The Tartan Artisan® - Perpetual Calendar - Earthrise Edition
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This is my first tartan calendar!
Featuring 12 of my original tartan designs, celebrating over 10 years of creating tartans! Many inspired by LIGHT!
CUSTOM MADE TO ORDER!
This product is a time limited edition ‘perpetual calendar’…with this particular format running until end of December 2022. So, for a limited time only you can buy this design featuring the beautiful and stunning ‘Earthrise’ image on the front cover! Enhanced by AI image processing! Available in both A4 and A3 sizes.
Future calendars will start in the current month, and feature a different cover!
AT A GLANCE...
- Choose A4 or A3 size
- Time limited Earthrise edition ...for this calendar!
- White metal spiral bound, with hanging loop at the top
- 13 page printed calendar, including the front cover
- Featuring a different tartan on each inside page
- Design will rotate every month, and start in the current month
- Made from silky art paper
- Each tartan calendar is custom made to order!
- Exclusive to the Tartan Artisan®
- Backed with strong 2.5mm thick white card
- IDEA! ...why not frame your calendar's 13 images, as framed prints, once used!
This edition also celebrates the launch of Artemis I …NASA’s new mission to the moon launching November 2022, and pre-empts a new image to come… Earthrise 2.0.
The month for each tartan was chosen for a particular reason…
Read on below for the rationale for each of the twelve tartan designs!
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Custom made to order, this unique calendar is printed on 160 gsm silky art paper with superb vibrancy and print quality. Backed with a thick, white card which is 2.5 mm thick and non-bendy and bound by a white metal spiral wire binder.
A digital printing technique is used which produces crystal clear details, showing even fine lines (and stitches) with incredible accuracy. Colours are strong and rich, creating a beautiful product.
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Every sale will help support a Scottish business, and help fund future weaves in these tartans!
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Feel free to message me if you’re interested in ordering a kilt in any of these 12 tartans, as I am now taking notes of interest for that ...for potential bolt runs in 2023.
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CARE INSTRUCTIONS...
Depending on where you hang your calendar, you may find from time to time that it gets a little dusty. If this happens simply wipe down with a dry cloth and the dust should slide right off the glossy paper.
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THE IMAGES IN THE CALENDAR...
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DECEMBER - Earthrise
The calendar currently celebrates the famous Apollo 8 ‘Earthrise’ photograph, taken from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders on 24th December 1968… becoming one of the most world-famous images of the 20th century. The image was described by nature photographer Galen Rowell as “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken.”
The photograph was captured only with a collaborative effort by all three Nasa crew members. The geometry in the tartan depicts the Earth rising above the Moon's horizon. Numbers in the threads have numerical significance; 10 dark blue threads are a reminder of the reading of Genesis 1 verses 1-10, which was read out aloud and beamed back to Earth as part of a Christmas Eve message; 68 black threads represent the year 1968. The 3 black stripes pay tribute to the crew: Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot James Lovell and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders. The tartan's 6 colours and thread count of 147 threads recognise the mission length of 6 days, or 147 hours. The colours also representing the Earth, Space and Moon.
Significantly, the calendar celebrates NASA’s launch of Artemis I, and the agency’s return to the moon and manned space exploration. December features the Earthrise tartan …inspired by that iconic image. The pattern was created to depict the glowing Earthlight of our blue planet rising in the blackness of space.
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KEY DATE : 24th December
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See the official registration here:
Earthrise
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JANUARY - The Angels’ Share
…the month of new beginnings, and the celebration of a new year.
A ‘toast to good health, and prosperity’. The tartan is designed to visibly portray 'the Angels' Share' - the 2% portion of distilled alcohol (said to be taken by the Angels) which evaporates though the oak barrel during the whisky maturation process. This tartan attempts to capture the ethereal light of Angels within the weave.
