The diary

Published on Thursday 17 January 2008 21:01

Artist wins ear of Van Gogh

A SCOTTISH artist's career is taking off after a brush with one of the art world's most famous names – Van Gogh. George Kennedy has long been an admirer of the 19th-century artist Vincent and after meeting his descendant, Jan van Gogh, Kennedy's works are set to be exhibited across the globe.

Van Gogh has already included a Kennedy piece in an exhibition in eastern Europe – and has commissioned another piece for an exhibition that will tour the world, ensuring international exposure.

Kennedy, who lives near Arbroath, was put in touch with Vincent's great-grand-nephew through a friend last summer and sent him some work. He said: "I couldn't believe it when I got a reply from Van Gogh himself, saying he had looked at my website as well as my work and loved what I did.

"The next thing I knew, he accepted one of my paintings, The Puppeteer, for an exhibition in Ukraine."

Kennedy is working on illustrating the Braer tanker disaster for an exhibition organised by Van Gogh, an art lecturer who resembles his ancestor. It will go to Paris, New York and Tokyo.

Kennedy, who works as a quantity surveyor to fund his painting, said: "I thought the interest would die down, but people still want my work. I have had to scale back on surveying to concentrate on painting.

"When I get up in the morning I want to paint and not worry about going to work."

Don't we all, Gordon?

Doing the dirty on dog-owners

WATCH out, doggy-dooders in Dunoon and canine-crappers in Campbeltown – the time-travelling wardens of Argyll and Bute Council are after you. This week, the council reported that "on Tuesday, 22 January", a dog-owner was fined 40 after he allowed his dog to foul in a public area in Lochgilphead and failed to clean up after it.

So if you are thinking of letting your dog poo in Port Ellen or do a No2 in Tobermory, then don't – they'll know in advance.

Are manners being elbowed?

A COLLEAGUE with high sartorial standards bemoans the sad state of his shirt in the elbow region. "The material just falls apart at the elbow so quickly," he moans. Alba sympathises and has decided to start a campaign to put a bit of strength back into the elbows of modern shirts. Are they just poorly made, or is it a sign of a decline in manners, as young men are more likely to put their elbows on the table than in those days when gentlemen knew better?

An uplifting conversation

AFTER Alba reported overhearing "I'm on the omnibus", Norrie Bowman asks: "Was the passenger saying 'I'm on the Omni bus' as in the bus going to the Omni centre? Norrie adds this olde world gem: "When getting into a lift recently, an old man standing next to the panel, intent on pushing the button for my floor for me, inquired 'Whither?' Classic.