News

Bridge House Art Portfolio Class, the 1st visual arts users of the new building

'As we write this all of us Portfolio Preparation students are mounting up work ready for our exhibition, and for our Art School applications.

We started at the end of November just four of us full-timers, joined on certain days by Spencer and Jenny from Gairloch High and Alice and Rosie from Ullapool. The normal 7 week first half of the course had had to be shrunk to only 3 and so we did an extremely concentrated pre Christmas stint, finishing with a life drawing week. Our stalwart models Pat and Cathy sat for us in the wintry conditions of the old building.

When we started again in the New Year, Georgia, Frances and Jane joined us. The old 'an talla solais' building, now demonstrably on its last legs, was a cold and damp setting for a week spent printing, which we all enjoyed very much, although swathed in blankets. The walls were too wet by this time to put the finished work up. We then spent another week life painting, using oils this time, a new experience for most of us.

The life week was the final section of the taught part of the course and for the past 5 weeks we have been working on our personal projects.

We also moved buildings! This was comparatively easy as we benefited from the hard work of the 'an talla solais' volunteers. So we're now in two rooms instead of one and are comfortably warm and dry.

We've all got an enormous amount from the course, and it's all due to Eleanor's boundless energy and huge skill in teaching. We are all soon to go off in our various directions, but we'll never forget 'an talla solais'.'

Pamela Granville.

Our school pupils from Ullapool, Gairloch, Golspie, Kinlochbervie and Granton-on-Spey, are very fortunate to have the experience of an excellent mini college course, tutored by Eleanor White and other local specialists from the area. They can enjoy the experience of being out of school and embarking on the adult world, while also having the security of a home from home, under Eleanor's care. Bridge House Art has a particularly good record of successful applicants gaining place to all scottish colleges.

Ullapool benefits greatly in many ways from this facility created by Bridge House Art. Not only are we allowed to see the results in a very interesting final show, but many of the students come from elsewhere, to live in Ullapool during the two terms. This brings good business to the village, in terms of accommodation requirements, as well as the students using restaurants, shops, and leisure facilities, all at a time of year that is normally very quiet for those involved in the business of tourism. We will welcome Bridge House Art to an talla solais, for any course Eleanor wants to run here, if the premises are available

The Portfolio Exhibition

The display of the resulting work from Bridge House Portfolio Course, was our first exhibition in the new building. 103 people attended the opening on the first evening The show ran for a week and was tremendously successful in terms of looking stunning and drawing a record number of visitors in the short time it was available.

It was a lovely show, spread over 3 rooms and a hallway, the large working studio being converted quickly with its second coat of paint, to become a gallery room.

It is interesting that all the extra space we have acquired, has been put to use at once and while not overflowing yet, we have certainly found a need for all the rooms. It was good too, to see work displayed in different spaces, and while the beautiful height and light of the old library building are no longer available to us, there are compensations in having the variety of spaces as well as more of them.

Japanese Visit

We were very pleased to be asked to be hosts to a contingent of Japanese visitors from the Island of Hokkaido in northern Japan. The group came over to Scotland to study an area which had undergone regeneration and Ullapool was chosen as a good example. Hokkaido had gone though a period of dispersal of population from the rural areas to the major cities, and these visitors looked to Ullapool to see how this village had grown and prospered in recent times.

Lindsay Campbell brought the visitors to us as an example of successful enterprise. It was very rewarding that the visitors stayed for a couple of hours, looking over our current exhibition, being shown the individual studios by the artists who are working there, and then having a sit down talk with all the committee members who were present. We were videoed during all of this visit, and strangely, it was not art all disconcerting! We remembered to photograph our guests just as they were leaving!! It was especially rewarding that the professors chose to become members of our association and they will be sent our Newsletter by email. We understand that the group went on after lunch at the Ceilidh Place to visit other Ullapool successes in the village.

Japanese Visitors, Professors Wahei Ishi, Tsukasa Uchida, Yoshihero Kubota from Sapporo Gakuin University in Hokkaido and Lindsay Campbell (centre) from Highland and Islands Enterprise, visit us feb 08

Ceramics at an talla solais

an talla solais will host a small series of hand-building ceramics night classes on the 11th and 18th March which will culminate in a day's Raku firing on the 29th led by Allison Weightman.

'It is hoped, that with enough interest, this will become a regular occurrence with specialists in all aspects of the subject offering their skills to the Community.

an talla solais has recognised the demise of the subject from Art colleges across Britain and especially in Scotland. In the past 12 years Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh Art colleges have all closed their departments leaving Glasgow as the last college to offer a degree course. It has been reported that Glasgow are now considering closing their department also. The reason being that there are not enough applicants for the course.

In some ways it is hard to believe this as my experience of being in the last year of the Edinburgh College of Art course (which was their biggest year group in some time) The atmosphere amongst students was that of 'great loss'. I wonder on reflection of the experience whether the problem lies in the first year (perhaps there is not enough encouragement to take up the subject) and/or whether the cost of running a Ceramic department has a huge influence on whether the subject should remain in Art Schools. Maybe my opinions are somewhat biased…I am passionate about clay.

This medium is valuable and it is a sad day that people will not be able to study the subject at the high levels of skill and technique that Art Colleges provide.

an talla solais has committed itself to designating 2 rooms in their new building to ceramics (and glass working) , one of which will house the kilns. This facility will be an asset not only to ATS and Ullapool, but also to the wider community, offering specialist courses and potentially the hire of the facility to potters who want to come and work for short spells in the Highlands.

We do not believe that Ceramics deserve the same fate as the dinosaurs!!! '

Allison Weightman

Ceramic Course led by Allison Weightman

Learn the skills of Handbuilding Ceramics and Raku Firing.
Tuesday 11th March 7pm-9.30pm
Tuesday 18th March 7pm-9.30pm
Raku firing day of work Saturday 29th March 10am-4pm
£35 for full course, plus materials used.
Please call Allison on 0154 655310 or mobile 07767447446
for further information and enrolment.

All classes in an talla solais

These courses are part funded by Highland Council