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“Herring Lassies carrying crans” – Work in Progress, Oil on Canvas, 34 x 24 inches. This is the end of the 3rd passage. Will put in details and bring to completion in next stage.

Many of the herring girls were engaged on a forward basis by the same curer year after tear. At other times curers got in touch with a former reliable girl employee before the start of the fishing season and she was given discretion to
engage the necessary number of girls from among her friends and acquaintances demonstrating the confidence the curers placed in the fishing girls.

“Herring Lassies at the Harbour wall” – Work in Progress, Oil on Canvas, 48 x 36 inches. This is the end of the 2nd painting, will put aside to dry before focusing on details and color.

The last age group of girls from the Isle of Lewis that participated in the gutting and packing of herring as beginners or coilers as they were called, were those who were born in the early 1920s and, who like many generations before them, got their first job opportunity at the herring gutting after they left school at 14 years old, which was the school leaving age then.

Herring Lassie information is taken from documents from the Angus Mcleod Archive, a great resource for historical information of the Scottish Highlands and Islands. http://www.angusmacleodarchive.org.uk/

“Herring Lassie with Cran” – Work in Progress, Oil on Linen, 36 x 24 inches. This is the end of the 1st painting, blocked in with muted tones. Some more refinement to follow.

The main European markets for salted herring were Germany, the Baltic States and Russia and the First World War seriously damaged these markets. Germany suffered from serious inflation after the First World War and many curers were paid in worthless money. Also, these countries built up fishing fleets of their own. By the 1930s the herring catch in Scotland had fallen to a fraction of what it was in the early part of the 20th century.
Herring fishing was a failure during the 20-year period between the first and second world wars. The Second World War finally brought about the end of the herring curing industry and the herring girls, “Clanighean-a-sgadan” with their peculiar skills were redundant, no longer needed.

“Herring Lassies mending nets” – Work in Progress, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 30 inches. This is the end of the 1st blocking in, muted tones.

Scottish Highland and Island women were used to hard work and they cheerfully gave a good account of themselves when they were at the fishing. For that reason they were popular with their employers and the other workers involved in the herring trade.
Thousands of herring girl gutters travelled every season, summer and winter, particularly from the 1840s onwards to most if not all the main Scottish and English herring fishing ports, such as Lerwick, Stronsay in the northern Isles, Wick, Fraserburgh, Peterhead, etc. as well as the Irish, Isle of Man and English fishing ports. In autumn there was the English East Anglia herring fishing based mainly on Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

“Herring Lassies carrying crans” – Work in Progress, Oil on Canvas, 34 x 24 inches. This is the end of the 2nd passage (about halfway to completion).

Other than domestic and craft work in their own communities, there was very little work available to women in the islands and other remote communities in the 19th century and even in the first half of the 20th century, and therefore,
although the work of herring gutting entailed long hours of very hard and dirty work for a low wage, the work was appreciated and, because of the companionship and the team work the cheerful girls looked forward to the opening of
each fishing season.

“Herring Lassie with Cran” – Work in Progress, Oil on Linen, 36 x 24 inches.

This is a frottee of raw sienna and blue black on a purplish imprimatura. Some solid painting next.

Just back from London where I saw the excellent John Martin exhibition at Tate Britain, well worth a visit. Disappointed to see the John Singer Sargent room given over to Francis Bacon though.

“Herring Lassies at the Harbour wall” – Work in Progress, Oil on Canvas, 48 x 36 inches.

This is the end of the 1st lay in of color in muted tones, about halfway to completion for this piece, will put aside to dry and work on some other compositions.

“Herring Lassies mending nets” – Work in Progress, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 30 inches. This is a black and raw sienna Frottee on a blue/black Imprimatura.

Thousands of girls from the Scottish Highlands and islands worked in the Herring industry. They always worked in a tight knit crew of three. Herring gutting was a valuable seasonal source of employment for the girls and women.

“Herring Lassies at the Harbour wall” – Work in Progress, Oil on Canvas, 48 x 36 inches.

This is the start of my Herring Lassies project. The backdrop for this series of paintings is Newhaven harbour. This is a black and raw sienna Frottee on a blue/black Imprimatura.

I plan to start a number of paintings to work on concurrently. Thanks to Nicola, Kim, Aga, Clare and the Scottish Fisheries Museum.

“Pieta” – Work in Progress, Oil on Linen, 16 x 12 inches. This is a warmed raw umber Frotte on a blue/green Imprimatura.

This painting is a head study of Mary from Michaelangelo’s Pieta sculpture in the Vatican in Rome.