Forth Bridges Creative Trail 2025

Hi, I'm Michelle from ShellsbellsArt, based in the scenic village of Dalmeny. I draw inspiration from the natural beauty around me, primarily working with watercolour. My style is loose and vibrant, with splashes of colour that create a playful, energetic feel.

Alongside my pet portraits, I also have the privilege of illustrating book covers, embracing new themes and styles with each project. I focus on capturing the character and individuality of every animal I paint, celebrating the beauty of life and inviting others to appreciate the world and its creatures.

Hello, my name is Emily Korankye. I live locally with my husband and two boys. It wasn’t until my children came along that I discovered my love of soft pastels, time constraints of motherhood meant other medium like acrylics just weren’t as easy to pick up and put down - I turned to soft pastels and haven’t looked back.

I love the pure pigment of intense vibrant colours, their ability to blend and layer and the range of colours and tones.

I love to paint animals with the occasional landscape thrown in. When painting animals I love to appreciate the beauty in the ordinary I’ve perhaps previously missed such as the subtle colours in the fur or feathers but the eyes are always my favourite part.

I enjoy playing with colours, cool and warm, light and dark, until the colours work together to create something unique and pleasing to the eye.

My journey with pottery began at a young age, under the guidance of my mother who taught ceramics at a local studio and began developing her own range. Growing up in that creative environment sparked a lifelong connection to clay, form, and texture.

After studying Contemporary Art Practice at West Lothian College, I found myself at a crossroads: I had the opportunity to enter directly into second year at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, or to continue learning hands-on from my mother and join her growing business, which was starting to attract interest from galleries and shops across Scotland. In the end, my love for pottery won out.

Over the past six years, I’ve immersed myself in refining my throwing and glazing techniques, developing unique colour palettes inspired by the ever-changing Scottish landscape. My work draws from the muted purples of blooming heather, the greens and turquoises of hills and munro’s, and the dramatic range of blues seen in Scotland’s seas-from deep navy to pale stormy grey, with the occasional burst of bright sky. Each piece becomes a miniature landscape, a reflection of nature’s quiet drama, whether it’s a bowl, vase, or the humble mug that brings warmth to your daily coffee.

Scotland’s landscape offers endless inspiration. That sense of variety is what I strive to bring into my work: a celebration of the beauty in change and the natural rhythms of the land.

Now, as my mother steps back from the commercial side of ceramics, I’m launching my own range under the name Dalmeny Pottery, named after the village I call home. Working from the converted outhouse studio at our cottage, this is my first solo venture, and I’m excited to see how my practice continues to evolve in this new chapter.

In 2006 Chloe and her husband returned to Scotland from Brazil to live on a beautiful protected bird beach surrounded by woods on the banks of the Forth in Dalmeny, South Queensferry. 

New inspiration from here (and from having children) saw her work change to use materials picked up from around her: Feathers from her beach, leaves and flowers from the woods. These two strong inspirations mean Chloe has two very different types of art work – firstly her natural coloured feather collage work such as the well known guinea fowl feather penguins. The original of each of these pictures is entirely made of feathers. Feathers stuck down individually one by one in multiple layers. Due to the time they take and the time it takes to collect the feathers before starting the collage process, Chloe sells not only the original but prints and beautifully made products featuring the art. Her raison d’etre for her designs are to make people smile. 

Chloe’s collage art has been featured on BBC2 Scotland Landward. Chloe also paints brightly coloured uplifting Scottish themed animals such as multicoloured highland cows and stripey stags. She painted the very first multicoloured highland cow before it ‘inspired’ many others who have followed in her path (some of which have sadly become better known for it than Chloe!). Chloe sells her home and gift ware featuring her uplifting scottish designs in wonderful shops across Scotland.

I like working with different mediums but clay is my first love. I’m not a perfectionist, I like texture, mistakes and details which are scratched, worked into surfaces telling a story or giving life to an object. Clay is of the Earth, it’s elemental and inspiring and if I can combine that with fire then it creates magic. As a little girl I was always drawn to rocks and pebbles and have accumulated quite a collection over the years. The fact you can be holding something in your hand etched by time over million of years is humbling.

As I start to think about creating my own new body of work this is where I will be drawing my inspiration from. Mud. Fire. Texture and magical lands!

Honey Pot Creative Cafe, set up 15 years ago is all about inspiring creativity for all! 

