Past Art Exhibitions
Where the Bones of the Earth Shine Through | Patricia Niemann
"I was originally trained over 20 years ago in Germany as a goldsmith through a classic trade apprenticeship. Up to this very day - no matter how outlandish some of my pieces may look - I take meticulous craftsmanship very seriously. My workshop and showroom is set in Latheron, Caithness, and my main work is making one-off pieces of fine jewellery in gold, platinum, silver and gemstones.
But there is a wild side to me, a passion for large scale jewellery, for unusual textiles, hot glass and the human body. I am interested in human fears, and I never tire of translating and re-interpreting them into positive, decorative pieces that can be worn as body adornment. Current themes are the archaeology of death and burial and the concept of decay.
During the years that I have lived here, Caithness, it's archaeology and relentless weather has started to change my work. My colour choice became more muted - more in tune with the environment. This extraordinary landscape, the colours, the unusual light, wide open spaces and the effect of the harsh weather and the Sea on the land, people and human artefacts has altered my perception.
A big part of my work and passions has always been life drawing. My people seem fierce - only a moment is captured. I am not interested in correct proportions, but in expression - of hands, feet and faces. I work fast and vigorous. My lines have a male quality."
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At Achavanich Stone Circle near Lybster, charred human remains were found in the peat bog - I took glass flames to the site.
At Sarclet Bay these shapes became bristles - the rock surface looks like grey skin.
The Cairn of Get is a lonely open-cast burial mound - charred bones were unearthed there too - glass and Caithness stone bones are added to the Neolithic ones.
In barbed wire fences, black silage sheeting is caught ripping in the wind - and speaks textiles.
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"... where the bones of the earth shine through..."
Neil Gaiman, author of dark and humurous adult and childrens books and graphic novels, speaks of his love for the Far North of Scotland.
Artist and Designer Showcase| Shelagh Swanson
Shelagh Swanson, based in rural Caithness, creates works in mixed media and glass. Influenced by the surrounding environment, Swanson draws on memories of texture and colour to complete her abstract canvases and forms, each one depicting an emotional response to an experience of landscape. In these works Swanson deals with perceptions of depth, encouraging the viewer to look through her often strong lines of structure to an environment beyond, reminiscent of looking through the windows of a derelict building. Heavily influenced by the American Expressionists, Swanson enjoys the immediacy of painterly brushwork and emotive colour choice. This immediacy of process is in contrast to her work in Kilnformed Glass which provides the artist with an opportunity for further investigation of colour, texture and depth. The use of contrast, be that of colour, texture or process is a very important theme throughout Swanson's work, the challenge of taking these disparate elements and acheiving a siuitable balance in each piece, achieved so effectively in the natural environment that inspires her.
Swanson studied painting at Gray's School of Art before discovering kilnformed glass at North Land Creative Glass, Lybster in 2006, when she spent 5 months as Artist in Residence under the Scottish Arts Council pARTners scheme. Participation in further Glass Residencies, most notably spending three months at Broadfield House Glass Museum, West Midlands, in 2008, and several Masterclasses has strengthened her knowledge of and passion for the medium.