Printmaking at the Ship of Fools Summer exhibition
I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to show some of my recent printmaking work alongside many other talented artists from Orkney and elsewhere at the 2025 Summer exhibition at the Ship of Fools gallery on Bridge Street in Kirkwall.
The exhibition preview is on Friday 9th of May from 5-7pm, with the opening proper the following day, Saturday 10th, at which many of the exhibiting artists will be present. All are welcome.
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The work I have on show (and for sale only through the gallery) in this exhibition is a series of lino-cut prints on the theme of Blackhammer, a house on Rousay which has had a number of colourful residents over the years. Blackhammer was immortalised in music by Jim Craigie (Jim o’ Deith.) He composed a fiddle tune called Maggie Watson’s Farewell to Blackhammer, allegedly to celebrate the departure of his neighbour (who by all accounts was not popular on the island). The house was also once home to artist Sheila Scott and her husband Jim, whose work can still be seen at Kirkwall airport.
I have recorded a version of Maggie Watson’s Farewell to Blackhammer myself, to accompany the visual artwork, which can be found on Bandcamp. You will have to forgive the amateur musicianship – my violin playing is very rusty.
A short video about the printmaking process and some of the inspiration behind the Blackhammer artwork can be found on YouTube (with a longer video on the printmaking process planned). This clip features former resident Michael Prater speaking about what it was like to live in such an isolated location on the “dark side” of Rousay.