Lindsey Gallacher

This week I finally received delivery of a new Rubi stone cutting machine with the help of Highlife Highland, Creative Scotland and XpoNorth who were responsible for awarding me partial funding so that I could explore the properties of my local stone. I have spent a year developing commercial jewellery using Caithness stone which has been very well received locally, and now I want to create more contemporary, experimental work. This is my first few slices of stone from an inland quarry near my parents home.

Pottery pieces I've had for 20 years, each one of them considered and picked up because they'd caught my eye. The thing is, I have never used them and often they're put in a box but when I do find them again they instantly remind me of days out and therefore are my kind of souvenir. When we were little, our first experience of beachcombing was to find 'groatie buckies', my granny was an expert, she always had the most at the end of the day.  In Caithness there are very few pieces of pottery or sea glass so anything other than shells are a real find. The pieces in the photo are from Lyndesfarne and Embo.

Trying out new ideas with the circular stone cutter. Looking forward to getting the new bench cutter and precision cutting.