Artist Shelagh turns Oor Wullie into a country boy
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Caithness artist Shelagh Swanson has played her part in a Scottish charity auction initiative which celebrates comic-book hero Oor Wullie in a series of colourful sculptures.
Her farming-themed design – named Wullie of the Glen – forms part of Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail, a public arts trail covering 700 miles across Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Edinburgh and Glasgow this summer.
A total of 200 life-sized Oor Wullie sculptures will be sold off by auctioneers from ANM Group, with auctions to take place in Dundee, Thainstone, Edinburgh and Glasgow in September.
Each statue has been individually painted by 100 artists, reflecting different aspects of Scotland’s culture, with the goal of raising funds for children’s hospital charities.
Shelagh said: “Having grown up on a family farm in Caithness, I was excited to be selected to paint an agricultural-themed Oor Wullie. The design was mainly inspired by my upbringing and the many hours spent helping my dad on the farm.
“It took a couple of weeks to bring Wullie of the Glen to life and I am very pleased with the final look and positive feedback received.
“He features classic country boy attire and is painted with beautiful country scenery, with a Hereford bull on the back, and is sitting on a bucket made of hay. I’ve also included a depiction of Bennachie on Wullie of the Glen as a nod to the surrounding landscape of Aberdeenshire, my adopted home. I plan on attending the event at Thainstone in September and hope he does well at auction.”
ANM director and auctioneer Alan Hutcheon said: “We are delighted to be involved in such a high-profile charity initiative and once again play our part in raising funds for very worthwhile charities.
Shelagh Swanson did a fantastic job and her passion for farming is clearly evident in every detail.
“This is the fourth major charity auction that ANM has facilitated and we’re very proud to have helped raise nearly £2 million over the past few years.”
Mr Hutcheon continued: “It’s also great to have our very own ANM-sponsored Oor Wullie here at Thainstone. Our boy, Wullie of the Glen, represents Scotland’s agricultural industry and will certainly raise the profile of the sector and Thainstone as the region’s agri hub.
“Shelagh Swanson did a fantastic job and her passion for farming is clearly evident in every detail. The ANM team looks forward to the upcoming auctions and achieving the best price for all of the Oor Wullie sculptures.”
The free art event will run until August 30.
The sculptures will be auctioned off at the end of the summer, and the money raised will be used to support the work of the Archie Foundation, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity.
