Town hall art show canvass ed many visitors
Staff at Campbeltown Town Hall hung paintings not stockings at its first ever art show in the week before Christmas. A triptych by Campbeltown artist Anne Cousin was particularly poignant commemorating the sinking of Her Majesty’s yacht HMY Iolaire off Lewis 100 years ago. From Hogmanay onwards the Cousin family joined dignitaries including Prince Charles in Stornoway to remember the sinking on January 1 1919. In a note about the painting Mrs Cousin said: ‘This triptych titled ‘An Ataireachd Bhuan’ The Ceaseless Surge of the Sea has been painted in memory of my uncle John MacLeod of Uigen on the Isle of Lewis.’
Elder
John MacLeod (Seocan a’Ghobha) of the Royal Naval Reserve, was lost aged 20. He was the elder brother of Murdo MacLeod, a former school master of Southend School. Mrs Cousin added: ‘He, along with 200 others returning after serving their country in World War One, was tragically drowned in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1919 when the motor yacht HMY Iolaire was dashed on the rocks within sight of Stornoway harbour.’ Campbeltown Town Hall manager Zena Coffield displayed dolls house miniatures. Ms Coffield is described as a dolls house artisan and her work has featured in Dolls House World magazine and at the Miniatura International Dolls House Fair.
Miniature
Her specialties are miniature printed kits and unique hand crafted clothing for dolls house collectors and enthusiasts. Ms Coffield’s display was a 1/12th scale dolls house department store where one inch is equal to one foot. The exhibition ran for five days from December 17 to 22.