Posts for February, 2025

Annual village gathering of Clubs and groups within Nethy Bridge, promoting ‘what’s on’ throughout the year. Together with village crafts people showcasing their wares there will be a spit roast, food stalls and tea tent with home baking, musicians, children’s events and activities

Family fun day with trade fair, bouncy castle, pony rides and more. Finishes with a duck race at 3pm followed by a pipe band parade through the village.

A family fun day on the village Greens in the centre of Ballater on Royal Deeside involving over 50 trade, craft and food stalls, with entertainment for children including hook-a-duck, merry-go-round, bouncy castle and slide.

The Ballater Pipe Band and a 20-piece brass band will play throughout the afternoon, culminating in a giant inflatable duck race on the River Dee at 3pm and a Tote operates if anyone fancies a ‘flutter’ on one of the ducks

Arboreal By Liz Green explores the iconic Highland woodland types made by Pine, Birch and Oak trees as well as plantations. These paintings are a feast of colour, pattern, texture, season and botanical identity distilled to depict the character and atmosphere of uniquely different woodland places.
‘I hope these paintings immerse the viewer in arboreal realms that I have found to be awe-inspiring, grounding and uplifting. Knowing trees can span several human generations and support an intricate wealth of other life is endlessly fascinating at every scale of observation’.
Liz Green is a self-taught artist based at WASPs Inverness Creative Academy and living in Inverness since 2003. Working in both oils and acrylic, her paintings include a mixture of realistic detail and stylised abstraction at differing scales. Her previous life strongly informs her art. With a degree in Botany and career as a plant ecologist, then environmental campaigner Liz has a deep understanding of ecosystems, the value and jeopardy of habitats and the complexity of trying to influence policy. Doing garden design work to suit places and people, then working in schools embedded her interest in visual communication. It was worsening arthritis that propelled her to start painting more in 2010 and she has not looked back.

WENDY GROSVENOR
BA(Hons)Fine Art

AN INTENTION – A stretching or bending of the mind toward an object; closeness of
application; fixedness of attention.

You are invited to view an artist’s exhibition of intention, process and outcome. And to take a tiny glimpse into the world of a sensory practice.
Semi-figurative artist Wendy Grosvenor uses a variety of different mediums to explore and respond to sensory connections and the sensory places that she inhabits.
‘My artmaking always begins with an intention.
My practice embraces tactile markmaking :- paint, water, charcoal, graphite – spoken word, sounds, found objects and three-dimensional form.
My process takes me to unexpected places and invariably, regardless of my intent, my painting seems find a life of it’s own. This is the explorative part for me.
It is exciting to visit a ‘different place’- an unexpected place – on a canvas. There is the gambler’s thrill in the unknowing, together with pure happenstance, which is quite addictive. When this overrides the intention – well, then I am delighted.
Wendy Grosvenor

“Who owns Strathspey”. Fascinating insight into this oft pondered question from Will Anderson, Chief Executive of Seafield & Strathspey Estates. Hosted by The Grantown Society (NOTE change to normal venue: this talk is in Grantown YM/YW Community Centre Cinema).

Reach into the living landscape of the Northern Cairngorms in this immersive and creative workshop, accompanied by Ed’s creative input and professional eye as he guides you with expansive knowledge of his local wilderness.

Photograph light and movement as it glows through ancient forests and follow the flowing burns as they tumble down from the granite monoliths looming above. As you capture the essence of what it means to be amongst this living and ever-changing landscape, you will advance your photography skills and deep dive into creating a powerful narrative with your pictures.

From an all-inclusive accommodation base in Kingussie you will be guided through inspiring and evocative locations in the Northern Cairngorms, taking in the fresh light and colour of spring. Alongside Ed’s accomplished and specialist insight, two of the course days include the addition of a mountain leader to support access to more remote locations.

Saturday Sessions will set out on foot from Eleven41 Gallery on Kingussie High St, after meeting for a pre-departure coffee at 9am.

These instructional sessions will explore and open up creative possibilities within the local landscape, whatever the weather, focusing on photographic narrative and a variety of techniques to enjoy the variety of Kingussie’s local moors, woodlands, burns and landmarks.

As a Highland town Kingussie is very fortunate to have an expansive variety of outdoor terrain, accessible via a plethora of well made hill and woodland tracks made by the fantastic volunteers of Kingussie Community Development Company.

From capturing ethereal long exposures of the Gynack Burn rapids to dramatic plays of light along the Spey valley, or focusing on the micro details of the flora spotted along the way, these one-day sessions will bring your senses to the forefront in advancing what you can capture and the stories you will go on to tell from your own local landscape.

Celebrate with us and enjoy something delicious from our special Pancake Day Menu.

Suitable for all ages & abilities.
Booking is essential.

Join us this Mother’s Day for a delicious lunch in the Keiller Brasserie. Please email or call to reserve a table or to receive a copy of our special menu.