Unveiled: A labour of love to create Tweed mural
ON Sunday Tony Johnson's lovingly created mural dedicated to the course of the River Tweed was unveiled to the public at the Chain Bridge Honey Farm in Horncliffe, ending a personal crusade that dates back to 1998.
About ten years ago, Tony retired as headmaster of Tweedmouth West First School. For a while, he had been an aspiring artist. Upon his retirement, he was commissioned by honey farm owner Willie Robson to paint a mural.
Tony explains: "At first the basic theme was the River Tweed. After that it all just eventually fell into place."
The mural documents the Tweed's 97 mile journey from its source at Tweedwell, near the source of the Clyde, to Berwick-upon-Tweed where it meets the North Sea. Since 1998, Tony has been visiting the various points of this river, armed with his sketchpad and camera. He has included the many tributaries that flow into it, as well as many points of interest, both natural and man-made.
Armed with his drawings and pictures, Tony has mapped the walls of the Honey Farm with likenesses and images of 112 sites along the river, featuring not only well known landmarks such as castles, churches and other historic buildings, but village streets and shops and quirky corners where unusual sites have caught his eye.
"Of all the sites and places I tried to capture, I think my personal favourite would be Yetholm. I think I did a pretty good job with that. It just came out fairly clearly" he said.
People visiting the honey farm, which itself stands alongside the Tweed, have recognised themselves in paintings, and some of them were among the guests attending the official unveiling of the mural.
"Tony's murals are outstanding and have been a constant source of interest and fascination to visitors to the honey farm since he started on them nearly 10 years ago," said Willie.
"He is a very talented artist who is very modest about his work, but his murals of the Tweed are quite remarkable and we are very proud of them. He has given our visitors a star attraction."
Throughout May, Tony will be holding a one-man exhibition of his work at The Maltings in Berwick.
"The exhibition is called 'A Year in the Borders'. Between 20 - 25 of my oil paintings will be on display, and all of them will be up for sale," said Tony.
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Weather for Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
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Temperature: 9 C to 20 C
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