Fran Brady
Fran has published four novels for adults: The Ball Game, A Good Time for Miracles, Eleanor’s Journey and The Ghost of Erraid – as well as a children’s book, The Honeysuckle Bird Cafe. She is currently working on her fifth novel, has published two anthologies with her faithwriting group, The Loch Lights, and maintains a lively website with a children’s serial, short stories, poems and a blog. You can find it at www.franbrady.com.
Fran is also editor of the quarterly magazine of the Scottish Fellowship of Christian Writers which can be found at
Jeni Bump
Jeni lives in the Highlands, and her style is wide-ranging, including abstract painting, painting based on dreams and latterly, portraits. Her chosen medium is acrylic paint on canvas. “I want my art to connect to the viewer and let them explore and reflect. What is their perspective and what do they see, feel and think?”
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/jeni-bump.html (purchasing her work)
https://www.whitespiritarts.co.uk/jeni-bump (White Spirit Arts exhibit some of her work)
You can also find her on Facebook as ‘Jeni Bump Artist’
Liz Crichton
Liz is an artist whose works seek to challenge commonly held perceptions, presenting an alternative perspective on everyday objects and images. Inspiration comes from her surroundings – the environment, the people she encounters, and her own spiritual journey. Working with a variety of media and in participation with the public, her work often contrasts the power of the natural elements with the fragility and temporary nature of life and the futility of human endeavours and seeks to inspire others to step out beyond what they know for certain.
http://www.revelationarts.org.uk
Jacob and Melina Daniels
Jacob and Melina (“Lina Lav”) work together in their multi-tiered creative business, Overflow Studios, from North Carolina; their work encompasses fine art, ceramics and design. On our audio guide, Melina tells the story of the Ascension picture (Imago Dei) which is one of the door banners in this exhibition. They have also used art as therapy – providing creative resources to communities that have experienced trauma in order to help them express their feelings through art, in a healing way. They developed Overflow Studios out of the notion that “your fullness can only be measured by your overflow. Creativity is not reserved for the deep thinkers, right brained, or the free spirits. Creativity is a way of life, and should be accessed and celebrated throughout the most extravagant and mundane rhythms of one’s day. We create because we were made by the Creator. We hope that our work not only connects to your personal story but also inspires you to create spontaneously, intentionally and out of your overflow.”
http://www.overflowstudios.org
Lou Davis
Lou is an artist and printmaker based in Edinburgh; she runs classes in letterpress and linocut under the name ‘Dot and the Line’, and is currently studying for a PhD in printmaking as a spiritual practice. A performance poet, community artist and Methodist Venture FX Pioneer, she also runs a Forest Church “Soil and Soul”, and currently has a print exhibited in the national Chaiya art prize exhibition in London.
http://www.dotandtheline.co.uk
Chris Goan
Chris is a poet and writer based in Dunoon and part of a community called Aoradh. He is the author of a number of books and has curated two poetry collections, the second of which is out this summer. Chris has been a social worker, therapist and manager but currently makes a living doing creative things with his wife through their business Seatree.
http://www.proost.co.uk/chris-goan (poetry to purchase)
https://thisfragiletent.com (blog)
http://seatreecrafts.co.uk/ (business)
Heather Gregg
is curator of this exhibition, having formerly curated 2 Stations of the Cross exhibitions of contemporary art (in Inverness). She has a degree in Media Studies and certificate in Art and Design, has sold jokes to the BBC, led a faithwriting group and documented events through short films. She is passionately interested in facilitating ‘thin’ places for people to pause, experience and contemplate life and spirituality. She finds creativity and the arts are very helpful settings and language for this kind of discussion. Heather has never met a book token she didn’t like.
http://www.facebook.com/artofeaster
http://www.commaand.co (blog encouraging creativity)
Malcolm Guite
A poet-priest, Malcolm is chaplain at Girton College, Cambridge, and often travels round Great Britain, and to North America, to give lectures, concerts and poetry readings. He has recently published “Mariner; a voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge”, many of his talks are available on Youtube, he has broadcast BBC radio talks, and released albums of songs (with his band “Mystery Train”) and poetry. He generously makes his poetry available on his blog, in the form of both printed word and audio recordings.
https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/
Current published books: Mariner: A Voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge Hodder 2017
Parable and Paradox: Sonnets on the Sayings of Jesus and Other PoemsCanterbury Press 2016
Waiting on the Word; a poem a day for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany Canterbury Press 2015
The Word in the Wilderness; a poem a day for Lent, Holy week and EasterCanterbury Press 2014
The Singing Bowl Canterbury Press 2013
Sounding the Seasons Canterbury Press 2012
Faith Hope and Poetry Ashgate 2010 and 2012.
