MAIRI NICGILLIOSA

Visual artist, Neach-ealain

Welcome to the website for Mairi Gillies, a Scottish visual artist whose work spans between the studio, classroom, exhibition spaces and the living landscape.

Is mise Màiri NicGillÌosa. Tha mi nam neach-ealain agus 's e bana-Ghàidheal na Galltachd a th' annam. Tha dàimh làidir agam ris a' Ghàidhealtachd agus tha mi a' fuireachd ann an Leòdhas.

I am Mairi Gillies. I am an artist and a Gaelic woman from the Lowlands of Scotland. I have strong sense of home in the Gaeltachd and I currently live on the Isle of Lewis.

Sùil na brà
Eye of the quern

Spring holidays. Research into feannagan (ridge and furrow), embodied enquiry, blethers, new friends, old ones, ponies, cake, sheep, sheltering from hail, waking seedlings, saddle quernstones, kitchen windowsill views, spade and earth, camping with @otterbunkhouse

Soil. Toil.
A dialect of tools.
With support from @atlasarts

Spaid, Corran, Croman, Cas-chrom, Clach-bhràthan

faileas /faləs/
fir. gin. -eis, iol. -an
1 reflection 2 shadow 3 phantom 4 lightning

#gàidhlig #gaelic #placebased #sitespecific

Merry wee trip south for a few nights

Horsacleit, Smeircleit, Ruisigearraidh.
Na Hearadh, Uibhist a Deas, Beàrnaraigh.
Harris, South Uist, Berneray

Reading, knitting, walking, collecting seeds, swims, sun, ceilidhs and meetings.

#gàidhlig #placebased #waysofseeing #vanlife

Wonder wander. 4 àiridhean, 6 lochannan, 1 bog.

Floidreabhal a-staigh
Dubh Lochan
Puara
Loch a' Gheòidh
Loch a' Choin
Loch an Eilean
Sidhean Mòr
Na Cnoca Breac
Geàrraidh Mhòr

#gàidhlig #placebased #sitespecific #walkingartist

Feannagan
Mangarstadh, Uig

#gàidhlig #placebased #dialectoftools

Casts from ‘Reversing the gaze’ series.
I was invited to be the resident artist for a workshop exploring multiple visions of community land ownership and use in Scotland. This series of casts came from maps and images participants shared with me of ‘their place’.

#reversingthegaze
#maps
#scottishart
#gàidhlig
#placebased

Creely good photos from the moor, taken by the lovely @jim_hope

Obair-làimhe
sf Handiwork. 2 Work done by hand in contradistinction to that done by machinery.

Studio work in progress
Casting set up

#placebased #wip #gàidhlig

boinneag /bɔNʲag/
boir. gin. -eige, iol. -an
1 droplet, little/small drop 2 (alcoholic) drink

#gàidhlig #placebased

trobhad! /tro.əd/
gn. neo-iomlan
come here! Come to me! Come along with me!

#gàidhlig #placebased #waysofseeing #sitespecific

sléibhteag /ʃLʲeːvdʲag/
boir. gin. -eige, iol. -an
1 small hillside/slope 2 small mountain

#gàidhlig #gaelic #sitespecific #waysofseeing #lèirsinn #placebased

Wayfinding!

I had the pleasure of one to one Wayfinding with @elainereidwriting for two days last week.
The first, we walked into the hills, barefoot heeling for healing, sole to soul.
The second, we went to the edge, coastline and sea.
Elaine is here for a three week research residency and was a total delight to work with - open to trying everything and taking joy and meaning from being in Place.

Day 1
Chnoc a' Chàrnain
Cleit Charisiadiar
Sidhean a' Deas
Gil Mhurchaidh Dhuinn
Tom Corrach
Rossamul Beag
Nead an Eòin
Leaca' Geala
Cleite na Crich
Gheàrraidh Theurabridh
Floidreabhal a' muigh

Day 2
Sgeir Ghlas Bheag
Poll Shiobachd
Geodha Mhàrtainn
Loch Buaile Tiraso
Rubha Dubh na Buaile
Camas Mol Griom
Rubha na h-Aona Cloich
Druim an Fhaslaich
Druim nam Faoileag
Camas Islibhig

#gàidhlig #placebased #wayfinding #waysofseeing #lèirsinn #walkingartist

dàmhair /daːvirʲ/
boir. iol. -ean
1 rut 2 rutting time

Dwelly's "dàmhair"
-ean, sf Rutting of deer. 2 Rutting-time. 3 The month of October [preceded by the art. an]. 4** Noise. 5(CR) Time — about Inverness & W. of Ross-shire. Mun dàmhair seo an-dé, about this time yesterday; facal an dàmhair, a word in season. 6‡‡ Earnestness, keenness, 7 Rutting riot - Dàin Iain Ghobha. 8 Cry of a deer - R. 84. Bhuail thuca an dàmhair, the noise came suddenly upon them; an dàmhair a’ mheadhan oidhche, in the dead of night. 8 Middle. An dàmhair a’ chuain, in the middle of the ocean

