiles all...

-- Tucker

The Art Crawl draws to a close...

Greetings all:

Fiona and I are knackered. There's a few minutes left of the Saint Paul Art Crawl, and it's been really interesting.

It wasn't as busy as we were hoping, but considering this is the FIRST year the Carleton Artist Lofts have existed and participated in the Crawl, it wasn't too bad. There were only four studios open in OUR building, and many more over in the other building/wing of our complex. They did a bit better than us, but... Our building was just opened when the registration for the Art Crawl was DUE so only a few of us "early" folk were able to get in on it. I'm sure that in the Autumn, it will be a bit more busy, and fun.

Our home has been turned into a gallery, and I'm looking forward to having it BACK as a home. But it's been really fun. We had a nice time on Saturday night, with friends from work coming to see our show, and plenty of food (supplied by our patron, my mother- Thanks Mom!) and drink. After the event was over for the day, Fiona and I went down to our neighbours flat for an 'after party' sort of event.

That made getting up today a bit difficult, but we made it.

I want to apologise to our readers for being so horrible at updating our Two Artists' News. We get busy, and the website is sort of the LAST thing to get attention. We'll both try harder next time.

I'll throw up a few photos, so you TOO can see the beauty that is our work.

--- snicker ---


Welcome to our flat


Art all the way through


Fiona's October performance being screened, and selling her 'phones'


Fiona's "The Women of Mass Distraction" series Copyright© 2007, by the Two Artists, being started, and our "cards for sale" on the shelf.


Drawing, Crawling, Army-guys. By Fiona. You sort of have to see this 'work' to get it. However, it was the biggest hit in the show!


My: "Grandma's Attic" photographic installation.

And that's about it. Not that there aren't a million other photos I could post, but you get the gist, right?

Okay... I'm finishing this post now, with eight minutes left to be open.

Hope you had fun taking a look into the lives of the Two-Artists!

Smiles,
Tucker

St. Paul Art Crawl

In case you've been wondering why we've not "been here" for so long:



We've been busy!

Come see us!

Carleton Artist Lofts, St. Paul! E-mail: Two Artists for more details!

-- Tucker

Fabulous News!

Hello friends and family of "Two Artists"

Fiona had an interview at the Soap Factory Contemporary Art Gallery in Minneapolis today.

One half hour ago, Fiona received a phone-call from the Director, Ben Heywood.

Fiona is now the new Volunteer Coordinator for the Soap Factory.

We're sufficiently chuffed, take my word for it.

Hope all are well.

-- Tucker

Oy Vay!

Greetings friends and family of the Two Artists, Fiona and Tucker MacNeill!


Fiona and Tucker, at about 3:30am on Sunday morning (Feb 18th)

Well, it's been a bit of time, and I'm sure many of you are wondering just what the heck we're up to, here in the cold and frigid land of Minne-no-snow-ta. Here's an example:


Fiona, Anne and Brett (L to R). Shooting the "Anne Selden Fashion-line" in the Dance Studio at Carleton Artist Lofts, St. Paul.

Yep, we're doing art stuff. Our friends, Brett and Anne also live at the Carleton Artist Lofts (CAL for short). Last night into this morning, we were using a really nice digital-set-up to shoot Anne's line of clothing. It was a pretty amazing ordeal, but strangely enough, all of us agreed... It was quite fun! Of course, as you can see from the first picture, I was bloody well KNACKERED. Somehow, Fiona came through with limited issues. I, however, am a pretty tired kitten today. But again, it was really fun. It reminded us "oldsters" of our undergrad days. I find that I don't recover as quickly as I did 10 years ago, but it was rather worth it, just for the pure nostalgia of it.

Anyhooo... On to stuff that many of you have been waiting for... Photos of our fully decorated, and "home-like" flat at CAL.

So... Without further ado... Photos:


Living room, on one's left, as you walk into the flat.


From the Living Room, toward the hall and Bath.


From next to the Bath, the view of the rest of the flat.


The Kitchen. With amazing hand-crafted wooden cutting board, courtesy of my uncle Bob. Thank YOU sir!


Back towards the hallway, with running Agamemnon.


The Hall, towards the Bedroom. With Mssr. Sorebum, our antique friend, thanks to Fi's Grandpa, Doug.


The Studio and Dining area. Fi's on the left, I'm on the right (under the lamp).


View back towards the Living Room, and the flat's door.


Our wonderful bedroom, with comfy bed.


Bedroom with chest of drawers. That puppy weighed more than God. Thanks again, Brett for helping with the move.

There's these photos and more, on our Photo-hosting site Fotki.

We've moved in, we're getting ourselves settled, and... Yeah. Life is good. Fiona's all sorted with a new part-time job, after leaving the evil "Mall of America." She's now a sexy waitress at O'Donovan's Irish Pub in Minneapolis. She really likes the place, and her co-workers. Frankly... She's just "more happy" than she's been for a while. I'm also happy, now that the stress is reduced a bit.

Memnon is settling in as an Urban Dog, after the first year and a half of his life spent in the 'burbs. Leashes are his natural enemy, but we're getting there.

And... Um. Well, I think that's enough typing for the moment.

We hope everyone is doing well. More news soon, I promise, as there's all sorts of things happening to the Two Artists, now that we've moved into a vibrant art-community.

Take it easy!

-- Tucker