beth legg

Nova Scotian Neckpiece

2008-07-31T22:50:00.000+01:00

This is a huge chain made from small oval copper links that have been rolled flat. The links range from about 2.5cm long and increase in size gradually to 5cm. I made all of the links in Cape breton and rolled them flat, opened them up and soldered them together when I got back to Edinburgh. It was about 3 meters long before I knotted the length of it which took it back down to 1 meter.

The chain - I like it's scribbled, hand drawn look.

The Nova Scotian twigs, painted, burnt and rubbed back are threaded through the chain.

Back on Scottish soil.....

2008-07-31T19:41:00.000+01:00

Back home with a bump of reality I returned to the studio and realised how much work I have to do. It feels really good to be back in my own surroundings and it almost feels like I have never been away. I've been catching up with friends, the Edinburgh Festival has started and it's easy to get swept up with all of the jobs that are waiting for me and the general activity of this time of year, so I've made the effort to set aside an area in my studio dedicated to images and objects from Cape Breton to keep them active in my mind.

The weather is decidedly Scottish though. It would be nice to have some sunshine....

An Drochaid - the Mabou museum and archives

2008-06-26T20:00:00.000+01:00

The settlement in Mabou began in 1797. In the early days, Mabou was considered part of Judique Parish until October 1825, and it was under the charge of Reverend Alexander MacDonell. In October 1822 he met Father William Fraser and they went to "Cape Mabou" as they called it, to perform a Mission among the settlers. Father Fraser had emigrated August 8, 1822, with 300 highlanders from Scotland in the ship called "The Commerce", and they first landed at MacMillan's Cove, at the Strait of Canso, now Port Hastings.

the Right Rev.William Fraser

the 19th Century Antigonish Dioces

the old St. Mary's Church - It remained standing until August 1925 when it burned to the ground (under questionable sircumstances).

workers on the church steeple from 1918-1921

the little church that travelled

2008-06-24T20:00:00.000+01:00

Mother of Sorrows Pioneer Shrine

The shrine is found in the miniature church which was moved from its original location in 1967 by the Brothers of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows to Mabou. The small white church was repaired and restored and was officially opened as a shrine in July 1968 and is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows and the pioneers of the Mabou area.

the map shows the route taken to move the church - 18km long. A shorter way couldn't be taken because of a bridgespan at Nicholson's Island.

Climbing the hill on to mabou ridge road - you can see St. Mary's Parish Church (the one in my first blog) in the background. The power corporation lead all the way to clear the lines.

Log Blog

2008-06-24T02:26:00.000+01:00

A very hot and dry day on West Mabou beach.
These images echo ideas I've been having about making a series of wire pieces around the theme of clearing the land (of stone in Scotland and wood in Nova Scotia).....

the beachy woods of Mabou Mines

2008-06-24T01:57:00.000+01:00

grey weather, grey wood

2008-06-13T20:59:00.000+01:00

Most of these shots were taken in sunshine but the weather has taken a turn for the worse and these digital images worked together so there you go.

a day at the highland village - an clachan gàidhealach

2008-06-12T02:05:00.000+01:00

The mission of the Highland Village Museum/An Clachan Gàidhealach, a living history museum, is to research, collect, preserve and share the Gaelic heritage and culture of Nova Scotia and represent it accurately and vibrantly. There is a strong focus on the reconstruction of Gaelic language in Nova Scotia and you can find out more at http://museum.gov.ns.ca/hv/index.html ....this was my day in Iona....

....these are some of the staff - they forced me to dress up.....

...I clearly hated it.

this was the local store......

....a wee ceilidh...

...some toe-tapping piping and fiddling....

.....some step dancing.....

....some more step dancing......

....and the see-saw, which was a compulsory social activity for pioneers at this time

...it's not so easy side-saddle.

blues

2008-06-11T23:23:00.000+01:00

yellows

2008-06-10T23:43:00.000+01:00

beaver, beaver, beaver!

2008-06-09T19:46:00.001+01:00

I can't really convey quite how excited I am about my first beaver encounter....

Look at the webbed feet!!.... and the lovely big tale. I was actually climbing down a bank on my usual walk to get a closer look at the eagles nest because I could hear the chicks calling inside when I noticed this.....

Just under the tree was a beavers lodge. Two beavers came out to see who I was and swam around in circles keeping an eye on me as I took snaps. I could hear little grunts and moans from the lodge where the babies were. I didn't want to stress them out so I left after a wee while but I could have stayed for ages. They reminded me of seals with their human-like sounds and curiosity.

Here are some beaver facts....

