STEVEN PATRICK SIM
A wee bit about me ...and my inspiration!
Being an Arbroath laddie born and bred, and spending many of my days in sight of the ancient Arbroath Abbey the Declaration of Arbroath has always been close to me, and as a patriotic Scot this gives me a strong sense of pride in my hometown and its heritage. A fine artist, tartan and graphic designer (since 1990) the Declaration of Arbroath, known also as the Declaration of Scottish Independence, has played a major role in my creative inspiration over the years ...especially so since the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum.
Not long before 2014 I was developing an increasing interest in tartan design, and the creation of new and significant tartans which not only had powerful rationales woven within the threads but also in the formation of imagery within the geometry of the weave itself. Something I had never seen before! I was inspired to use the colours and stripes within a tartan to give a sense of form in the pattern ...and after being inspired by the vast sea of Scottish flags (both the Saltire and the Lion Rampant) in the run up to the 2014 vote ...the Declaration of Scottish Independence tartan was born.
The tartan's full ratified name - the Declaration of Scottish Independence, Arbroath 1320 ...is an official tartan only registered with permission granted by the Scottish Government on the 1st December 2014.
Then in 2016, after I heard the amazing news that the Declaration of Arbroath had been officially given world heritage recognition, with UNESCO granting it a MEMORY OF THE WORLD award... I was truly inspired! I then began work on a 100 piece fine art limited edition which would become the commemorative life size 3D replica, or facsimile, of the Declaration of Arbroath. With now currently over 80% claimed, most of these fine art replicas have found homes all over Scotland, with some also overseas ...Singapore, Dubai, Australia and the US to name a few destinations.
So that's a wee snapshot of my story... and I decided to create this website so I could focus on the Declaration of Arbroath, with an increasing range of goodies which celebrate this most powerful of Scottish artefacts. Products will include both my tartan, as well as the Declaration of Arbroath itself, the image ...along with excerpts from its transcript.
With the fast approach of the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, in time some products will also be created to celebrate this most important anniversary for Scotland, and the world.
In all that I have done, with regards to the Declaration of Arbroath, I have always respected and recognised the provenance of the document, which is...
Crown Copyright, National Records of Scotland, SP13/7.
Thanks for visiting my website, and feel free to get in touch if you want to ask any questions, or if you would like to suggest any new product ideas, I would be delighted to chat.
Cheers
Stevie :) x
STEVEN PATRICK SIM
Arbroath, Scotland
You can find learn more about my 3D replica of the Declaration of Arbroath - here: www.DeclarationOfArbroath3DFacsimile.com