What Do Christians Believe? Granta 2006
Beverley Healy
Beverley co-ordinates and facilitate arts projects within healthcare and/or community settings, working across a range of visual arts media and in collaboration with others. She has a particular interest in the field of mental health and believes strongly that participation in the arts can alleviate stress and improve mood.
Her painting began in portraiture with some illustration and has steered a path through the more imaginative often inspired by a prayer, thought or song and has recently included a move back into portraiture. She enjoys colour and the sense of connecting quietly with something deeper as she paints.
In the last seven years, Beverley has won National and International awards for her painting and regularly exhibits in selected exhibitions in the UK and Ireland. Her paintings also appear in her own recently published, reflective book called “Abraham’s Stars- Holding on to God’s Promises”
http://beverleyhealy.artweb.com
Doreen Hinder
Doreen was an Episcopalian priest, who took up sculpture later in life, making this very delicate piece, which is on display in Inverness Cathedral.
Irving Bible Church
We’re very grateful to Irving Bible Church for permission to use this still from their Easter 2013 video. The graphic design featured is by Kyle Steed: http://www.kylesteed.com/
Pen and Merve Jones
Pen’s print from her painting appears in the cafe, Merve’s work is represented by a photograph of a dawn. Both works are in a private collection and appear by permission.
Pen describes her work this way: “My work is about celebrating the extraordinary in the ordinary, with colour, light and joy.” Merve worked as a graphic illustrator and is now enjoying being part of Seacourt Print Workshop. They live in Northern Ireland.
Kirsty Kerr
Based in London, Kirsty has recently curated an exhibition at the Husk Gallery in London: “Shards and Seams” exploring remains, brokenness and restoration. As part of this, she repaired some broken crockery in the gallery’s cafe, using the Japanese art of Kintsugi – the pieces were then re-used.
She is currently developing her website but for now you can see most of her work at:
http://www.instagram.com/kirstyjkerr
http://huskcoffee.com/thewalls (featuring recent exhibition)
Shona Macdonald
Studied at Glasgow and Edinburgh Schools of Art. Now a professional artist, working in the Highlands. Recently launched a range of handpainted ceramics, Hector Macs House, featuring her distinctive drawing style with expressive lines.
George F Macleod
George Macleod, war hero, pacifist, poet, minister, founded the Iona Community but also served as minister in two Edinburgh churches: Canongate and St Cuthberts, and in Govan, Glasgow. This poem is taken from a prayer of his. He is linked to St Andrew and St George’s West, as he worshipped there towards the end of his life.
Jinty McKirdy
Jinty has previously worked as a self-employed designer of silk handprinted scarves for the Burrell Collection, the Royal Pavilion Brighton and Liberty’s of London.
Since 2012 her work is mainly in pastels, using broad strokes in vibrant colours. She has described the freedom and life that the medium produces against a black background as “light shining in the darkness”.
Jinty McKirdy Artist page on Facebook
Imogen Mason
Imogen works in a variety of media but is increasingly drawn to textiles. Her art arises from her personal practices of journalling, meditation and prayer and her training to be a spiritual director. Although it is based on her personal spiritual journey, she hopes that other people will be encouraged by it, to begin experimenting with art in this way, for themselves.
https://www.whitespiritarts.co.uk/imogen-mason
Jaclyn Stuart
Jaclyn is an accomplished portrait painter, art tutor, artist and founder of the White Spirit Arts Gallery in St Andrews. She makes artworks to create a spiritual dialogue with the viewer, using art to communicate deeply about life, purpose, existence, the Creator and the unseen. Jaclyn loves to use symbolism (often birds, butterflies, boats and gold paint) and can paint anything from the human figure to landscape. She wishes to create art that has beauty but also leaves an impression on the heart.
https://www.whitespiritarts.co.uk/jaclyn-stuart
Michael Taylor
Michael has interests and completed studies in both arts and sciences: with a BSc in Zoology, MSc in Computer Science, BA Design and MA Fine Art. His studio practice in Belfast combines art and commercial photography. The two photographs featured in this exhibition come from his series LightPath, but the titles of other series show his scientific interest: Wave, Refraction, Quanta, Luminescence, Light Trace, Infra and Helios.
http://www.michaeltaylorphoto.com
https://www.instagram.com/michael.taylor.photo
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