With the sun beaming down here on Victoria Street it's a lovely day to take some beautiful shots of this beautiful city. We have a great selection of the old school lomography cameras in the Red Door at the moment. Why not treat yourself to this limited edition colourful CMYK Holga or if you're after something neater than come in to the Gallery and check out Lomo's latest Mini Diana.

Yes indeed, it's that time of year again when bird lovers (yes, that's us) unite for The Big Garden Birdwatch. For the past 30 years RSPB have been asking supporters to spend just one hour recording each bird species seen in their garden, or local park (not flying over) at any one time, on either Saturday 30 or Sunday 31 January 2010.
All you need is a pen or pencil and paper and a nice cup/flask of tea! It's a wonderful way to be involved in something that really counts. As the RSPB say, "The Big Garden Birdwatch has never been more important than it is today, helping us create a 'snapshot' picture of bird numbers in each region, showing us that some of our birds are disappearing in scary numbers". You can find lots of information on their website and community blog. So wrap up warm, sharpen those pencils and get counting those very precious feathered friends of ours....

We have some beautiful new prints hanging from our walls this week including the one pictured above by Edinburgh based Illustrator Laurie Hastings. The print is from a series of 6 silk screen images created in collaboration with poet David Troupes who wrote 6 poems. If you love all 6 like us and can't make up your mind as to which is your favourite, then you can purchase all 6 as a postcard set for a bargain price of £4 (also pictured above)!

......ooh la la! The fabulous new 'Paris' collection from the very talented Norwegian duo Darling Clementine has landed. The designs celebrate the wonderful French language and come printed on thick paper with black and bright red inks. C'est Chic*

For those of you trudging to School or Uni on these dark mornings, then this window is for you. Filled with journals, books, pencils and great things to adorn your desk, we hope this will give you some sort of educational inspiration to get you through to spring.

Well peeps... it's almost Saturday night! If you are lucky enough not to be working but still a little uncertain of your plans then fear not... Edinburgh Music Library on George IV Bridge is opening it's doors from 7 pm for a late night treat. Christian Ward has flexed his artistic fingers in the name of many an album cover you will know and love... and tonight at the closing party of The Link Exhibition you can bid for Eagle Girl in the (Librarian approved) Silent Auction. Christian Ward has also donated portraits of Picktish Trail and King Creasote... and yes I do mean donated... these shiny good people are giving all the profits to Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy In Scotland. Other multi talented donators include Ziggy Campbell, Tommy Perman, Jim Lambie and James Yorkston.

With all this good will and generosity, it feels like Christmas, but if your purse is a little shy of spending this month, you can make a small donation at the door, soak up the art and join in the party... in the spirit of generosity the Librarians are breaking all the old school rules by allowing Edinburgh's own FOUND to play a fully decibeled set... with some help from a few of their friends... Idon't know... Friendly Libraries and Off Season Christmas Spirit... durr... the youth of today!

There is still something amazing about a good old Hamburger phone. It may have something to do with the fact that they keeping popping up their seasame seed faces in retro images, charity shops and also movies. Juno and her "Can you hold on for a second? Im on my hamburger phone" springs to mind (thanks to Fred Flare for the reminder). How come I never had one? Time to invest in a new phone for the shop I think!
hamburger phone."

The Red Door Gallery would simply not be the same if it wasn't for the wonderful support of independent and emerging designers and artists dedicated to presenting original, inspirational and affordable artwork.

In amongst all of these talented folk is the very lovely Gillian Kyle, who's wonderful products hit the Red Door shelves in 2009. They continue to hit our shelves both in store and online in to 2010 as folk can't seem to get enough of them! So when Gillian agreed to be our first interviewee of the New Year for our designer/artist feature we were over the silvery moon! Thanks for giving us a great fun read Gillian!....

Q - Please describe what you do. What materials/techniques do you use?

A - I design fashion, accessories, gifts and home wares, all screen printed with my own hand drawn illustrations. I love to draw using pen and ink, markers and brushes, then usually mess about for a bit on the computer to get things just right.Q - Where do you live? How does it feed your art?

I live in Glasgow's leafy Southside with my partner Tom. We have just moved from a rougher area to lovely Shawlands, I love it! Its peaceful and quiet here but still a stone's throw from the heart and soul of town. Our old place was great because there was always something going on (usually a fight!), and lots of people kicking about their stories etched on their faces, which gave me lots to think about creatively.




Q - Describe your studio. Where is it? How often do you use it? Do you work alone?

