Posts

Folklore Vignettes

Image
Last month's project involved collating what I have learned from Scottish folk and fairy lore into a series of illustrated vignettes using my current favourite medium: walnut ink. With its sepia hue I feel this ink adds an antiquated quality to my subject matter. After absorbing the fascinating book Scottish Fairy Belief by Lizanne Henderson and Edward J. Cowan as well as hundreds of folktales from Scottish compilations (by far my favourite of which is Land of the Seal People by Duncan Williamson), I felt compelled to express some if this lore onto paper. Each one has a wee story behind it which I will outline below. Much to my surprise and delight, someone has bought the collection so they are going to a very good home. This was a much needed project to keep me sane during the dark winter  months during a stint in London when I longed for the simmer dim and fairy woods of Scotland in midsummer! The Selkie Cradle - inspired by Scottish Traveller and master storyteller Duncan Willi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Spiral Journey: Tomnaverie Stone Circle

Image
It is a delight and honour to take part in the Monica Sjöö Curatorial winter artist in residence programme on Instagram. As part of the programme I will share my experiences, photography and illustrations while embarking on my own 'Spiral Journey' inspired by the writings and art of Monica Sjöö. Each journey is both physical and spiritual and encompasses pilgrimages to ancient and sacred sites in my home country of Scotland and further afield. This fourth and final Spiral Journey takes me to to a Bronze Age recumbent stone circle in Aberdeenshire...   Lunar alignments in stone Storm Babet had put my plans to visit the splendours of Kilmartin Glen on hold - not once but twice - as the following week there was yet another weather warning in place. A four-hour drive in howling gales and horizontal rain was not appealing and possibly dangerous. I decided to embark on my plan B instead. Luckily there is no shortage of sacred sites in my locality – a one hour drive over the Cairn O’M...
Post a Comment
Read more

Spiral Journey: Tigh Na Cailleach

Image
It is a delight and honour to take part in the Monica Sjöö Curatorial winter artist in residence programme on Instagram. As part of the programme I will share my experiences, photography and illustrations while embarking on my own 'Spiral Journey' inspired by the writings and art of Monica Sjöö. Each journey is both physical and spiritual and encompasses pilgrimages to ancient and sacred sites in my home country of Scotland and further afield. This third Spiral Journey takes me to Highland Perthshire in search of a secret Goddess shrine... In search of a shrine Loch Lyon The first time I went searching for the Cailleach we had to turn back. I went with my Aunt in late April and the weather was favourable. We hadn’t realised how long it would take to drive along the windy roads of Glen Lyon, never mind the four hours walk along a rough track – there and back. Just over the midway point there is a ford to cross and of course, after a few days of rain, the usual trickle of water w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Spiral Journey: Neolithic Orkney

Image
It is a delight and honour to take part in the Monica Sjöö Curatorial winter artist in residence programme for Instagram. As part of the programme I will share my experiences, photography and illustrations while embarking on my own 'Spiral Journey' inspired by the writings and art of Monica Sjöö. Each journey is both physical and spiritual and encompasses pilgrimages to ancient and sacred sites in my home country of Scotland and further afield. This second spiral journey takes me north to an archipelago brimming with ancient magic... Sailing North   Pages from my travel journal The late afternoon ferry from Aberdeen arrives at Kirkwall just after 11pm. As it was late July however, the sky was not pitch black but a deep blue, the luminous sea reflecting the waxing moon. Great dark mounds of land rose out of the waters like giant sperm whales and my heart leapt with excitement on the realisation that I was sailing through an archipelago - it felt good to be exploring islands agai...
Post a Comment
Read more