Paper roses made by hand for Camelon's annual Mariner's Day were the inspiration for a mural celebrating the area's heritage.
Emerging artist Lewis Bissett returned to his roots and enlisted the help of his mum and granny to create ‘FLOAT A Mural Fur Mariners' as part of a community art project.
They swapped their knitting for making paper roses, a long-standing tradition associated with Mariners’ Day, the annual children’s fayre which was first held in 1949.
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The mural was created in collaboration with Camelon Arts and Lewis's mum and gran were among members of the local community who created hundreds of paper roses for the artwork at workshop sessions.
Lewis said: “As everyone worked, they shared their stories of Camelon and these conversations were used to inform the design. I think everyone found the whole thing quite therapeutic!”
The finished mural reflects Camelon’s unique heritage.
Lewis explained: “The smoke represents the old industries of the village, while the anchor and hive link to Camelon’s history as a Roman settlement and seaport.
“The hive is also a reference to the workers of Camelon - as are the bottle and nails. The Barr’s factory was one of the main employers until the ‘90s and the nail trade once was a thriving local industry.
“I wanted to create something that people could identify with - an accessible piece of art.”
The project - part of the Falkirk Canal Connections initiative, supported by the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund. - gave Lewis a chance to go back to his roots.
He said: “My Dad’s family have lived in Camelon for at least 100 years and my Mum’s family came here in the late seventies from Glasgow to work in the ironworks.
“I grew up in a creative family. My Mum painted murals on my bedroom wall and my Dad, a joiner, can turn his hand to almost anything.
Lewis first started using paper roses during his Master’s degree in Edinburgh.
"I’d always done artwork about Camelon or Falkirk culture, but it was always focussed on the negative aspects of living in a post-industrial town," he said.
“I started rethinking my approach as I realised that I was just reinforcing the negative stereotypes.
“One of my lecturers suggested looking at the positive, creative influences of growing up in Camelon. Mariners’ Day was always a chance for my family to express themselves.
“So rather than take the ‘tartan tat’ or Buckfast route, I decided to explore the contemporary Scottish folk art of my youth.
“It’s special to us here in Camelon, but it’s also something that resonates with communities all over the world from Europe to Mexico. A common thread is the use of cheap, easily accessible materials.”
The town’s much disputed pronunciation also features on either side of the mural – Kemlin and Camelon. Lewis said: “It’s up to the viewer to decide which one is right!”
The mural is now on permanent display in the assembly hall of the old Camelon High School, which is now used as a community hub.
Lewis said: “I’d like to dedicate the mural to my late Grandma, Maria Bissett, a true Kemlin Mariner through and through.”
