Current Exhibition

 

Fabric of the Land        28th August - 4th October 2018

"Fabric of the Land” is a thrilling new collection of landscape-inspired work by North West Highland artists Jan Kilpatrick and Mairearad Green.

The raw wilderness of Assynt is a recurring theme in the rich textiles hand-printed and stitched by Jan Kilpatrick. This new work has an increased emphasis on the primitive print marks to be made using indigenous plants and minerals, making for imagery powerfully rooted in her sense of place. Mairearad says: “Jan has created a unique language of the land through her use of experimental textile techniques. I find layer upon layer of meaning in her work, which maps the journey of this land through deep time all the way to the present.”

Mairearad Green is an artist who embraces a range of creative mediums and this collection of paintings marks her emergence as a spirited and accomplished visual artist. Her West Coast heritage calls loud from these energetic, yet sensitive depictions of Coigach, Assynt and beyond. Jan says: “Mairearad’s intimate relationship with this rugged land, its moody seas and the huge windblown skies above makes for work that is full of expression and movement that both quicken and gladden the eye.”

This isn’t the first time that the two have collaborated – some of the songs on Mairearad’s “Summer Isles” album were co-written – and it certainly won’t be the last. 2019 will see them exhibit together again, alongside acclaimed Glasgow mural artist Chelsea Frew, in response to a residency at world-renowned Inverewe Gardens.

“Fabric of the Land” is on show at the Ceilidh Place, Ullapool (café and the Green Room) between the 28^th of August and the 4^th of October 2018.

www.jankilpatrick.co.uk                                        www.mairearadgreen.co.uk

 

The Fabric of the Land

 

With each year that I spend living my life in this rugged yet bountiful landscape I find that, in order to draw closer to the essence of the place, more and more am I using natural materials and simple methods in the mark-making and construction of my textile works.  I am now into my fifth year of experimenting with eco-printing, a skill worthy of an honours degree!  And so most days I have a witch's brew of plants and fabric simmering away in the oven of Ruby, my red Aga.  More recently, I have begun to make my own pigments for print-making, using the soft rocks found in and around my garden.  I am very excited by the influence of time, chance, climate and season on the results of these experiments and this is having a profound effect on my work.

And I feel that I am ready to pass on some of my new-found knowledge through the creation of a new course, to be launched in September 2018, called The Fabric of the Land. This has been fully-booked for almost a year now, so I have added next year's course details to my calendar, for those of you who missed out on it this year. The 2019 class is also nearly full, so if you are interested, best to book now!

So, join me in rolling back time and immersing yourself, or at least your hands, in the raw materials that make up the fabric of this land.

 

Open Studio 2018

Jan's Studio in Elphin is open to visitors between 11.00 am and 4.00 pm on the following days:

Wednesdays, between 2^nd May and 26^th September

except for the following Wednesdays:

23^rd May

6^th June

20^th June

4^th July

18^th July

5^th September

19^th September

Jan holds a collection of her larger works at her Studio. To arrange a private viewing please email Jan or telephone 01854 666279 to arrange a time.

Visit the Open Studio / Location  page for more details. 

 

 

Easy Eco-printing Course

 

Most of my recent textile work is full of the rich marks and subtle colours that are created through the magical process of eco-printing, whereby the colours, markings and shapes of plants are transferred directly onto cloth. It is a very subtle art, and so I have spent a lot of time over the last few years trying to perfect it. Now I feel I know enough to start sharing this hard-won knowledge through a new weekend course – Easy Eco-Printing. And this technique also plays a significant part in the week-long Fabric of the Land course too.

So, if you are interested to learn, have a look and then book! This year’s Fabric of the Land course filled up a year in advance, though, so don’t dally if you are keen.

 

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