DES Talks

Susanna Beaumont
  • 4.9 (19)
  • Visual Arts

Susanna Beaumont's lively exploration of making and creating. She talks ideas and inspiration, materials and process and the joy of creativity with brilliant artists, makers and designers from across Scotland. https://www.designexhibitionscotland.co.uk/

  1. 3 days ago

    Clare Woods talks paint, plants & weaving

    Welcome to DES Talks, a podcast that celebrates creative ideas and energy. In this episode Susanna meets the artist Clare Woods in the garden of her studio in north Herefordshire. They talk about her recent collaboration with Edinburgh's Dovecot tapestry studio to weave three tapestries. Entitled The Smotherers, The Take Over and The Volunteers, the tapestries are woven in a wondrous array of greens and depict intensely beautiful undergrowth and weeds. They are soon to go on display at London's Garden Museum. Clare who initially studied sculpture is a celebrated artist. Her luscious paintings of fulsome flower arrangements and aged planters filled with wayward unkempt plants, celebrate both beauty and decay. Clare talks about her process of making - she paints on the horizontal rather than vertical -  the joy of colour and her collaboration with Dovecot. Clare is also currently showing a painting in Earth Matters, an exhibition curated by Susanna and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh at Inverleith House. She has a solo show at Pitzhanger Manor, London runs until 8 November. Threads of Ascent: Tapestries by Clare Woods is at the Garden Museum from 9 October to 5 November. Dovecot, a tapestry studio in the heart of Edinburgh. Founded in the early 20th century and very much inspired by the Arts and Crafts powerhouse William Morris, today Dovecot is celebrated for its ambitious collaborations with leading contemporary artists, such as Linder, Alberta Whittle and Chris Ofili to create outstanding tapestries. Do tune into our podcast Exploring Dovecot to hear Clare in conversation with Dovecot's director Celia Joicey and master weaver, Naomi Robertson. Dovecot StudiosClare Woods Garden Museum Earth Matter Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Pitzhanger Manor Thanks so much for listening to this episode of DES Talks, we do hope you enjoyed it. Please do spread the word, share, subscribe and rate and rave - we really want to share these conversations far and wide!  And don’t forget to explore our previous podcasts such as our visit to the Pier Arts Centre in Orkney, our conversation with Viv Lee and Jonathan Wade talking clay and the making of Earth Becoming for Earth Matters or Susanna's chat with celebrated film maker Mark Cousins about his film, A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things celebrating the artist, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham.  Huge thanks to musician Malin Lewis for Cycle Lane which accompanies DES Talks and Ryan Scott Media for production.  Image Clare Woods by Susanna Beaumont

    Clare Woods talks paint, plants & weaving

  2. 9 Sept

    Exploring Dovecot, Edinburgh

    Welcome to DES Talks, a podcast that celebrates creativity and people from across Scotland. In this episode Susanna visits Dovecot, a tapestry studio in the heart of Edinburgh. Founded in the early 20th century and very much inspired by the Arts and Crafts powerhouse William Morris, today Dovecot is celebrated for its ambitious collaborations with leading contemporary artists, such as Linder, Alberta Whittle and Chris Ofili to create outstanding tapestries. Susanna chats to Dovecot's director, Celia Joicey and master weaver, Naomi Robertson. They discuss Dovecot's early history and its journey to its present day home, a former public baths where members of the public can look down from a viewing balcony to the weavers weaving on vast looms below. She also talks to Clare Woods, an artist who has recently worked with Dovecot on three tapestries. Woven from watercolours of weeds and entangled undergrowth painted by Clare, the tapestries in brilliant verdant greens are soon to go on display at London's Garden Museum. You can hear more from Clare in our DES Talks - Clare Woods. Dovecot StudiosClare Woods Garden Museum Earth Matter Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Thanks so much for listening to this episode of DES Talks, we do hope you enjoyed it. Please do spread the word, share, subscribe and rate and rave - we really want to share these conversations far and wide!  And don’t forget to explore our previous podcasts such as our visit to the Pier Arts Centre in Orkney, our conversation with Viv Lee and Jonathan Wade talking clay and the making of Earth Becoming for Earth Matters or Susanna's chat with celebrated film maker Mark Cousins about his film, A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things celebrating the artist, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham.  Huge thanks to musician Malin Lewis for Cycle Lane which accompanies DES Talks and Ryan Scott Media for production.  Image Clare Woods and Dovecot Studios, The Volunteers, 2026, ©Dovecot Studios

