'London' and 'Sammy Seagull' 16" x 20" silkscreen prints, US$35, by Wayne Pate. I'm also a little bit in love with his 'Jacques' print, below... Click here for more of my favourites by Wayne.
Forgotten to sort out Valentine's Day tomorrow? Can't be bothered and/or don't want to buy into the whole commercial nastiness of it all, rah rah rah? If you're so inclined, then you may like to check out these marvellously birdy Valentine's Day designs, courtesy of digital design studio Ollibird. Seriously minimal effort required, too. Thanks to Urban Mums for the super tip.
Willow Tea Rooms
Take tea in Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed splendour, surrounded by wooden lattice-style screens, iconic high-backed ladder chairs and incredible leaded glasswork. There are several Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, but the Sauchiehall Street location is the best as it retains most of the original architectural details.
Designed by Mackintosh for Kate Cranston in 1904, every detail was considered and carefully planned, right down to the teaspoons and the waitresses’ uniforms. The afternoon tea includes shortbread alongside the usual suspects of sandwiches, scones and cake, and is reasonably priced at £11.95.
Or you could go for the more traditional Scottish option of haggis, neeps and tatties.
The Willow Tea Rooms
217 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow G2 3EX
Tel. 0141 332 0521
You might recognise their French toile-style London and Glasgow designs, which portray gritty urban scenes of homeless people, muggings and a dude pissing in the park. Great stuff.
If you’re not in the market for wallpaper, you can still get a piece of Beasties brilliance, with an excellent collection of lampshades, mugs and cushions.
Timorous Beasties
384 Great Western Road
Glasgow G4 9HT
Tel. 0141 337 2622
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 10.30am-6pm
Friday 10.30am-5pm
It’s well worth spending some time to have a poke around – I picked up a wonderful old book, The Scottish Clans & Their Tartans, featuring 96 colour plates of Tartans. A wee gem.
Voltaire & Rousseau
18 Otago Lane
Glasgow G12 8PB
Click here for a Wee Trip to Glasgow, Part 1
Click here for a Wee Trip to Glasgow, Part 2
Loving the impressive line-up of artists featured in Soma Gallery’s Christmas exhibition, including Graham Carter, Sally Elford, Peskimo and Andy Smith. Rob Ryan has also created an exclusive colourway of his classic nest print for the show (see above). I’m flagging this now because Soma are offering free postage within the UK on all orders until 6 December.
I had the chance to visit the bijous gallery when I was in Bristol a couple of weeks ago, and I found it nestled between the antique jewellery and vintage clothing shops of Clifton Arcade. It's full of character and interesting finds - most definitely a must-visit in Bristol. I pounced on the Tatty Devine Christmas-themed jewellery and exquisite bird prints by Fanny Shorter. And I’m just a little bit in love with this sweet ‘Blown Away’ print by Spencer Wilson, which is very affordable art at £20.
Soma Gallery
Clifton Arcade, Boyces Avenue
Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4AA
Tel: 0117 973 9838
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday 9.30am-5:30pm
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