An independent residency in North East Scotland.
Eleanor Goulding
This October I spent a week in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, as part of an Arts Council-funded Research and Development grant, which gave me the time and space to explore material and ideas around sensory experience, place, materials, and my deep and long standing connection to water. The opportunity allowed me to step away from a busy studio practice and make space to test new ways of working, exploring how these might be shared and communicated within a small, trusted group of people.
If there was one word I would use to describe my experience at Deveron Projects, it would be supported.
I arrived in Huntly at 11pm after a long journey, where Bruce Phillips, the Deveron Projects producer, was waiting to meet me. Although we had previously only met online, Bruce's warmth and care immediately put me at ease. He showed me into the Artists’ House, where I would stay for the week in northeast Scotland, and I instantly felt welcomed and at home.
Here are some reflections, tests and experiments from my time at the Artists’ House, next to the River Deveron.
Tarlair Seapool and Mc Duff.
During my time in Huntly, I caught up with my dear friend harpist and writer, Kirsty Whatley, who took me to visit the spectacular Tarlair Sea Pool. Tarlair is a very special place, with its striking sea pool and beautifully restored Art Deco café, set on the coast at Macduff, where the Deveron River meets the Moray Firth, between the twin towns of Banff and Macduff.
We walked up over the natural bowl of cliffs that envelop the sea pool and along the cliff path, looking out across the sea, which was a steely blue-green. To the north, the next land was Orkney, and beyond that, Fair Isle.
Since moving to North East Scotland Kirsty has been establishing herself as Creative Coach and Therapeutic Writing Guide. I have been working with Kirsty as a coach as part of my ongoing research and development project and it was wonderful to be able to meet in person and discuss themes and ideas.
Find out more about the restoration of the Tarlair Sea Pool here
Studio reflections of Mc Duff;
Back at the Artists House thinking about the layers of water and wind, black granite rocks, and the steely blue-green sea stretching towards the northern horizon.
Thinking through making and the rythmic sounds of the sewing machine -
Samples, experiments and tests using pieces of fabric that have been in my sewing bag for what feels like forever.
As part of my ongoing exploration of sensory experience, I am exploring making as a way of thinking. During my time at Deveron Projects, Bruce invited me to use a box of fabric at the Artists’ House and began making samples using their sewing machine. Working with materials that were already available to me, I drew on the colours I had observed in the coastal and river environments around Huntly and the Moray Firth.
The rhythmic, repetitive action of sewing allowed me to think through the process of making, rather than beginning with a preconceived idea of what the outcome might be. The colours, textures and qualities of the materials became a way of responding to my surroundings, allowing observations and ideas to find their way into the work through touch, movement and repetition.
Working in this way involves trust, listening and responding to the unknowns as they emerge. Rather than knowing in advance what I want to make, I allow myself to be guided by the material, the rhythm of the sewing machine and the thoughts that arise through the act of making. It requires a willingness to remain open, to follow unexpected directions and to allow the work to unfold in its own time.
This feels like a crucial distinction within my practice. In a busy studio environment, much of my time is directed towards fulfilling briefs and working towards specific outcomes. Having the time and space to work in this more intuitive and open-ended way allowed me to slow down, follow my curiosity and discover possibilities that might not otherwise have emerged.
Working this way allowed me to be able to think about more challenging pieces of writing and ideas that I am researching and process them as I am making.
Film evening
On my final evening at the Artists’ House, I invited a small group of friends to share dinner, a test screening of my short film Cormorant, and a discussion around the work.
I shared the tests and experiments I had made throughout the week, and prepared an elderberry tonic using berries collected on a walk earlier that day. We shared a meal around the table, with everyone invited to draw, eat, or bring along some work to talk about.
It was a happy and thoughtful evening of shared connection, conversation and exchange.
Film programme
The Otter (silent, 8 min, 1912)
A pioneering early nature film featuring scenes of an otter swimming underwater.
Cormorant (Eleanor Goulding, 2026)
I had originally made Cormorant to share at a symposium earlier this year, Pacing and Spacing in Art and Writing, and was keen to explore ways of developing the work further. The screening gave me an opportunity to open up a conversation around the film’s progression, to hear how others experienced and interpreted it, and to consider where the work might go next.