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KEY DATE : 1st January
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See the official registration here:
The Angels’ Share
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FEBRUARY - The Bell Rock Lighthouse
…the first tartan created by the Tartan Artisan, in 2011
A tribute to the worlds oldest operational sea-washed lighthouse… The Bell Rock Lighthouse. First lit on 1st February 1811. The tartan was designed to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Bell Rock Lighthouse, the design reflecting the flashing lights of the lighthouse: white for the primary white light, and red for the secondary red light, (when first put into operation the lighthouse flashed an alternating white and red light). This was chronologically the first design I created …becoming the first tartan inspired by the theme of ‘illumination’!
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KEY DATE : 1st February
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See the official registration here:
The Bell Rock Lighthouse 200th Anniversary
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MARCH - Red Lichtie
…the second tartan I created, in 2012
‘Red Lichtie’ …is Scottish north east coast dialect for ‘red light’. Residents of Arbroath, a fishing town on the Scottish north east coast, are affectionately known as ‘Red Lichties’, an ancient nickname that local townsfolk, as well as those abroad, adopt with a sense of pride. The tartan became Arbroath’s official district tartan after being adopted by the Royal Burgh of Arbroath Community Council, on 5th Oct 2012.
The name likely originates from Arbroath’s original Parish Church, known as the Lady Chapel. Founded some time before 1455 and located at the north east corner of the marina where the Harbour Master’s office stands today, the chapel fell out of use around 1590. Inside the chapel burned a RED LAMP. It is suggested that the folks of Arbroath were familiar with this red lamp or ‘licht’, which is the likely source of the ‘Red Lichtie’ name which they are all so proud of today.
I created the tartan not only with the image of a red glowing light in mind, but also to represent the colours of Arbroath, including the local red sandstone as well as the boatbuilding and fishing histories of the town. Importantly the tartan also depicts the heraldic symbol of the portcullis; a symbol whose origins are said to be the portcullis of the pend - or great gateway - close to the west end of Arbroath Abbey which was founded in 1178 by King William the Lion.
This was the second tartan I designed where I visually captured the effects of ‘Illumination’ …a theme of inspiration …which was beginning to emerge in my tartans.
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KEY NOTE :
Although woven, and publicised as the first tartan I created, in actuality Red Lichtie was the second tartan I designed, and officially registered at the Scottish Register of Tartans. Thus Red Lichtie appears after the Bell Rock Lighthouse in this calendar.
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See the official registration here:
Red Lichtie
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APRIL - Declaration of Arbroath 7th Centennial Anniversary
This tartan commemorates the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath - 6th April 2020 - a letter in Latin submitted to Pope John XXII in 1320.
Written on behalf of the earls, barons and nobles, and community of the whole Kingdom of Scotland. The letter asks the Pope to recognise Scotland's independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country's lawful king.
The 7 colour tartan visibly portrays the artefact itself; light tan with the narrow black stripes represents the document and the literary work; green and red represents the seals and signatories; the white pivot represents the recipient of the letter Pope John XXII; the scarlet pivot represents the Scots of old who died fighting for freedom; the broad black stripe becomes a memorial of remembrance for those who fell on the Scottish battlefields.
The thread counts in the two opposing pivots are created from the two relevant dates: 6th April 1320 and 6th April 2020 - thus the numeracy in the tartan spans seven centuries.
32 threads in the dark red pays tribute to Robert the Bruce who was crowned king at the age of 32; 100 threads span the complete width of the light tan field, representing the famous excerpt from the Declaration of Arbroath “for, as long as a hundred of us remain alive…”
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Pope John XXII - one could suggest, being the former Head of the Catholic Church - would have been associated with ‘spiritual Illumination’, therefore again bringing the idea of ‘light’ as a concept within this tartan.
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KEY DATE : 6th April
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See the official registration here:
Declaration of Arbroath 7th Centennial Anniversary
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MAY - Red Lichtie Spitfire (EP121)
A tartan created to pay tribute to the Spitfire, the flagship aircraft of the RAF, and specifically Red Lichtie Spitfire EP121.
