This collection is based on the work of Catriona (1920-2006) and Mairead (1921-1990) Macdonald, two sisters whose artistic practices were informed by international travel and Scottish roots. Their parents were from the Isle of Skye: Margaret Macdonald, née Mackinnon, from Staffin and Dugald Macdonald from Portree. Their father was a banker and because of his work, the sisters were born in Karachi which was then part of British-ruled India where they lived until 1929. There, they found an interest in art which would come to be a lifelong occupation for the sisters.
The family at their residence in Kanpur in 1926. The caption reads “Cawnpore – C, M and Mammy in the compound.” [SL/D188/1/3/7/8]
SL/D188/1/1/9/3: Photocopies of drawings by Catriona and Mairead as children, 1920s.
The family moved to Sudbury in Middlesex from 1929 until 1948. During this time, Catriona and Mairead studied at the Harrow School of Art and were elected as Fellows of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce. The sisters produced a wealth of textile and paper-based art, much of which is held in the Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre. Their creative processes can be followed from the initial designs through to the finished article. Much of their textile work was hand-printed using the lino-cutting process, where blocks of lino are carved and used in layers to create designs.
Catriona’s lino cutting tools, n.d [SL/D188/7/1/1]
Mairead’s wood and lino block printing ink, n.d. [SL/D118/7/1/2]
Designs for lino cutting blocks, n.d. [SL/D188/5/4/12]
The collection contains some of the materials they used and the things they made, including scarves, dresses, and blouses. In some cases, the blocks used in printing can be matched to the finished articles.
Lino blocks depicting a camel, chickens, a boar, and a buffalo, n.d. [SL/D188/7/3/9]
Hand-printed scarf, n.d. [SL/D188/6/1/4/4]
After their studies, Catriona and Mairead went on to spend periods of their lives in South Africa (1948-1958) and Malta (1966-1987). Through living abroad, the sisters saw the steady decline of the British Empire first hand: India became independent in 1947, South Africa in 1961, and Malta in 1974. The influence of this can be seen throughout their work, from cartoons exploring political issues of the time to the designs used in the clothing they made.
Cartoon set in India, captioned: “Disturbing effect of ancient caste system! Fictitious scene inspired by incident remembered from the artist’s early childhood”, Mairead Macdonald, 1965. [SL/D188/2/8/26]
Design for wallpaper or textiles, n.d. [SL/D188/2/2/26]
Hand printed dress with rickshaw motif, n.d. [SL/D188/6/1/1/1]
Despite their international childhoods, the sisters had strong links to the Highlands and Islands, and particularly the Isle of Skye, throughout their lives. Their parents taught them Gaelic and they visited often, keeping in close contact with relatives in Uig throughout their lives.
Portrait of Catriona, Margaret, and Mairead (left to right) taken while on holiday in Inverness from India, 1923. [SL/D188/1/3/1/3]
Dwelly’s Illustrated Gaelic-English dictionary, 4th edition. This dictionary will be familiar to many Gaelic speakers to this day. The inscription inside reads “Catriona Mairi NicDhòmhniull agus Mairead NicFhionghinn NicDhòmhniull” (Catriona Mairi Macdonald and Mairead Mackinnon Macdonald”), 1941.
Their work was heavily influenced by their connections with the Highlands and Islands. For example, Mairead’s “Dream Series” commented on contemporary changes and events in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. “Dream Series No. 5: Gigglesthwaite Tours” shows a bus tour which is being held up by two Highland cows, with Duntulm Castle, Skye, in the background. The cows, Sòbhrag (Primrose) and Neòinean (Daisy), ask the tourists: “Cò as a h-eirigh sibh?” (“Who did you arise from?”) and “Cò leig a mach sibh?” (“Who let you out?”)
“Dream Series No. 5”, Màiread NicFhionghinn NicDhòmhniull (Mairead Mackinnon Macdonald), 1965 [SL/D188/2/7/5]
Mairead’s “Eala Fo Leòn” (“The Injured Swan”) or “The Sacred Wild Swan” is an illustration of a Hebridean legend, with narrations in both English and Gaelic. The reverse side shows Mairead’s commentary on the illustration, showing the sense of humour which is to be found throughout her work.
“Eala Fo Leòn” (“The Injured Swan”) or “The Sacred Wild Swan”, Mairead Mackinnon Macdonald, n.d. [SL/D188/2/6/1]
Mairead’s criticism of her own work: “Very inaccurate representation of a swan – especially as it was meant to represent a wild swan!” [SL/D188/2/6/1]
The sisters continued to travel throughout their lives, collecting menus and leaflets, as well as coins dating back as early as 1799. Finally, they settled in Sark, where they kept tortoises and were often visited by relatives and friends. There, Mairead died in 1990. Catriona stayed in Sark until the last year of her life, when she relocated to Uig in the north of Skye.
Catriona (2nd left) and Mairead (3rd left) on a visit to India, 1978. [SL/D188/1/3/14/9]
Their collection in the archives spans over a century: from family papers from the 1890s to sketches of South Africa in the 1960s to letters discussing the Skye Bridge in 1995. It offers understanding into Catriona and Mairead’s artistic practices, including the materials they used, their planning processes, and their modes of production and construction. However, it also holds an insight into a century of intense change and the maintenance of family and cultural ties across international boundaries.
