100cm x 150cm

Oil paint on canvas

Ribbon Detail.

This tartan represents Clan Macleod of Lewis, on the largest island in the Outer Hebrides.

The clan derives from Norse-Gaelic origin and relies for many years on oral traditions to pass down their knowledge and history through stories and tales. They still acknowledge many of these traditions today and use the Gaelic language in many places across the island.

Because of the striking yellow it is probably the most well known clan tartan with a yellow background, earning it the name ‘Loud Macleod’. It is predominantly seen as a dress tartan for formal occasions.

The two yellows that I have chosen to include in this painting’s top layer; the cadmium yellow (deep hue) and the naples yellow add more than just aesthetic qualities and depth to the artwork.

The Cad Yellow (three orange rectangles) are representative of the Gorse flower which grows abundantly on the island of Lewis. Gorse was originally used as a natural dye stuff to dye the yarn yellow, to weave tartan’s such as this.

The Naples Yellow (square) represents the Faerie or Fairy flag which resides in Dunvegan castle on the Isle of Skye and is Clan Macleod’s most sacred relic. This artefact is believed by experts to be a 4th century Syrian textile made of silk. Legend has it that a fairy princess and a Macleod clan chief fell in love and she left their child wrapped up in the silk material before returning to the fairy realm. Tradition holds that the flag possesses miraculous powers to save the clan in dire peril, but its magical properties will only work three times when it is unfurled. Stories claim that the flag was successfully used twice, in clan battles against the MacDonalds and to stop a cattle plague.

This painting is part of the tartan series.