During WWII the people of Arbroath started a ‘Spitfire Fund’ to raise £5,000 and purchase a Spitfire to help with the war effort. They succeeded in this and a MkVb Spitfire was built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. On 24th May 1942 Spitfire EP121 was delivered to the RAF at Burtonwood and it was named the ‘Red Lichtie’ after the people of Arbroath who purchased it.
The tartan’s creation date and registration date commemorate the 100th anniversary year of the RAF, 1st April 2018 to 1st April 2019, and in so doing also recognises the iconic fighter plane and its key role in winning the Battle of Britain.
Colours and geometry: the tartan’s asymmetric design incorporating green and grey represents the spitfire’s camouflage; the red, white, blue and yellow stripes form a representation of the historic RAF roundel and the tail liveries on the aircraft. The single red stripe in the tartan becomes a mark of respect for the ‘Red Lichtie’, which ended its service on the 26th June 1943 suffering from an engine cut on approach causing it to stall and crash. The pilot survived.
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The theme of light appears indirectly within this weave, through this single red stripe.
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KEY DATE : 24th May
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See the official registration here:
Red Lichtie Spitfire (EP121)
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JUNE - Scotch Whisky 1494
Created to celebrate Scotch Whisky Scotland's world famous national drink, fondly referred to as ‘the Water of Life’.
It is intended to represent the origin story of Scotch (the first written record of whisky production in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland 1st June 1494), and the Tironensian Grey Monks of Lindores Abbey who distilled the spirit for the first time in history.
The design is also intended to reflect the amber hues and tones of Scotch whisky, as it sparkles in the glass, the light within this weave. This is the third interpretation of the designer’s creation of the Scotch Whisky tartan; the sett and colours were adapted from the original Scotch Whisky tartan reference #11686, which itself was inspired by the Angels’ Share tartan reference #11497.
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KEY DATE : 1st June
The first written record of whisky production in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland 1494
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See the official registration here:
Scotch Whisky 1494
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JULY - The Star-Spangled Banner
The tartan was designed to pay tribute to the Star-Spangled Banner - the historic US flag carried during the War of 1812, and the same ‘Great Garrison Flag’ that flew over Fort McHenry during the harbour Battle of Baltimore, Sept 13th 1814.
British warships pounded the American fort for 25 hours sending a bombardment of shells and rockets.
After the battle in the early dawn of Sept 14th, seeing the flag still flying, Francis Scott Key was stirred to write the poem “Defence of Fort M'Henry”. The poem not only inspired the name of the flag but also became the lyrics of the national anthem of the US.
The sett is created to visually represent the Stars and Stripes (the red, white & blue of the flag), and the explosive drama of the battle. The thread count of the design incorporates the past and present: 15 blue threads & 15 red threads represent the 15 stars & 15 stripes of the Star-Spangled Banner; 13 threads in the broad red and white stripes, and 50 threads in the dark blue field represent the present-day US Flag.
This tartan was carefully designed to capture a glowing constellation of stars, within blue fields.
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KEY DATE : 4th July
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See the official registration here:
Star-Spangled Banner (Flag of 1814)
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AUGUST - Phoenix Rising
The tartan was created as a tribute to the phoenix, an ancient mythological symbol which has endured for millennia, and across vastly different cultures.
The phoenix, which is always characterised as a bird, dies in a magnificent fire of its own making burning into a pile of ash before being reborn and rising from its own demise as a newly resurrected phoenix. The colours and geometry in the tartan visualise the rising of the phoenix, and its rebirth from the ashes of its past life. Black represents the dying phoenix; the two greys represent the ash; yellow, red, purple and gold correspond to the brightly coloured plumage of the mythological bird. The pattern depicts the returning blaze of firelight within the tartan’s three junctures.
Two variants of the Phoenix Rising tartan were created, the second being adjusted for weaving:
The original - black ash & fire variant - Phoenix Rising - (as shown) was registered at the Scottish Register of Tartans in 2018. With a second variant - red ash & fire - Phoenix Rising 2020 - registered on the Northern Hemisphere Midwinter Solstice (21st December 2020), in recognition of the Earth’s astronomical position relative to the Solar System.
