Isobel Gilchrist

I came up to Aberdeen as a young student from the Lowlands to attend Grays School of Art, leaving with a degree in Sculpture and Ceramics in 1976. With a young family it was to be many years before I took up art again, or any personal artistic endeavors. I moved to the countryside after college and made my life in rural Aberdeenshire, in particular, Strathdon and Glenbuchat. Going for long walks, forging a connection with nature were all part of the ‘good life’ I was seeking.

My experiences and involvement in the community (where I brought up my children and now see my grandchildren grow) influence my present work. It was to evolve and emerge from working on community art projects and exhibitions, in local services and education with all age groups. Inspiration also came from listening to local musicians and hearing fine stories: my gentle, elderly neighbour drawing me in to her hearth with tales of farming life, a glass of sherry and the ever present tick of her grandfather clock. The world she conjured up suggested to me a rich tapestry of people, landscape and time.