    Exploring Dovecot, Edinburgh

  3. 26 Aug

    Exploring Hospitalfield, Arbroath

    Welcome to DES Talks. In this episode Susanna explores Hospitalfield, an extraordinary 19th century Scots Baronial cum Arts and Craft house with a glorious walled garden that is dedicated to contemporary art and ideas. Located on Scotland's east coast a skip away from the North Sea and the town of Arbroath, Hospitalfield was built by Patrick and Elizabeth Allan-Fraser as their home. Arbroath-born Patrick who studied art at Edinburgh of College of Art was determined that Hospitalfield become a home for artists, building light-filled studios in 1901. Over a 100 years later, Hospitalfield today welcomes art practitioners from around the world and offers workshops and welcomes the general public. The celebrated architects, Caruso St John, have built a cafe, a fernery and restored the studio spaces. And a few years back the visionary plantsman and garden designer, Nigel Dunnett, devised a beauteous planting scheme for the walled garden. Susanna speaks to Hospitafleld's director Lucy Byatt, architect Peter St John and artist, choreography and performer, Florence Peake. Florence recently staged Ode to the Dark, a collaboration with Scottish Dance Theatre at Hospitalfield. A processional performance that excavates the realms of loss, Florence talks about her work and the ongoing exhibition at Hospitalfield, Your Meaning Not Your Materiality. Lucy also talks about the work of Nigel Dunnett who died earlier this year and the prestigious International Carlo Scarpa Prize for Gardens which has just been awarded to Hospitalfield. Hosptifalfield Florence PeakeCaruso St John ArchitectsNigel Dunnett The International Carlo Scarpa Prize for Gardens Watch Florence's 2025 peformance of To Love and To Cherish at Jupiter Artland. Thanks so much for listening to our DES Talks conversation, we do hope you enjoyed it. Please do spread the word, share, subscribe and rate and rave - we really want to share these conversations far and wide!  And don’t forget to explore our previous podcasts such as our visit to the Pier Arts Centre in Orkney, our conversation with Viv Lee and Jonathan Wade talking clay and the making of Earth Becoming for Earth Matters or Susanna's chat with celebrated film maker Mark Cousins about his film, A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things celebrating the artist, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham.  Huge thanks to musician Malin Lewis for Cycle Lane which accompanies DES Talks and Ryan Scott Media for production.  Image - Florence Peake, Your Meaning Not Your Materiality, Hospitalfield. Image Neil Hanna.

    Exploring Hospitalfield, Arbroath

  4. 12 Aug

    Exploring Pier Arts Centre, Orkney

    Welcome to this conversation exploring Pier Arts Centre, an outstandingly beautiful art gallery on Orkney, an archipelago off the north of mainland Scotland. We talk about its celebrated collection of British Modernism and a recent gift of over 60 contemporary arts works of huge international significance. We also remember the artist Christine Borland who sadly died last month. Her exhibition Divine Imperfect was held at the Pier in 2012. Susanna speaks to Pier curator Andrew Parkinson about the life and times of the late Margaret Gardiner, whose gift of over 60 artworks in the 1970s was the impetus to the formation of the Pier which opened in the small town of Stromness in 1979. Her collection exemplifies British Modernism and includes works by Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Margaret Mellis. And this year, the publisher and collector Charles Asprey, gifted over 50 works by contemporary artists from the UK and beyond to Pier. Artists include Wolfgang Tillmans, Kitty Kraus and Manfred Pernice and the exhibition, 'Through Their Eyes - The Pier Arts Centre Collection and the unfolding Asprey gift', which is currently on at Pier, offers moving juxtapositions of works by artists such as Pernice and Ben Nicholson; Kitty Kraus and Margaret Mellis and Michael Dean and Eduardo Paolozzi. She speaks to Charles about collecting and gifting.  Susanna goes on to speak to the Glasgow-based artist, Erin McQuarrie whose exhibition The Scale of Things is inspired by the Orcadian, filmmaker and poet, Margaret Tait. The textile works, some suspended, others wall-based are made of wool and linen frequently dyed by plants foraged by Erin. Erin also talks about the importance of her residency last year at Linkshouse on Orkney, which is run by Pier. Pier Arts CentreCharles Asprey Erin McQuarrie Linkshouse residency programmeChristine Borland's obituary in The Guardian To find out more about the work of Orkney-born filmmaker and poet, Margaret Tait (1918-1999) head to Lux and to view her work go to YouTube. Thanks so much for listening to our DES Talks conversation. Please do spread the word, share, subscribe and rate and rave - we really want to share these conversations far and wide!  And don’t forget to explore our previous podcasts such as Viv Lee and Jonathan Wade talking clay and the making of Earth Becoming for Earth Matters or Susanna's conversation with celebrated film maker Mark Cousins about his film, A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things celebrating the artist, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham.  Huge thanks to musician Malin Lewis for Cycle Lane which accompanies DES Talks and Ryan Scott Media for production.  Image Margaret Gardiner at Pier Arts Centre with Barbara Hepworth's Curve Form (Trevalgan) 1956, c 1980

