"As an Orkney based illustrator and papercut artist, I am constantly inspired by my surroundings to design and produce work that reflects the spirit of the island and its inhabitants. My designs tell a story, expressed through the delicate and bold nature of papercutting. Each piece is hand cut with a scalpel to reveal the fastidious detail within the design."

Award given to enrol on an online course, 'Advanced Character Design' with Stephen Silver. The aim was to develop and improve illustration skill set.

"The course was very useful in exposing some of the hitherto unknown bad habits I have picked up [...] and while it was sometimes difficult to take on board (!) it was a real eye-opener and has fundamentally made me a better designer."

Martin Laird is an artist and animator from Orkney, working in both traditional and digital media. He says his work is primarily concerned with his own cultural identity as both an Orcadian and a Scot – adding that he is motivated by “a sense of social conscience and concern for the future.”

Martin received a VACMA grant in 2020-21 and says it has helped him take advantage of recent advances in computer animation.

For Acrylic Resist Etching training at Edinburgh Printmakers to gain insight into innovations in processes:

“Fundamentally I have ironed out conflicts between older ways of doing things and new ways. You can’t teach when you aren’t sure why things aren’t working right. I needed the expertise of specialists in my field. The award was essential to going away and doing the project. I couldn’t have afforded the travel, the course or the time without your support”.

“Without the award I would not have considered seeking additional learning opportunities. With the yearly membership being paid by myself it is unlikely that I would have paid the extra for tuition/courses. Having a good supply of materials ensured that I didn’t become too precious about experimenting and using ‘too much paper’ or fear of a plate going wrong and not having another to use. I also believe that being answerable to the grant has given me motivation to get back to Soulisquoy after the Covid lockdown. Being committed, enthusiastic and having a belief in how this project was going to help my artistic development ensured that I found a way to make it work.”