These sculptures were inspired by the story of Da Lairds Witch, Kitty Bruce. She lived in Whalsay in the time of the Lairds and was an illegitimate daughter of one of the Lairds of Whalsay. As Kitty grew so did her resemblance to her father meaning Kitty and her mother had to be sent from the sight of the Lairds wife.
Kitty and her mother lived by their wits, local folk listened to their advice on important matters. The pair blessed boats and cows, they made charms and tokens. It was said that the boats had bad luck or a poor catch if they'd forgotten to give a fish from their previous catch to the women. The cows always gave more milk if they'd been blessed by Kitty's mother, and milk was payment for the blessing.
Kitty grew handsome. She was courted by several men and she was engaged once but in the end she did not marry her suitor. When her ex-fiancé remarried his wife became ill and Kitty got the blame. The man demanded three drops of Kitty's blood to save his dying wife. Kitty gave the blood freely but warned him that she was not to blame. The woman died and the man believed he was cursed. He left Whalsay and never returned.
When Kitty's mother died, Kitty lived alone, she had no children. She was respected and perhaps feared by the community but they looked after her. In those days folk would bring ill luck to themselves if they did not look after a witch. She lived comfortably in the community of Whalsay to an old age and died peacefully.
When Kitty's a young girl and she saw her Father for the first time, she followed him. He was unaware of her. She watched him, perhaps to see if she could see herself in him. She copied his posture and his manner. She mimicked the limp in his walk. She never spoke to him. After that day Kitty developed a limp, like her father. It became so pronounced she had to walk with a stick. Her mother had given her the surname 'Bruce,' and the Laird had never contested it. He allowed them that. So, all her father gave his daughter was a limp and his name and she forged out a life for herself as 'Da Laird's Witch.'

"The three drops of blood were freely given..."

Wool Week Prize
"Susan Pearson was awarded the Shetland Wool Week Exhibition Prize to highlight her work in knit and concrete sculptures. The SWW committee believe this is a great example of a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Shetland technique.
Susan is studying for a Fine Art Degree at the Shetland College. The idea for the sculptures evolved whilst working on her Spacial Practices module, when she had the opportunity to reconsider the qualities of wool and utilise these qualities as a material to create art.
During her research, Susan was inspired by knitted lace and old photographs in the Museum archives. She wanted to recreate the feeling of the characters and stories she discovered there. Specifically, the Laird’s Witch, Kitty, a true story of an illegitimate child of a Laird of Whalsay. Clever and studious, Kitty made a living practicing witchcraft.
In contrast to the delicate lace, Susan decided to work with concrete. The concrete complemented the structures in and around the Museum; the rock, the slabs, the pedestals. It felt fitting that the concrete reflected the grey of the old photographs studied in the development of the collection.
Central to the work is contradiction; the contrast between the fragile beauty of a knitted hap and the brutal practicality associated with concrete. Susan utilises these associations to hint at the stories of these emotive figures."

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