Anneliese from Santiago, Chile, just had to visit Groam House Museum whilst in Scotland, even though she was here on her honeymoon.  

Anneliese Peebles Gonzalez is a wood carver based in Santiago, Chile.  She was inspired to start carving Celtic designs by her love of the work of George Bain and his book ‘Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction’.  Visiting Groam House was high on her list of things to do in Scotland as the museum holds the George Bain Collection of Celtic Art.   

Anneliese explained “I was born in Santiago, Chile, and lived here all my life, but my great grandfather was Scottish so I have always been drawn to Scotland.  My father had an old edition of George Bain’s book so I started drawing from there and still today I find new patterns and drawings to carve.   I’m honoured to be part of the exhibition in Groam House.”

George Bain (1881-1968) was an artist and teacher whose mission was to inspire everyone to make their own Celtic art and that vision is being realised today by young artists and craftspeople all over the world.  

Anneliese is one of three contemporary craftspeople whose work is on show in the museum this summer alongside the work of Bain that inspired them.  Her intricate designs are hand carved from the wood of the Rauli tree, a native of Chile.

She is joined by Lucy Hague, a knitting designer from Orkney, whose work combines inspiration from Pictish stones with innovative knitting techniques.  Lucy produces knitting patterns using cable knitting recreating Celtic designs that flow across the surface of her garments. 

The third artist in the current exhibition is local artist, Thomas Keyes from Cromarty.  Thomas’s work ‘Singularity’ takes inspiration from the Book of Kells and then adds graffiti art and a modern twist which stops the viewer in their tracks.  Thomas makes his own parchment and pigments and then illuminates his manuscript pages using the same techniques and materials that were available to early medieval manuscript creators.

The exhibition ‘Crafting the Celtic’ is on upstairs in Groam House until 31st October 2019.  Admission is free but donations are always very welcome.