Labradorite workshop casts light on the Stromness rock from afar

There was no shortage of “foreign stone” at the Ness – rocks brought to site from further afield.

But certainly not as far as the labradorite that has been collected around the shores around Stromness since the late 19th century.

From Saturday, these labradorite boulders are the subject of an open workshop by Anne Bevan and Mark Edmonds in the Northlight Gallery, Stromness.

Casting Light focuses on a haul of labradorite brought to Orkney as ballast from north-east Canada in the 1880s, which is now looked after by the Historic Boat Society.

Named for the coast on which it is found, labradorite has a spectacular iridescence, an effect that evokes the Aurora Borealis. The boulders invite connections: between land, sea and sky, and between people on either side of the Atlantic.

The workshop doors are open to all, especially anyone who has a bit of Labradorite themselves. Stromness folk have been gathering fragments along the shore for over a century, many pieces finding their way into homes around the town. Rough stone or jewellery, big or small, Mark and Anne would be delighted to see all.

Casting Light runs from Saturday, November 2, until Saturday, November16, 11am to 4pm, at the Northlight Gallery.