Fencing/moving/autumn/rutting

Corran and Seumas walked over Cleite Chàirisisadair to a neighbours croft for a bite of fresh grass. Put up electric fencing (so Seumas doesn't trash the fences!) to the sound of the rutting stags...
#gàidhlig #placebased #gaelic #waysofseeing #sitespecific

ràith an fhoghair
(the) autumn season

Recent images.
Low sun, folding maquette, still laying, brothers visit, feannagan, mushrooms, bramble pie, walks, drams, beaches, wooly jumpers, creeling, boats brought in for the end of the season. #gàidhlig #placebased #gaelic #waysofseeing #sitespecific #lèirsinn #scottishart

foras /fɔrəs/
fir. gin. -ais, iol. -an
1 information, knowledge 2 inquiry

Hands play grow tacit knowing through tools, place nourishment and work

I've felt very moved by the passing of Manchàn this week, reminded of the dear ones I've known as friends and tradition bearers who have gone.
We carry in us the ways of seeing and knowing they taught us.

If Gàidhlig culture is 'the carrying steam' then they were the gems in the river.

#creativepractice #gàidhlig #traditionbearers #placebased #waysofseeing #lèirsinn

sgàth-fhras
boir. gin. -fhroise, iol. -an
passing/short shower

#gàidhlig #placebased #gaelic #waysofseeing #sitespecific #lèirsinn #walkingartist

Orasaigh
Giearol
Loch na Mnà
Màs Cruinn
Tòb Stìomrabhaigh
Stìomrabhaigh
Loch Shaghachain

#gàidhlig #placebased #eileanleòdhais #isleoflewis #walkingarist #gaelic #waysofseeing #lèirsinn

imrich /imirʲɪç/
boir. gin. -e, iol. -ean
1 (act of) migrating 2 migration 2 (act of) flitting, moving house, removal 3 effects (i.e. object moved in flitting, esp. for moving to a shieling)

Shots from my temporary studio set up.
Cobbles ready for carving

✨Exciting new studio ✨ being dreamt up, stay tuned for more on that...

#gàidhlig #gaelic #placebased #studio #wip #artiststudio

Cnoc Àirigh na Beinne, Quinnag

#walkingartist #waysofseeing #september #gàidhlig #gaelic

Gifts from the croft:
Eriskay ponies
Geese
Gannet
Heron
Scabious
Clinker

#placebased #crofting #nature #september

Briseadh an latha
Daybreak, dawn

#gàidhlig #viewfrommywindow #dawn #gaelic #waysofseeing #motherartist

tlàthas /tLaː.əs/
fir. gin. -ais
1 mildness, balminess, mellowness 2 gentleness 3 smoothness 4 tenderness, delicateness 5 kindness

Pollen and peat on my feet today.

First day of the boys being back at school and I gifted myself a 'breaker day'.
A day to wander and wonder, contemplate, let life sink in kindly.
The hillside gifted me warm, honey scented air, butterflies, dragonflies, a river of purple flowers. And a tic!

#gàidhlig #placebased #gaelic #sitespecific #waysofseeing #lèirsinn #motherartist #scottishart #tlusmhorachd #selfcare

samhradh breac stiallach
a warm, sunny summer with regular rain

Last week of the holidays...

#gàidhlig #motherartist #placebased #sitespecific #waysofseeing

Went to check on the ponies and accidentally found myself on a dance with the hill

#gàidhlig #placebased #lèirsinn ##waysofseeing #sitespecific #motherartist

gràinneanach /graːNənəx/
bua. coi. -aiche
1 pertaining to grains 2 grainy, granular

#gàidhlig #gaelic #placebased #sitespecific #lèirsinn

rùisgeadh /Ruːʃgʲəɣ/
fir. gin. -gidh
1 (act of) peeling 2 (act of) shearing

#gàidhlig #gaelic #waysofseeing #placebased #sitespecific #motherartist

làithean-saora! Holiday to the other islands,
Starting and finishing at home.
Chambered cairns, bikes, swimming in the sea, camping, teas, good grub, old Mills, pìobaireachd, cupan tì, and friends friends friends... A special trip to Èirisgeigh to wear my new geansaidh made by @floraidhforrest, with help from her amazing auntie Màiri Flòraidh (obligatory photo of the Màiri/Màiri Flòraidh/Flòraidh sandwich!!).

#gàidhlig #placebased #gaelic #waysofseeing #lèirsinn #outerhebrides

cnuasachadh /krũə̃səxəɣ/
fir. gin. -aidh, iol. -aidhean
1 (act of) pondering, ruminating 2 rumination 3 (act of) reflecting 4 reflection 5 (act of) studying

#gàidhlig #placebased #gaelic #lèirsinn

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@mairi_nicgilliosa

MAIRI NICGILLIOSA

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Exploring a sense of place