Norman's Voyage to America

 In October 1939 Norman McLaren set sail for America on the SS Cameronia with his partner Guy Glover.
Only a month since the war had begun, the Cameronia made the passage to New York unaccompanied.
At the time the passengers had been told a convoy system was in operation but McLaren noted that no other ships had been seen
McLaren describes the journey in great detail, down to the colour of the ship's paint...on this occasion ( and it turned out a dozen others during the war) it was a dull grey...to blend in with the grey sea!!
On the seventh day of sailing was ''the first fine day we've had''. After dinner he sat out on deck with Guy and Jimmie,a passenger they had befriended from Canada.
" It was a pitch black night, heavy clouds, raining cats and dogs- and not a single light from the ship.
Nevertheless the sea just around the ship where water was being stirred up was giving off clouds of luminous and phosphorescent light, and sparkling and twinkling with fierce little bright spots."

McLaren goes on to give the most beautiful decsription of light on the water where no light should be...there were no lights as the ship traveling in war time would be in blackout for safety. It is a description which reveals some of the vision of a creative mind....and the child like wonder with which McLaren viewed nature.

" It was as if there were thousands of little electric bulbs flashing on and off and dancing about in the water, as well as clouds of white frothy light streaming past us! "

Guy went on to explain why this phenomenon happens....caused by little fish and other sea creatures......

I love the thought that Norman was as fascinated by water as I am and that he describes it in this way!

Both photos here are of the river where I grew up and which I still love to walk beside...and look at endlessly......constant motion...never the same water.

this image I love especially..I took it just after the snow melted in March 2011. the water looks so diffeent on either side of the dam...it used to be used to power a mill wheel many years ago.But here the drop in height alters the flow and the way the light hits it and reflects. The scientist in me wants to know how that happens...the artist just appreciates it. Maybe Guy could have told me how?

Research

Last week I made my 4th visit to Stirling to the McLaren archive. There had been a missed communication between Karl McGhee (the archivist)and myself so it was great to catch up again and plan our next steps. We made a few decisions....I am going to be there virtually every week now till the final presentation in the autumn.
I contacted the university dance society in Stirling and met a few dancers who would be keen to get involved with the dance section of my project at Stirling.I also found contact details for the MacRobert Centre Dance Artist.
With Karl I agreed that I will work on the catalogue of Norman's correspondance , and add my personal insights and connections with his work, family etc.Karl is also going to contact Liam , the director of the Mac Robert about a dance response (workshop and performance)to the archive, and some collaboration with the centre for that.
I spent some time in The Pathfoot building among the exhibition of paintings and photos which belong to the archive, but which are on public display. I include some of these.

This photo  (from the Film Board of Canada)  was included in a newspaper
article I have.I remeber it vividly...it was the first memory I have of being told about my relative from canada who made films. My dad was very proud I think....

(photos - NBC)

I had not seen this one before I saw it in stirling, but I really like this young face of Norman's.
In both there is an unmistakable family resemblance. Great to see him celebrated at Stirling....
I looked from the pathfoot building over to the Wallace Monument which was so much part of my childhood.
It is amazing to think of Norman growing up here too, and I know he wandered this area long before the university was here! I also walked past  Airthrie Castle, now a business centre, but which was a maternity hospital....where in fact I was born! I am not sure exactly where Norman was born...at home maybe?

From here I look across the hills too...where Norman walked. I have always felt (at least since I began to examine my Scottish 'spirit' and inheritance ) that the light around this area of hills is really inspiring and it is not surprising that McLaren also talked about this ( The Creative Process- film by Don McWilliams).
I  use light in my dance works in a subtle way...I wonder if I am always trying to find atmospheric solutions because I grew up in such an atmospheric place? Light is certainly a big part of my life. I have now chosen to live somewhere where light plays in my window daily....and where I can look at coasts with light dancing on the water.

A couple of weeks ago I took these shots in Broughty Ferry when the sun was low in the sky and the wind almost horizontal!!

Norman McLaren used light to great effect when he created his pastel works...C'est L'Aviron and Poulette Grise. I have tried some pastel work, but am not happy yet with the results....tho there is no doubt it is a lovely medium for capturing light effect!!

These  two pictures (above) were taken at Sherrifmuir, near Stirling, and I think convey the dramatic light I often see around the surrounding Ochil Hills. We are now nearing Beltane...and I climbed one of these hills regularily on Mayday when I was younger. I know Norman climbed it often too.   ..Dumyat...near Stirling I should do it again soon!!!

Who was Norman?

This is a photograph of Norman McLaren's mother Jane Cross Wilson Smith ( known as Jeannie,centre front) and 6 of  her 7 siblings. My grandfather James Parker Smith is on the right in the back row.The photo was taken in 1901 at Little Earnock, a farm near  Hamilton shortly after the death of her parents Thomas, a tennant farmer, in 1896 and Jeannie Cross Parker, his wife, in 1897. The youngest son Abe was only 9. All eight of them moved to Perthshire in 1902 .(the farm in Hamilton has now gone, giving way to property development and a street called Earnock Way!)

A relative of the Cross family married Elizabeth Burns, a cousin of Robert Burns, our Scottish bard! They lived in Canada.

John McLaren of Hamilton (born 1805) ran a painting and decorating shop in the town which was taken over by his sons, James, David, John and William (Norman's father)
Jeannie must have known William before she moved to Perthshire and although he was in London in 1902 (when she went to Perthshire), somehow they got back together and married in 1905.

I did not know my grandfather, James, as he dies when my father was very young. As a result we did not have close contact with the McLaren family when I was growing up. I feel that women are more likely to keep in touch with their own family than their husbands...tho I am curious to know how the young Mary (my Grandmother) coped with three children alone with her own family so far away in Norfolk.

                                                      The McLaren family
                                             Jeannie Jack Sheena Norman and William

Her sister in law Jeannie McLaren also had three children by now   seen above.

For Mary (nee Cartwright) life must have been hard with three young children on her own.the eldest Ivy was born just three years after Norman,in 1917 but suffered from thyroid problems in her early life which affected her mental development. She was a georgeous child, but must have been difficult. I remember her innate musical ability...she could not read or write anything legible or understandable, but she could play by ear the most difficult tunes. My father was born in 1920 and his brother Aubrey a few years later.Ivy was the only one from memeory who was at all musical
Norman also played piano...and my own son Finn has learned piano mostly by ear...although he has now developed his music theory to a high level.

The Smith family

Tom Mary Robert John

Abe Jessie James Jeannie

It seems from gathered descriptions that William, Norman's father was an intelligent man... I do not know much about Jeannie except that there are many comments about her dress and she certainly she was very pretty when she was young. Her sister Jessie a spinster , came to live with them and by all accounts was a bit of a tyrant,selfish and not very helpful. In this photo she is in the front row second from.left...she certainly looks quite formidable! the sixth  sibling Tom is also in this photo.