They are the second-largest rodent in the world (after the capybara).
Females are as large as or larger than males of the same age, which is uncommon among mammals.
The American beaver's preferred food is the water-lily.
Beaver furs were used to make clothing and top-hats. Much of the early exploration of North America was driven by the quest for this animal's fur. Native peoples and early settlers also ate this animal's meat.
The beavers cover their lodges late every autumn with fresh mud which freezes when the frost sets in. The mud becomes almost as hard as stone, so that neither wolves nor coyotes can get in.

More can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beavers

I think Beavers are great.

(I am aware that this is becoming a wildlife blog...I will try harder to include some more art next time...)

camouflaged beasties in the woods

2008-06-04T23:54:00.000+01:00

birdies in the blossom

2008-06-04T22:56:00.001+01:00

Little finches enjoying the new friut blossom.

the lobster boil

2008-06-03T01:25:00.000+01:00

Cape Bretoners love their Lobster Boils. The local fishermen get about an 8 week window to put their creels out and everyone goes crazy for the fresh lobster. You will drive past houses with 10 - 15 cars outside and know that there is a lobster boil going on. Its a real family get together (and the families are pretty big around here).

A hot and salty death to the lobsters......

The first batch.......about 50.......

This amount was cooked 3 times over...........

...enough for 4-6 per person. I just managed 1.

The first sitting. I have never seen so many dead lobsters in my life. Lobster is served with lobster in case you were wondering, sometimes vinegar or butter is added too.

warm colours & cold weather comforts

2008-06-02T21:05:00.000+01:00

I thought as the last few posts have been monochrome I should add some colour. This was last nights burning sunset from my front door.

Spring has only just sprung here and there is still a fair nip in the wind from the north. The daffodils have not bloomed and the frog spawn is yet to hatch. On the grey cold days I have taken comfort in the following things....

Chopping radishes with heart shapes

Eating soup made and delivered to my door by one of my students...very tasty and a teaching first....(and I should think, last)

wearing orange striped woolen socks bought from an old lady in Cheticamp

dead pine tree

2008-05-31T22:42:00.000+01:00

an army of twig experiments

2008-05-28T01:21:00.000+01:00

These are the begginings of some experiments with wood - carving, painting, rubbing-back and burning. I'm intending to make a large neckpiece with them.

the dark woods......

2008-05-26T21:00:00.000+01:00

everything has cracks in it, thats how the light gets in

2008-05-22T02:02:00.000+01:00

....or the tale of Leonard Cohen and the suicidal whale.

A few highlights from my week in Sydney...

Highlight Numer 1.....

It was a drab and windy evening in the old mining town of Dominion as we drove past the hole where the old high school had sunk into an old mine shaft and the social club the locals named the'blood pit'. We were headed to No.26 mine.

As we neared the coast we turned up a dirt road where dozens of other cars and a couple of small ponies had gathered at the roads end, near the wire enclosed grave of a miner. After walking over churned and muddy ground we reached the edge of the land and there it was.

Poor dead wrinkly whale.

As the sun set behind the power station and the crowds dispersed I felt a warm feeling inside watching a father place his two toddlers on the decaying beasts back for a photo opportunity.

It was a special moment in Sydney Mines and a rather appropriate prelude to going to watch Leonard Cohen in Glace Bay, which was fantastic and Highlight Number 2.

Nine men standing on beached sperm whale at Leith Harbour, South Georgia 1913

Highlight Number 3....

The Tom Fun Orchestra played Rollies Wharf

It rained all week in Sydney and was about 5'C...the only thing for it was to stay up late and dance. Teaching on only 3 hours sleep was an interesting experience but all the classes in the Centre for Craft and Design seem to have gone well.

eagle eagle eagle

2008-05-19T16:17:00.000+01:00

I had a wee walk this morning before I go to Sydney later today for this weeks workshops and finally got a few better shots of the Eagles.

Its pretty grey here today so there is not too much colour in these images but the wind has changes direction from the North and it is warmer now.

jumping deer

2008-05-19T01:33:00.000+01:00

Dalbrae workshops

2008-05-16T14:01:00.000+01:00

Things are really getting moving now in the school. I’ve taught six workshops in the past week - it feels great to be more productive and I’m really enjoying getting to know the kids.

I’ve been teaching two kinds of workshop……

…..one where I get the pupils to do a drawing of an object in a continuous line without taking their pen off the page….then translating their line drawing into wire and building-up a 3D model.

we mangaed to get hold of a stuffed Bald-Headed Eagle...

...Fox cubs and a mink....

This project helps them to think about construction of form and working from the inside out - it’s a quick introduction to wire-work too.

The other project is a sheet metal project where they create a badge and/or pendant piece using the techniques of saw piercing and some soldering.

The students got through 144 saw blades in three days but I think they were pretty happy with what they came away with.

using hammer marks for texture

some examples of their finished pieces

Pengiun, Cape Breton and Horse

I think the ‘bling’ might have gone to their heads…..

