SELECTED WORK
click to enlarge
Further Links
Gillian Forbes website
includes further examples of her work
www.forbesstonecarver.com
Scottish Lettercutters Association
6 Dean Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 1ND
T: 0131 315 4176
Gillian Forbes
Gillian was born in Edinburgh in 1967 and, after studying ceramics at Glasgow School of Art from 1984-1988, went to Vienna to live for a year. It was there she started working with stone and, after a while at Glasgow Sculpture Studios she studied architectural carving, stonemasonary and letter cutting at Weymouth College in Dorset.
Gillian set up her stonecarving business in 1995, near Milnathort, working on small private commissions. She then gradually
became involved in public art projects in Stirling, Falkirk, Sanquhar, Dumfries and, more recently, carving ‘Niche’ panels of carved animals along the Flood Prevention Wall in Perth. She was also involved with sourcing and lettercutting the Text stones on The Canongate Wall at the Scottish Parliament.
“I tend to work on my own in my purpose-built workshop, which
was constructed at my house in Path of Condie, Perthshire, but
pull in designers, architects and other carvers when needed.
I also teach young stonemasons to help improve their skills in
lettercutting, geometry and architectural carving.
Working on commissions I am often guided by clients as to
their requirements, though I usually use natural forms in an
architectural context as my starting point, whether I’m making
fireplaces, bowls, memorials, date stones and the like.”
Gillian was one of a group of lettercutters who set up the Scottish Lettercutters Association as a support and reference network.
At present there are ten members, located from Orkney to Argyll and they have had two very successful exhibitions entitled “Chased, Chopped, Stabbed, Blasted’ at the Stacy-Marks Gallery and at her studio in Path of Condie.
To see more of Gillian’s work, visit: www.forbesstonecarver.com