Rosemary Cunningham is an illustrator based in Glasgow
What’s the story behind your brand?
I enjoy drawing and making folk happy with that skill! After being at art school for four years I realised the part of my course I liked the most was simply the drawing by hand. Returning to pencil and paper felt like coming home. I love stories – both telling and reading them – so I try to inject some narrative into my work because that’s what makes it interesting. Whether it’s a book, mural or a tea towel design.
Rosemary Cunningham
What do you make?
Illustrated goodies. Printed illustrated tea towels of my Glasgow and Edinburgh Alphabets are a staple in my shop as well as prints celebrating Herstory and all things Scottish, colourful maps, cards, books, mugs, coasters, magnets and the odd tote bag. So I suppose homewares and storybooks could cover it. Recently I have been doing more book illustrations – my bright, cheery (slightly wonky) style lends itself to children’s storytelling so I am tilting in that direction these days.
Glasgow architecture A4 print, £12, Illustration Etc
How do you create your designs?
They all start as pencil drawings, then I add ink, scan them and colour the images digitally, but I’m sneaking back to the hands-on approach of drawing and colouring by hand with inks and watercolours.
What sets you apart from other makers?
Scotland – but especially Glasgow – has such a wealth of creative practitioners that it’s hard to have a completely unique viewpoint and style. I love being with people. I think a lot of creatives want to be left alone to get on with their projects but I need that collaboration and inspiration from outside. I always hope to tread a line between professional and informal, fun yet reliable. I take my work seriously but I like to have fun with it too. I’d say my focus on celebrating the people and places we love as communities is a core value.
Glasgow Alphabet tea towel, £12, Illustration Etc
What are your most popular products?
Folk just love their city so although the design is nearing a decade old, the Glasgow Alphabet remains a frontrunner. The printed tea towel is popular, probably because it’s easy to post and you can hang it on the wall or dry your dishes with it. A pleasing combination of the practical and the whimsical.
Here Comes Queen Baby picture book, £6.99, Illustration Etc
Last year I illustrated two new children’s books, The Nicht Afore Christmas and Queen Baby. They were my bestsellers. I hope by next Christmas there will be more new books to discover.
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