Hebrides  News                                       newsdesk@hebrides.biz

A new art gallery and coffee shop has opened on the west coast of Harris. Artist couple Alisdair and Lesley Wiseman, who moved up to the island full-time last year from Yorkshire, are the people behind Hebrides Art, in Seilebost.

The gallery used to be a self-catering property owned by the couple but has now been converted into an ‘art cafe’ and their permanent home.  Their motto is “gallery, gifts and great cakes” and houses around 200 works of art, including some by the Wisemans themselves, as well as other crafts.

All the arts and crafts in the gallery are evocative of the Hebrides, with a focus on Harris, Lewis and St Kilda. Many of the works have been made by local Hebridean artists and artisans, including painters Margarita Williams, Mairi Morrison, Anne Campbell, Gareth Watson and Simon Rivett, and recycled glass sculptor Stella White of Solas Studio in South Uist.

Others have been sourced from elsewhere but still have a Hebridean theme. They include the raku St Kilda houses – pieces of pottery fired outside in an open pit, with black crackling through the glaze – and ‘stone’ candles, which are virtually indistinguishable from the large pebbles to be found on any Hebridean beach.

The couple have also commissioned pieces especially for the gallery, including silver jewellery with a seashore theme.  There is, naturally, a wide range of the Wisemans’ own work on offer at the gallery. The couple have very distinct styles – Lesley paints bold abstracts on silk while Alisdair creates incredibly detailed watercolours – but both are inspired by the island landscape.

They recently brought out a book, in fact, which showcased their paintings of the island. That book, Two Views of Harris, was published by Stornoway-based company Acair.

Food and drinks are available throughout the day at Hebrides Art.

The Wisemans aim “to do a relatively small number of things but to do them as well as we possibly can”. So they offer a selection of soups, cakes and breads – all homemade by Lesley – and a choice of beverages.

They are assisted, front of house, by Cara Henry. Another artist, Cara is a Gray’s School of Art graduate from the Borders but now living in Luskentyre. Her work is on display in the gallery too.

The couple are aiming to make artwork available to buyers “at every price point”, as well as in variety of sizes so visitors travelling by plane can carry their purchases with them easily.

They hope, in the long run, to provide a showcase for the artistic creativity that exists throughout the islands or in the Hebridean diaspora.

The cafe is open six days a week, from 10.30am till 6pm, from April to September. It will be open two or three days a week during the quieter months, with the exception of the run-up to Christmas, when it will open more often, and in January, when it will be closed for the month.

New art gallery opens in Harris                   31/5/11

By Katie Laing

Art gallery team - Alisdair, Lesley and Cara