October 2025 was the centenary of the birth of artist and poet Ian Hamilton Finlay. To mark the occasion, the Lettering Arts Trust brought together three of his long-time collaborators – Annet Stirling, Nicholas Sloan and Andrew Whittle – to share their experiences of working with him.

One of Finlay’s most inspired innovations was a way of working that gave full creative rein to fellow artists in marrying their skills to his concepts, producing in the process a wide variety of art that was greater than the sum of its parts. He shared both the design and making of nearly all his physical work with a large number of skilled collaborators, many of whom have also worked with the Lettering Arts Trust.

Annet, Nick and Andrew all have a long association with the Trust working on many projects through our Memorials by Artists commissioning service. Their personal recollections will be an insight into a collaborative creative process that produced many wonderful examples of the carver’s art.