The ‘St Ninian’s Treasure’ hanging book has opening windows which reveal the treasure within.

I did a residency on Shetland and did a series of paintings based on the walking I did exploring the Islands of Shetland. I was particularly struck by St Ninian’s Island, partly because it became significant to me as the place where I heard a friend had died and was the place I returned to for the time of her funeral. The prints are original etchings. I had to decide what base to use which would be thick and stable enough to enable me to cut a window out, but thin enough to cut with a Stanley knife. I had to work out the format and how to join them together. How would I glue them, so they hung straight? I worked out a template to use to position and glue them. How to hinge the windows? I ended up going to a ribbon shop in the East end of London as I needed so much ribbon and tape.

The treasure had been found buried in a larch wood box. A wooden boat builder friend made larch wood boxes and I used old slate for the lids. The book folds away into the box to be revealed by the viewer.