A Picture Tells A Thousand Words

Looking to get out for some fresh air and enjoy the summer sunshine? A walk around the town centre is a great way to spend the afternoon, exploring Paisley’s rich heritage and bright future through beautiful street art.

KINGFISHER BY MARK WORST, JOHNSTON STREET The mural trail set out to capture the story of Paisley past, present and future and the first mural in the series to be created is certainly eye-catching. This work highlights one of the town’s relatively unknown sons, Alexander Wilson, as well as one of the town’s most iconic buildings and local wildlife. The kingfisher represents the life and work of Alexander Wilson, who is credited with establishing ornithology as a science. Originally a weaver poet, Alexander Wilson moved to America where he studied wildlife and travelled widely, documenting and drawing hundreds of illustrations of birds on his way. Behind the Kingfisher, the iconic Thomas Coats Memorial Church looms majestically in the background. BUDDIE BY CAROLINE GORMLEY, STORIE STREET Etched on the gable wall next to Allan’s Fish and Chip Shop, Buddie depicts competition winner and local youngster, Eva Rose Ross, as she encourages Paisley locals to “spread your wings.” The idea for this image was to show that children are the future of the town. The reflection of the buildings are a representation of Paisley’s heritage and the importance of how it’s down to the younger generations to uphold the future of that heritage. Brought to life in collaboration with fellow artist Alexander Guy, Caroline Gormley set out to create a work that would encourage young people to be curious and to be inspired by the rich heritage of the town.

AND BREATHE BY DUNCAN WILSON, LAWN STREET The next mural to be completed saw a message from one of the town’s community groups taking centre stage. Designed by the Made in The Mill collective in tandem with local artist Duncan Wilson, this piece is intended to raise awareness around mental health issues and serves as a timely reminder to take a moment during a hectic day. Supported by the NHS, the artists at MITM use creativity as a conduit for their recovery. While for Duncan, he hopes that the mural gave a voice to all the participants at Made in the Mill who took part in creating the design and that it ultimately conveyed the message they wanted to share with Paisley.

REBORN BY KEVIN CANTWELL, LADY LANE Local artist Kevin Cantwell completed the fourth mural in the series at Lady Lane which was depicted on a wall owned by Co-op Funeral Care. This stunning work incorporates a tree with roots, the Paisley pattern and butterflies – all signifying birth and roots, as well as a small marker to the slug in the bottle. The end product is a rich tapestry that symbolises rebirth and is one of Kevin’s two contributions to the mural trail, the other being a pictorial “tourist map” of Paisley at Paisley Gilmour Street. For Kevin, the murals help add to the vibrancy of the town and help art to bring happiness to people. WISH YOU WERE HERE BY CAROLINE GORMLEY & SANDY GUY, PAISLEY GILMOUR STREET Beside Kevin’s tourist map with a twist at the town’s main train station, sits Caroline and Sandy’s postcard from Paisley – one of the first sights to greet both Paisley’s locals and visitors upon disembarking from the train. Wish You Were Here serves as a whistle stop tour through famed people, places and even products that relate to our town. This multi-layered piece from the team at MADE IN PAISLEY features everything from a mill girl and burning witch to a Hillman imp, The Russell Institute and Paisley born actor Fulton Mackay. Styled in the vein of postcards from yesteryear, it’s the perfect welcome to the town.

BROWNS LANE BY DANNY MCDERMOTT AND MARK WORST Partly cobbled and nestled between Shuttle Street and Causeyside Street, Browns Lane is undoubtedly one of Paisley’s hidden gems, thanks to the vision of a group of local business owners who set out to regenerate the area. With additional funding from Paisley First, new canopy lighting was installed and artists Mark Worst and Danny McDermott were brought in. The result is akin to a visually striking hall of fame for Paisley Buddies – this rich collage of street art a fitting tribute to some of Paisley’s finest including Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan, the Scottish Cup-winning St Mirren team of ’87, singer Paolo Nutini and local historian Ellen Farmer. ADDITIONAL MURALS The Paisley First Walls series has inspired a number of other murals to pop up in and around the town with further artwork on Lady Lane, at Japan Street Food on Renfrew Rd and Elma Whyte Performing Arts on Incle Street. Everyone has a favourite, take time out to find yours!