'bean ga thrèigsinn is stiùir ga dhiùltadh' (Deserted by a Woman and Defied by the Rudder)

Ceramic tea cup & saucer with decal print.
From The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments'  2012, Ishbel Murray.

The Gaelic phrase "bean ga thrèigsinn 's stiùir ga dhiùltadh" is a traditional saying that translates to "deserted by a woman and defied by the rudder". 

The phrase is a metaphor for misfortune or a total run of bad luck. It is often associated with the sea and the unpredictable nature of fate. The saying implies a situation where one experiences failure in both their personal life (deserted by a woman) and their professional or practical life (defied by the rudder, a critical component for steering a boat). 

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The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments' began with a piece of blue china found on the beach near the place where the artist grew up on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Over time the single fragment became a collection of small blue patterned pieces found on various shorelines around the Western Isles.

"Thinking about where the pieces of china had come from brought back childhood memories of visits to the homes of elderly relatives and neighbours. Although most islanders were living in modern board of agriculture 'white houses' by the seventies when I was a teenager, some of the older generation in many districts still lived in traditional highland 'black houses'.  Like my grandparents most of that generation had earned their living from fishing. In the summer the men and young women went off to the herring fishing, the men joining crews of east coast fishermen and the women working as herring girls following the fleets from ports as far apart as Lerwick and Fraserburgh in the north of Scotland to Yarmouth down on the east coast of England. At the end of a good season the herring girls returned home with gifts of beautiful china that might be displayed in the traditional dresser found in most homes.

Today the 'black house' is either the focus of a heritage project or the inspiration for an architect's modern take on the eco-friendly original. It's hard not to feel nostalgic for the past where china fragments washed up on the beach might have been found complete, shiny and new on a dresser shelf. Thoughts on who might have owned them, who drank from the cups and ate from the dishes and what their Gaelic speaking owners talked about inspired this project, 'Conversational Fragments'.

The fragments of Gaelic conversation decorating my china pieces were taken from the Gaelic language notebook I kept. Scraps of conversation overheard somewhere, memorised or jotted down quickly, now separated from the speaker and the conversations they were part of. The china fragments are still in a box somewhere. The Gaelic phrases have been studied and filed away.

The images on the china are taken from sketches of the coastlines around the Western Isles - the location of the china fragments and the home of the Gaelic language fragments. Each series in the project is made up of eight phrases linked by a common theme, from idioms associated with the sea to expressions linked by a single key word. "

'crann a-rèir a' bhàta' (A Mast to Suit the Boat).
Ceramic tea cup & saucer with decal print.

From The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments'  2012, Ishbel Murray.

The phrase "crann a-rèir a' bhàta" is a traditional Scottish Gaelic proverb that translates to "a mast to suit the boat". 

The general meaning of the proverb is that things should be appropriate to their circumstances or situation. It emphasizes proportionality and common sense; for instance, the size and sturdiness of a boat's mast should be suitable for the size of the boat it is meant to support.

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The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments' began with a piece of blue china found on the beach near the place where the artist grew up on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Over time the single fragment became a collection of small blue patterned pieces found on various shorelines around the Western Isles.

"Thinking about where the pieces of china had come from brought back childhood memories of visits to the homes of elderly relatives and neighbours. Although most islanders were living in modern board of agriculture 'white houses' by the seventies when I was a teenager, some of the older generation in many districts still lived in traditional highland 'black houses'.  Like my grandparents most of that generation had earned their living from fishing. In the summer the men and young women went off to the herring fishing, the men joining crews of east coast fishermen and the women working as herring girls following the fleets from ports as far apart as Lerwick and Fraserburgh in the north of Scotland to Yarmouth down on the east coast of England. At the end of a good season the herring girls returned home with gifts of beautiful china that might be displayed in the traditional dresser found in most homes.

Today the 'black house' is either the focus of a heritage project or the inspiration for an architect's modern take on the eco-friendly original. It's hard not to feel nostalgic for the past where china fragments washed up on the beach might have been found complete, shiny and new on a dresser shelf. Thoughts on who might have owned them, who drank from the cups and ate from the dishes and what their Gaelic speaking owners talked about inspired this project, 'Conversational Fragments'.

The fragments of Gaelic conversation decorating my china pieces were taken from the Gaelic language notebook I kept. Scraps of conversation overheard somewhere, memorised or jotted down quickly, now separated from the speaker and the conversations they were part of. The china fragments are still in a box somewhere. The Gaelic phrases have been studied and filed away.

