For the coming season, change is crucial. As artists, we need to endeavour to be part of that change and give up the safety of the studio. This November and December finds Garter moving her paintings from one wall to another. Gusto and Relish is a very well established and beloved café in Strathbungo, Glasgow. It’s known for honest to goodness delicious breakfasts and brunches, great coffee and an atmosphere conducive to kicking back with ease. And at the heart of it, is an enthusiastic owner, who loves art. You’ll probably find Garter there until the Hogmanay bells are striking, cooried doon with a wee cup of something good.

Garter says:

Should we ever find ourselves without artists, we will be the poorer for it. We’re a testament to the skill of creating distractions from the complicated, layered world we live in. We observe and present the conundrums of the human condition. And we love it, with all its challenges. My paintings are a balance between striving for beauty and reaching towards reality. I use the process of painting to gain a better understanding of what life brings. It’s my thinking place. Sometimes, it just keeps me company. In my paintings you will find love, sorrow and hope, in no particular order. It’s so important that I put these works into the public domain, to give them a conclusion, and to take me on to the next ones. If you find yourself in Gusto, I recommend their potato scone roll with black pudding x

See Garter’s show Saturday 5 November–Friday 30 December 2022 at Gusto and Relish, 729–731 Pollokshaws Road. Open 9:30am–5pm each day.

Artist: Margaret Archbold, Garter

A Love Letter to Battlefield Rest

In tribute to Battlefield Rest, Glasgow, which opened on 18th August 1915.

With thanks for the quiet, unassuming role it played in the lives of countless people as they went about their day. Stopping for a minute, buying a paper, changing trams, travelling to work, going to grannies, heading to war, perhaps pausing before entering the Vicky to say a last goodbye.

This beautiful building, like so many others in Glasgow, has stood as witness while our world changed.

With love from all x

Statement

Glasgow artist, born and bred, I graduated from Glasgow School of Art. I continue my practice from my studio in The Briggait. My approach to art is eclectic. One of my main subject matters is the swan who lived in Queen’s Park. I paint, draw, sculpt, exhibiting and selling my work and under the name Garter. I also love to write.

I am delighted to participate in the Battlefield Rest project. Family stories, memories, genealogy referencing, and handwriting all fascinate me. The surviving Glasgow buildings that we did our living in and around, stand testament to all that has gone before us.

My Grannie Vi used to tell me stories of Glasgow, of travelling to work by tram in the 30’s. She would get the tram from Carnwadric to the Southside.  When she became engaged to my Grampa Alan, she would get off the tram at Minard Rd and walk the rest of the way to save a ha’penny for her wedding fund. When Battlefield Rest opened, we were at war. Grannie Vie wasn’t born yet, her father was destined for France. My Grampa Alan was 18 months old, living above the Swan Inn in Pollokshaws. Who knew what lay ahead.

Find out more about Battlefield Rest Project here: https://www.articulatehub.com/brxact