Gilfedder Designs

Our Lady, Lighthouse and Cairn This painting draws together memories of the Hebridean crossings between Benbecula and North Uist, reflections from the Divine Office, and the writings of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. In the image of Our Lady as both lighthouse and cairn, I wanted to explore guidance, trust, danger, and hope in Christ amid darkness and uncertainty. North Ford, Benbecula c. 1880s Source The Hebridean Crossing The painting began with stories told to me by my mother-in-law, Belle MacPhee of Benbecula in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. As a young girl, she crossed the ford between Benbecula and North Uist long before a causeway existed. The journey depended entirely on the rhythm of the tide and could only be attempted when the water was low enough. Even then, it required local knowledge, patience, and courage. People crossing the ford travelled mainly by horse and cart across a landscape both beautiful and exposed, where sea, sand, and sky could seem to merge into one another. The...

All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go, 2024 The Idea Behind the Painting   Sometimes an old saying suddenly takes on a new meaning. During the lockdowns, the phrase "all dressed up and nowhere to go" seemed to capture how many people felt. Weddings were postponed, birthdays cancelled, theatres closed, churches became silent, and even meeting friends became impossible.  As restrictions slowly lifted, people started to appear again, but the emotional effects remained. There was relief, alongside uncertainty, sadness and frustration. This painting grew out of those feelings. I wanted to create an image that acknowledged that common understanding while suggesting humour.  Finding Humour in Difficult Times  The couple stand together in their finest clothes, ready for an occasion that never arrives. The expressions on their faces are calm and composed, but the situation still feels awkward, something many of us can recognise.  Although the painting depicts a difficult peri...

This year I was honoured to join 28 other artists to each produce a piece of work for one of the Stations of the Cross and Resurrection for the AGAP and the University of Glasgows Exhibition's for the 2012 LentFest.  The list of participating artists and their subjects is as follows: Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) 1. Jesus is condemned to death – Terry Ann Newman 2. Jesus is given his cross – David Adam 3. Jesus falls the first time – David Gibson 4. Jesus meets His Mother – Tommy Canning 5. Simon of Cyrene carries the cross – Richard de Marco 6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus – James Callaghan 7. Jesus falls the second time – Tom Cahill 8. Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem – John Byars 9. Jesus falls the third time – Susie Batey 10. Jesus is stripped of His garments – Christine Mailley 11. Jesus is nailed to the cross – Peter Howson 12. Jesus dies on the cross – Aleksander Zysko 13. Jesus’ body is removed from the cross (Deposition or Lam...

A video of the 1998 Joint Exhibition "Celtic For Kids". The work of my pupils throughout the Southern Isles from Eriskay to Benbecula. The work by these primary pupils was based on Carmina Gadelica. A treasure of Scottish oral poetry.