Flora MacDonald
Airdabhaigh, Carinish, North Uist HS6 5HL
Email: floraidh@hebrides.net
Tel: 01876 580 611
www.calanas.co.uk
Flora MacDonald is a Benbecula-born artist. She creates her art in a variety of mediums. Her art is inspired by Hebridean culture and traditions.
Flora studied art and design in Taigh Chearsabhagh when she returned to live on North Uist ten years ago. She is a textile artist and is accomplished in the local skills of her heritage. These are spinning, weaving, dyeing and knitting. The dyes are from native colours and the artefacts match the landscape that created them. She explores the plants by photographing them, drawing them, and writing poetry and recipes on them. These are currently being collated as a dye book using calligraphy and handmade inks.
The artist is involved in art work during the winter months. In the summer she caters for summer visitors and Airdabhaigh was rated as ‘the best stay in Scotland’ by American visitors last year.
Flora has a thatched studio where she demonstrates spinning and weaving to visitors. She also runs workshops in dyeing, weaving and spinning by appointment. The cost is £50 or £100 for a party of 4.
All the workshops are historical and memorable occasions as are all visits to Flora’s B&B.
One of the artist’s skills is writing. She has published three children’s books and two adult books. Her last book ‘Cocoa and Crabs’ is now on its second print run has been selected for a major award along with Scotland’s foremost writers.
The book was published by The Islands Book Trust. The voting for final selection at the International Book Festival in August is at www.ayewrite.com/Book-Prize.