Inspiration from Arran

Arran gives me great inspiration for my work.  As a wee boy I used to go my summer holidays to Arran every year with my mum, dad, older brothers and sometimes my grandparents.  I loved spending every day playing at the beach.  I still go to Arran each year but now I bring my family and do all the things I used to do as a wee boy.  We walk the beaches collecting shells, sea washed glass and lovely coloured pebbles.  My son made this Harmonies in Wood sign at the beach when we visited earlier this month.

Early sculptures

Some of my early sculptures I made back in the 1990s incorporated sea washed glass collected from the beaches in Arran. I loved the different colours of glass we would find and how smooth it was after being tumbled about the sea and sand.  I also collected nice smooth Peebles to use in my early discus sculptures.

My love of the seaside

I now get a lot of my ideas for my seascapes from the views looking out to sea or from the sea looking back into land. The rock formations on some of the beaches tell so many stories and how they have changed over the years due to the force of the sea. I really like looking at the different designs left in the sand as the tide goes out. The ripples created by the tide are amazing.   The run off from a small rock pool can also create a lovely carved detail through the damp sand.  I have recreated these ripple designs back into the wood in the form of carving.

Valley Sculpture

The very popular valley sculpture was inspired when driving from Lochranza back to Brodick. The view I saw driving been the two valleys was stunning and this view inspired me to create my Valley sculpture.

I hope that one day when my own family grows up that I could come back with their children and the love for Arran will continue on to yet another generation.

If you have never been to Arran, then it’s well worth a trip. It’s a great family holiday and it’s even better if you can see Arran in the sunshine but take your waterproofs just incase.