HALLO DAVID

MATT STALKER: Self-Directed Residency, 2016

 Everything is slower here. In these crannies of the mountains, the mode of supplying elemental needs is still slow, laborious, personal… There is a deep pervasive satisfaction in these simple acts. Whether you give it conscious thought or not, you are touching life, and something within you knows it.”  Nan Shepherd, ‘The Living Mountain’

 

Inshriach Bothy

The walk from the wood store to the axe’s haggar at the chopping block; the careful assembly of a rickle of broken fingers of kindling atop the reeshle of crushed newspaper, brought to fragile life by the flame of a single match, nursed until grown-up into a blaze enough to raise the rationed water from cold, to warm, to boiling. And then its almost ecclesiastical ministry to the coffee grounds, followed by the rich smoky smell, steam rolling over itself in ascension, the heat on the lips and tongue as the cup is drawn to the mouth, and then — finally — the taste.

Everything is slower here. And gratitude comes easily.

 

Glossary (with thanks to Nan)
Haggarclumsy hacking
Ricklea structure put loosely together, loose heap
Reeshlerustle

RIdley_BothyTable

  Ridley_LochSunset

There must be many exciting properties of matter that we cannot know because we have no way to know them. Yet, with what we have, what wealth!

Nan Shepherd, ‘The Living Mountain’

Loch an Eilein

Such quality of light I have seldom seen. The Sun dropping behind the Cairngorms casts colours across the sky that bring to mind peaches, gold bullion, candy floss, the aphrodisiac neon of the urban — things that have no place here amidst the timeless Scottish hues of brown earth, of white frost, of mustard yellow and mauve heather.

Standing at the edge of a loch standing like glass, reflection is a natural process. The mind is drawn into reverential silence. Sentinels of the water, we stand as quiet as the venerable Scots Firs rising up from the earth around us. We don’t speak. To utter a sound now is to heave a rock into the stillness, disturbing the way things are: just as they are.

At the far side of the water, the slightest of breezes ripples the surface, trembling the Rorschach reflections of the forest. Its fringes become animated — pixelated, deconstructed, forms dissolving in skittering morse code dashes and dots.

Time doesn’t mean anything here. Each moment extends out fluidly, soundlessly, peacefully, magically.

RIC WARREN & SCOTT BROTHERTON: Self-Directed Residency, 2015

The Bothy Sketchbook.  Normally working independently, Scott Brotherton (Lives and works in London) & Ric Warren (lives and works in Glasgow) are both visual artists who predominately exhibit sculptural works and are influenced by the materials, forms and experiences of our urban surroundings, distilled through minimalist artistic sensibilities.  Our collaborative residency at Inshraich Bothy (November 2015) focused on the production and processing of research though drawing and initiated a creative dialogue as we developed artworks for our exhibition ‘Greyfield’ at House for an Art Lover. The exhibition for Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art 2016 presented an installation of new architecturally responsive sculptural works that reflected on the urban environment from the vantage point of the rural landscape, exploring material, spatial and political tensions.

A collaborative collection of sketches, drawings, collages, photographs and experiments produced during the week-long residency were made in to ‘The Bothy Sketchbook’ publication (printed by Newspaper Club), the pages of which can be seen below. We are looking forward to undertaking a residency at Sweeny’s Bothy on Eigg in January 2017 to develop a new publication and bodies of work. More information about our individual practices can be found on our websites.

www.scott-brotherton.com

www.ricwarren.com

 

Pages from The Bothy Sketchbook

bothysketchbook_front_back bothysketchbook_pages-2_3 bothysketchbook_pages-4-5 bothysketchbook_pages-6-7 bothysketchbook_pages-8-9 bothysketchbook_pages-10-11 bothysketchbook_pages-12-13 bothysketchbook_pages-14-15 bothysketchbook_pages-16-17 bothysketchbook_pages-18-19 bothysketchbook_pages-20-21 bothysketchbook_pages-22-23 bothysketchbook_pages-24-25bothysketchbook_pages-26-27 bothysketchbook_pages-28-29 bothysketchbook_pages-30-31

 

Installation views of Scott Brotherton & Ric Warren: Greyfield (House for an Art Lover, Glasgow, 2016) 

01greyfield_install_shutter_down 02greyfield_install 03greyfield_composit

LISA BECKERS & MARLOES MEIJBURG: Self-Directed Residency, 2015

TIME EXPERIENCE: No clock…no forced Greenwich Time…but inner time experience which gave me concentration, enthusiasm and lucidity.

