THE talented artist at the helm of one of Inverclyde's newest visitor attractions has spoken of how the words and works of George Wyllie inspired his journey to recovery.  

Willie Sutherland has been general manager of The Wyllieum since it opened in April. 

Willie had a lifelong ambition of becoming a full-time artist - but 30 years as a functioning alcoholic stopped that dream in its tracks.

He spoke to the Tele as part of our coverage of Recovery Month across Inverclyde.

Willie said: "I was handed the keys to The Wyllieum in the year of George's 100th birthday, after I had passed my first year of sobriety. 

"Being given responsibility for looking after his legacy is such an incredible platform, and being responsible for a team of people and looking after the archives of his life is quite extraordinary."

Willie first heard George Wyllie speak in 1990, when he was 21, and said his words sparked off his dream of working as an artist full-time.

But that same year, Willie's alcohol addiction took hold when his dad passed away.

Willie ended up in a series of unfulfilling jobs for 30 years and said he would go on 'constant binges'. 

He said: "I had this resentment of unfulfilled potential. but I kept a lid on it and I always had a moral compass."

But the sudden death of Willie's mum, in August 2020, set him on a downward spiral.

"I came home from a nightshift and found her," he said.

"All of a sudden, all these responsibilities I had in the back of my mind had been removed. 

"It was like having an empty as a teenager. 

"Almost overnight, my drinking changed. It progressed really rapidly, from two or three times a week and to drinking 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and blackouts. 

"I was living on straight spirits, I was malnourished, and I was consuming dangerous amounts of alcohol."

Willie said the turning point arrived when he almost set fire to his house. 

"I blacked out," he said, "but the smoke alarm woke me up. 

"I had this realisation that I had a life force inside me, a determination to get up and save myself and do something about it. 

"I had been slowly killing myself. But I realised there was something inside me that wanted to live."

Willie said he knew at that moment that he wanted to get back on the road to becoming a full-time artist.

(Image: Newsquest) When he came out of rehab, and within the first few months of him deciding to properly embark upon his artistic dream, some of his works went on show at the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow.

That led to his making a connection with George Wyllie's daughter, Louise and, eventually, to being appointed as The Wyllieum's manager - all while still creating his own pieces of art.

He has since made strong connections with the teams at RIG Arts and Your Voice, and was appointed to The Wyllieum board in 2023. 

Willie said he's grateful that 'everything has fallen into place'. 

He added: "This is very much a calling and a vocation for me. 

"I think what I'm doing would mean a lot to George, as he tried to help several people get off alcohol. 

"I would never have anticipated being put into the Wyllie sphere and learning about the community of it. 

"I was put into the right place at the right time. 

"The Wyllieum had been on the cards for 10 years, and I had been subconsciously preparing myself for the role, with all the jobs I had been doing over the years."

Perhaps inspired by George Wyllie's own efforts to help others who were struggling with an addiction to alcohol, Willie ran his own 'recovery-centred' creative workshops in Glasgow last year, and says he wants to make art 'central to recovery'. 

Willie said: "George started as a full-time artist at 58, and I'm 53 now, so that gave me confidence. 

"Having been through what I've been through with addiction, I feel that I have a worthwhile story to tell."