The images on the china are taken from sketches of the coastlines around the Western Isles - the location of the china fragments and the home of the Gaelic language fragments. Each series in the project is made up of eight phrases linked by a common theme, from idioms associated with the sea to expressions linked by a single key word. "

‘car a’ mhuiltein’ (Somersault)

Ceramic tea cup & saucer with decal print.
From The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments'  2012, Ishbel Murray.

"Car a’ mhuiltein" is a Scottish Gaelic phrase that can mean "somersault," "head over heels," or "tumbler" (like a glass). It is also the title of a 2023 Gaelic short film by Iain Finlay Macleod, which explores the connection between language, identity, and the past on the Isle of Lewis. 

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The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments' began with a piece of blue china found on the beach near the place where the artist grew up on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Over time the single fragment became a collection of small blue patterned pieces found on various shorelines around the Western Isles.

"Thinking about where the pieces of china had come from brought back childhood memories of visits to the homes of elderly relatives and neighbours. Although most islanders were living in modern board of agriculture 'white houses' by the seventies when I was a teenager, some of the older generation in many districts still lived in traditional highland 'black houses'.  Like my grandparents most of that generation had earned their living from fishing. In the summer the men and young women went off to the herring fishing, the men joining crews of east coast fishermen and the women working as herring girls following the fleets from ports as far apart as Lerwick and Fraserburgh in the north of Scotland to Yarmouth down on the east coast of England. At the end of a good season the herring girls returned home with gifts of beautiful china that might be displayed in the traditional dresser found in most homes.

Today the 'black house' is either the focus of a heritage project or the inspiration for an architect's modern take on the eco-friendly original. It's hard not to feel nostalgic for the past where china fragments washed up on the beach might have been found complete, shiny and new on a dresser shelf. Thoughts on who might have owned them, who drank from the cups and ate from the dishes and what their Gaelic speaking owners talked about inspired this project, 'Conversational Fragments'.

The fragments of Gaelic conversation decorating my china pieces were taken from the Gaelic language notebook I kept. Scraps of conversation overheard somewhere, memorised or jotted down quickly, now separated from the speaker and the conversations they were part of. The china fragments are still in a box somewhere. The Gaelic phrases have been studied and filed away.

The images on the china are taken from sketches of the coastlines around the Western Isles - the location of the china fragments and the home of the Gaelic language fragments. Each series in the project is made up of eight phrases linked by a common theme, from idioms associated with the sea to expressions linked by a single key word. "

'dèanamh cuain mhòir de chaolas cumhang' (Making a Great Ocean of a Narrow Strait)

Ceramic tea cup & saucer with decal print.
From The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments'  2012, Ishbel Murray.

"A' dèanamh cuain mhòir de chaolas cumhang" is a Scottish Gaelic proverb that translates to "making a great ocean of a narrow strait".

It is a figurative expression equivalent to the English idiom "making mountains out of molehills", meaning to exaggerate a problem or minor difficulty all out of proportion.

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The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments' began with a piece of blue china found on the beach near the place where the artist grew up on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Over time the single fragment became a collection of small blue patterned pieces found on various shorelines around the Western Isles.

"Thinking about where the pieces of china had come from brought back childhood memories of visits to the homes of elderly relatives and neighbours. Although most islanders were living in modern board of agriculture 'white houses' by the seventies when I was a teenager, some of the older generation in many districts still lived in traditional highland 'black houses'.  Like my grandparents most of that generation had earned their living from fishing. In the summer the men and young women went off to the herring fishing, the men joining crews of east coast fishermen and the women working as herring girls following the fleets from ports as far apart as Lerwick and Fraserburgh in the north of Scotland to Yarmouth down on the east coast of England. At the end of a good season the herring girls returned home with gifts of beautiful china that might be displayed in the traditional dresser found in most homes.

Today the 'black house' is either the focus of a heritage project or the inspiration for an architect's modern take on the eco-friendly original. It's hard not to feel nostalgic for the past where china fragments washed up on the beach might have been found complete, shiny and new on a dresser shelf. Thoughts on who might have owned them, who drank from the cups and ate from the dishes and what their Gaelic speaking owners talked about inspired this project, 'Conversational Fragments'.

The fragments of Gaelic conversation decorating my china pieces were taken from the Gaelic language notebook I kept. Scraps of conversation overheard somewhere, memorised or jotted down quickly, now separated from the speaker and the conversations they were part of. The china fragments are still in a box somewhere. The Gaelic phrases have been studied and filed away.

