Great to see Stevie again this most recent visit to Cullen while I was up capturing some additional shots needed for the short film piece I am making about him and the most marvellous Pet Cemetery he has created. I had a lot of time on my hands this trip as there were many cancellations due to covid but this allowed me to spend more time with Stevie just shooting the breeze while I helped him paint the sea loft after a winter of wild storms. Often we are so goal orientated on projects we forget to actually just enjoy each others company

There is still more filming to go attempting to capture the essence of this interesting and gentle man. In many ways Stevie embodies the character of many of the people in this often ignored part of Scotland. It was interesting to see him surrounded by a mix of AIM artists, Caroline Inkle, Lynda Buchan and Graeme Roger as well as two artists Mike Windle and Beverley Hood (also head of Design School research at ECA ) visiting from the mid-belt. Everyone wanted to meet him and see his creation. It reminded me how, no matter that Stevie might never see himself as an artist, he is beloved by the group who surrounded him that day. Outsider creativity like this is, never sees barriers or boundaries being erected between us by creative people, birds of a feather and all that. It made my heart sing to see him at the centre of this group of very talented artists. It’s where he deserves to be and he was acknowledged by one and all for his creativity. I work with academics a lot, curators and producers but its only when I’m with my tribe of fellow creatives that I really feel life running through my body.

After an enjoyable morning with Lynda at her Cullen based workshop and the lovely interlude with Stevie, we ended the artists day out with an amazing trip out of moray (shhh don’t tell anyone we breached the project boundaries – more on that later) visiting Tarlair Open Air Swimming Pool by Macduff in Aberdeenshire. Many a good conversation was had as we discussed our art practices and our projects current and future. A very stimulating residency week in Cullen with so much discussion and sharing and in a village along with Kingston that have become two of my favourite coastal villages in the north east of Scotland.