GMB exhibition in Stromness Museum

GMB NEWS
www.georgemackaybrown.co.uk 2006

St Magnus Festival 2006
GMB Events Reviewed

A CALENDAR OF KINGS Twelve textile art pieces depicting George Mackay Brown’s poem ‘A Calendar of Kings’ After reading some of George Mackay Brown’s work whilst on an exciting teaching trip to Orkney last year Pat Archibald, who is an accomplished textile artist and teacher, decided to use one of his poems, ‘A Calendar of Kings’ as inspiration for her classes. Using textiles as a medium, each of Pat’s students, at Delta Studios, Larbert, Stirlingshire, picked a verse, worked through a design process and interpreted the verse in an innovative and stunning way. The resulting twelve pieces of work not only depict the poem, ‘The Calendar of Kings’ but also form a personal creative journey for each textile artist. More information about classes, courses and studio events can be found on www.patarchibald.com. Patricia Archibald, Textile Artist, Delta Studios, Lochlands Business Park, Larbert, FK5 3NS Note: The exhibition will tour with Grosvenor Exhibitions in 2007. The pieces will be at Quilt Exhibitions in Ardingly 2 - 4 Feb, Ingliston 23-25 Feb, Exeter 9-11 March, Chilford 16-18 March, and Harrogate to be confirmed. Please contact Pat for further information.	A Calendar of Kings They endured a season Of ice and silver swans. Delicately the horses Grazed among the snowdrops. They traded for fish, wind Fell upon crested waters. Along their track Daffodils lit a thousand tapers. They slept among dews. A dawn lark broke their dream. For them, at solstice The chalice of the sun spilled over. The star was lost. They rode between burnished hills. A fiddle at a fair Compelled the feet of harvesters. A glim on their darkling road. The star! It was their star. In a sea village Children brought apples to the horses. They lit fires By the carved stones of the dead. A midwinter inn. Here they unload their treasures. GMB from 'Following a Lark' 1996 and 'The Collected Poems' 2005
5 They slept among dews. A dawn lark broke their dream. *The Dream* Energised and enriched from a restful sleep and a dream that united them in their quest to move onwards towards their common goal, the lark alerted them to the new day and the next phase of their journey. The stitching lines in the left represent the delta brain waves of the deep dream state and on the right the beta brain patterns of the alert, awake state. Pat Archibald
	6 *For them at solstice* *The chalice of the sun spilled over.* *Solstice* In this piece, I wanted the sun to be dominant. It is June and the sun is at its zenith with its glory spilling down upon Earth. I used a variety of gold and metallic threads to convey this opulence. I felt I could not exclude the kings from the piece because they are so central to the poem. I have included them in the foreground on their journey to Bethlehem. Mary Lambie
7 Their star was lost. They rode between burnished hills. *Burnished Hills* My verse has few visual clues to inspire a design, so I based it on the feelings engendered. At this stage in their journey I felt the Kings would need inward vision to over-ride their despondency at losing their star, and to reach their goal. The design shows a ray of hope coming through, culminating at a point in the sky where the star will soon return to guide them. The quilt is made with silk fabrics to emphasise the burnishing light on the gently undulating hills. Bron Ellis
	11 They lit fires *By the carved stones of the dead.* *Choices* Perhaps, nearing the end of the journey, their tired and weary bodies would be slowing down. In contrast, their thoughts would probably be in overdrive. As they settled by their campfires at night they may have had feelings of anticipation, hope, excitement, apprehension or uncertainty. Would they continue on the straight and narrow path leading to peace and fulfilment or would they be tempted along the way ending their journey on a downward, dangerous path? Theresa Hebden
12 A midwinter inn. Here they unload the treasures. *Contentment* My design had to symbolize the last verse in the poem and my initial inspiration came from a picture postcard depicting a “midsummer moon-rise” over Orkney. Its colours were natural and dramatic and I chose to use them. They were contained in simple geometric shapes, with three moons as gold, frankincense and myrrh, three standing stones as the Magi and a star in the distance as the midwinter inn. Karyl Teenan