Artists and writers from the north and north-east will have their work displayed in the WWF’s Great Scottish Canvas.
The wildlife and conservation charity has curated work from Scottish creators for the unique virtual art exhibition ahead of the crucial climate talks in Glasgow.
Several artists from across the north and north-east have submitted a diverse range of work to the exhibition, touching on issues such as pollution and conservation.
Nadia Davidson submitted her painting By Aurora Light to the exhibition.
The artist from Nairn said: “My greatest hope for the future is for there to be more hedgerows and wild spaces in nature.
“In areas which are being developed, I would like to see businesses and companies encourage the planting and renewal of green and wild spaces, not the removal of them.”
Ruth McInnes from the Black Isle also responded to calls earlier this year by WWF and submitted her poem Grow a Pear.
Douglas Cameron entered a painting named after his hometown – Banff shore. The work shows stones, twigs, metal and pottery shards scattered across the Moray shoreline.
He explained: “Only the detritus of our modern age, such as plastics, will stubbornly remain to pollute our beautiful land and ocean life.
“We can only hope that in mankind’s few seconds in the cosmic timescale we will learn to evolve and call a halt to the destruction of our truly beautiful and magnificent planet. I hope that ‘Banff Shore’ reflects my love for this Earth and its place in the universe.”
Rae Cowie’s poem called The Fight of the Wyld Cattis will feature in the exhibition.
Describing the Highland wildcat as a “majestic animal” Mr Cowie believes that Scotland must do everything in its power to protect the native species.
The Aberdeenshire artist said: “During research, when I discovered how symbolic the wildcat was for both the Picts and Highland clans, I knew my piece must revolve around the battles the animal endured in the past, but, more importantly, the fight it now faces to survive.
A ‘platform for diverse voices from across Scotland’
An exclusive poem by Alexander McCall Smith and a book on nature written by former Makar Jackie Kay will appear alongside the exhibition.
Almost 200 entries from across Scotland were co-judged by curators Stephanie Straine and Emma Gillespie from the National Galleries of Scotland and Scots poet, Stuart A Paterson.
The 45 pieces have been chosen to bring together a vision of a greener and fairer Scotland and will be shown at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow.
Lang Banks, director at WWF Scotland, said: “We were blown away by the quality of work sent to us, and also delighted that so many people wanted to get creative in sharing their hopes for a fairer, greener Scotland with us.
“The strength of The Great Scottish Canvas is that it belongs to everyone – it is a platform for diverse voices from across Scotland. It’s a place where people who may not necessarily be climate activists or engaged in policy debates have the opportunity to share their own ideas and hopes for the future, and start their own conversations through art and poetry.
“We hope they are heard as world leaders prepare to come to Glasgow for crucial climate talks in Glasgow this November.”
Meanwhile, WWF and ScottishPower announced a significant new partnership to accelerate the UK’s transition to net zero.
The unique link-up, launched ahead of COP26, will see the two organisations championing low carbon energy solutions and jointly calling for ambitious climate action from the UK Government and local authorities across the nations of the UK.
This is the first time in more than a decade that WWF has worked in partnership with a UK energy company. The partnership will initially focus on the decarbonisation of homes, with 14% of the UK’s carbon emissions currently coming from housing.