CHILDHOOD: Exploring the land, playing with soil, plants and light. Freedom, no boundaries, no property. Spending time as a kid.

PIGMENTS: Seize colours from the ground, catch them on camera, collect stones, plants and moss. In search for natural colors, deep and pure.

Marloes Meijburg

Meijburg-Beckers_Lisa and Marloes Bothy


                                       www.lisabeckers.nl / www.marloesmeijburg.com


Meijburg-Beckers_Moonlight


I’m standing in the night. The Moon is shining and the snow is lying as a blanket over the plants and trees, giving off a warm silent vibe. At first I’m a little bit anxious, standing there alone. I look around me and listen if I hear something. …Nothing… Then I realise there is no reason to be anxious and I feel a calmness come over me.

The Bothy is surrounded by small hills. It feels cosy, I almost forget it’s cold outside. I’m walking back to the cabin, where I can sit by the fire and dream on.

I’m slowing down. Everything is at ease.

Lisa Beckers


ANALOG DIARY

Meijburg-Beckers_GreenGarden

Meijburg-Beckers_stone Lisa

Meijburg-Beckers_Moonlight2Meijburg-Beckers_DeadBlackbird


-WELTRUSTEN LIEVE SNEEUW-

Meijburg-Beckers_Landscape Snow


-GOEDEMORGEN KLEUR-

Meijburg-Beckers_Cairn

Meijburg-Beckers_heather Lisa

Meijburg-Beckers_heather Lisa2

Meijburg-Beckers_Stoneshadow Lisa and MarloesMeijburg-Beckers_DeadDeer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meijburg-Beckers_Landscape Marloes

Meijburg-Beckers_River near Bothy

Meijburg-Beckers_Landscape near Bothy

Meijburg-Beckers_Sunrise


PROJECT MARLOES

I’ve collected soil during long walks, looking for the right colour and texture.  In the Bothy I dedicated my time to make my own pigments with it. With these pigments I’ve made my own paint. My time in Inshriach gave me the opportunity to be outdoors for long hikes and to collect the mood of the forest.

Meijburg-Beckers_Marloes collecting pigments
Meijburg-Beckers_work and moss Marloes

Meijburg-Beckers_Work pigments Marloes

Meijburg-Beckers_textandpigmentsMarloesMeijburg-Beckers_Pigments soil Marloes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


PROJECT LISA

My idea for my Artist’s Residency at the Bothy was a research into colour. I normally focus on shapes, but since I’ve started using pigments I’ve begun to realize how important colour is. I duplicated some colours of the Scottish nature as accurate as possible and explored different colour combinations at the Bothy location.

My eyes were constantly drawn to the different shades of colours in the faded and dead heather plants. Or fascinated by grass turning into a greenish blue because it’s lying in the water.

Meijburg-Beckers_Colour 4 Lisa

Meijburg-Beckers_colour 2 Lisa

Meijburg-Beckers_Colour 14 Lisa

Meijburg-Beckers_Colour 13 Lisa

Meijburg-Beckers_Colour 12 Lisa

Meijburg-Beckers_Colour 6 Lisa

Meijburg-Beckers_Colour 10 Lisa

Meijburg-Beckers_Colourstudy Lisa


Because of a mutual fascination for nature and the use of natural paints a spontaneous cooperation developed between Lisa and Marloes.

Fascinated by organic forms, Lisa is seeking details that are reflections of the overall.