Honey Pot runs a wide variety of workshops and classes all year. Including: Ceramic Painting, Pottery Wheel lessons, Fused Glass and regularly hosts visiting artists to run fabulous workshops. 

This weekend we are running a number of taster sessions for kids and adults including Bronze Casting, RAKU, Fused Glass and an introduction to Metal casting for kids.

Booking for all through our website. 

Ally is a contemporary acrylic artist known for her bold, bright, characterful animal studies. Set against solid, plain backgrounds her modern compositions showcase the subject with colours that complement contemporary interiors. She also paints bold seascapes, pet portaits and other commissions. Originally from Hertfordshire, she has lived in North Edinburgh with her family for many years. 

Ally currently sells a range of giftware at Edinburgh Zoo shop. Her work has previously been exhibited at Pittenmweem and Aberdour Art Festivals, the Royal Highland Show and events at Edinburgh Zoo, among others.

At her venue, Ally will offer a range of original acrylic paintings, giclèe prints, teatowels, plain notebooks and magnets.

I am a fine art painter whose work is inspired by the beauty of nature, vibrant cultures, and personal travels. After earning an Honors degree in Fine Art in 1996, I have explored themes of renewal and the interplay of natural elements, with a particular fascination for horizon lines that evoke a sense of balance and perspective.

My paintings celebrate freedom and the connection between land, sea, and sky, brought to life through bold colours, rich textures, intricate patterns, and layered surfaces.

I work from my home studio in Burntisland, Fife, and my contemporary abstract paintings have been exhibited throughout the UK and are held in private collections worldwide.

I fulfilled a lifelong ambition last year when I moved to South Queensferry and set up my studio by the sea.

A relative newcomer to ceramics I am still developing a signature style, but there are already some distinct themes emerging, particularly around contrast and texture with inspiration from the local coastline. My studio is my sanctuary, my woman cave, my place to be myself and create. It is a space to experiment and have fun and see what happens when I let go of boundaries and expectations. 

I love ‘playing’ with clay, to me it’s a physical meditation which grounds me and if others enjoy my work too then that’s just a bonus.

Susan Wilson
Whilst exploring the possibilities of abstraction to convey an idea, my art-making is a journey, an iterative process of discovery: where colour, mark-making and shape create a visual record of a memory, an impression of place, emotion or subject. Drawing, photography and collage are all important ways to record my impressions and build up a visual lexicon of material to work from. I use paint, charcoal, pastel, pencil, biro and crayon which present opportunities for images to emerge, disappear and resurface again. The building up and erasure of layers to leave traces or memories of older marks, is key to allowing the image to form. A passion for navigating my way whilst I journey: walking, driving or sailing; reading nautical charts and maps influence aspects of my practice, as does my curiosity about the stories of the places I have visited – both imagined and real. My paintings are inspired by my memories of these places, their land and seascape, history and
mythologies.

Judith Shaylor
Born in 1966 in Wolverhampton, Judith Shaylor left school at 16 to study at Bournville School of Art, where she studied for a Btec, specialising in textiles and ceramics. She then gained a BA Hons in drawing and painting at Edinburgh College of Art, where her subjects were tapestry and print-making. Her work is in several private collections in Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Gibraltar, and the U.S.A. Her work is also in the public collection in Gibraltar. In June 2024, she was elected a Professional Member of the Society of Scottish Artists and awarded a Visual and Craft Maker bursary from Creative Scotland. She is currently a student
on the 2024/ 25 Turps correspondence course.

The medium and the message: each hold equal weight as I work, testing the possibilities of materials to convey an idea. My initial training in tapestry reinforced the hand-eye connection that drives a passion for the texture, colour, pattern and detail in my painted work. I have worked with all types of paint, but recent experiments with traditional egg tempera painting give weight to the images I create from dreams or past experiences. Collage and drawing underpin initial investigations, resulting in sketchbook ideas which become surrealist compositions. These compositions will eventually guide me in the final painting stage.

I am a mixed media artist. Self-taught, I enjoy exploring different subjects and paint techniques.

Much of my inspiration comes from the ever-changing land and seascapes of Scotland, especially the white sand beaches and aquamarine sea of the west coast.

I have exhibited at several events in Scotland, including the Royal Highland Show and I am delighted to be part of the Forth Bridges Creative Trail where I will have a selection of my prints, cards, mugs and coasters available.

