Inspired By Scottish Lore - Spring 2009 Issue of Horses in Art Magazine

Inspired By Scottish Lore

by Staff Writer

Crowning Glory – Acrylic by Roselyne O’Neill. This piece won 2nd place in our cover contest.
Scottish artist Roselyne O’Neill of Garioch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is a graduate of Aberdeen College of Art and Design. Intrigued by Scottish history, her heritage and a lifelong passion for horses has inspired many creations of the Celtic Horse and horses in general.

North East Scotland has offered inspiration to O’Neill by way of its abundance of sculptured Pictish stones. The Picts of Scotland were ancient tribes of people, dating back before the 10th century. One of these Pictish stones, located in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, features a horse that depicts a dainty high-stepping riderless horse. Working in various mediums, O’Neill works with glass, pencil, charcoal, acrylic or oils as the inspiration unfolds. Her Pictish Art Collection is drawn in dark grade pencil on rough paper to give the feeling of the stone.

O’Neill comments, “I saw a Celtic horse at a local horse show and was inspired to create Crowning Glory. Of almost lifelike proportions, the painting was done in acrylic and features Scotland’s native breed, the Highland Pony.”

“My passion for horses doesn’t stop in Scotland though,” she continues, “my interest lies in many different breeds of the world, and I think really, that it is the pure romance of the horse that I love and hopefully share with you in my art.” For more information visit roselyneoneillglassart.co.uk.

Bit of History:

The Picts of Scotland

The Picts were the tattooed tribes of the north of Roman Britain, the area now known as Scotland, from Roman times until the 10th century. In 600 AD, Isadore of Seville makes reference that the Picts took their name from the fact that they covered their bodies in tribal tattoo designs. Pictish Symbol Stones are to be found mainly on the east coast of Scotland reaching up as far as Orkney and Shetland. Some of the stones are often approximately the size of a grave stone marker, with the images carved into the surface. The Picts ruled much of Scotland in the Dark Ages and held a strong and distinct culture. The sculptured stones are often abstract and stylized, though recognizable objects. Many of the stones have legends relating to their area. Information obtained from www.roselyneoneillglassart.co.uk and www.wikipedia.com.

Bit of History:

The Celtic Knot
by Roselyne O’Neill

The symbol used at the top of the painting is a type of Celtic Knot known as Triquetra, which translates from the Latin as ’three corners.’ Celtic Knot work is a form of art known as ’Insular Art’ produced in the post-Roman history of the British Isles. Most of the Insular Art (from the latin for ’island’) originates from the Irish Monasticism of the Celtic Church around 600AD. Surviving examples consist mainly of illuminated manuscripts (such as the Book Of Kells, Ireland), metalwork and carvings in stone found all over the British Isles. With the Norman invasions, Celtic Art went into decline but lingered in the Gaelic areas of the Hebrides and West Highlands. The Lords of the Isles continued to use Celtic Art as a depiction of their heritage.

Celtic Art, by its very nature is a link with the distant past, and that is what intrigues me. The Triquetra, Mystic Knot or Endless Knot has been used to symbolize a sign of special things and persons that are threefold. As a contemporary Celtic Artist, I have used one of the possible meanings - Past, Present and Future.

Highland Ponies are native to the Scottish Highlands and are one of the oldest breeds of Britain. In ancient times their strength and size would have made them a suitable mount as a warhorse, as far back as the days of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. The roles of the domestic Highland Pony would have been as pack ponies and on farms. The crofters would have used them for ploughing, forestry and haulage. In later years, The Highland Pony was used by Country Estates to bring game and deer down from the hills, and is indeed still in use for this work. They are also a popular choice as a family pony and are renowned for their calm, steady temperament and versatility. HM The Queen is patron of The Highland Pony Society and maintains one of the largest highland Pony studs at Balmoral, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

The horse featured in the painting is a Highland Pony stallion owned by Emma Cowie of Aberdeenshire. I saw this horse at a local horse show and from his presence alone, I was inspired to create this painting. His name is Moss-Side Lairig Ghru. The Lairig Ghru is one of the mountain passes through the Cairngorms of Scotland in the Highlands. In all honesty, I didn’t know whom this horse was when I saw him, but something in him shone through.

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