My studio is at home in a spare bedroom (pictured below). Its lovely and big with great natural light, a massive desk and lots and lots of good storage, which is great because I can't seem to be creative at all if I'm surrounded by clutter! I'm looking forward to some quality studio time in the next wee while.

Q - What name do you work under?

Haha, well this is an easy one isn't it? It's my own name! I decided to go with that because when I started out earlier this year I wasn't really sure where things were going creatively - I would love to do some interior and more fashion stuff at some point soon, as well as other things - and I didn't want to choose a name that would be out of context in a few years. Plus, it worked for Arnold Clark and Cath Kidston didn't it?Q - Have you always been a designer? How did you end up doing what you do now?

A - My first degree was International Business and Modern Languages at Strathclyde Uni. I graduated and went into management consultancy, but quickly realized that it wasn't the life for me and made a massive decision to completely change tack and do something creative. I went to Cardonald College to study fashion design and then got into Glasgow School of Art to do textiles. I graduated in 2008 and after a bit of faffing around, decided to go for it and set up in business.

Q - What inspires you?

The beauty of lines and mark-making, the colours in nature, and the inherent humour in the world around us.
Q - Is there anyone or any style that you're influenced by?

Zandra Rhodes and Celia Birtwell (pictured above) for their love of colour and fabric, and their beautiful, original styles of drawing. Cath Kidston, Orla Kiely and Lulu Guiness for their clear, strategic brand building and clarity of design and purpose, Timorous Beasties for their uncompromising vision and humour. All the small-scale designers and makers I've encountered in the last year for getting their stuff out there and daring to give it a go.

Q - What piece of machinery or tool could you not live without?

Pens of all descriptions, and my PC and scanner.


Q - Besides the bags and tea-towels you sell at The Red Door is there anything else that you make?

Yes! In the same range I also do aprons, t-shirt and baby wear, with cards and cushions in the pipeline. And I've recently done some freelance design for ASOS - a wee range of tees for their 'Artisans at ASOS' range (designs from the range pictured below).


Q - What are you working on at the moment?

New designs for my core product range, as well as completely new products!

Q - What do you do when you are not working? Can you switch off? How do you unwind? What's your favourite pastime?

Hmmmmmm, difficult. After my hols last year with Tom, my best mate and her husband I decided that work/life balance should be more of a priority, and I'm pleased to say that I've been sticking to that goal. I love running, training at the gym, drinking cocktails and just hanging out with my pals. Rummaging through junk shops and vintage clothes is always fun too. My newest loves are the architectural salvage yard and massive vintage furniture warehouse at South Street in Glasgow - Tom and I have been spending a lot of time hanging out there hunting out bits and bobs for our new place.

Q - What do you like least about being a designer? Any occupational hazards?

Nah - it's all good really isn't it? The pressure of being one's own boss can be intense at times and sometimes it would be lovely to have the security of a salary cheque that comes every month no matter what. But I guess no-one has that security in the current climate.

Q - What do you like most about being a designer?

The freedom to do what I want to do. The amazing feeling when I see someone in the street with one of my products. The fact that I can read great fashion and design magazines and say it's work!

Q - What's your favourite possession? This can be absolutely anything!

Oh God, that is such a hard one! Maybe my vintage Elephant pendant necklace that I picked up in a flea market? Maybe my Ipod that blasts out happy hardcore when I'm running? The ring my partner gave me when he proposed? My favourite cowboy boots? My health? Er- take your pick!

Q - What advice would you offer to other creatives?

If you're stuck, just do something (anything!) and see where it takes you. Obsessing about the value of what you're doing or trying to see too much of the 'big picture' will just put a major spanner in the creative works. Wish I'd realized that at art school.

LINK LIST. Who's work do you love? Any artists/makers/friends/galleries/websites you'd like to share.

www.allthingsoriginal.com

www.amyblackwell.co.uk

www.funmakesgood.co.uk

www.juliapott.com

www.donnawilson.com

www.owlandliongallery.com

www.notonthehighstreet.com

www.celiabirtwell.com

www.henniehaworth.com

Thank you so much Gillian! Hope 2010 is a great year for you!

The snow is still here on Victoria street, and with the weather so cold and frosty at the moment, what a lovely way to spend an afternoon, warm at home reading a good book. But save your crisp pages from a bent corner and use one of these beautiful leather bookmarks from Glasgow designer Lesley Barnes. A new order has just arrived at the Gallery so come along for a New Year visit!

Something with a little ABBA flavour from Music Go Music to cheer up your Saturday