Category: Meet the Makers
-
Meet the maker: Tiree Tea
Meet Tiree Tea, the small island tea company blending Crofter, Machair and Wonky teas in the Isle of Tiree, with plastic-free teabags posted from the croft.
-
Rowan Glen – Sea Tea, Kerrera
Rowan’s travels have taken her through a Conservation Biology degree at Aberdeen, a Journalism Post-graduate course in Glasgow, an illustration course and, most recently, a Horticulture course at Oban Argyll College.
-
Corinna Krause – Sollas Bookbinding, North Uist
By Julia Welstead As I park alongside a sleek woodclad house, home to Sollas Bookbinding, a woman flits past the window, ushering me in with a welcoming wave. I walk into a familiarly busy kitchen scene: children, puppy, baking, washing, breakfast, homework, games, projects, ringing telephones….all ably orchestrated and overseen by the woman I have
-
Julie & Steve Olley – Croft 36, Harris
By Julia Welstead I’m in croft heaven. Twice-my-height willows sway and flex in the breeze all around me, thriving on fertile coastal ground knee deep with grasses and sedges, buttercups and rushes, marsh marigold and silverweed. Veggie patches and fruit bushes blend into this biodiverse haven, organic in every sense. A polytunnel crammed with burgeoning
-
Eilidh Carr – Photographer & Coralbox owner, Berneray
By Julia Welstead Eilidh Carr remembers playing ‘shop’ as a kid, so setting up shop for real in her home island of Berneray came naturally to this enterprising and talented artist. Having studied photography at Aberdeen University, Eilidh chose to move home in 2015 to pursue her art in the inspiring land, sea and sky
-
Emma MacKenzie – Weave-art, Lewis
by Julia Welstead Like so many island makers I am meeting, Emma MacKenzie is a multi-tasker extraordinaire. Her love of textiles began with spinning and dyeing, felting and sewing, all skills taught to her by the Barvas wool and spinning group. From this she has developed her own unique style of collage to produce stunning
-
Tina MacPhail, Grinneabhat Community Hub, Lewis
By Julia Welstead In a fate sadly common to many rural primary schools, Bragar school closed in 2012. Having opened in 1878 and with a peak role-call of 200 children, it was a sad day when the area lost its school and the building lost its purpose. The good news is that Bragar community rallied
-
Heike Winter – Mustheb, Harris
By Julia Welstead “Fortune or luck is my theme” Heike of Mustheb tells me as we settle in for a blether in her wonderfully warm and aromatic kitchen. I would liken this room, the heart of her mustard making adventure, to any artist’s studio or chemist’s laboratory. It’s a hub of creative experiment. Heike’s fortune,
-
Pauline Prior-Pitt – Poet & painter, North Uist
By Julia Welstead We talk from the get go, from the gate, ‘sorry it’s closed, the sheep get in to the garden otherwise’ to the kitchen, ‘would you like soup?’ I arrive at 12.45, leave at 15.45. As I’m walking away from her shed, `a moment of guilt, wonderment, humour, passes between us – have
-
Kirsty O’Connor – Artist-maker, Berneray
by Julia Welstead I initially find out about Kirsty O’Connor through a Tiree friend who attended UHI (University of Highlands and Islands) art college at Taigh Chearsabhagh in Lochmaddy. I’ve already passed through the Isle of Berneray on my Outer Isles odyssey, but I’m more than happy to re-trace my steps for such a fascinating
-
Rebecca Hutton – Weaver, Harris
by Julia Welstead I’m told to look out for a shed in the garden behind a white house, and it takes a couple of passes and a conversation with her father for me to find Rebecca Hutton at her loom. Her shed, in reality only just big enough space for her Hattersley mark 2 loom,
-
Margaret Anne Elder – Herring Girl Collection, Barra
By Julia Welstead Knitting is a skill often learned from a grandparent, with perhaps more time on their hands than a busy parent. For Margaret Anne Elder, learning to knit at her Granny’s knee became the inspiration for her Herring Girl Collection and Granny’s intricately knitted jumpers are the source of the many traditional patterns
-
Cally Yeatman – Artist, North Uist
by Julia Welstead The day I’m due to meet Cally Yeatman she is still testing positive for Covid-19. I ring her to rearrange, and an hour later we are still on the phone, having naturally talked our way through most of what I might have asked in an interview. I still hope to meet this
-
Mhairi Law – Island Darkroom, Lewis
