Our very own Gyllian Thomson, who not only serves on the DAGFAS Committee, with responsibility for our social media, but is also a fine artist in her own right. Gyllian was recently honoured for work submitted to the ‘Big Art Show’ currently running at The Art Department, Causeyside Street , Paisley until 16th November. Gyllian was awarded the Independent Financial Advice Centre (Glasgow)Ltd Prize for her two works ‘ Altered Landscape’ and ‘Rhyme Light’ which are part of the exhibition.
The Big Art Show is one of Scotland’s largest open entry exhibitions, featuring over 1600 artworks. Entry is free
Gyllian graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art with a First class (hons) degree in constructed textiles and printmaking in 1995. She then earned a Post Graduate Certificate in Education in Art and Design from the University of Glasgow in 2001 and worked as an Art teacher for some years before becoming a full-time tapestry weaver.
Having swapped Glasgow for the countryside of Dumfries and Galloway, Gyllian’s studio is now attached to her home making her responses to the landscape even more immediate.
‘Sitting at the loom and transitioning my work to tapestry is a slow and quietly joyful process,‘ she says. ‘What begins as paper and paint is then woven onto my scaffold loom. This slow and tactile process calms me and fills me with a sense of wellness as I begin to see my designs emerge. Just like the responses and feelings I have within the landscape I live in, the lines in my tapestries often transition off the work.’
You can join Gyllian on 16th March for ‘Landmarks’, a weaving day at Gracefield from 10 am -2pm where you can learn the basics of how to create woven tapestries. See our Programme for full details.