Little green frogs, devils, unicorns and wise owls will all form part of the rich tapestry of images in the latest, and perhaps most public, mural by one of Scotland's greatest artists and writers, Alasdair Gray.
The author of Lanark, and the creator of spectacular murals at The Ubiquitous Chip restaurant and the Oran Mor venue in Glasgow, is to unveil his 7ft by 40ft mural at one of the city's busiest underground stations next month.
But The Herald has been given a sneak peek at the design of the work, commissioned by SPT, which runs the tube.
The theme of the mural, which was drawn and designed by Gray before being transferred to hard-wearing tiles for the Hillhead station in the city's west end, is "all kinds of folk", although this may not be its official title.
The side panels of the mural feature the green frogs or puddocks, devils, unicorns and owls, and has been inspired by the artist and writer's love of the west end of the city, where he lives and works.
With four assistants, Gray, 77, worked on the design, which is based on a panoramic view of the Hillhead area, around Byres Road, which he used for an illustration for his book, Old Men in Love.
The final mural, which is complete but currently under wraps, will be unveiled in a few weeks. It marks one of the polymath's largest public works.
David Fagan, vice chairman of SPT, said: "Glasgow is one of the great international cities of culture and I believe that it is important that the subway contributes to that cultural vibrancy. The stations offer a unique opportunity to integrate art in a way that enhances the quality of the internal space for staff, passengers and the wider community, so it made sense that SPT should place public art at the heart of its subway modernisation plans.
"As Hillhead was the first station to be refurbished, it was vital that any artwork installed there should have real impact.
"Alasdair Gray was a natural first choice and I'm convinced that people will be inspired when they see the scale and detail of the work he has created."
Gray himself has said it is a "highly detailed and complex work".
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