In search for emptiness, away from turbulence, Marloes is searching for the essence of raw landscapes. What keeps her busy is the question of how nature provides calm and refuge in a stressed society.

Want to see more? www.lisabeckers.nl / www.marloesmeijburg.com

 

One week after our return to the Netherlands we were selected to take part in a artist in residence in Amsterdam, in which we were interviewed and filmed by the national art and music radio program ‘Opiumop4’. During this week we had the opportunity to develop our projects started in the Bothy. In the following link you can see our process.

http://www.radio4.nl/opiumop4/thema/3/de_toren_kamer/98/lisa-beckers-en-marloes-meijburg

LENA VURMA & THOR KLEIN: Self-Directed Residency, 2015

Thank you Bothy Project! Thanks especially to Rachel & Bobby and Nicole & Matt. Two filmmakers with no electricity going back to the roots of storytelling – what a wonderful & unforgettable time!

 

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
motto of the week
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAstorytelling by the fire
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
long walks every day

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAthe tale of the tree

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
magic forest
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
friends
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
my favorite tree
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
his favorite tree
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
chop chop
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
singing in the rain
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
moon on earth
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
7 nights without electricity
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
the view from the throne
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
after the flood comes the snow
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
love to the bothy

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

 

 

RICHARD ELLIOT: Self-Directed Residency, 2014

hut
hut
lichen acrylic on paper A4
lichen acrylic on paper A4
richard_elliott
tree light

 

richard_elliott
forest hut

 

 

richard_elliott
pipe moment

 

view from hut acrylic on paper A4
view from hut (fog) acrylic on paper A4
bird feeder
bird feeder
penknife
penknife

 

view from hut acrylic on paper A4
view from hut acrylic on paper A4
coffee
coffee time
rainbow
rainbow
lichen acrylic on paper A4
lichen acrylic on paper A4
tree
tree light
morning Inshriach hs
morning Inshriach house
view from hut acrylic on paper A4
view from hut acrylic on paper A4
trees
tree light
 hut acrylic on paper A4
hut (fog) acrylic on paper A4
Inshriach_hse
Inshriach_house morning
frost
frost
view from hut acrylic on paper A4
lichen acrylic on paper A4
tree cutting
logging
view from hut acrylic on paper A4
forest acrylic on paper A4
fern
painted fern
mud
4 days of boot mud objects
mud
sunday and saturdays boot mud objects
trees
tree light
river acrylic on paper A4
river acrylic on paper A4

 

morning
morning
light
tree lght
tree light
tree light
waterbutt
waterbutt
, acrylic on paper
river, acrylic on paper
drying work
drying work
hut
hut
hut and me
trees
tree light
hut
hut
acrylic on paper A4
one tree acrylic on paper A4

 

mould
tree mould
view from hut acrylic on paper A4
hut acrylic on paper A4
studio
studio
mud
logging tracks
hut
hut night
loch
loch

 

 

 

 

Morag and I
Morag and me

 

Images taken in my too short a stay in this beautiful place,  look forward to posting new work, based on my time here.

Many thanks to Bobby, Walter, Morag and Spook.

www.richardelliott.co

LESLEY PUNTON: Self-Directed Residency, 2014

Stilled life with moving trees. I arrived during a week of gales. The Cairngorms are windy at the best of times, yet I’m accustomed to being on the brittle granite plateau where the combination of altitude and the persistence of the wind creates a sub arctic landscape, a place where plants hug the land tightly. However because of the wind’s excessive force and unpredictable cloud level, the snow covered plateau became, in essence, out of bounds.

bothy 2b
Inshriach Bothy

 

inshriach forest

 

arrival at Inshriach

I found myself walking in the lower areas of the Cairngorms, along the passes, up into the more modest hills adjacent to the plateau, to hidden lochans, and into the forests – Inshriach and Rothiemurchus, generally less familiar territory for me since I usually seek out high places.