Emma creates contemporary handmade silver and resin jewellery, developing a mixture of collections and one-of-a-kind pieces. Mainly working in wire to create linear structures similar to her drawn line. Developing a range with a fine textural element and oxidization for contrast. Repetition, movement and structure are a feature in her jewellery.

In her drawn work she aims to capture the city street scenes and the natural landscapes that surround her. Buildings, ornate windows, bridges and hills have become a characteristic focus and starting point for her work. Aiming to capture the little quirky details that stand out to her. The original images are then designed and printed to be available in a selection of cards, prints and coasters.

Liana Moran has exhibited her work in a range of exhibition venues and festivals since graduating from Edinburgh College of Art in 2010. Liana’s work consists of large architectural drawings responding to the environment, structure and materials within our landscape. From big canvases with plenty of ink and lots of mark making to small quieter studies of structures.

She was shortlisted for The Derwent and Jerwood Drawing prize and exhibits widely. The Royal Scottish Academy Edinburgh, Pall Mall Galleries London to the very local DOK in Leith. Liana’s work was recently included in ‘The Edinburgh Art Book’.

She works from her studio in Leith.

I create meaningful, timeless pieces using recycled sterling silver — each one designed to be a lasting reminder of special moments to be treasured forever. My journey into jewellery began with evening classes while I was working in London. What started as a creative outlet quickly became a passion, and over time I’ve gradually built my jewellery business, continuing to learn and grow my skills along the way. I’m often inspired by patterns I see in nature and I try to capture that quiet beauty in my design. Each piece is handmade with care and a love for jewellery making.

Originally from the Moray coast and now residing in South Queensferry, Jake is an exciting, emerging artist, who creates dramatic semi abstract seascape paintings. Walking his dog Rosie, Jake takes in the gorgeous coastlines across Scotland to inspire his recent passion for painting. Using Oils and Acrylics, he creates dramatic seascapes. These are often made extra special by incorporating sand from the locations.

Woodland Wreaths and Plants is an Edinburgh creator of living gifts using plants and plant-based materials. It all started during the pandemic lockdowns with making wreaths for friends and family out of garden foliage. A few years later, we now regularly host wreath-making seasonal workshops for corporate and personal clients, provide novelty flowering animal planters and baskets, indoor plant vases and plantable seed cards. Our latest addition is creating living plant sculptures for gardens in the shape of animals and coming soon the Ferry Fair Burry Man!

I am a self taught artist trying to make a career out of my passion for art, starting to sell in February 2024. I have a strong interest in the creative process, with a view to shaping my own unique artists style. Primarily, I am interested in architectural form, focusing on my adopted home Edinburgh, and other settings around Scotland. Although I never attempt to imitate other artists in my own work, I am aware of the influences that Inspire me and those which can be seen in my art. Artists, such as Van Gough, Picasso, and Salvador Dali, are all amongst my favourites. I like art which is transformative and creates an experience which takes me out of reality. Although I am impressed by the technical skills in hyperrealism, it does not move me in the same way as these artists famous works. What I really love about them is they all had a childlike imaginative quality throughout their work. To blend this imaginative characteristic with more sophisticated grown up thematic ideas is ultimately what I strive for in my creations, although I appreciate art sometimes doesn’t have to cut deeper than aesthetics.

My work has spanned various themes and styles over many years of art making.

I have always been interested in the symbolic imagery of what I have termed ‘Modern Mythical’, where contemporary approaches blend with ancient iconography. This might include Cave Art, The Tree of life, Standing Stones, Pictish Imagery, Viking Ships and Dream images, all with a contemporary twist.

I also explore abstract and landscape and Seascape themes.

I look to nature for inspiration painting landscapes of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland mainly. I love experiencing what watercolour does on the page and how vibrant and colourful acrylic can be when doing Scotland landscapes and other inspirations. When I get an idea I can’t wait to create.

I am a jewellery maker and painter working in mixed media. I make silver jewellery with a focus on texture and using pattern. My acrylic paintings often feature remembered or imagined landscapes and abstracted forms. I'm primarily influenced by the natural world but also enjoy incorporating geometric shapes and ideas picked up on my travels.

Paul is a contemporary artist living in the shadow of the iconic Forth Bridges and his native Fife, Paul has been inspired by the rugged and familiar beauty and serenity of the estuary and its shoreline. He is inspired by daily walks in a around Queensferry, the shoreline and beach combing that reacquaints with the ebb and flow of life around the shoreline and it unique topography - as well as an interest in the local geology - and water that inspires anyone who lives by the sea.

