Tag: photography

Sma’ Shot DAY ’26

Sma’ Shot Day is a vibrant celebration held in Paisley. It commemorates a 19th-century victory by the town’s weavers over their employers during an industrial dispute. The weavers used a cotton thread called the Sma’ Shot to bind colourful weft threads into the famous shawls. However, since the Sma’ Shot was unseen in the finished garments, the manufacturers (known locally as “corks”) refused to pay for it. The weavers had no choice but to buy the thread themselves. The festival features a parade, live performances, workshops, family entertainment, and more. It’s one of the world’s oldest worker’s festivals!

Certainly! The Sma’ Shot Day parade is a lively and colorful procession that takes place during the Sma’ Shot Day celebration in Paisley, Scotland. Here are some highlights:

  1. Weavers’ Heritage: The parade pays homage to the town’s weaving heritage. Floats, costumes, and banners showcase the history of weaving, the struggles of the weavers, and their victory over the manufacturers.
  2. Community Participation: Local organizations, schools, and community groups participate in the parade. They create eye-catching displays, perform music, and dance along the route.
  3. Shawls and Threads: Expect to see giant shawls, looms, and spools of colorful threads. These represent the craftsmanship and creativity of the weavers.
  4. Street Performers: Musicians, dancers, and street performers entertain the crowd. Bagpipers, drummers, and folk bands add to the festive atmosphere.
  5. Crowd Interaction: Spectators often join in, clapping, cheering, and dancing alongside the parade. It’s a joyful and inclusive event.

Remember, the Sma’ Shot Day parade is a celebration of resilience, community spirit, and the rich textile history of Paisley! 🎉

I hope this gives you a glimpse of the vibrant Sma’ Shot Day parade! If you have any more questions or need further details, feel free to ask. 😊

Sma’ Shot Day in Paisley is a lively celebration of the historic victory by local weavers over their employers during an industrial dispute. Here’s what’s happening during the festivities on Saturday, July 6, 2024:

  1. Sma’ Shot Parade (12pm – 1pm): The parade, coordinated by Bridgeman Arts, brings to life the traditional weavers’ celebration. It honors their victory and shares exciting stories from the past. This year, it highlights performers and characters who might have appeared at Paisley Fair.
  2. Abbey Close (12pm – 4pm): Enjoy stalls and family-friendly entertainment in Abbey Close.
  3. Stage Programm

Happy Easter!

Our “Best of Paisley” exhibition is open and free to view on the first floor of Paisley Central Library.  Please note the Library is closed on Easter Monday, 6 April. Please get in touch if you are interested in a print of any of the photographs you see. We also have high-quality cards featuring the Abbey and the Mill, available as a set or individually.

“Best of Paisley”

At Picturing Paisley, we are nearly ready for our “Best of Paisley” exhibition opening on Monday, 23 March in Paisley Central Library.  We have worked with Print Studio Scotland in the Sir James Clark Building to achieve the best possible print quality and look forward to showing them to you.

Photofence @ Barshaw Park

February is here, and as the afternoon light is extending later into the evening, our photofence exhibition is ready to view at the main entrance to Barshaw Park.  It features statues around Paisley, and after your visit, you may want to wander our town and see the real thing firsthand.  The Art Deco Russell Institute is always worth a closer look, and the statue of Burns in Fountain Gardens is thought to be one of the best representations of our national bard. With an attitude of gratitude, we are grateful to Michael Fowles and the Land Services Team at Renfrewshire Council for providing us with this space to illustrate some of the great things about Paisley, and thank you too for taking the time to look at our small exhibition.

Enjoy!

Cards from Picturing Paisley

Are you ever lost for words?  Let our photograph cards do the hard work for you when you have a message to send.  We have chosen the best of our images taken on a visit to the wonderful Paisley Abbey for our new 2026 selection of cards.  Get in touch through the website or Instagram if you are interested: £2 per card or £10 for a set of 6.  You can also visit us at the Wynd Centre on 7 February, where we have a stall at the Feelgood February Fair.

Angel in Paisley Abbey

Gothic Revival stained glass window

Organ and pulpit

Paisley Abbey view

Paisley Abbey view

Take Charge Thursday.

Welcome to our new project, where we invite local artists and supporters of Paisley to a guest slot on our Instagram feed.

Looking forward to working with the diverse local artists and talents who live, work and support Paisley and wider Renfrewshire, making it a thriving, positive community.

For artists interested in featuring on our Instagram page, please email us at picturingpaisley@gmail.com

Did you know that? 

Is Paisley Photographic Society the oldest photographic society in Scotland? It was founded in 1857 and continues to operate today.

The town also established the Paisley Government School of Art and Design in 1846, and enthusiasm for the arts was so prevalent that it led to the establishment of the Paisley Art Institute in 1876. 

At the University of the West of Scotland, you can also study photography at the HND level at various campuses, including our very own Paisley Campus. Students always host their end-of-year exhibitions at a local venue.

One famous photographer from the town is Alexander Gardner, and you will have seen at least one of his photographs, his portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Taken in February 1865, it was an album in silver print made by contact printing a glass negative on light-sensitive paper. The large glass negative broke after it was developed, and only one print was made before the negative was discarded. Gardiner was famous for taking many pictures of the American Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln by Gardiner.

Today, in Paisley, we are lucky to have many great photographers and artists who use the medium as a reference for creating their work. 

The Art Department at Paisley, a large art space on Causeyside Street, encourages artists to explore their creativity and exhibit there.

Carole Gledhill from the Picturing Paisley group and her cyanotypes.

Picturing Paisley exhibition on hoardings outside the museum on Paisley High Street on September 26
Picturing Paisley exhibition on hoardings outside the museum on the Paisley High Street on September 26.

The Art Department at Paisley

The Magic of Cyanotypes

Hi, I’m Carole Gledhill from the Picturing Paisley group.
I love being part of this group, as everyone has a different approach to their photography. We are always learning from each other, and we all like to explore new ideas. A couple of years ago, I attended a 1-day course on Cyanotype, and I was immediately hooked!. The traditional cyanotype is a camera-less photographic process, first discovered in 1842 by Sir John Herschel and made famous by his botanist friend Anna Atkinson. This is how it works:
Two chemicals are mixed to create a light-sensitive solution. Paper or fabric can be coated in this solution and left to dry in the dark. Prints are then made by placing objects on the coated surface and exposing them to UV light, either the sun or an ultraviolet lamp. The exposed surface is then processed by washing in water, after which the wonderful Prussian Blue colour will appear, while the image of the object will appear white or various shades of blue.
I enjoy exploring this process and find it works well with botanical specimens, lace, feathers—anything that will allow some light to pass through. By adding substances that interfere with the process, such as vinegar, soap bubbles, turmeric, salt, etc., a wider range of colours can be achieved. This is known as the wet Cyanotype method, and the results are much more unpredictable!
I’m now dipping my toe in the water in terms of submitting my work to various exhibitions, with some success. You can view 3 of my cyanotypes in the forthcoming exhibition, The Teardrop Explodes, throughout May & June in The Art Department, Causeyside St, Paisley, and a wider range of my cyanotypes can be seen on my Instagram account, @the_blue_herbarium. Thank you for reading!