It has been an incredibly busy and exciting period for me and Dalkeith Arts.

When Mary, our Chairwoman, asked me to become Secretary I was delighted to accept.

We designed and implemented our new modern logo just in time to be released on our new website: https://www.dalkeitharts.co.uk/

Dalkeith Arts, together with One Dalkeith, combined art and history to create a beautiful visual memorial of a horrible epoch in the town's history. We commissioned ten local artists to each paint a panel. The panels depict six of the many women who were accused and executed for witchcraft in Dalkeith. The remaining four include a portrait of the local “witch pricker", and the last three are of iconic buildings in Dalkeith - The Watchtower, St Nicholas Buccleuch Church, and The Tolbooth (my painting - more to follow). The witch trials were at their peak in the 1600s and six real women's names were chosen to represent all of the women and men who were executed in Dalkeith. We have been astounded at the interest and publicity for this project. Here are some of the articles:

https://wildhunt.org/2020/10/dalkeith-artists-give-faces-to-accused-witches-in-scotland.html

https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/portraits-scottish-witches-revealed-2988070

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000n6rt Tune into BBC Radio 4 “The World tonight show“. Mary Blair, Margaret Bitici and I were interviewed by Paul Moss. If you don’t want to listen to the whole show we are on 38 minutes in.

I really enjoyed talking to the general public as the panels were being erected on the outside of the One Dalkeith building. In a time of disruption caused by Covid-19, it is wonderful to be involved with the creation of an art exhibition that the public can see without having to be inside. I like that we can spread a bit of happiness and increase knowledge of the town’s history through art, in what is currently a difficult period. Given the current economic hardships, it is also important to me that the exhibition is free. I find myself thinking about these women a lot now and the persecution they endured. I have no doubt that had I lived in those times, I too would be executed for being a witch due to my outspoken-ness, affinity to animals, and love of nature. I often find myself doing things that I have no doubt others would consider strange in the name of art. For example, last week I was wandering around our estate with my children spraying varnish on dandelion clocks (in order to preserve them in resin) whilst telling nosey dogs to leave my dandelions alone! I am sure this wouldn’t help perceptions of me if I was living in the 1600s, and before anybody says anything, yes I do know spray varnish wasn’t available in the 1600s!

Roll on another week and we are painting bees on the planters in Jarnac Court just because we can and want to brighten up the area we live in.

We also have our work in “The Bank - of Dalkeith”. It is definitely a good place to visit in Dalkeith for cake, coffee, gifts and pampering.