Dalkeith Sheep Trail
We were invited, with Art Club, way back in Spring 2021 by Aldi to assist them in creating a modern and memorable artistic installation at their new store in the heart of Woodburn, Dalkeith.
The first thing we did was to call out to our community of artists for ideas
We wanted to make it something appropriate to the area, so we did our research. The Aldi store now sits on the site that used to house the Laidlaw and Fairgrieve woollen mill and that’s why we chose sheep as our motif for the project. The sheep have been created to our design by a local artist, Red Fox Props, and have been formed in fibreglass in Loanhead by FibreglassWorks. Each sheep has its own personality and outfit. Their purpose is to engage and delight all who see them. Please go easy on our sheep though - they are sculptures not climbing frames.
Here’s how we did it!
We wanted to create something original that reflected well on Dalkeith, Midlothian and Aldi. This meant trying out things that we had never done before. We have lots of different kinds of skills and knowledge in the team but no-one had attempted anything quite like this before.
These are our prototypes:
Eventually we settled on a design which was handed over to a sculptress to turn into the final model (or the tool as they say in the business). Our sculptress was Andrea from Red Fox Props, who came highly recommended with a background of working in the world of TV and film including the prestigious programme set in Scotland, Outlander.
The final model is born:
While this was going on we were working out exactly what the sheep would end up looking like and where they should be positioned for best effect. We wanted them to stand out and have their own personalities. The tool and mold now belongs to Dalkeith Arts and can be used to make more sheep in the future.
The plan
Originally there were to be three sheep. However, excitement and enthusiasm took over and before we knew it we had a small flock of ten. Here are our initial ideas and drawings:
Nitten
Frida Baaahlo
Ewen Me
Inspire Ewe
Baaacking Team GB
Thunder Bob by Art Club
Innocent
Learning Bob by Art Club
Dolly 1
Dolly 2
Meet the Stars of Dalkeith Sheep Trail
-
Ewen Me
EWEN ME IS DALKEITH ARTS’ SCOTTISH EWE. A NOD TO THE ALDI SCOTTISH COMMITMENT TO SERVE ITS CUSTOMERS HOMEGROWN QUALITY PRODUCTS.
ARTIST: MARGARET BITITCI
-
Nitten
DESIGN DIRECTOR
-
Baaacking Team UK
SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR
-
Inspire Ewe
SALES MANAGER
-
Jaya Dixon
MARKETING DIRECTOR
-
Jamie Kokot
CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER
Phase two of the sheep trail.
Putting our artistic skills to the test!
The sheep which were to be positioned at the new Aldi store were, Ewan Me, Nitten and Baaacking Team GB.
Introducing Nitten
This Ewe is wearing a Fairisle jumper. ”Why?”, you might be asking yourself. This pattern and colour was one of the best sellers of its day when the Laidlaw and Fairgrieve woollen factory stood on this very site. She is named for another mining community in Midlothian called Newtongrange, fondly referred to as Nitten.
Artist: Margaret Bititci
Introducing baaacking team UK
Aldi are proud sponsors for Team UK 2020 Olympics and this was the inspiration for Ewe K. The bright colours on this sheep reflect the team colours and the Olympic Rings.
Artist: Berna Wood
Introducing Inspire Ewe
Inspire is going to live in the grounds of the Letts factory. They chose the design and name in honour of their latest stationary creation.
Artist Mary Blair
