Laura Drever

I’d like to use this months blog to highlight activity that has been keeping me busy. Thank you for keeping in touch and following.

The process of naming artwork can take time. Some artists title the work before they start, others as they go and a good few that will do it when the piece is complete. The other weekend, I gathered the body of work from the last 18 months from the studio and storage to begin the process. Making a journey around the Orkney map, to explore where had been walked. Looking back over these months has allowed for reflection of each walk, time spent with others and the fascinating things seen and found along the way. A revisiting.

There is more to be shared about the process and which titles have been chosen but perhaps it is best to leave this until they can be viewed at The Scottish Gallery in March. If you’d like to be added to the mailing list, please let me know.

The Pier Arts Centre is always a great place to visit. The variety of exhibits lately have been carefully curated, highlighting how lucky we are in Orkney to have such a significant collection and arts facility on our doorstep. Visiting Sunlight by Roger Acklings has been a highlight. To see so many of his sculptures in one place gives an idea of his lifelong practice – relying on the sun, a magnifying glass and a steady hand. A testament to patience, stillness, time and light.

If you’d like to listen to an interview about the Pier Arts Centre collection which briefly mentions ‘Voewood’ by Roger Ackling – please use this link:

Stories from the Pier Arts Centre with Josie Long: https://youtu.be/CHrbp-9HRoA

Nikita and the Shells by Evie Hone.

Evie Hone is a young adult and artist with a learning disability, who is supported and encouraged in her creativity by myself. Over the years we have worked on various project, perhaps the most notable being Nikita and the Shells. The original artwork for this print was created by Evie, using a ‘scraper’ board type technique – ‘drawing’ through a layer of dark paint to reveal bright colour beneath.

The image (and title) was created following a visit to the beach and Stromness Museum to study and collect shells.  In addition, the work also reflects Evie’s fondness and affection for Strictly Come Dancing dancer Nikita Kuzmin. 

Evie attends art lessons every week and spent several sessions at Soulisquoy print studio preparing the separations for the different layers and selecting the colours that she likes best. The finished print was editioned by Carol Dunbar. If you’d like to purchase a copy please use this link.

Thinking about titles and names – a woman from Australia recently got in touch as her Grandfather was a Drever. She’d googled Drever and Orkney and my name appeared. While in Orkney she visited the studio and we chatted, had a cuppa and had a hug – she was delighted to meet a Drever in Orkney.

Our family tree has only been researched so far back so not sure if there is a connection, it was really lovely to have meet her regardless. One day, I’ll maybe look into it further.

Meeting someone from the other side of the world with Drever connections reminded me of being called ‘Laura Driver’ (it’s happened a few times) I’m never really sure whether to mention it or not as don’t want to come across as ungrateful that I’ve been included in things but, I guess we all like to be called by what our name actually is?

I really hope those who have searched for ‘Laura Driver Orkney artist’ are able to decipher that I am in fact Laura Drever. My sister (an English Graduate) was being a kind big sis and gave an explanation to ease the puzzlement…

That’s all for now, away to write the titles on the finished paintings. Signing off with a smile.