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KEY NOTE :
The Chinese Phoenix 'Fenghuang' is also known as the “August Rooster” since the bird sometimes takes the place of the Rooster in Chinese zodiac.
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See the official registrations here:
Phoenix Rising - Registered in 2018
Phoenix Rising 2020
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SEPTEMBER - North Sea Oil
The tartan pays tribute to the North Sea Oil and Gas Industry. It not only recognises the economic significance of oil, Scotland's black gold, but also remembers the challenges and personal sacrifices made by oil and gas workers in the industry.
The tartan celebrates Brendan McKeown OBE (1925-2011), the petroleum engineer famously credited with bringing ashore the UK's first sample of North Sea Oil in a pickle jar on the 16th September 1969. This inaugural finding of the first commercialised North Sea oil well was recognised as a seminal moment in Scotland's industrial history.
North Sea Oil was established as a commemorative tartan 45 years after this historic discovery, on the 16th September 2014. The tartan importantly acts as a memorial in remembrance of the many lives lost in the hazardous offshore environment - the ‘flame of remembrance’ - the ‘light’ in this tartan, respectfully remembering Piper Alpha 6th July 1988, the world's deadliest offshore oil accident.
The geometry further depicts the exploration, discovery and development of North Sea oil and gas fields. Colours: black, russet brown and gold together create the colour palette of raw crude oil, the gold accent alluding also to the flare boom of the North Sea oil rigs; dark blue - also when woven together with black - represents the North Sea and associated gas industry; the light and dark grey stripes depict the sedimentary nature of the sea bed, with three prominent lighter grey stripes significantly representing the three castles of Aberdeen City's coat of arms. Due to this enterprising city's contribution to the development and commercialisation of North Sea Oil, it became known as the Oil Capital of Europe.
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KEY DATE : 16th September
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See the official registration here:
North Sea Oil
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OCTOBER - Alba Gu Bràth
The tartan (which is the Scottish Gaelic translation of “Scotland Forever”) celebrates a multi-cultural and prosperous Scotland, looking forward into the future with a sense of openness and optimism.
The vibrant design represents the wide range of nationalities and communities to be found throughout Scotland. When represented on the bias blue and white in the tartan creates a visual representation of the Scottish National Flag - the St. Andrew’s Cross - a unifying banner for the wide diversity of peoples of the whole of Scotland.
The tartan’s colour pallet was inspired by YES SCOTLAND.
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KEY DATE : 19th October 2023
...a day of new beginnings for Scotland?
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See the official registration here:
Alba Gu Bràth
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NOVEMBER - Declaration of Scottish Independence, Arbroath 1320
The tartan commemorates the most treasured document in Scotland's history - the 'Declaration of Arbroath' dated 6th April 1320 - a letter from the Scottish Earls and Barons in support of King Robert the Bruce and his battle for Scottish independence.
The tartan is designed to visually portray both the Royal Standard of Scotland (the Lion Rampant) - and - the National Flag of Scotland (the Saltire). When represented on the square the red and yellow represents the Lion Rampant, and when represented on the bias the white and blue - the white cross - visually becomes the Scottish Saltire, known also as St. Andrew’s Cross.
In the tartan thirteen red threads and twenty yellow threads represent the year 1320, the year the Declaration of Arbroath was sealed.
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This is the first tartan I created with a visual representation of the Scottish Saltire… the light in this design emanating from the origin story of that iconic symbol:
AN ANCIENT SALTIRE... The white pivot in the tartan as combined with the azure blue creates a visual representation of the ancient Scottish Saltire. The official flag of Scotland, thought to be the oldest continuously used sovereign flag in the world having been in use since AD 832. Also known as Saint Andrew's Cross the Saltire, as represented in the tartan, also pays tribute to the ancient legend of a white cloud miraculously appearing in the shape of a cross in a bright blue sky. The Saltire thus became a hopeful symbol of a bright future for Scotland.
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KEY NOTE : Scottish Independence
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See the official registration here:
Declaration of Scottish Independence, Arbroath 1320
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All designs are copyright Steven Patrick Sim ©
