Heather moorlands speak to me

What have they taught me?

I retrained from performing arts to visual arts when I was 38. I will be 60 later this year and I have never regretted the switch. I was originally a dancer and my dancing legs were done by 38! I retrained at night school while holding down a full time job and being a co parent to 4 children. At the time I thought I might be a wee bit insane as tiredness took on a whole new level. Once my course was finished, I quit my well paid job and moved my family to a small Scottish island in search of a better life.

Soon into my new life I discovered the beautiful moorlands on the island covered with flowering heather. I am not sure I had ever seen something as beautiful as this and it was joyful to take it as a subject matter for my art. Originally I worked in textile art so painting fabric in the colours of the moorland was nothing short of joyful.

I quickly applied this work to a series of bowls and lampshades and experienced my first ever exhibition.

Since those days heather moorland has become my signature collection and I feel most at home when wandering around this beautiful landscape camera and sketchbook in hand. The diversity of wildlife that depend on these environments needs protecting. Butterflies, moths, money spiders bettles, craneflies, snakes and birds all rely on the humble heather plant at different times of the year. Sadly, heather moorlands have been in sharp decline due to overgrazing from sheep and deer, practices associated with game shooting and the planting of dense conifer plantations. Things are changing though as regeneration plans are well installed across the UK to restore these precious habitats.

Over the years my work has shifted around different landscapes but I always come back to the heather moorlands. In 2022 I was part of an island group of artists who studied the bronze age standing stones at Machrie Moor. It was the first time I had spent significant time on the moorlands during the winter and I couldn’t get over just how beautiful this landscape was in the depths of December.

It had a presence that said ‘I have been here for many many years and I am here to stay’. I took great comfort from that and my site visits inspired a whole collection of new work that I was really proud of. It occurs to me that perhaps the moorland is teaching me more than I realise? Over the years it has taught me about resilience and the power of protection. It has shown me that it is capable of supporting a huge variety of wildlife and more delicate plants. Above all, though, it has showed me the importance of continuity. In a fast moving and ever changing world I salute the humble heather plant and the moorlands it inhabits.