Effie Galletly grew up in the West of Scotland and was raised in a home where art, music and sewing were greatly encouraged. After leaving school she travelled widely as a singer songwriter followed by a period working as a music journalist, and later running her own solo music publishing company while bringing up two daughters with her husband in Somerset, England.

Work on image making started seriously for Effie while studying music as a mature student. Focusing on composing music to image, her first wall hangings were made to show with a wind quartet she wrote for as part of her studies.

There have been four main influences in Effie's artistic development: her mother, Isabel, who set her challenging standards in her dressmaking and tailoring from early on; her school Art teacher, Mr Wilkie, whose lessons in drawing, structure and colour she has never forgotten; more recently Jan Hassard, who introduced her to the world of traditional quilt making in her beginners' class; and Susan Denton whose inspiring workshops set her on her own path of discovery.

"The Hebridean islands strike a powerful chord with me and set in motion ideas that I feel compelled to express" comments Effie. Her works look like paintings. The method of making them is entirely like that of a traditional quilt but the appearance is quite different. Over the last few years Effie has produced a substantial body of work focused on Scottish landscape, the colour, light and form of which for her constitute a passion.

Effie and her husband now live for part of the year in Lewis.

Throughout June 2013 Effie's work can be seen in exhibition together with the watercolours of Gareth Watson. The two contrasting styles make a pleasing and unexpected harmony.

Click on the images below to enlarge.