Opposite: the osprey sculpture sits proudly at the entrance to the Clubhouse. This page, from top: the creation took three months to complete; sculptor James Ritchie Ritchie – who practises in a variety of materials including tin, copper, slate and wood – began assembling the sculpture from steel, like a giant jigsaw puzzle. This critical stage in the development was, he admits, ‘very challenging’, as it involved working out how to fit everything together without showing any welding. ‘I wanted the bird to be as clean as possible when constructed,’ he notes. The final touches were to add flashes of eye-catching colour using a process known as “bluing” (heating the surface of the metal), which creates a beautiful greyish-blue oxidised effect. Finally, after three months, the piece was complete. ‘I was aware of the castle but had never visited, so going there and getting a wee tour was very interesting. It’s a fantastic place,’ said Ritchie on his trip to Skibo. With the fruits of his labour proudly on display at the Clubhouse entrance, the sculpture symbolises a prestigious start to the career of a local emerging artist. ‘I’m just at the start of the adventure with all of this,’ he says. ‘Every day there is a new challenge or idea that comes into my head – and on we go.’ ª V    isitors to Skibo’s recently refurbished Clubhouse may have spotted a new addition welcoming them to the venue. Hovering over the main entrance is something both instantly recognisable yet refreshingly new – The Carnegie Club’s osprey logo reimagined in a striking 5ft steel sculpture. The artwork was designed and created by Scottish sculptor James Ritchie, who studied Fine Art and Sculpture at the prestigious Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. Ritchie was encouraged to reach out to Skibo for a potential commission by Carnegie Club member Theodora Zemek, who owns some of his work. Impressed by his portfolio and keen to continue the tradition of collaborating with young, local craftspeople, Skibo’s chairman and managing director, Peter Crome, asked Ritchie to create a wall-mounted sculpture for the new Clubhouse. ‘Peter asked for a design that reflected the brand but was not overcomplicated,’ explains Ritchie. ‘The osprey is an impressive bird of prey and it also had some interesting possibilities for creative development into a 3D object. I began by looking at many photographs of osprey to get a feel for the bird; its colouring and the way it moves. I then looked very closely at the osprey logo and started to work out how I could create a sculpture that would fulfil the brief, but also incorporate a three-dimensional aspect.’ After initially working in paper cut-outs, sketches and technical renders, Roddy Ritchie T H E C A R N E G I E C L U B T H E O S P R E Y I S A N I M P R E SS I V E B I R D O F P R E Y A N D H A D S O M E I N T E R E ST I N G P O SS I B I L I T I E S FO R C R E AT I V E D E V E LO P M E N T ME ET THE MA K E R Continuing its long history of collaborating with local craftsmen, Skibo commissioned sculptor James Ritchie to create a special piece for the new Clubhouse WORDS Gemma Billington – 6 4 – A R T