Test screening of Cormorant with a small group of friends at the Artists’ House.
Drawing Jason Williamson and table from above.
Line drawing by Jason Williamson
Friends made drawings at the table and responded to the film program and collections of materials and objects I had gathered during the week in Huntly.
Copper ink and manatee, stills from Cormorant (2026)
The Artists’ House, Saturday 11th October, 2026.
A collaborative table
found objects and drawings arranged on a grid of paper
Traces of marks made during our evening, elderberry and turmeric dyes from the food and drinks we shared together.
Studio visit: Daisy Williamson, weaver, and Jason Williamson
I spent a happy day visiting the studios of Daisy and Jason Williamson. We talked about drawing as a way of being in the world: looking, observing, responding and becoming attuned to a place. Our conversations wandered through archaeology, the polar north and Jason’s work as Exhibition Manager at the University of Aberdeen.
Daisy and Jason had just returned from a foraging walk, bringing with them beautiful, jewel-like wild tayberries. Daisy has been experimenting with automatic drawing, and I was fascinated by the relationship between the immediacy of quick mark-making and the slower, time-based process of translating these gestures into weaving.
Jason shared sketchbooks he has been keeping since childhood. Over many years, he has developed a remarkable hand-eye coordination, and his drawings offer a fascinating record of a life spent looking closely at the world. They move between the heartbreaking and the often very funny, from intimate observations of his father towards the end of his life in a care home, to a series of drawings documenting navigation buoy markers at sea.
Looking through Jason’s sketchbooks, I was reminded of David Hockney in the honesty and fluidity of his line, and in the way he observes the world around him in all its forms. His drawings feel immediate and unguarded, capturing not only what he sees, but something of the experience of looking itself.
Drawings and weavings by Daisy Williamson
Drawings by Jason Williamson
Reflections and reading next to the River Deveron
Huntly Development Trust
It would be impossible to talk about Huntly without recognising the outstanding social and community enterprise that is Huntly Development Trust. Established in 2009, the Trust works with local people and organisations to create opportunities and build a resilient, inclusive and enterprising community. Its work spans town centre regeneration, heritage, community-owned renewable energy, sustainable travel, health and wellbeing, and the development of shared spaces for people to meet, learn and connect.
What feels particularly significant is the Trust’s commitment to shaping Huntly’s future through local participation, collaboration and a strong sense of collective ownership. It is an inspiring example of how community-led initiatives can nurture not only the physical fabric of a place, but also the relationships, resources and opportunities that enable a community to thrive.
I was fortunate to have a full tour with the Trust’s director, Donald Boyd, visiting renovated community buildings and even stepping inside the community-owned wind turbine. To my mind, Huntly Development Trust represents a gold-standard example of how a community can work collectively to build a more inclusive and sustainable future, rooted in local participation, shared resources and a strong sense of responsibility for place.
Number 30 The Square with purpose built cinema, cafe, dance studios, co working space and banking hub. Greenmyers eco bothy, a beautifully restored environmentally friendly building, available for private and public events.
Woodlands and grounds
Since 2014 Huntly Development Trust have planted over 5,000 native trees at Greenmyres to encourage biodiversity and create sheltered microclimates for the future. Roughly mown paths allow access to enjoy these areas as the trees mature.
Thank you
I am so grateful for the warmth and support I received during this week.
In particular, I’d like to thank Bruce Phillips and the Deveron Projects team for working so hard to make it possible for artists to come and work without barriers, and for their wonderful instinct to say “yes” to everything. Bruce’s thoughtfulness and care in engaging with the themes within my work have been particularly helpful and I’m deeply grateful for the attention and understanding he has brought to it.
Kirsty Whatley, for being the best friend and coach I could ask for, and for bringing 13-year-old Isobel to the screening. Her comments remain my favourite.
Donald Boyd, perhaps the most community-minded person I have ever met.
And Daisy and Jason Williamson — our day of discussions will stay with me for a long time. Thank you, too, for introducing me to Aberdeen Art Gallery and to the work of Tim Ingold.
Finally, thank you to Arts Council England for awarding me a Research and Development grant and making this work, and the time and conversations it has enabled, possible.
