Margaret Maclean is an accomplished artist in the Western Isles who has grown used to recognising the power of social media.
But even she was surprised by the viral attention paid to a recent work by her daughter, Mary; an intricate pencil recreation of part of a 19th century bronze sculpture, found on the door of the Duomo di Milano – Milan’s ancient cathedral.
Yet, as a proud mother, whose studio demonstrates the versatility of her own output, Margaret was quick to highlight Mary’s painstaking production – which took the 16-year-old around 150 hours to bring to fruition.
And both these engaging personalities will be working in harmony next month, from July 25 to 27 and August 1 to 3, during the Open Studios Hebrides event.
Inspired by surroundings
The duo, from Lewis, have been inspired by their surroundings and although Margaret was born in Aberdeen, it wasn’t long before she was laying down roots further north.
As she said: “My parents were from here [the Western Isles] and we moved back when my dad retired. Living here makes me happy, because it is is stunning and it has so much to offer especially as an artist.
“There are dramatic mountains, beaches with stunning colours, wee piers with boats and the moorland itself. It doesn’t even have to be good weather either, sometimes the more dramatic the weather, the more dramatic the landscapes.”
She laughed when I asked her what a “typical” day might entail. There isn’t such a thing for somebody with her eye for a transcendent landscape or an ominous storm brewing.
But Margaret isn’t just fixated with nature – as you can tell from her captivating portrait of Hollywood actor Jack Nicholson – nor does she have endless time for art. After all, she isn’t just helping Mary, but a whole lot of other youngsters as well.
I sometimes lose track of time
She said: “I’m out in the cabin (studio) first thing before I get Mary up, to catch up on emails and get some artwork done.
“Mary goes to school and then I go to work part-time, providing Support For Learning in the schools [in the community]. When I arrive home, I get the tea sorted and after that, it’s back out to the cabin for more work.
“The days I don’t work, I’m usually out in the cabin most of the day. Every night, I usually finish at about 10pm, but it has been later when I’ve not seen what time it is.”
She has been thrilled by the positive reaction and appreciative Instagram messages to Mary’s latest drawing and said: “I knew it would grab people’s attention because of the detailing, but I never thought it would get quite the response it has got.
‘I am excited for her’
“I am delighted for her that her hard work has captured people’s attention.
“She loves working in pencil and I feel there is a maturity to her work that is way beyond her years. I am excited, because I can see her just getting better and better.”
Mary, who is currently studying art as a National 5 subject, is at the stage of her life where she doesn’t have to make any immediate decisions about her future.
But art is in the blood and she and her mum are kindred spirits.
Remember the name
And, as she said: “I’m not sure whether this is going to be my career, but if the commissions keep coming, well….”
Further information is available at: margaretmaclean.com
