A Rainy Day Delight in Kirkcaldy

Today was one of those days that called for donning the raincoat (with the thermal lining buttoned in....there's quite a chill in the air....brrr..),
pulling on the boots,
grabbing the umbrella,
and walking as far away as possible from any busses driving down the road in order to avoid becoming soaked.

The wonderful thing about Scotland is that there are many free museums to visit, so I decided to head back to the Kirkcaldy Art Museum to take another look at the collection.  It's just a few blocks from the B&B so walking there was really no problem.

This place is really charming, and what I really find fascinating is the free genealogy room where you can get about any information imaginable if you happen to have family from Kirkcaldy.  Which, quite obviously, I do not.  But if I did....I'd be in pig heaven!

Speaking of pigs.....the lobby had two Wemyss Porcelain pigs displayed.  Wemyss pottery is well known in the Kingdom of Fife, and is quite expensive, which is why I do not own a piece.

But, if I could afford it, and if there was room in my suitcase (which there is NOT), I would consider buying one of these for my pig-loving daughter.

These are both quite a good size, by the way.  I was surprised to read that some people would use the pig as a door stopper, so it was difficult to find pieces without the tips of the ears broken off.  I suppose that would be a practical use, but if I spent a lot of money on 18 inch porcelain pig (or anything for that matter), I don't think I'd be using it as a door stopper.  Would you?

As you can see, the museum features much more than paintings.  The ground floor has two great displays, one featuring the history of Kirkcaldy itself, and the other highlighting particular Scotland interests.

Here are a few things found in the latter:

This chair was carved from "parrot" coal and it features a Swan on the back, which is part of the Wemyss family coat of arms.

A Penny farthing bicycle was suspended from the ceiling

There was a unique explanation of food rationing during World War II with a hands on approach of filling a basket with what one might think they could bring home, and what would be rationed.  I found it interesting to learn that because fresh fruits and vegetables were encouraged and white bread was limited, the people were considered to be much healthier after the war than before.  That never would have entered my mind.

I was quite glad to never have to undergo gas mask training as these elementary children in East Wemyss obviously did:

And I found this little book to be amusing

The description stated that it was "not merely to revive the lost art of darning and patching, but to raise morale by showing how old clothes can be turned into really smart and attractive new ones."

Funny....but they didn't have any examples on display.

From here I headed upstairs to view the People's Choice art collection.  When the museum re-opened after a year and a half of renovations, it was decided to feature works that had been voted on by the public.  This exhibition actually ended on Sept. 15, but most of the rooms still held the winning pieces.

I thought I'd share some of my favorites:

This first painting is called One Moment in Time, painted by Jack Vettriano.  He is actually a native of Kirkcaldy so I thought it was worth mentioning.

This painting, called Summer, did capture the essence of the season, but I found it interesting that someone would even think to paint cows as the subject.

 As I mentioned yesterday, Curling is big in Scotland, and this painting from 1905 captures the essence of the sport.   I love the way the men are all dressed up out on the ice.

 Here you see the Links Market, which is a festival that has been held for over 100 years in Kirkcaldy.

 When we visited in April 2012, we were able to see for ourselves how the promenade turns into a giant amusement park.  Amazing.

This painting of the Wellesley Colliery was unique in that the artist actually mixed pieces of coal into the paint of the car carrying the coal, giving it a glimmer, and a bit of a 3D effect.

 And, finally, I wanted to share this wooden carving of Little Darlings.

There is a lot going on in this piece:  A horse head on the front of the boat, colorful fish jumping out everywhere, but my favorite part is the carved, windblown hair.  Unfortunately there was no explanation behind the art, so your guess is as good as mine as to what this is supposed to signify.  

But you have to admit....it is colorful....and quite unique.  

And so ends the tour of the Kirkcaldy Art Museum.  

And,  it appears that when I left I wasn't the only one smiling.