Goular, a house on the Machair is the subject of an exhibition opening on June 3rd of twenty  paintings by two Western Isles artists, Laura Donkers and Anne Rabbitts.  It will be on view for the month of June at Taigh Chearsabhagh, Lochmaddy, hosted by Comunn na Eachdraidh.

In the Spring of 2003 Laura and Anne asked permission from the owner of the house, John Alec MacPherson,  to study Goular with a view to an exhibition.  John Alec has remained an enthusiastic supporter of the venture and will be  adding his own contribution to the exhibition with a talk on the opening evening entitled The Prodigal Son.

Whilst the two artists have a very different approach to their work, they are both figurative painters, Laura works in the traditional medium of oil whilst Anne’s work is predominantly mixed media.  As well as paintings there will be recordings of Gaelic conversation  between four residents of North Uist and an arrangement of some items of furniture from the house will be on display.

Goular is a traditional croft house set apart from the nucleus of  croft houses in the township of Hougharry.  It has been empty and boarded up for over thirty years and would have remained unnoticed had it not been for a very fierce storm which blew away the boarding on the front door and some of the windows to reveal an interior of  kaleidoscope colours.  This interior, its shapes, objects and the play of light in the rooms is the focus of the artists’ work.  Whilst working on the initial sketches at the house Anne and Laura wondered who had sat in Goular’s kitchen, and other kitchens like it throughout the islands, and what  conversations may have taken place around the fire.  Hence the idea of recording local Gaelic speakers who reminisce about their early years and wartime memories -  visitors to the exhibition will be able to listen to this soundtrack.  The conversationalists wish to remain anonymous at this stage but Laura and Anne are very grateful to them for sharing their memories for the exhibition. 

The exhibition will be on display during June at Taigh Chearsabhagh, July until September, Nunton Steadings, and October, Sabhal mor Ostaig,.  Anne and Laura are grateful to Hi-Arts for awarding a grant to help fund this exhibition.