RSA200 Erin McQuarrie and Ella Williams In Conversation

In this podcast, Sandy Wood, Head of Collections at the Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture (RSA) leads artists Erin McQuarrie and Ella Williams in a conversation about their work and their experiences in Orkney while taking part in the RSA Residencies for Scotland programme in 2024/5 and 2026 respectively.

Royal Scottish Academy Residencies for Scotland programme is supported by the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust and the RSA W. Gordon Smith & Jay Gordonsmith Trust. This podcast is part of RSA200: Celebrating Together commemorating the bicentenary of RSA.

Erin McQuarrie in the Wilhelmina Barns Graham Studio, Linkshouse, Birsay

 

Ella Williamsn in the Erlend Willamson Studio, Linkshouse, Birsay

Erin McQuarrie and Ella Williams In Conversation

Currently on display: Erin McQuarrie - The Scale of Things

Some notes regarding the conversation

Sailing egg shells:

You can read about the egg shell sailing trowies in Tom Muir ‘The Mermaid’s Bride and Other Orkney Folk Tales, 25th Anniversary Addition’, Orkney, Orcadian Ltd, 2023

Fowl from trees:

The Orcadian duck tree story is explained by Peter Marshall in ‘Storms Edge’, where the author outlines the contested origins of the story in the context of the tree illustration in the Carta Marina (1539), referenced here:

Peter Marshall, ‘Storms Edge’, London, Harper Collins, 2024, p21

A clipping detailing the origin of the barnacle goose as sprung from Orcadian trees can also be found in the folklore notes from the Ernest Walker Marwick Collection at the Orkney Library and Archive in Kirkwall, reference number D31/1/6/20. I believe that the extract Marwick has in his notes was in turn taken from John Gerards 1597 book ‘The Herball’- The Royal Collection Trust holds a copy of this from 1636- referenced here: 

 John Gerarde ‘The Herball, or, Generall historie of plantes’, ed. Thomas Johnson. London, Adam Islip, Joice Norton & Richard Whitakers (printers), 1636

Details about the book, can be found on the Royal Collection Trust website here:

 https://www.rct.uk/collection/1057467/the-herball-or-generall-historie-of-plantes

Margaret Tait diaries:

Margaret Tait’s dairies are held at the Orkney Library and Archive in Kirkwall, the collection is extensive and held under the reference D7. The diary referred to that contains a tomato chutney recipe is held under the reference number D97/27/2/1, and dates from 1985-6.

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Drawing Orkney with Laura Drever and Upside Downs Orkney

Read the second part of Laura Drever’s blog about the latest drawing workshop with Upside Downs Orkney

PART 2

Delivering workshops to participants from Upside Downs Orkney: a group for young people with Downs Syndrome and Inclusive Orkney - who support children with additional support needs and their families - has been fantastic for all involved. Each young person was accompanied by family members (parents/carers and/or siblings) allowing time for everyone to be creative, have fun and learn something new.

Over the course of the workshops a series of activities were delivered to ensure there was activity suitable for everybody. Each session was divided into 20 minute sections to allow time to reflect, learn new things, build confidence and encourage getting involved. Activity was tailored to ability which included observational drawing, mark making and using a selection of art materials

As well as creating individual artworks, the group were encouraged to contribute to a collaborative artwork which involved mapping out a journey. Everyone was invited to find where they lived on the map and draw the thing they love to see. Some drew a walk they enjoyed, while others took their pen on a journey to where they liked to visit. One of my favourites was the marks representing birds in flight from Stromness to Rousay.

Do you have a favourite detail?

Encouraging creativity and sharing ideas with participants has been very rewarding. When gathering feedback, it was wonderful to hear that activity allowed them to be “captured by drawing” and that it had “boosted confidence”. One parent commented that “given they have been assessed having a 20 minute attention span, they did really well”. It was a delight to hear from one peedie lass that “it’s a dream!”

PART 1

Delivering art workshops that encourage inclusivity, creativity and fun is an important part of my practice. 

The most recent series of workshops are underway. Working alongside participants from Upside Downs Orkney: a group for young people with Downs Syndrome and Inclusive Orkney: who support children with additional support needs and their families, has been fantastic for all involved. Activities have allowed for expressive mark making and imaginative thinking. Most notably, some time to relax and unwind, take a moment.

A participant commented before starting that "I can't draw". This is something we (artists) hear quite often when delivering workshops. I always explain that everyone can draw, in a workshop setting it is not about completing a picture-perfect finished artwork, it is about taking part and enjoying the process. With gentle encouragement the drawing created was full of colour, textures and felt like Orkney. 

Other group members spent time carefully looking at Groatie Buckies through magnifying glasses while drawing exercises were given with gentle instruction. I love how everyone was given the same materials and instruction but came up with different drawings. To me this is a great example of how we are all different and fabulous in our own way.

At the end of each session everyone was asked how they felt - happy to report everyone, including me, picked the sunshine! The next weekend of Drawing Orkney will be delivered in March 2024 and promises to be just as much fun.

Drawing Orkney was funded by the Youth Art Fund. The fund is a Creative Scotland fund administered by Youthlink Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government. Funding awarded to The Pier Arts Centre to deliver workshops locally.

 
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Upside Down's Art - Laura Drever

In this blog, Orkney artist Laura Drever talks about a series of workshops she delivered to Upside Down's Orkney. The project took place with support from the Pier Arts Centre through Creative Scotland Youth Arts Fund Small Grants Scheme.

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