COMANN Eachdraidh Nis has taken possession of two large drawings which were inspired by Doug Robertson based on poems by Donald S Murray 'praising the guga'.
Said Doug: "As an artist, the opportunity to collaborate with poets and other writers is an aspect of my work that I relish and enjoy. The challenge of creating new visual versions inspired by the art of others is both rewarding and artisticly stimul
ating.
"When I was given the poem pamphlet 'Praising The Guga' to interpret by Donald S. Murray, it was a gift to me as an artist of beautiful, evocative and thought provoking lines. Many of the poems immediately sparked ideas and images."
Doug pointed out that he had spent the last year working on a series of large scale charcoal studies based on Donald's poems.
"The strong contrast of light and dark tones gained by using charcoal I feel works well in depicting the power and drama of the written word.
"I am very pleased that two of these images, 'Gannets Seen In Mourning' and 'A Seabird-Hunter Contemplates His Faith' are being used to celebrate and commemorate the life and traditions of the Guga Hunters.
"It is an honour to me that these images will be displayed in Comunn Eachdraidh Nis, and hopefully they will be enjoyed for many years to come by the communities of Ness and North Lewis," added Doug.
Donald said he felt both 'honoured and humbled by Doug choosing to create images based on my work'.
"Anyone can see how fantastic and imaginative they are, both echoing and improving the material that inspired them. It is even more remarkable that their appearance in Comunn Eachdraidh Nis coincides with two other events - the guga hunt on Sulasgeir and an exhibition in the building marking the existence of the Decca Station in Ness, a place that in itself played an important part in the history of the hunt," said Donald.
He went on: "I would like to thank everyone who helped me in this - from the Ness businessmen and councillors who contributed to my book launch to those who played a major role in the creation of the book.
"A special thanks goes to the other Donald Murray in exile in Harris. I could not have done any of this without the assistance of so many of you. God bless you all," added Donald.
Gannets Seen In Mourning 
'Gannets Seen In Mourning' by Doug Robertson.
a gannet might have dreamed us,
days we're made small by grief
distancing us from those
whose words might lift
our souls from fathoms where
tides have swirled to shift us,
the force of waves that bears
our lives to hidden whirlpools
where waters will not still to let
lines be thrown to haul
us to a ledge of light,
where the hands of loved ones seem
cold as indifferent wings
of those birds moving, stirring, shifting
across seascapes of troubled dreams.