YOUR ART Why did you choose to be an artist/designer? I felt naturally drawn to this path, I have always been creative and I just love art, I love the communicative nature of it and the ability to bring joy to people’s lives. What medium do you work in? Painting, jewellery and embroidery. What's your background, have you always been an artist/designer? I studied Fine Art and Art History at Goldsmiths university focusing on painting, afterwards I taught myself embroidery and s

Your Art Why did you choose to be an artist/designer? My Mum and Dad are artists so it was just the norm in our house! I grew up sketching and making things from an early age. What medium do you work in? My jewellery is made from Sterling Silver, no silver plating here as I am allergic non precious metals. What's your background, have you always been an artist/designer? I've been 'arty' since I was a kid but started making jewellery basically because my Mum told me to! After

YOUR ART Why did you choose to be an artist/designer? I still don’t think of myself as either an artist or designer. Essentially, I have a hobby and I realised other people would be interested in having a go at the patterns that I was making for my own amusement. I’ve stumbled into having a small business I enjoy running based on a hobby I enjoy doing. What medium do you work in? Cross-stitch. What's your background, have you always been an artist/designer? Absolutely not (an

YOUR ART Why did you choose to be an artist/designer? I loved art from a young age and was always drawing. What medium do you work in? Mainly acrylic or watercolour. What's your background, have you always been an artist/designer? Yes, I studied at Edinburgh College of Art and specialised in graphic design, going on to work in a variety of studios over the years before freelancing. How has your practice changed over time? From graphics I returned to drawing and painting. What

YOUR ART Why did you choose to be an artist/designer? To be completely honest (and a bit cheesy I supposed) but; I didn't choose it, it chose me. What medium do you work in? I work mainly with oil paint, homemade glazes, linocut prints, mixed media which often contains compressed charcoal, ink, oil pastels, silicon, chalk... the list is endless. When I craft then I lean towards wool, buttons and hama beads for my pixel designs. What's your background, have you always been an

YOUR ART Why did you choose to be an artist/designer? It wasn't a choice and I can't shake it off! What medium do you work in? Paint, pastel, charcoal & wood. Anything that makes a mark. What's your background, have you always been an artist/designer? Moved to London at 16 to go to art school and haven't looked back although I went entirely digital for years. I have previously worked in digital media and as a Special Effects artists on Hollywood feature films... How has you

YOUR ART Why did you choose to be an artist/designer? I chose to become an artist following my retirement in March 2018 from the NHS , where I had worked as a consultant forensic psychiatrist and Associate Medical Director in NHS Forth Valley . It was a return to my school day passion . I had rejected Glasgow school of art to study medicine. What medium do you work in? I work in watercolour and felt. What's your background, have you always been an artist/designer? Following a

YOUR ART Why did you choose to be an artist/designer? Always wanted to be a sculptor. I was a primary teacher for 16 years and basically spent the whole time making giant sculptures with children. What medium do you work in? I work in clay mostly but can't resist making things from natural materials as well. What's your background, have you always been an artist/designer? I used to be a primary school teacher in Granton for a long time. While I was teaching I took loads of c

A ‘never say die’ persistence allied to sheer talent has seen one-time civil servant Karen Hanvidge ‘living her dream’ as one Scotland’s most exciting ceramicists whose modern twist on Paisley pattern is winning her a growing band of admirers. But what a journey it has been. Her fascination with clay started on the beaches of California where as a child who loved to draw and paint she was ‘seduced’ by its pliability. But it took a move to Scotland and 30 years working as an

When 19th century novelist George Eliot wrote: “It is never too late to be what you might have been,” she might well have been predicting the life path taken by Jewellery designer Beatrice Ullah. Beatrice doesn’t just embody the spirit of reinvention, she proves you can excel in a totally new field. One of the most talented jewellery designers and makers on the Scottish scene and a recent entrant to the Scottish Design Exchange, Beatrice, now 62 years of age, is already attra