by Julia Welstead I’m not really supposed to be here, but my sister asked me to drop in on Island Darkroom, as she’s interested in coming on a workshop here. So my plan is to blend in with the shop visitors and not announce myself as a journalist interviewing makers, but as I park I
-
Maria Rowan
Maria Rowan, Rowanberry Bute designs and sells knitwear accessories and lives and works in the beautiful island of Bute. She specialises in gorgeous hats, socks and gloves. We spoke to her about what inspires her to create such lovely products and what aspects of island life mean the most to her. Bute is a constant
-
Rosalind Jewell
For the latest Meet the Islander blog we have travelled to the Isle of Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides to meet Rosalind Jewell. Rosalind is an artist who specialises in paintings of landscapes, places of interest, as well as greetings cards and postcards she also does glass engraving. A Sense of People and Place We
-
Sheila Hankin
Last week I paid a visit to Sandness in the West Mainland of Shetland to visit Sheila Hankin from SHetland by Sheila Hankin. Sandness is about as far a drive from Unst you can possibly do in Shetland! The highlight of the drive, apart from the amazing scenery and the beautifully coloured Shetland sheep that
-
Ruth Brough
We’re heading up to Sanday in Orkney to meet fused glass artist Ruth Brough. Ruth makes a range of Orkney inspired fused glass pendants, coasters and sun catchers. She lives and works in lovey island of Sanday which is one of the northern Orkney Isles. She lives on her family beef cattle and sheep farm
-
Michelle Seviour
We are heading to the Isle of Skye to meet the islander – Michelle Seviour of Indigo Berry. Michelle is passionate about designing and creating unique and affordable jewellery. Each piece of Indigo Berry jewellery offers an emotional connection to the landscape and culture of the Isle of Skye. As well as incorporating the alchemy
-
Libby Galli
by Julia Welstead Eigg felt like home On a wild March day of wind, rain, hail and sun, I walk through Cleadale, the northerly township of the Isle of Eigg, to the house of felt artist Libby Galli. As I reach the gate, adorned with an arch of driftwood, her partner Charlie comes bowling out,
-
Marion Miller
Marion Miller lives and works on her business Marion Miller Jewellery in Orkney. She is passionate about the natural world and that comes through in her beautiful jewellery designs. ‘The sea and shore never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Shapes in the sand, the outline of waves, beach finds, patterns on rocks and shells
-
Mairi M Martin
We are heading up to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides to meet photographer, Mairi M Martin. Her stunning Outer Hebrides landscape photography beautifully captures the mood and atmosphere of these wonderful islands. Mairi has spent 40 years capturing stunning images of her island home, first in film and then digitally. She works
-
Sarah Kay
We’ve headed up to Scalloway in Shetland to meet Sarah Kay of Sarah Kay Arts to see what a typical day is like for her and what inspires her to run her small island business. Sarah is a resin artwork and jewellery maker and designer. She lives and works in Scalloway where her studio overlooks
-
Ruth Slater
Ruth is a contemporary illustrator from the Isle of Bute. Her work features pen and ink drawings of animals, places and nature and she turns these fantastic illustrations into products, including fine bone china mugs, coasters, prints and cards, which can all be found on her isle20 shop. We asked her about what inspires her and about life
-
Jane and Paul – JP Orkney
Today we’re meeting Paul and Jane of JP Orkney who make gorgeous hampers packed full with delicious jams, chutneys, sauces, brownies, tablet and fudge made in their Birsay kitchen in the lovely Orkney Isles. Paul and Jane love working with seasonal and local ingredients and try coming up with new twists on classic products. Have
-
Coleen Thomson
Coleen Thomson – Yala Jewellery Shetland is a jewellery designer from the island of Yell in Shetland. Coleen creates a range of silver pieces individually made bangles and rings, every one unique. She also has some pieces cast in sliver too, check out the Shetland sheep and crofthooses. If you have ever visited Yell you’ll
-
Heather Macleod
Heather and her husband Les live and work in the beautiful island of Arran. Heather is an artist painting on silk and oil on canvas. She also works with other textiles, eco-printing and shibori dyeing. Les makes beautiful scented candles. As well as being an artist Heather is a musician which challenges her focus of