Over the weekend Fiona and I checked out the new annex building at the Strathnaver Museum. It was a great surprise to see a derelict wooden boat in the annex parking area - maybe awaiting work before becoming part of the museum collection. Today I did a couple of small watercolours (above) of the boat (below).
Over the past year I have been creating works that reflect the betrayal of the Scottish farmers in the Sutherland shire in the northern highlands. Farmers cleared-forced from their land to make way for capitalist enterprises; and forced to subsist on small crofts and forced to become fishermen even though most had never been to sea. Many went to sea in unsafe boats and many lost their lives.
A few images of my work follow.
How eerie to find a boat that seemed to have, for me anyway, a strong connection to those sad historical times and to my recent work.
what a lovely watercolour of an equally well-crafted boat ... I'm glad you took lots of shots of the details ...
ReplyDeleteand the shadow in the next-to-last image is just so perfectly right ... the rigging so realistic
What a powerful post! Fascinating to learn about the motivation and meaning behind your work. You paint too?! Hmmmm, so there’s nothing you can’t do?
ReplyDeleteNice paintings, Barry. Love the last boat on the wood!
ReplyDeleteHi LA, J and Anon - thanks for checking out the post and leaving a comment - hopefully I will get better at replying earlier. LA - the weathered look of the boat is delightful. J - I'm pleased I can bring a bit of the tragic history to the fore through my work. I'm not sure the watercolour - ink and watercolour is great but I was happy that it reflected the aged worn look of the boat. Anon - thanks - the last photo is of one of my pieces that will be in the Vessel exhibition. All - go well. B
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