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| ''Heids' Exhibition 2014 Glenbuchat Hall Bothy |
'Of The Land' developed from living my adult life in a rural highland community on the Eastern edge of the Cairngorms. I am not only inspired by the textures, colours and shapes around me but by the ancient layered story that the landscape tells of a heritage that extends back beyond memory.
Living in that harsh winter environment has given me a healthy respect for the people who make their living from the land. I enjoy the stories, most often of days gone by, related in the rich dialogue of local people whose ancestors were rooted in North East Scotland.
The elements and the environment that dictated the use of the land for economic and physical survival created an inherited fortitude, strength of character, dry humour, deep connection with the earth and a solid sense of identity. My recent ceramic work acknowledges these individuals through the natural material of the earth itself and on a scale that I hope gives them a presence.
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| 'Broadcastin' from 'Hauns' Exhibition |
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| Sculpture based on the Towie Ball, a Neolithic artifact |
A small 5000 year old stone ball, intricately designed and geometrically perfect was dug up by a local farmer and is now in the National Museum, Edinburgh. As a present day artist I tried to recreate this enigmatic ancestral ball in clay, a modern version linking the past to the present.
Comments by members of the community visiting the exhibition
'Your connection between human form and the landscape in which we live is moving.'
'Amazing wonderful creations – the empathy between man and the land is so obvious in this body of work.'
'Thought provoking – love the link with carved ball.'
'Strong yet subtle characters beautifully expressed in clay.'
'I recognised all the North East characters. Had to come back and see them again.'
'Words capturing a time past – the heads are wonderful – true and strong. A treat indeed.'
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| 'Hauns' Exhibition 2015 Glenbuchat Hall Bothy |
I would like to dedicate this body of work to the many local folk, past and present, who have inspired me with their good humour and who have shared stories over the past thirty years.