ACH AN CUAN

Gaelic language plays a significant role within my letterpress work at The Hunter Press, and I am continually seeking ways for my printing practice and artistic work to intersect.  Each year, my travels take me to the West Coast of Scotland, where sea air, landscape, and language are deeply intertwined.  On the Mull to Oban ferry route, I regularly pass Lismore Lighthouse; a quiet, constant presence that never fails to still me as it comes into view. Lighthouses have often held a particular resonance for me, carrying a sense of nostalgia, danger, and romance rooted in maritime history.

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Ach An Cuan is a Gaelic phrase associated with the Highland Clearances and the experiences of settlers in Nova Scotia.  Translated loosely as “but for the ocean”, it speaks to separation, distance, and enduring connection.  Sentiments that underpin this body of work.

 

Developed further from this idea of oceanic connection, Na Mara is a series of prints depicting kelp washed ashore, shaped by tide and time. The works are created as toned Cyanotypes, echoing the muted, coastal palette of seaweed, stone, and salt air. This series is available as a set of reproduction A5 cards on request.

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