Oyster catchers, peacefulness and the colour of the landscape were just a few of the inspirations for new work produced by three makers – Rachel Higgins, Paul Topen and Jeanette Sendler – during their residencies in Highland schools last year.

The ‘Over the hills and far away…’ exhibition, currently on at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, gives visitors an opportunity to share their experiences.

Metal artist Rachel Higgins worked with Mallaig High School and the Small Isles and said the influence on her work ‘will be continuous as the inspiration is endless’.  Her work in the exhibition includes a large pig and small mechanical birds made with wire and other materials by the children.

Paul Topen, based in Ullapool, is always looking for new materials to work with and aimed to capture the peacefulness of Ullapool bay through his chair made from jesmolite.  This piece was only complete once he had given it to sea and the waves lapping over it turned the colour to the same red and brown hues as the mountains.

In Caithness, textile artist Jeanette Sendler was surprised at the remoteness and uses felted images to describe the atmosphere and relationship of the sea and the landscape. 

The exhibition also includes work by six other makers – Beth Legg, Julia Griffiths Jones, Ismini Samanidou, Kei Ito, Ruth Chalmers and Fabian Perrella - who were commissioned to create handling boxes which show how they work, what inspires them and what they create for use by teachers.

This show is the first step in an ambitious project, funded by the Scottish Arts Council and Highland Council, which will culminate in a major touring exhibition of contemporary craft produced through the schools residencies in 2007.

The ‘Over the hills and far away….’ exhibition is on at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Castle Wynd, Inverness IV2 3EB until 18 September 2004.  Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm.