Marion Smith, Sculptor

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Image showing design with ocatagons and a flower and leaves, the design has been sandblasted into the granite and painted with silver paint.

Cowgate Gateway Markers

Materials: Emerald Pearl Granite

Created: 2017

Client: East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture Trust & East Dunbartonshire Council

H: 288cm W: 148cm D: 14cm

Categories: Commissions, Works in Progress, Workshops

View at: Kirkintilloch town centre

In relation to this project I ran a practical casting workshop using clay and plaster with the Champions Group (ambassadors for town planning improvements), Kirkintilloch Antiquaries and U3A – an opportunity to ask members of the community what they would like to see reflected in the Gateway Markers. I also carried out consultation with secondary school pupils at St Ninian’s High School, getting them to tell me about their local knowledge and make sketches. This led to further research with the archivist. Themes and ideas adopted included the Puffers synonymous with Kirkintilloch and imagery from the town’s coat of arms.

Work in progress on design of flower and leaf on intricate grid, the contrast is between the black of the granite and the white of the rubber stencil.
Square ariel view of work in progress with flower, leaves and octagons design.
Work in large slab of granite with flower, leaves and octagon design sited in paving, there is a tree behind it to the left.
Work in large slab of granite with flower, leaves and octagon design sited in paving.
Ariel view of work on rubber stencils of a stylised tree with a stylised Roman looking pig. A figure in an orange boiler suit stands bending to the right with a red propane cylinder behind him.
Large slab of black polished granite sited. It has a stylised tree with a fierce looking pig below it. The lines have been sand blasted into the granite and have been painted silver.
Work on progress on line drawing of a trout, it is very faintly seen on the paper.
Work nearly complete on line drawing of trout.
Work in progress picking out rubber stencil from the lines in the design of the trout, with line drawing of a puffer (type of boat) behind.
Close up of Work in progress picking out rubber stencil from the lines in the design of the trout, with line drawing of a puffer (type of boat) behind.
Work on a polished black granite slab featuring the design of a puffer boat above and trout below, in the background is a church spire
Work on a polished black granite slab featuring the design of a puffer boat above and trout below.
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