STUDENTS MAP OUT A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR SCOTLAND’S CHILDREN Imagine this. A map of Edinburgh that is fun, educational, interactive and inspiring, with all the proceeds from each sale going directly to Children 1st’. Buy one at our Leith store before 17 March 2019 and help turn an initial investment of £500 into a £5000 prize for Scots children. To explain. The innovative ScatchED Map brings Edinburgh’s, sometimes hidden, gems to vivid life because it allows people to interact

Each ring of our till makes a positive social impact. The political backdrop of Brexit and the mood of uncertainty this has generated seems to have hit pre-Christmas retail sales. But, at SDX people seem to be warming to our promise that each purchase they make at one of our stores has an impact far beyond the ringing of the till. From pumping money into the local economy to empowering women in North Glasgow and giving homeless people the chance to be creative, productive and

Dekko Comics is revolutionising the life prospects of children who find text books challenging or downright impenetrable by giving them the chance to excel in education. Now, with the support of the Scottish Design Exchange community, Dekko can do even more to make learning engaging and entertaining for many thousands of children who struggle at school. With over 50 schools already using Dekko comics, a growing number of UK parents subscribing and an order book from the USA,

Most people can only dream of turning their hobby into a lucrative business but, that is precisely what Cherith Harrison has done and her sights are now set on expanding gobal sales of her animal inspired art. She is already selling in the USA, Canada and Australia with Japan on her immediate radar. Tote bags, notebooks, cards, mugs, aprons and tea towels – Cherith has created an inspiring range of gifts using intricate illustrations of popular wildlife. Her passion for wildl

When Bonnie showed her Bonbon bra and pants to staff at Scottish Design Exchange’s (SDX) store in Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries, (she wasn’t wearing them at the time) it took just seconds to see that they were a sure fire winner. Not only is Bonnie’s new design underwear made from the best quality bamboo, it is Über comfortable and has no metal clasps or wire underpinnings. ”It feels so beautiful against the skin, is hyperallergenic and offers brilliant support, says Bonnie. “

Their introduction six years ago was the darkest of days imaginable but now, Gordon Shaw treats his ‘unwelcome guest’ ‘Rick’ with healthy disdain and mockery. In fact, he’s turned Rick into the central character in a series of short comic books. Three have been published and a fourth is imminent. “It’s a coping mechanism,” says Gordon. To explain. ’Rick’ is the name Gordon has given the brain tumour doctors discovered in 2012 – he was 32 years old at the time. “It was benign

We are thrilled to announce that the Scottish Design Exchange (SDX) online shop has officially launched! After 3 years of showcasing and selling thousands of products from hundreds of artists, makers and designers, we have finally decided to start broadcasting our fantastic offer to the world. We always get asked in our Edinburgh store if we sell online, and get disppointed reactions from shoppers who visit us from all over the planet, so we pulled up our socks, rolled up our

To celebrate Scotland’s Year of Young People, we are inviting creative individuals between the ages of 16 and 25 to present their most innovative and exciting product design ideas to the Scottish Design Exchange. Categories we are looking for include furniture and homeware, art, craft and gifts, health and beauty, and fashion, jewellery, and textiles. We want applicants to be as creative as possible; think outside the box and present their most innovative ideas. The winner wi

Ben Harley’s special brand of creativity is attracting a lot of favourable interest at the Scottish Design Exchange. And, what immediately catches the eye is what Ben calls his examples of ‘conceptual illustration’ “You start with a sketched idea, then create spin-off ideas. You are effectively brainstorming using associated visuals. If I am lucky, something will emerge. My most popular illustration so far is about a love of reading: it's a person sitting out a storm from und

When you take a look at Masha Tiplady’s exquisite linocut prints it is hard to believe that not so long ago she wouldn’t have described herself as creative at all. She’s now a full-time printmaker, juggling being a busy mum of a toddler and running a small business “Masha and the prints”. Her linocuts are selling well at the Scottish Design Exchange and 3 other galleries in Scotland. Yet, if it hadn’t been for the post-natal depression that followed the birth of her daughter