Made in Scotland: Ruth Slater

We love finding a local artist when we travel around Scotland, and Lucy was thrilled to find Ruth Slater while planning a trip to Bute this summer. Ruth is a graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art who settled on Bute 19 years ago and finds all sorts of inspiration from that setting. Read on to find out more about her favourite products and how her business began.

Can you tell us how your business got started? 

 

Where do you look for inspiration when you are designing new products?   

My inspiration comes from the landscape and animals that surround me. I’m very fortunate to live in a rural location on the Isle of Bute facing Arran, so my landscape is continually changing. The colours on the West coast are quite dramatic and these heavily inspire my own palette.

 

 

Can you tell us a bit more about how you make your products?

I work as a visual artist and illustrator so my artwork starts with sketches and colour swatches in my sketchbooks. I work in a very traditional way with pencil and dip pens and write lots of notes to accompany my drawings. I paint with the super fine watercolour paint by Daniel Smith which adds a layer of texture, when the paint dries it is unpredictable. I love creating a layered paper background and working with vintage ephemera. In contrast my commercial illustration work tends to be quite simple drawings focussing on the essence of the brief.

 

 

What are your most popular products and which are your own favourites?

Popular products are my hand-stitched sketchbooks with covers that I design myself. I cut and fold the paper and then bind the books with different colour linen thread. I use them myself for my drawings but they are a good seller too. My greetings cards featuring Scottish wildlife are also great sellers

 

 

If you had to pick one place in Scotland to recommend that people visit, where would it be?

One of my favourite places is Applecross, its like a drive into Middle Earth! The terrific climb up to the misty summit and hundreds of cairns and then the idllic village of Applecross at the bottom on the other side. Sitting with a cold drink on a summer’s day next to the water is just wonderful.

Which other Scottish Makers do you love to recommend?

I love the work of AniMac Design – www.animacdesign.co.uk

 

 

Thanks so much to Ruth for talking to us about her lovely business, stunning products and the beautiful natural inspiration she finds on Bute! Make sure to check out her Website, Facebook and Instagram to find out more and shop for all your upcoming occasions!