It’s Degree Show Diamonds time, take two! The Edinburgh College of Art will be opening its doors for their Degree Show 2019 on Saturday 1st June. We are very excited and can’t wait to see what all the amazing ECA kids have been up to during their time as dedicated and creative students! Being close neighbours with the prestigious Edinburgh College of Art, we of course have a fantastic host of ECA graduates filling our Red Door Gallery with superb works of art and design! Our collection is ever growing and we would like to introduce you to our exceptional ECA graduates!
This is ‘Portobello Beach’ screenprint by Louise Smurthwaite. Louise graduated in Painting and Drawing from ECA in 2008 and currently lives in Edinburgh. She loves working with wonderfully vibrant colours and illustrating beautiful landscape and moments from her time spent travelling around inspiring places: India, Tibet, Japan and many more… oh, and Scotland of course! Smurthwaite is also rather clever at creating bespoke, hand-painted brooches too!
Jewellery designer Fiona Luing studied night classes at ECA to perfect her crafting skills, turning her love of jewellery making into a career! ‘My designs are developed first through drawing, then by exploring directly in metal whether my sketched shape will work within a piece of jewellery. I find it fascinating how once constructed in a piece of silver, a shape comes to life and presents countless options to improve and develop’. Fiona lives and creates her superb sterling silver designs in Edinburgh and we have a fantastic collection of her studs, rings and bangles in store too! These are the Leaf Texture Silver Studs, available in a range of sizes.
Rachel Turner graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with a degree in Painting and Drawing in 2015. She is also a member of The Red Door Gallery team, stocking the shop with a few of her illustration endeavours! Her works are digital prints from original ‘nib and ink’ drawings which are often Edinburgh inspired. This A5 print ‘Ed-IrnBru-Skies’ is a subtle ode to the delicious Scottish soft drink and the magnificent, peachy sunsets that light up Edinburgh’s skyline – ‘On my way home after work at the shop (the one and only RDG) , I’ll look at the Castle from North Bridge and see it basking in a beautiful orange sky – weather depending of course!’ Look out for new works by RT, coming soon.
Maria Riketryte graduated from ECA in Illustration in 2016. The ethos behind Rikteryte’s work is the belief that within each of us there is a unique gift and it is our mission is to find that thing we truly love to do. For Rikteryte it is drawing and writing which acts as a way to express her ideas and feelings and to explore the interconnections of all things in the universe. Maria is also fascinated with metaphors and symbols and creates imagination-stirring images like this ‘Smooth Sea’ digital print. ‘I hope that my art will bring light into your life and empower you to deepen your connection to your inner self and the world around you!’
Lindsey Brown is an Edinburgh based illustrator and designer. She has a love for drawing in the monochrome! Lindsey graduated with a BA Hons in Fashion Design from Edinburgh College of Art in 2007 and returned to do an MA in Illustration at ECA in 2009-2010. Lindsey’s intricate line work is originally created with a traditional illustrator’s tool – mapping nib and Indian ink. This is her sensational ‘Eagle Owl’ A3 print and a brilliant example of Lindsey’s intricate attention to detail. Wonderful Lindsey is also The Red Door Gallery’s very own creative director, you may be spotting her around the Degree Shows, inviting budding artists to join our collection!
Claire Fleck is a graduate of ECA’s Performance Costume Design course. Her illustrations often feature larger than life characters wearing delightfully imaginative attire. Claire’s fantastic studies capture the costumes she created during her time at ECA and there is a story to go with each character. Claire’s prints are fit for the stage and full of imagination, just like this ‘Tattoo Swimmers’ A3 print. Claire Fleck lives and works in Edinburgh and alongside costume and illustration, she is a very talented wedding photographer too!
Susie Wright is a Scottish designer and printmaker, creating prints, greetings cards and contemporary home accessories. Working in her Edinburgh studio, she enjoys creating original designs which are inspired by her observations of landscape and architecture, wildlife and flora, from Scotland and overseas. Susie studied Illustration at ECA and Central Saint Martins, graduating in MA Communications Design in 2006. Susie has collaborated with a wide range of clients since graduating from Edinburgh College of Art, including Absolute Vodka, Atomic, DJ Sasha / Cure Studio and LuLulemon Athletica. This is one design from her new Fold Out Card range – Forth Rail Bridge.
This is A4 print ‘Bobby’ by Julija Straizyte is a wonderfully quirky illustration of Edinburgh’s most popular dog – Greyfriar’s Bobby. Julija studied MA Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art and graduated in 2017. She is interested in graphics and all sorts of lines, textures and patterns. Julija’s illustration journey is fuelled by the complexity and ambiguity of the world we live in. It is an opportunity for her to express her thoughts and feelings, a way to share her perceptions with others. Julija currently lives in Edinburgh and is often dropping in her increasingly popular prints to the Red Door Gallery – new illustrations and handmade books are on the way too!
The Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show 2019 runs from the 1st June – 9th June. We’ll be nipping around the corner to join in the fun once The Red Door Gallery shuts it’s doors for the day – seeking out some fresh gems for our shop! Support the young artists and visit a Degree Show near you! 🙂