A Gathering

Artist residency 2019

In the late summer of 2019 I undertook an RSA Residencies for Scotland residency, walking through ten islands of the Outer Hebrides, from Vatersay to Lewis.

I walked the 156 miles of the Hebridean Way, from Vatersay to Stornoway, then spent two weeks in the studio at Taigh Chearsabhagh in Lochmaddy, North Uist, reflecting on my experience of the landscape, the architecture, flows of energy, time travel and memory.

During the two week walk, I became fascinated by the crofting architecture I came across and its relationship to social history and the threat of future sea level rises in these low-lying islands.  I was particularly captivated by the sheep fanks, stepping stones and carraidh (fish traps) made by countless crofters over the generations, especially after I was invited to join a gathering of sheep in North Uist by local crofter Alasdair MacDonald and his son Sam.

The second part of the residency was spent at Glasgow Print Studio, learning about the etching technique of aquatint from master printmaker Stuart Duffin with the intention of developing a series of new etchings. I made two small copper plate etchings, and was starting work on larger scale prints when Glasgow Print Studio was closed due to the lockdown restrictions of the Covid 19 pandemic. From then I began drawing at home, using just pen and paper. The exhibition A Gathering comprised 12 of pen and ink drawings and the 2 copper plate etchings.