A RUSSIAN artist is saddling up with Selkirk Standard Bearers next weekend in a bid to win a Common Riding commission.

Talented Svetlana Kondakova is holding her very own meet-and-greet with the town's principals from down the years.

And the 27-year-old hopes to create a mythological mosaic based on the Royal Burgh's celebration.

A total of £100,000 has been earmarked for three artworks to be installed near the Ettrick Water as part of the Selkirk Flood Protection Scheme.

They will be installed at the Long Philip Burn Park, the plaza area of the new Bridge Street footbridge, and the Common Riding crossing point on the Ettrick Water.

Svetlana's submission has earned her a place on the crossing point shortlist.

This Saturday, with help from the town's Standard Bearers, she will develop her plans ahead of a public exhibition of all short-listed entries at the end of the month.

Svetlana, who has lived in Edinburgh in for the past 17 years, revealed why she wants to win the Selkirk commission. She told the Border Telegraph: "My partner, Alasdair Muir, grew up in Selkirk and has told me all about the Common Riding.

"His dad, Martin Muir, used to run the County Hotel.

"When this opportunity came up I just had to go for it.

"I have spoken with several Standard Bearers from down the years and I am painting and sketching from the photographs I've been sent to show what I am planning to do.

"I want to hear from anyone who has been involved with Selkirk Common Riding to share their experiences with me."

Svetlana has booked the County Hotel on Saturday in a hope of meeting up with Common Riding principals and supporters and showing off her initial work.

Since graduating from Edinburgh College of Art six years ago she learned the traditional technique of mosaic while on an exchange trip to Greece.

She also spent four months on an artist's residency in Bolivia.

And closer to home Svetlana has been responsible for public artworks around her adopted home city of Edinburgh.

Her work has also been shown at exhibitions across the UK as well as Russia, Greece, Bolivia and Belgium.

Svetlana wants to use traditional mosaic techniques to create her Selkirk design which will include a mythological kelpie along with familiar faces from Common Ridings.

Svetlana added: "Mythology has been at the centre of my art ever since I graduated and I want the kelpie to be a metaphor for the floods which the walls along the Ettrick are protecting Selkirk from.

"I want the Standard Bearers to be the metaphorical guardians with their traditions.

"I am very excited by this - I know so much about Selkirk, it would be amazing to get a commission in the town."

Following the public exhibition of the shortlisted works all of the artists will be interviewed by a panel in March before a decision is announced the following month.

Svetlana's meet-and-greet session takes place in the County Hotel on Saturday (February 4) from 12noon until 2pm.