Yes,…..it definitely did.

On Sunday I’m holding a public workshop in the Inverness craft centre and next week I’m in Sydney for 3 school workshops and a public workshop so they’re keeping me busy and the time is flying.

mabou........from the sublime to the ridiculous

2008-05-15T18:00:00.000+01:00

The guardian of the shopping trollies in Mabou shop entrance.......

..........and a local mailbox

a walk in the woods

2008-05-13T21:03:00.000+01:00

These are some photies of my regular walk near my shack. It is part of the old trans-Canada railway track which is now a walking trail.

These photos were taken last week when the weather was warm....There is a brisk north wind now and there was heavy snow (in Scottish terms) over the weekend on my drive back from Sydney.

Down-town Mabou from the old railway line. This is part of the inlet so is tidal and salty.

I've seen this wee fox a couple of times - if my camera shutter hadn't made a noise it would have been on my lap.

I see this pretty lady in the same spot almost every time...perched above the water which are black with young fish guddling about as the pools fill and empty with the tide. I wonder if she is the same bird I see being mobbed by crows from my kitchen window while I'm doing the dishes.

Her nest! not seen much action in it yet....This photograph doesn't really do justice to the size of it - I could easily fit inside.

Fingers crossed, things seem to be getting sorted with the timetable and workshops in school so the next few blogs might be more school based.

sky, silhouette, reflection

2008-05-09T19:57:00.000+01:00

After three days of clear skies and sunshine, clouds are starting to form and rain is on its way......

A lonely pigeon on the bridge

living trees and dead wood

2008-05-06T23:23:00.000+01:00

As I'm waiting for my space in the school to be cleaned out and equipment to arrive I'm making the most of the lovely weather and getting out to collect bits and bobs and take lots of photo's of the woodland nearby.

All around the inlet dead wood is washed up by the tide, small branches to huge trunks are left to dry and bleach in the spring sunshine - they look so skeletal.

what remains of a beaver dam

I would love to see a beaver but this is as close as i've got so far. I think they can be real pests for the locals though...I was told that someone lost a whole garden of fruit trees to them. Its really amazing to see the lines of gnawed off stumps they leave behind...they are like wee machines.

colour is starting to appear at the tips of the branches

Baby fish swim in the shade of the trees.

I think the berries are cranberries left over from winter but I'm not sure.

Well, I'm off to Sydney tommorow for the big medical...I'm getting a lift half-way from someone in Mabou and then meeting another car to go the other hour to Sydney.

Fingers crossed I don't have a terribly incurable disease…I have spent the past week poking around beaver holes.

Spring in Mabou

2008-05-05T21:18:00.000+01:00

When I first arrived in Cape Breton the grass was yellow and dry and the deciduous trees that interspersed the pines were grey on the hills. The weather has been really lovely over the weekend and after a nights rain green is beginning to appear on the land.

Dandelions bursting through the dry grass

On Sunday I went for a walk to the coast where there is still some ice and a freezing mist sits at the edge of the tide despite the blazing sun; it was about five degrees colder than inland.

The edge of the mist

This is the beach at Mabou Mines on the left last week and on the right before I arrrived and the ice had receeded.

Because of the sudden and extreme temperature change the beach stones are splitting into precise sections. They remind me of cutting eggs using an egg slicer.

cracking eggs for omelettes

2008-05-02T23:50:00.000+01:00

Well ... after a wee delay due to Canadian red-tape and fate working against me I am beginning to get settled on Cape Breton Island. It's taken me a while to adjust and to find my footing here.

I still have to get a few things sorted to secure my stay here with immigration... on Wednesday I have to go to Sydney (2 hours drive) where an immigration-approved doctor will give me a full medical including blood tests and x-rays, I will wait there until I get the results. In the meantime the workshops with the children are on hold.

As it’s been 6 days since I arrived and I’ve not had a phone line or been able to get proper e-mail until this evening (which I'm very excited about!) I’ve got a few days worth of images to post here -they probably speak for themselves…..I’ll add the other ones that are stored in my camera at a later stage so that I don’t overwhelm the page. I'm looking forward to getting into my own work and feeling more productive but taking lots of pictures is a good place to start.

In the mirror - temporary new bedroom

This is my new temporary home. The wee bit on the right….not including the window. It’s attached to a gift shop which I think has gone out of business.

This is not my new temporary home but is about the same size. I really like the five-pointed roofs that they have on a lot of the houses here with their wee matching sheds.

my new temporary home - detail

St. Mary's Church

St. Mary’s church - detail

The 'spring peepers' (frogs) are making a lot of noise outside...they remind me of the noise baby chicks make when they are being fed.

Better scoot the noo....