On the edge

Last week I went to the opening of an exhibition in Ullapool at the Macphail Centre

"Fringe"

Textiles from the edge of civilisation

I went because earlier in the year I started a project with two women also from the Lochside with the intention of producing a piece of work - a wall hanging that would be put in the exhibition.

Unfortunately due to various other commitments we didn't actually get very far with our project.

The exhibition was of course excellent and such a high standard. Maybe it was just as well we didn't get finished with our offering!

The rabbit, on the edge looking in, was Jan Kilpatrick's contribution.

The women had interpreted the edge of civilization in many different ways. This piece, inspired by flotsam and jetsam washed ashore.

Netting, plastic carrier bags, pipes - our pollution found on the edge.

Our wall hanging, started, one cold winter morning in February with fire burning, cups of coffee and cake. It was to be the story of Culverts, and how without them there would be no road along the lochside, no community, and no little white houses perched along the  edge

 

 I sketched a culvert, some sheep, some water

 some rocks. It would have been a big wall hanging, starting at the culvert and following the burn (stream) down to the water's edge at the loch

I was interested at the exhibition to see the use of textiles for the rocks and water, the different textures and effects. There were some brilliant and innovative ideas.

Of course we should have carried on and finished our work but even here in the highlands the workload can be heavy and there are many distractions.

 Mr and Mrs Beach Bum from the edge of the seashore caught my eye. I was certain I'd seen them before, they reminded me of someone.

and then I remembered!

  Gill on a recent visit and Niels at Inverewe Garden.

Some people just cannot go into a National Trust shop without trying on the hats!

I'd say these two are on the edge!