    Exploring Pier Arts Centre, Orkney

  5. 12 Aug

    Louise Bennetts + Laura Lees talk urban fabrics

    Welcome to our conversation with two artists who work with fabric, thread, form and colour. The Edinburgh-based Louise Bennetts and Laura Lees both delight in textiles and stitching, frequently inspired by the architecture that surrounds them, weaving in memory of place and the urban landscape. In their conversation with Susanna, they share stories from their early years - Louise studied at Edinburgh College of Art and Royal College of Art; Laura studied tapestry at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee - and how moving from Scotland to London and back to Edinburgh has inspired a delight in exploring an ever-changing urban landscape. Susanna talks to Louise in her exhibition, Urban Fabric at Leith's Custom Lane and explores Laura's show at Bard. Laura's exhibition Wish You Were Here is at Bard, Edinburgh until 18th July. Louise's site-specific commission, The Unconformities is on show in Earth Matters, Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh until 1st November. Thanks so much for listening to our conversation. Please do spread the word, share, subscribe and rate and rave -we really want to share these conversations far and wide!  And don’t forget to explore our previous podcasts such as Viv Lee and Jonathan Wade talking clay and the making of Earth Becoming for Earth Matters or Susanna's conversation with celebrated film maker Mark Cousins about his film, A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things celebrating the artist, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham.  And coming soon, Susanna heads to Orkney to visit the celebrated Pier Arts Centre, explores Hospitalfield in Arbroath and speaks to the artist, Florence Peake and hears from weavers and artists at Edinburgh's Dovecot Studio.    Huge thanks to musician Malin Lewis for Cycle Lane which accompanies DES Talks and Ryan Scott Media for production.  Image - Laura Lees, Tennent's Lager postcard

    Louise Bennetts + Laura Lees talk urban fabrics

  6. 11 Jun

    Hutton 300 | Earth Matters at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

    Welcome to a recording of a discussion held at the National Galleries of Scotland, celebrating the tercentenary of the birth of the Edinburgh-born geologist, writer and farmer, James Hutton (1726–1797), and the exhibition inspired by Hutton, Earth Matters at Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The panel discussion explores Hutton's influence on contemporary creative thinking and art. Glasgow-based designer and maker Stefanie Ying Lin Cheong who works with found rocks and soil and Dr Katie Strang, curator of rock and minerals at The Hunterian, Glasgow, discuss their ideas and explorations with Susanna Beaumont (Design Exhibition Scotland) curator of Earth Matters, an exhibition which forms part of a year long James Hutton Tercentenary 2026 programme of events. You can watch the discussion via our YouTube platform. The live captions on screen are automatically generated by YouTube and are sometimes not accurate. This panel discussion was held at Hawthorden Lecture Theatre, National Galleries of Scotland as part of the Learning Team programme of lunchtime lectures, so many thanks to NGS and the team for allowing us to share this discussion. Earth Matters runs until 1st November at Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, open daily 10.30-4.30pm, free. Image Under the City Stefanie Ying Lin Cheong 2026Photograph Ruth Clark

    Hutton 300 | Earth Matters at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

  7. 29 May

    Tania Kovats + Siobhan McLaughlin talk landscapes

    Welcome to this conversation with Tania Kovats and Siobhan McLaughlin, two outstanding artists who have a deep curiosity in land and sea. We explore their ideas and influences and talk mapping, colour, geology, landscapes and the past and the present. And in particular we chat about their work in two exhibitions currently on in Edinburgh - Tania is showing in Earth Matters, an exhibition inspired by the life and work of the Edinburgh born geologist and farmer who was born 300 years ago this year, which is at Inverleith House Gallery, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, while Siobhan is showing in Extraction, a group show at Jupiter Artland which explores energy systems and their impact on culture and landscape. ** Tania is based in Devon. Her practice explores through sculpture, drawing and writing how our the land and seas around us have been shaped and formed. Her permanent artwork River is at Jupiter Artland and in 2014 she exhibited Oceans at Edinburgh's Fruitmarket. Her drinking fountain WELL, commissioned by Design Exhibition Scotland, is installed at Old Admiralty Building, Whitehall and the Fruitmarket. She is the author of The Drawing Book, 2017 and Drawing Water, 2014.  Tania is currently showing in the following exhibitions -  Into the Time Horizon Nevada Museum of Art  Komij Mour Ijin/Our Life is Here National Maritime Museum, Greenwich London Cosmos The art of observing space RWA Bristol/Aberdeen Art Gallery Drawing Room Biennale, London Siobhan studied at Edinburgh College of Art graduating in 2019. She works with remnant textiles and gathered earth pigments,  practice connects experiences of the landscape layered with memories and connections to people, the body, and time. Exploring themes of place, care and sustainability through painting, printmaking and installation, I consider how past and current activities leave impressions on our ecologies. Siobhan is currently showing in the following exhibitions - Ten Good Years, The Heong Gallery, Cambridge until 11th October  Zum Paradies, Villa Schoeningen, Berlin, 31st May until 21st August  Extraction is at Jupiter until 26 July. Earth Matters is at Inverleith House Gallery until 1 November Image Tania Kovats The Book of Earth, 2026 Watercolour, ink and acrylic on Soil Survey of Scotland mapsOn show in Earth Matters. Thanks so much for listening to our conversation. Please do spread the word, share, subscribe and rate and rave -we really want to share these conversations far and wide!  And don’t forget to explore our previous podcasts such as Viv Lee and Jonathan Wade talking clay and the making of Earth Becoming for Earth Matters or my conversation with celebrated film maker Mark Cousins about his film, A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things celebrating the artist, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham.    Huge thanks to musician Malin Lewis for Cycle Lane which accompanies DES Talks and Ryan Scott Media for production.

