Scottish Colourist unearths nostalgic secret in Cromarty

While being shown round the Cromarty Arts Centre in this beautiful east coast village, she discovered work by former students of her late father and well known painter of the Scottish Highlands, John Mckinnon Crawford.

Cara said "My dad died of cancer in March, and to come across his teachings after all this time, and so soon after his death was uncanny. He was principal adviser of art and design for Highland region for 28 years and regularly organised art courses for secondary pupils all over the Highland region on an annual basis.

He completely revolutionized the way art and design was taught and his legacy lives on today . Although sadly these courses and wonderful opportunities for secondary pupils stopped when he retired. Its time they were reinstated! In amongst these paintings done in the late 70's I even discovered work of my own. I can't imagine why they have remained undisturbed for such a long time"

Very shortly after this visit Cara received an invitation to take up the post of artist in residence from the Cromarty Arts Trust - she immediately accepted.

She will live and work in this mecca for the arts for September 2005.

Cara said "This was meant to be - me visiting on a whim, finding my dad's work - and then being offered artist in residence in the birth place of Hugh Miller. Dad and I often went to the Black Isle on painting trips together. Fantastic, I can't wait! I'll also be doing a bit of detective work when I'm there. Dad did a painting of me when I was very small, he then put this painting into an exhibition and it subsequently sold. My mother was furious as she loved this portrait and my father tried on many occasions to buy it back, but the man would not part with it.

All I know about him is that he lives in Tain, and as I have only one other portrait of me done by my father I would dearly like to buy it back. It would mean so much to me. I hope that I can trace him! The Trust ensures that the rich resource available within this area is capitalised by integrating community projects with local and invited artists, to provide a rich diversity of teaching and learning for the benefit of all.

I'm especially looking forward to my involvement with the local primary and secondary schools (I'm going to take a number of paintings into the schools and get the pupils to do a crit on them) and being part of a Highland community again, meeting local folk when I'm out on site and getting back to my roots and the part of Scotland which I hold very dear to my heart. It’s fabulous to be given the opportunity to return to the place that provided the inspiration for many of my paintings. This is very much a coming home!"

The village of Cromarty itself had been a seaport of historical importance since the middle ages. From the 12th to the 17th century, it was a royal burgh. It flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries as a fishing port and still consists largely of Georgian merchant houses, intermingled with fishing cottages. Great diversity for a painter and gives Cromarty unique character of architectural and conservational importance.

Renowned as the "architectural jewel of the Highlands" it sits at the waters edge, on the Cromarty firth looking out towards the dramatic Sutor's, and yet Nigg the great oil rig producer is a stones throw across the water. In this little stretch you can be entertained by the bottle nosed dolphins who are seen on a regular basis.

"There are so many diversities in this one place. I'll be going out at dusk to capture the oil rigs which are all lit up at night and transform the firth into a dazzling world of twinkling lights"

The beautiful east coast village is a mecca for the arts and well known for its links to the famous poet Hugh Miller.

Cara said "I exhibit world wide and my paintings hang in every continent, but this is a real coming home for me”.
Cara was brought up in Strathpeffer and trained at the world famous Glasgow School of Art.

The new Grafton Gallery in London are hosting a major solo exhibition in June 2006. Some of the paintings from Cromarty will feature in this exhibition.