Nottingham Contemporary

Can you introduce yourself and describe your work?

Hi, I am Laura, founder of Dear Prudence Studio. I illustrate/design cards and paper goods for the wholesale market and my own shop/website.

My work is always evolving and changing but I guess what pins me down is my muted, natural colour palette. Capturing animals, nature and storytelling through mixed media and watercolour.

Have you always been creative? Do you remember the first time you put pencil to paper? Who or what were your early influences?

Yes, I feel I was born to create. I have never really wanted to do anything else. I had a very clear path from a very young age in what I loved and where I wanted to go. 

I used to love drawing Disney characters and copying really detailed illustrated books that I loved. However, I was so hard on myself and would get really upset if what I had drawn wasn’t what was in my head. 

 I remember being the young age of 8 and my mum driving past Glasgow School of Art, and I thought it was the most exciting thing I had ever seen.

The thing is I wasn’t obviously good at it, so I had to work hard at school to show my talent. I failed Art many times and had to really dig my heels in to prove myself. My great uncle was a professional landscape painter, and he took me under his wing. 

It wasn’t until I was out of school doing my Art foundation and going to weekend and evening courses that I began to shine.

You attended the Glasgow School of Art, specialising in Printed Textiles and went on to study a Masters in Fashion. Has your interest in textiles continued and informed your current creative output?

Yes, absolutely. Textiles, pattern and print are still something I am naturally drawn to. This is where I feel my illustration isn’t traditional, in that, I think I would struggle to illustrate a book. But I see pattern on clothes and interiors and feel they would translate to gift wrap, cards and jotters. I am really into 18th century tufted rug patterns and ancient cave drawing. Often the designs are so simple, and I love translating these into my own prints. 

 I am also still very used to a faster pace of designing. I am not precious, I can keep creating new work over and over, always wanting to do more. That’s where the excitement lies for me. Creating something new and not knowing how it will turn out. 

A large focus of Dear Prudence Studio is stationery and your infectious passion for it. What is it about stationery as a product that captures your imagination?

I am utterly obsessed with stationery. I lived very near a stationery shop when I was little, and my sister and I would spend hours stroking the paper and choosing what pen or pencil to buy. It was better than a sweet shop. I would save all my pocket money up just to go wild in a National Trust shop buying the eraser, ruler, notebook and pencil, even though I had hundreds. Now, if I go on holiday to a new city I will always research stationery and paper goods shops. For me the best ones are in Berlin. It's so specialised. I love that. A shop with 10 different sharpeners, that's my bag!

It’s probably the reason I wanted to open a very specialised paper shop. I wanted to be able to buy all my favourite things and then curate them all in my own creative outlet, mixing them with my own cards and products.

You have recently relocated to Glasgow. How has the move reframed, influenced and impacted the approach to your work?

This move to Glasgow has been HUGE. Every aspect of my life has changed. Going from my shop in a very creative, close community of Hebden Bridge to a big city has been hard. We have only been here 10 months, so I am still finding my feet, my tribe, studio and rhythm.

I really love Glasgow, but cities are expensive for space, so I am finding working at my kitchen table very challenging. I just don’t get the head space I need to be producing my best work. 

It made me realise how having a shop/studio elevated and drove my work to a new level. 

Before your move to Glasgow, Dear Prudence Studio and shop was based in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire. What opportunities and challenges arose running a high street based small business?

I absolutely loved having my shop. It was a dream come true. I literally pinched myself daily. It was a short let for only a year and the rent was very reasonable. I made the most of every moment. I bounced out of bed every morning excited about the day, not knowing who I would meet and what conversations were to be had. I LOVE people and hearing their stories. I honestly met some brilliant characters who would bring me a brew, old paper they didn’t need or just come for a chat. It was magical. 

However, the money pressures were real. I also had my 1-year-old son in the shop with me during the week, which also added stress and pressure. I couldn't afford nursery fees, so I just had a little area in the shop for him to nap and play. When I look back, I can't believe what I was capable of. I just did it. 

Some days I would make no money though, which was soul destroying. Making rent every month was anxiety driving, but it made me work harder and evolve, mould myself into new creative ways to make money. So, workshops, intimate supper parties with drawing, bookbinding, paper making, kids printing workshops and renting my space out for other small businesses. I made it work. 

I really enjoyed seeing the vision for your physical shop come to fruition. Are interiors and designing space an interest and important creative outlet?

Yes, to be able to bring your aesthetic and vision to life is truly fulfilling. Being seen and understood is very important to my wellbeing so to have a shopfront with windows and walls was just so exciting. I am one of those people who are super tidy and like everything in its place. My bedroom as a child was like an Art Gallery. 

Playing the music I love and being able to work while the shop was quiet and then help customers when it was busy, it was the perfect set up for how I like to work every day.

I already know exactly how I want my next shop to look. 

I love mid-century design mixed with Japanese and a lot of wood. I have been renovating our 60’s wimpy house so my creative flow has been lost in this. Thank goodness I have had an outlet. 

Your creative practice has recently expanded into the exploration of pottery and the creation of Piuthar ceramics; a collaborative ceramics collection made with your sister. Can you tell us how your interest in this medium developed and about your collaborative approach to making pottery?  

My sister and I are so close, we are both in the arts with her being an actor. We knew long ago we wanted to do something together. As children we would put on shows to our parents, sell handmade perfume from our garage, host our own fun radio show and just generally be in creative play mode constantly.

Sara wanted another outlet as acting is very intense with short bursts of work throughout the year. 

Sara had tried a few things but throwing was like a magnet for her. She loved it. It made me think of holidays to Devon when we would pressurise our mum to take us pony trekking and an afternoon pot making. It was a natural place for Sara to be.

I tried making pots but didn’t have the patience required. I was just constantly wanting to be in the glazing studio mixing new colours and illustrating on to biscuit fired mugs.

We quickly realised this would be a great thing to try together. It instantly worked. We had our own skills that came together so well. I let Sara get on and she lets me go wild with the glazing. Neither of us are too precious. We are still learning and making a lot of mistakes which is really good.

What are your hopes and future plans for Dear Prudence Studio?

To open my next shop/studio in the West End of Glasgow and expand on my product range as well as originals and prints, and pottery.

Growing my wholesale is also a priority. And an exhibition of my originals in Edinburgh. 

If we made our way up to your neck of the woods, what three small businesses or creatives should we check out?

My local coffee shop no.40 by Bruin is the best for coffee and pastries. It also stocks all kinds of beautiful Scottish products from wine to skincare.

Hoos on Great Western Road is a beautiful shop filled with beautiful homeware and selfcare.

Spot makers market and shop. Check it out. It’s the go too for local maker/designers.

Interview by Retail Buyer Lucy Martin.

Shop Dear Prudence at Shop Contemporary, in store and online at www.nottinghamcontemporary.shop