The Jetty Gallery
Janis Hargreaves
Janis is a Scottish mosaic artist from Stirlingshire who primarily works with stained glass and slate. She is fascinated by the colours and textures of different types of slate and uses upcycled roof tiles, as well as slate foraged from the Scottish countryside.
She particularly loves Easdale slate, which is found on the slate islands near Oban. It has distinctive qualities and is evocative of the once thriving slate industry of the island, the remnants of which have now become part of the landscape.
While the slate industry thrived in Scotland hundreds of years ago, the material hasn’t been mined there since the last quarries were shut down more than 50 years ago. Despite this, slate is still synonymous with Scottish architecture and provides an important link back to our cultural heritage.
As well as the historical importance of slate, Janis is also inspired by natural forms and the Scottish landscape, which is reflected in the geometric shapes, flow and colours of her work.