I have loved putting drawings to stories since I was very young. It seemed what drawing was for. Now I am coming back more and more to that original inspiration. Here are a few of my ventures ...

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THE DOG IN THE BLACK SOMBRERO

This is a small illustrated poem, intended for my children when they were small. You will see that this was drawn in 1979...nearly 40 years ago; hence the word gay retained its original meaning. Then it simply meant that the dog Raif was happy and devil-may-care.
Another aspect is the violence. The story is a little like the last act in Hamlet, and at the time I considered it no different to the average Tom and Jerry cartoon ... although I do not recall those animations ending with the main characters in Boot Hill Cemetery.

AN HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL TOUR OF KILKERRAN GRAVEYARD

his was my first collaboration with poet and writer Angus Martin.  Angus has a number of best-selling books to his credit, including The Ring Net Fishermen and Kintyre Country Life, both favourites of mine along with his volume of poetry The Larch Plantation.
The Kilkerran Graveyard book was his 12th book, and is a fascinating read for any interested in a sense of people and place. He brings a poetic view to both past and present and his deep love of Kintyre, its people and nature is vividly portrayed in every paragraph.
When we lived on the slopes of Beinn Ghuilean at Campbeltown, Gill and I would regularly see Angus setting off on one of his pilgrimages (I can think of no more apt word) up the slopes of the Beinn, the result of each foray written up and forming the basis of one of his enthralling By Hill and Shore articles in The Kintyre Magazine. Always the part of the magazine I turned to first, and Angus's easy well-written prose would carry me quickly up the slopes and into the hinterland beyond, or gazing out over Campbeltown Loch to the hills of Arran, with tales of the wildlife he would meet on the way. I note from Amazon that a volume of these writings entitled By Hill and Shore in South Kintyre has now been published.
I was delighted to be asked to illustrate this volume and its sequel Kilkerran Graveyard Revisited. From the titles one might think that this might be like 'a monumental mason's catalogue' to quote my father. Nothing could be further from the truth. Angus is a consummate story-teller in the best tradition of the Gaels.

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KILKERRAN GRAVEYARD REVISITED

A second volume of Angus Martin's fascinating tales of the interesting and colourful men and women whose lives are revealed in their connection to this Kintyre cemetery.
These stories tell of feats of heroism or achievement, of misfortune or of everyday life - and told with humour, warmth and respect for times long gone; even if some may still recall those whose lives are so faithfully recreated in this volume, as in its predecessor An Historical and Genealogical Tour of Kilkerran Graveyard. Angus revealed when we were discussing the illustrations for this sequel that he had material enough for a third volume. I for one, would love to read it, as, I am sure would anyone interested in this enchanting corner of Scotland.
Angus was, and I think still is, Chairman of The Kintyre Antiquarian and Natural History Society, and editor of The Kintyre Magazine. For many years my father, who signed himself as Mackean Stewart for his artwork, provided the covers for this publication until he was too ill to continue. Angus was a loyal friend to my father in his last months and advised him on the text for the (as yet unpublished) book of his Kintyre paintings entitled Almost an Island. He also provided some technical help for my father's final painting Mending the Trawl, Tarbert Harbour.
The drawings for this second book followed a more cohesive style than were my drawings from volume 1, which were more 'quirky' in tone, as someone commented. Nonetheless, the challenge of working on both of these excellent books renewed my appetite for pursuing more illustration. Indeed, many of my formative influences (e.g. Mervyn Peake) were best known for their illustrative work.

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THE KINTYRE COLLECTION

These drawings began as a commission to illustrate a town trail in Campbeltown as part of a tourist initiative. A brochure was produced with a map of Campbeltown on one side (illustrated by myself) and a map of the village of Tarbert (illustrated with line drawings by the excellent Ann Thomas) on the other.
The idea grew from this humble beginning - aided by my father producing a range of hand-coloured prints of Kintyre views - that I should continue the theme and create more simple line drawings for cards and prints. We named them 'The Kintyre Collection' and they proved to be successful in a modest way.
Some images sold - mostly as cards - better than others. The one of 'Craigard' was conspicuous in this, mainly because prior to being a first class hotel, it was the local maternity hospital and many who saw their start in life there aspired to own a picture of it ... or so it would seem. Someone remarked that the large room which functioned as the delivery room in the hospital was now the bridal suite, which took things from birth and back to conception.
Others had very limited appeal (like the Burnside Paintshop Store drawing - briefly popular as a 'Welcome to Your New Home' card, with 3 sold). I suspect that they told a story of a particular time, and having re-visited 'The Wee Toon' recently I was aware just how much it has changed in the years since we sold The Oystercatcher Gallery.

'WINSTON, WHERE ARE YOU?'

This was a story submitted to a competition run by Chambers, the Edinburgh publishers. It ended up on the short list, but did not win. I never found out who or what did win, nor was I told that my submission was not being used. It remained in their files until I finally plucked up the courage to ask them for the return of my work.
Having only recently come across this again, I might publish this as an ebook. Only the illustrations are here; a bit of re-writing of the text might be in order.