I am a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art (BA Hons in Drawing and Painting 1982). I won an Elizabeth Greenshield travelling scholarship for artists and travelled throughout North India and Nepal following graduation. I have recently returned to my art - my first passion - following retiral from a long career in a Scottish university. I reside just outside Edinburgh. As a follower of the realist tradition in painting, my work is inspired by nature, often focused on the small things of life - those things that most often go unnoticed but are to me beautiful in their own unique way. If it isn’t beautiful to my eye I won’t paint it. I have works in private collections in the UK and France.

I spent my childhood in various regions across south, east, west and central Scotland.

As a result, my work - much of it inspired by the ever-changing Scottish weather - evokes a sense of memory and atmosphere of the landscape and environment of my home country. Having enjoyed a decade-long rewarding career as a chef, I took a 10 year hiatus to raise my family.

During that time I slowly rediscovered my passion for painting and began making connections in the art world. Immersive, moving and energetic seascapes and landscapes use a reduced palette to convey a strong sense of atmosphere. The use of contrasting dark and light tones often create an emotional response from viewers and collectors of my work.

Leon Anderson is a self-taught oil painter based in South Queensferry, whose work spans a diverse range of subjects, including pet portraiture, human portraits, and iconic landmarks from his hometown of Edinburgh and South Queensferry. Blending his passion for animal life with a talent for traditional portraiture, Leon has built an impressive body of work that has been sold worldwide. His success includes regular exhibitions at the Edinburgh Art Fair and the Kimpton Hotel in Edinburgh, along with completing numerous commissioned pieces for clients.

Based in South Queensferry on the outskirts of Edinburgh, I make wheelthrown and handbuilt ceramic pieces from my garden studio. I work mainly with white stoneware clay, although i love to experiment with other clays to keep the playful and learning side of things going too. Inspired by my countryside surroundings growing up in Ireland and the seascape of where I now live on the East coast of Scotland, some of my designs are heavily influenced by these landscapes. Rosie creates functional homeware pieces to be used day to day, as well as some decorative pieces too, with the aim of bringing some joy to your home with her ceramics.

Tansy Lee Moir is an artist inspired by the forms and stories of old trees. Her drawings encourage us to look at trees in new ways and to think about our ancient, layered relationships with them as living organisms.

She sees trees as sculpted non-human experience, shaped in dialogue with their environment: old trees are time made wood. Her charcoal and pastel drawings weave together elements of tree and figure, capturing their character, energy and movement, whether that movement takes three seconds or three centuries.

Based in South Queensferry, Tansy works full-time as an artist and educator, exhibiting and teaching across the UK. She is a member of the Society of Scottish Artists, Visual Arts Scotland and the Art & Nature Collective.

Jean Hall was born in Dundee and is a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art.

She was employed as an Art & Design Lecturer in a College environment for sixteen years. After leaving teaching she has been painting and exhibiting on a full-time basis both nationally and internationally.
My paintings are essentially decorative – intended to be visually attractive.

Sources of inspiration include textiles particularly Indian and oriental inorigin. When I was very young relatives who spent time in India provided me with much visual stimulation in the form of fabrics, ceramics, carpets, etc. In other words design and colour – which I still refer to on a consistent basis in my painting.

Eastern philosophies inspire a sense of a calm, contemplative atmosphere – this influences my sense of composition, balance and mood. The words “stillness, reflection and introspection” are key qualities in these paintings. My interest in Japan began in Edinburgh College of Art when I undertook a study of Japanese ceramics. This led to a wider interest in Japanese visual imagery. Particularly the compositional devices using flattened perspective, semi- abstract spaces, imaginary settings and fantasy gardens.

In my living and working space I have a strong preference for peace and quiet. I value the opportunity to withdraw from modern day noise in order to experience and express some of the qualities I have just alluded to.

Ian Henderson is a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art. He studied Ceramics and has been working in clay for about 35 years. He has a studio at his home outside South Queensferry near the River Forth on Hopetoun Estate.

Ian’s work is hand made; - thrown on the traditional potter’s wheel. This is a skillful task and takes many years of practice to perfect. His work is also glazed and decorated by hand making each piece an individual and unique item. He produces short production runs of shapes encouraging the individual over the uniform. He does not attempt to make “sets” of items although there will be a familial identity evident in most of the
forms.

