David Walker

Rarely does a photoshoot have a lasting effect…

Rarely does a piece of art have such an immediate and compelling effect…

A visit to the Kelpies at Falkirk, Scotland delivered both much to my surprise. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times that I have been totally entranced by an artist’s endeavors, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Warhol’s Campbell Soup Cans, Monet’s Gare St-Lazare series, Da Vinci’s Last Supper and now Andy Scott’s Kelpies!

I must admit that great art does leave me feeling rewarded, and in truth, perhaps, I have been entranced on many, many occasions. The sheer majesty of the Kelpies perhaps made the difference, similar in many ways to the Last Supper and Campbell Soup Cans, I was surprised at the size!

Hardly subtle, the two 30m (100 ft), 300 tonnes steel sculptures depict Kelpies (or Water Kelpies), which are shape-shifting water spirits which inhabit lochs in Scottish Folklore. Although a Celtic Legend comparisons have been made between the Germanic Nixe (or Nixie), the Scandinavian Bäckahäst, the Wihwin of Central America and the Australian Bunyip. Almost every sizeable body of water in Scotland has an associated Kelpie story, but the most extensively reported is that of Loch Ness. Some accounts state that the Kelpie retains its hooves when appearing as a human, leading to its association with the Christian idea of Satan as alluded to by Robert Burns in his 1786 poem “Address to the Devil”.

The origins of the history about the Kelpie are unclear but the practical purpose of keeping children away from dangerous stretches of water and warning young women to be wary of handsome strangers are perhaps favorites.

The original concept of mythical water horses was a valid starting point for the artistic development of the structures, but as Scott outlined the sculptures of the Kelpies also represent the lineage of the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the wagons, ploughs, barges, and coal ships that plied their trade on the Forth and Clyde Canal and other Scottish Canals.

On my return from Scotland all of this astonishing find led to an exciting week or so when I could channel my feelings into different portrayals of the Kelpie. I enjoyed working in impressionism, in traditional oils, in different drawing styles, with special lighting, playing with imagination (something rarely used by myself) and even in comic book style. All of this for a £3 parking charge and some pretty wet clothes!

https://www.vista-foto.com/

Guarding the Kelpies

Kelpies