Little Red

Having spent a lot of 2013 wishing I lived somewhere a bit more urban and frenetic, looking at the superb street photography of colleagues and peers with envy, I came to the decision at Hogmanay that:

a) Envy was a pointless, tiresome waste of time - I'm never going to move again (probably).

b) I should capitalise on the extraordinary environment I am very lucky to live in.

With this in mind, I began to think how I could use the breathtaking landscapes that surround our wee wooden house in a way that suited my passion for photographing people. And so the idea of the 'Little Red' project was born.  

The idea was to frame the landscape in a way that emphasised its sheer size, wild and remoteness by using a small figure captured in each frame, often gazing out to the land or lochs, or moving through the spaces. The winter in Argyll is a bleak and beautiful season, full of washed out, muted colours and often overcast skies. By dressing my figure in red she or he would be a distinct presence throughout the images - and the size of Little Red would emphasise also a sense of isolation in a vast space.

250 raw images later, which were distilled down to 45 and a final cherry pick of the 10 strongest images - here is Little Red:

If you would like a print of any of these or other images on the blog, please contact me at powanmedia@gmail.com for details on sizes and prices, and please feel free to post a comment! Feedback is always gratefully received - thanks for reading!!

Robert Stewart - An Argyll Artist

Described as 'one of the foremost British designers of the second half of the 20th century', Robert (Bob) Stewart was a prolific and immensely productive Argyll artist and designer, as well as Head of Textiles and Design at Glasgow School of Art. His work spans textiles, ceramics, graphics, fine art, murals, mosaics and tapestries - his output was extraordinary. 

Stunning 'Raimoult' fabric hanging in the Burgh Hall

A fraction of his extraordinarily diverse and beautiful output can be seen at a small but extensive exhibition at the Burgh Hall, Dunoon. Thanks to the hard work of curator Anne E. Ferguson,herself an artist and ex-student of Bob, this visually stunning exhibition has 'come home' to Cowal.  

Cushions made with Ardentinny (left) and Macrahanish (right) Linen Union fabrics

 The show is a treat for the eyes, with many references to Bob's love of his home environment in Cowal and Argyll, especially his striking textiles named after local places such as Kilmun or Glendaruel.

Anne E. Ferguson introduces Jimmy Cosgrove, a colleague and contemporary of
Robert Stewart who opened the exhibition

Small selection of Robert Stewart's ceramics

Running until 30th September you won't be disappointed if you pop in to have a look at one of Argyll's finest artists.

Detail from ceramic mural (1967), once displayed at the Douglas Academy
now needing a home!

More fabrics! (Top & left), Kilmun Linen Union, small 'Sun Man' cushion (right) &
'Striven' (front)