His shapes reference a wide range of sources - medieval European pottery, Far Eastern forms, contemporary American ceramics and British salt glazed pottery ideas. He works within a small-scale production - making small ranges of items such as bowls, mugs, jugs and other domestic items.

His work is fired in a gas kiln to 1300 degrees centigrade. His work is made using stoneware clay - this means it is quite robust and suitable to be used in the dishwasher, the oven and the microwave with no obvious harmful impact on the pots.

There are many variables in his work - the thickness of the clay, the thickness of the glazes, the position and placement in the kiln and also which glaze runs over the top of another. All of these elements cause different effects and firing is a fraught time as few of these variables ever act predictably. Because Ian uses a gas kiln the flames are part of the process of making the pot in a unique way. This is very different from an electric kiln where radiant heat just melts a glaze - in a gas kiln the fire is an active and living part of the process that can radically alter both the colour and the surface of a pot. Gas kilns always have pronounced hotter and cooler areas and the potter plans how they stack their work in the kiln to take advantage of these so that they positively influence the pots.
All of Ian’s pots are intended to be used; either in the process of
making and sharing food, the rituals of tea and coffee or for decoration throughout the home.

The glazes are food safe and hard wearing and should last for many years without change.

Lynette Gray is a painter and ceramicist. She is best known for her botanical work and landscape scenes. Her painting studio is in the Kinghorn Railway Station building, while in the restored Aberdour Signal Box she creates clay models based on her watercolour studies of native birds.
 
During the Forth Bridges Creative Trail weekend, Lynette will be demonstrating how she uses the moulds to create slip cast bisqueware. The birds are then hand painted using underglazes and fired for a second time meaning that each model bird is unique.

Gingerbread Designs. Instagram >
“Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved animals, cakes, fairytales and making things. She grew up to be a big girl who loves animals, cakes, fairytales and making things! That result is Gingerbread Designs; a collection of decorations and small gifts inspired by childhood doodles and dreams.”
Nicola works with a range of materials including Harris tweed, felt, fabric and ceramics in her studio in Burntisland overlooking the Firth of Forth; she makes everything by hand ensuring that each item is unique.

Leo du Feu. Instagram >
I am a Scottish painter working from my studio on the platform at Burntisland railway station on the picturesque Fife coast.
My paintings bring positivity and wondering and inspiration to your home. They are about landscape, nature, environment, place. I love to paint from life, out in the landscape, amongst wildlife, watching and sketching. I love to work on commissions back in my studio.
I love to paint on a miniature scale but I also really love working on much larger canvases.  I give talks about my life as an artist, in particular about my art and nature journeys as a ScotRail Community Rail Champion. I run workshops for art groups, charities, public authorities, private groups and individuals. I also sell wood engravings and beautiful greetings cards. I look forward to welcoming you to my studio here among the cluster of Platform Artists around Burntisland station.

Susan Smith. Instagram >
Whilst exploring the possibilities of abstraction to convey an idea, my art-making is a journey, a process of discovery: where colour, mark-making and shape create a visual record of a memory, an impression of place, emotion or subject. Drawing, photography and collage are ways I amass a visual lexicon to work from. Employing a range of materials and techniques to build up and erase the layers within a painting, is key to creating opportunities for images to emerge, disappear and resurface.
A passion for navigating my way whilst I journey: walking, driving or sailing; reading nautical charts and maps influence aspects of my practice, as does my curiosity about the stories of the places I have visited. My paintings are inspired by my memories of these places, their people, land, seascape, history and mythologies.

Douglas Gray is a painter, printmaker and blogger based at Kinghorn Station Studios. He was born in Kinghorn and studied at Dundee College of Art and the Royal College in London. He also worked for Edinburgh Printmakers for many years and returned to live in his home town in 1990.

He loves the coastline of the Firth of Forth and has been a dingy sailor, volunteer Coastguard and is now a coastal rower. He has made many sketches of the old harbours, creeks and skerries of the Forth which are often used as a source for woodcuts, collages and paintings. He also writes a blog with stories about his paintings at artistinthehills.blogspot.com

Craft workshops, green woodworking and woodland learning from our bothy maker-space in rural Fife. About the Trees is the work of Jonnie Crawford; a practising high-school teacher, creative woodworker and forest school practitioner working with individuals, schools and local community groups.