Fertile Island 2
1998
Mixed Media on Board
36 x 30″
ENQUIRE
These islands are rarely visited by humans because of their inaccessibility, but most importantly they are not visited by sheep, and as such are ecological strongholds holds in a landscape that has been over grazed for centuries. These precious environments are inspirational places of learning pointing to what the land around could become once again if it was managed differently. The Shetland botanist Walter Scott swam out to most of these islands to document the plants, noting the different vegetation to the surrounding land of the lochs. My fertile island paintings were created against this backdrop of what could be described as a near monoculture where they have become sanctuaries protected from the forces around where the tree of life is still allowed to grow.
These islands stand out like beacons of hope in a landscape that has been stripped bare by sheep and the plants and trees have been left to grow in peace , however he symbolism in these paintings goes beyond issues of over grazing , and points to the notion of precious sanctuary , a place where nature can still grow in a world under environmental attack . Places of prayer, which like cathedrals or chapels have been set aside, reminding us that all ground is holy ground. Some of these islands have hidden under water cause ways that are presumably man made by dropping rocks in the water, reminding us that the ancient peoples have always used these islands as sanctuaries of safety , especially at times of danger.
These islands stand out like beacons of hope in a landscape that has been stripped bare by sheep and the plants and trees have been left to grow in peace , however he symbolism in these paintings goes beyond issues of over grazing , and points to the notion of precious sanctuary , a place where nature can still grow in a world under environmental attack . Places of prayer, which like cathedrals or chapels have been set aside, reminding us that all ground is holy ground. Some of these islands have hidden under water cause ways that are presumably man made by dropping rocks in the water, reminding us that the ancient peoples have always used these islands as sanctuaries of safety , especially at times of danger.