As part of our HND Art & Design course at Fife College, we were commissioned by NHS Fife to create art pieces that represented the vast Industrial Heritage of Fife. I chose to study the Salt Mining Industry as salt was Scotland's third largest export in the 1970s. As I researched into the industry, I discovered that salt was mined very close to where I live so I was able to carry out in-depth first hand research.

I had recently created 3D artwork not long before this project, and as the brief was very open I decided to experiment further with this technique. By collaging a range of mediums such as papers, marbling, watercolours, acrylic and embroidery, I recreated the Salt Pans and Windmill located in St Monans, East Fife. As there was not too much evidence of what the machinery looked like by the time the site was abandoned in 1823, I decided to focus on the landscape of the location and what what we see today.

The perspective focuses on the old windmill which powered the mines, the ruins of the salt pans and the unique bumps they have left behind in the terrain. Not forgetting the view of the River Forth, looking out into the horizon. The range of mixed medias add texture to the colourful scenery, and many parts of the piece are raised by 3D foam, adding dramatic and realistic depth to the painterly landscape.

This project is displayed in the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, and can be viewed on the NHS Fife Art website here:https://nhsfifeart.com/collection-results.php?artist=1826