The images on the china are taken from sketches of the coastlines around the Western Isles - the location of the china fragments and the home of the Gaelic language fragments. Each series in the project is made up of eight phrases linked by a common theme, from idioms associated with the sea to expressions linked by a single key word. "

‘car an aghaidh cuir’ (Twist, bend, turn)

Ceramic tea cup & saucer with decal print.
From The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments'  2012, Ishbel Murray.

The phrase "car an aghaidh cuir" is a Scottish Gaelic idiom that translates to "be against," "oppose," "contradict," or "object to". 

The expression is generally used to describe opposition or resistance to something.

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The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments' began with a piece of blue china found on the beach near the place where the artist grew up on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Over time the single fragment became a collection of small blue patterned pieces found on various shorelines around the Western Isles.

"Thinking about where the pieces of china had come from brought back childhood memories of visits to the homes of elderly relatives and neighbours. Although most islanders were living in modern board of agriculture 'white houses' by the seventies when I was a teenager, some of the older generation in many districts still lived in traditional highland 'black houses'.  Like my grandparents most of that generation had earned their living from fishing. In the summer the men and young women went off to the herring fishing, the men joining crews of east coast fishermen and the women working as herring girls following the fleets from ports as far apart as Lerwick and Fraserburgh in the north of Scotland to Yarmouth down on the east coast of England. At the end of a good season the herring girls returned home with gifts of beautiful china that might be displayed in the traditional dresser found in most homes.

Today the 'black house' is either the focus of a heritage project or the inspiration for an architect's modern take on the eco-friendly original. It's hard not to feel nostalgic for the past where china fragments washed up on the beach might have been found complete, shiny and new on a dresser shelf. Thoughts on who might have owned them, who drank from the cups and ate from the dishes and what their Gaelic speaking owners talked about inspired this project, 'Conversational Fragments'.

The fragments of Gaelic conversation decorating my china pieces were taken from the Gaelic language notebook I kept. Scraps of conversation overheard somewhere, memorised or jotted down quickly, now separated from the speaker and the conversations they were part of. The china fragments are still in a box somewhere. The Gaelic phrases have been studied and filed away.

The images on the china are taken from sketches of the coastlines around the Western Isles - the location of the china fragments and the home of the Gaelic language fragments. Each series in the project is made up of eight phrases linked by a common theme, from idioms associated with the sea to expressions linked by a single key word. "

‘chaill e an seòl-mara’ (He Lost the Tide)

Ceramic tea cup & saucer with decal print.
From The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments'  2012, Ishbel Murray.

The Gaelic phrase "Chaill e an seòl-mara" translates to "He lost the tide" in English. 

This is a well-known Scottish Gaelic proverb (seanfhacal) that signifies missed opportunities. It is often used to imply that a chance or a favourable moment has passed and will not return.

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The ceramics project 'Conversational Fragments' began with a piece of blue china found on the beach near the place where the artist grew up on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Over time the single fragment became a collection of small blue patterned pieces found on various shorelines around the Western Isles.

"Thinking about where the pieces of china had come from brought back childhood memories of visits to the homes of elderly relatives and neighbours. Although most islanders were living in modern board of agriculture 'white houses' by the seventies when I was a teenager, some of the older generation in many districts still lived in traditional highland 'black houses'.  Like my grandparents most of that generation had earned their living from fishing. In the summer the men and young women went off to the herring fishing, the men joining crews of east coast fishermen and the women working as herring girls following the fleets from ports as far apart as Lerwick and Fraserburgh in the north of Scotland to Yarmouth down on the east coast of England. At the end of a good season the herring girls returned home with gifts of beautiful china that might be displayed in the traditional dresser found in most homes.

Today the 'black house' is either the focus of a heritage project or the inspiration for an architect's modern take on the eco-friendly original. It's hard not to feel nostalgic for the past where china fragments washed up on the beach might have been found complete, shiny and new on a dresser shelf. Thoughts on who might have owned them, who drank from the cups and ate from the dishes and what their Gaelic speaking owners talked about inspired this project, 'Conversational Fragments'.

The fragments of Gaelic conversation decorating my china pieces were taken from the Gaelic language notebook I kept. Scraps of conversation overheard somewhere, memorised or jotted down quickly, now separated from the speaker and the conversations they were part of. The china fragments are still in a box somewhere. The Gaelic phrases have been studied and filed away.

The images on the china are taken from sketches of the coastlines around the Western Isles - the location of the china fragments and the home of the Gaelic language fragments. Each series in the project is made up of eight phrases linked by a common theme, from idioms associated with the sea to expressions linked by a single key word. "