    Tania Kovats + Siobhan McLaughlin talk landscapes

  8. 12 May

    James Hutton - Glancing backwards into a time . . .

    Catch up with a panel discussion recorded at Edinburgh's Fruitmarket last month marking Earth Day. Chaired by Susanna 'glancing backwards into a time that far predates us' is a lively conversation celebrating two exhibitions: Ilana Halperin's What Is Us and What Is Earth (Fruitmarket) and Earth Matters (Inverleith House Gallery, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh) and the life and work of James Hutton, the Edinburgh-born geologist and farmer who was born 300 years ago this year.  Artists Ilana Halperin and Louise Bennetts, writer and performer Karine Polwart, and soil scientist Colin Campbell (Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute) discuss Hutton’s legacy in the context of contemporary creative practice. Ilana's exhibition (closing 17th May) touches upon Hutton's radical rethinking about the creation of the Earth and Earth Matters brings together the work of over 30 artists to delve into the ground beneath our feet. Louise talks about her textile work which was inspired by drawings by Hutton's friend and contemporary John Clerk of Eldin. While Karine Polwart inspired by Hutton's visit to Siccar Point, a rocky promontory on the Berwickshire east coast, sings her beautiful ballad, Still As Your Sleeping. And Colin shares his deep knowledge of Hutton's life and the theory of unconformity which provided evidence that Earth was far older than previously imagined. Ilana Halperin was born in New York and lives Glasgow. Her work explores the relationship between geology and daily life. She combines fieldwork in diverse locations – on volcanoes in Hawaii, caves in France, geothermal springs in Japan, and in museums, archives and laboratories, with an active studio-based practice. Louise Bennetts is an Edinburgh-based fashion and textiles designer, researcher and maker. She works independently across varied projects, with a particular interest in alternative textile systems, applications, and sustainable material innovation. Karine Polwart is a writer, musician, and storyteller whose work evokes a richness of place, hidden histories, scientific enquiry and folklore. Karine is currently Dr Gavin Wallace Fellow for 2025–26 via the Fruitmarket, Edinburgh and Creative Scotland. Her research and writing under the brief ‘Attached to Land’ is focused on the coastal edge lands and stone ridges of of the Forth Valley, East Lothian and Borders. Colin Campbell is Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute, which leads research on land and sustainable management. His science focuses on soil ecology. The institute reflects the enduring spirit of Enlightenment science and an appreciation of Hutton’s intellectual legacy: rigorous observation, critical reasoning, and a commitment to applying knowledge for the public good. Susanna Beaumont is a curator and creative produced based in Edinburgh. Projects include the touring exhibition, Ash Rise for Scottish Furniture Makers Association; guest curator for Craft Scotland's presentation for Collect, London and Design for our Times at V&A Dundee. For the last year she has worked with Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on Earth Matters. She launched DES Talks podcast in 2025.  Image James Hutton, 1776 by Sir Henry Raeburn. National Galleries of Scotland.  Thanks to Edinburgh Geological Society for their generous support and to Fruitmarket and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

    James Hutton - Glancing backwards into a time . . .
See All (21)

4.9
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

Susanna Beaumont's lively exploration of making and creating. She talks ideas and inspiration, materials and process and the joy of creativity with brilliant artists, makers and designers from across Scotland. https://www.designexhibitionscotland.co.uk/

Information

  • Creator
    Susanna Beaumont
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Susanna Beaumont
  • Show Website
    DES Talks

You Might Also Like