The trees became the most dominant part of my experience. Sat in an elevated hollow, surrounded by a wood of silver birch interspersed with dwarf juniper, the bothy is quite protected and sheltered. Unless you know it’s there, or happen to walk close along the trail, you’d probably be oblivious to its very existence. I spent a good deal of time watching the trees and their movement, and listening to their sound, mixed in with the white noise of the River Spey which flowed in spate and flood nearby.

birch, pine, heather, juniper,

I came with a loose idea of some work I could make, thinking that a plan would be wise, but soon abandoned it, and learned to leave preconceived notions well alone, and simply be with the place. Nan Shepherd’s short text, the living mountain guided me well in this sense, (and, struck by it’s notable absence on the bothy’s bookshelves, I popped out to Aviemore to buy a copy to leave as a gift).

The work didn’t come, but the time to think, and reassess aspects of my life and practice did, and I felt the repercussions of the trip perhaps more clearly once I returned home. I needed the time away, the space to be undisturbed by modern distractions such as the compulsion to check email. Technology has become particularly invasive and guilty of imposing a syncopated rhythm to lives that could be led more simply.

As someone who has always loved solitude, I don’t think I’d appreciated how difficult complete solitude really is however, (thank goodness for a battery powered radio playing Radio 4!). Inshriach can be a quiet place, but on reading the bothy book, it’s clear that for most people, residencies here are anything but solitary, and spur on collaboration.

An Lochan Uaine through Caledonian pine
An Lochan Uaine through Caledonian pine
in the summit shelter cairn of Meall a' Bhuachaille
in the summit shelter cairn of Meall a’ Bhuachaille

But the motion of walking is an antidote to too much solitary sitting and thinking, and a journey to the Lochan Uaine, an outrageously bright green lochan nestled amongst the Caledonian pine trees of the Ryvoan Pass, became like a visit to an old, dear friend. Onwards to Ryvoan, and some shelter from the wind for lunch, I made a spur of the moment decision to climb Meall a’ Bhuachaille, and despite ferocious winds which made standing near the summit difficult, the addictive lure of a vista, of expansiveness, and of physical exertion made it worth while.

map of the Cairngorms and Rothiemurchus

Back in the environs of the bothy, life settles into a regular rhythm.

Wake up, go to the loo (a composting loo a hundred yards from the bothy), light wood stove, place large urn of water on stove to heat, go back to bed and read or listen to radio until bothy warms up, put the kettle on the trangia (I cheated and cooked on a combination of the wood stove and my trusty Trangia 27), have breakfast, shower (deliciously) outside with the water previously heated on the stove, dress, collect wood from the bottom of the hill in rucksack, re-fill the tea urn with water from the Spey, rest of day is for leisure – reading, writing, drawing, walking, eating,.. At nightfall, light candles, last wood on the stove at 6pm(ish) so that the bed platform isn’t too warm later, retire to bed around 9 or 10, …etc.

On my last morning, I wake up to snow, the landscape again transformed. After a hot outdoor shower, with the snow still falling, I pack my things, then make the couple of trips back to the car parked almost a mile down the trail, food supplies diminished, and my load lighter than when I arrived. The weight of the city had also been lifted, and I’m reminded (if I ever really need such a thing) that part of me needs to be in the wild. I anticipate being reunited with my 3 year old son, so the departure isn’t unwelcome in the way it would have been years ago, but the bothy, a perfectly formed small space packed with all the essentials for good living, sends me on my way, nourished, and replete.

the bothy at dusk
the bothy at dusk
nautical twilight
nautical twilight
book found in the bothy library
book found in the bothy library
punton inshriach sun dog b
a sun dog through the birch trees
the view north
the view north

For further information This link here takes you to some video documentation of my residency on Vimeo. My website is at http://lesleypunton.com/  and blog at http://lesleypunton.blogspot.co.uk/

With thanks to Walter Micklethwait and everyone at Inshriach, and to Bobby Niven of The Bothy Project
all images L Punton, 2014