The October School Break saw sculptor Siobhan Morison visiting Broomhill to lead 20 hours of stone sculpting workshops in the covered car park opposite Broomhill Court.

We started with blocks of sand stone salvaged from the demolition of the Drumfrochar Road flats and by the end of the week we had come away with a series of public sculptures ready to be installed around Broomhill and in our upcoming Broomy’s Bees Garden.

The ‘Bell Tower’ being demolished on the Drumfrochar Road flats. Photo by Eric Webster, October 2016, Greenock.

All the works were based on the participants own designs, and included references to the merino mills, rope works, Tate and Lyle factory and sugar cane as well as the bells from the Drumfrochar Road flats and the bees that will soon be buzzing about our Broomy’s Bees community garden, all part of Broomhill’s existing heritage and community identity.

Original photograph of a sheep taken by one of our participants

The `2D image waiting to be transfered.

The image being traced onto the stone.

Midway through carving.

The finished product.

It was fascinating seeing the 2D drawings transform into 3D shapes and translate according to the texture and grain of the stone.

Another participant, Angela, began by mimicking the diagonal lines of the flats which she could see across the car park on Ann Street. Siobhan notices that these lines also called to the mind the honey comb pattern found in bee hives, a motif which will feature heavily in the Broomy’s Bees garden. These two motifs were then formed into one pattern, merging the natural and man-made in Broomhill.

Of course, we had to have a bell shape somewhere! The two sides were also decorated with a dove on one, and an illustration of the cranes which can be seen standing on the banks of the Clyde down the hill on the other.

Some participants who had some experience with other types of carving before the workshops decided to work on their own patterns and designs, with one picking up inspiration from Celtic knots.

The workshops were a real success and it was a pleasure to meet so many new faces and to see some Broomhill residents getting stuck in. Many thanks to Siobhan Morison who did an absolutely fantastic job. We’ll look forward to working with you again!

This was our first Artist’s Residency in Broomhill – keep your eyes peeled because there will be more to come without a doubt!