The Tail of Ailsa

Ruth MacLean (Illustrator) Ruth MacLean was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In her young years she had a cat, and many more followed. Ailsa, the subject of the book, was a very special one. Ruth studied art at the University of Guelph and later at Lambton College in Sarnia, Ontario. Her family connections brought her to the Isle of Islay in Scotland, where she worked for several years on a sheep farm. Here she enjoyed learning to spin wool and the art of using natural dyes. She makes "Earth and Spirit" dolls using materials that she collects from her walks in the hills and on the beach. She also paints landscapes. Ruth delights in the simplicity of scissors and paper, with which she created her intriguing cat cut-outs. Catherine Wilson (Author) Catherine Wilson was born in Scotland and from the age of seven, spent much of her time travelling - in tow with her diplomatic parents. The Isle of Islay provided the family with a home base, where many happy holidays were spent. She has recently made Islay her permanent home. She studied art at Ruskin School of Fine Art in Oxford and at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, and then went out to train as a teacher in East Africa. As a teacher of English in African Secondary Schools, she began her writing career working on plays that could be acted by her African pupils. Later she joined the BBC as a writer/producer, then became a free-lance writer of English as Foreign Language text books. Throughout, she continued to paint landscapes and exhibited both solo and in group shows. In 1994 she trained as an art therapist. She firmly believes in the value of creative self-expression as a way of giving meaning to life.