The Artists of Garvald Edinburgh

First thing we took Maeve the Deerhound to jail to the kennels. Three nights. Hopefully her only kennels stay this year.

Next we left the car where Apothecary7 usually parks for work and walked along to Arbroath station to catch the train to Edinburgh.

After lunch in Edinburgh we had a walk to the botanic gardens and enjoyed a walk round. In the visitor centre, as we were leaving, we discovered an exhibition by a group of artists from Garvald Edinburgh which we really enjoyed (information below). My blip is a detail from one of the wallpaper designs that were on show.

We walked back from the gardens through Stockbridge and found that we had just made it in time to catch the market still open. We bought some handmade soap, the same as we had the last time we were in Edinburgh.

More walking and an early dinner in Hendersons Bistro then a visit to the cinema to see "The Book Thief". After all that we were very happy that we only had to cross the road to get to our hotel.

Naturally displays for the first time, the results of a two year project between the Royal Botanic Garden and the Artists of Garvald Edinburgh. Invited to create artwork in response to their experiences of the Gardens, the Artists of Garvald have spent the last two years exploring the garden, meeting a variety of Botanics staff, and working with the Garden's extensive collections. The array of work produced ranges from orchids in origami to colourful paintings of cacti; textiles dyed with plants to sculptures from trees; and print and embroidery inspired by historical botanical paintings. The Artists were given the opportunity to be involved throughout the process of producing, selecting and hanging work, and the exhibition shows the breadth of engagement and creativity that has resulted from this collaboration.

Garvald Edinburgh is a Scottish Charity that offers creative opportunities and support for people with learning disabilities. A focus on art and craft offers a wide range of possibilities for people to express creativity and be connected to nature. Central to the working practice at Garvald is the belief that each individual has a unique contribution to make. They aim to support individuals to fulfil their potential within Garvald and the wider community. In manifesting their ideas in artworks the Artists of Garvald have made a significant contribution to the Garden's education programme in their own distinct and skilled way.