Marion Smith, Sculptor

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Upright piece of polished dark grey granite, a design has been sandblasted into it, which looks like flowers or arrows, it has been painted with red and cream paint, in the background some green foliage
An upright piece of shaped granite with a sandblasted surface, on it are 3 very stylised thistles in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The outline of these is dark polished granite, the square sections have been painted with purple enamel paint

Trails + Tales, Villafield Trilogy, Bishopbriggs

Materials: Granite and enamel paint

Created: 2018

Client: East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture Trust

H: 90cm W: 40cm D: 15cm

Categories: Commissions, Works in Progress, Workshops

View at: Bishopbriggs Library

Drawing on Talwin Morris’s cover for A Very Odd Girl, one side depicts the same colour scheme and elements of the design sandblasted and painted into a slim block of granite shaped to suggest a book. The other side contrasts in style and is based on Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s thistle motif from the library at Hillhouse in Helensburgh. The idea for the artwork grew from the discovery that Talwin Morris introduced his boss Walter Blackie to Charles Rennie Mackintosh, from this introduction came the commission for the celebrated Hillhouse.

Book jacket of book entitled A Very Odd Girl. It has five arrow like verticals with red top and bottom and small green hearts in the background. The title is contained in a heart like shape.
Library with decorative books and Charles Rennie Mackintosh design detailing in wood and glass (it's the library at Hillhouse, Helensburgh)
Talwin Morris book jacket design courtesy of Glasgow School of Art Library Special Collections & on the right Hillhouse Library
An upright piece of shaped granite with a sandblasted surface, on it are 3 very stylised thistles in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The outline of these is dark polished granite, the square sections have been painted with purple enamel paint, in this image the wedge shaped top is visible, it is polished. There is bark one the ground and foliage in the background
Work in progress on a rubber stencil which has been applied to polished black granite. On top of the stone is a ^" steel ruler, a scale model of the artwork and a scalpel. The design is being cut and the unwanted rubber picked off.
The edges of the sculpture called Villafield Trilogy are being softened in a workshop. They appear grey as they are abraded, whilst the triangular top of the stone appears black because it's polished. The decorative side of the work which is uppermost is covered by plastic held in place with masking tape.
Upright piece of polished dark grey granite, a design has been sandblasted into it, which looks like flowers or arrows, it has been painted with red and cream paint, in the background some green foliage, the top of the piece of granite can be seen and it is wedge shaped

In relation to my works for Bishopbriggs I led workshops in Meadowburn Primary School, which stands on the site of what was once the Villafield Press. Each of the pupils had the opportunity to design and make their own books, complete with Talwin Morris inspired jacket designs

Colourful book jacket designs by children
Children from Meadowburn primary school holding their Talwin Morris inspired book jackets.

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