"Hello! I am Claire Brownbridge, the artist, print designer and founder of brown&bridge, working from my home studio in the heart of rural Perthshire. It all started in 2019, when I began combining my love for art and design with my career as a teacher, with an idea to bring countryside charm to the heart of the home through practical, high quality products that would enhance daily living. Brown&bridge has developed slowly as I have learned new skills and found my style through Scotland's wildlife and landscapes.
At brown&bridge you’ll find colourful and charismatic prints adorning a thoughtfully curated range of kitchenware, cards and giftware. My designs celebrate the character of Scotland’s wildlife and native breeds and feature colour palettes drawn from the natural beauty of the Scottish landscape. Each piece blends rustic charm with modern design to bring a little countryside personality into your everyday.
Every item is proudly made in the UK by carefully sourced suppliers using environmentally conscious materials and printing methods. From coasters and tea towels to greeting cards and homewares, each piece is crafted to blend rustic charm with modern design to bring a little countryside personality into your home.
My Story
brown&bridge began with a desire to recreate the warm and welcoming feel of a rustic country home. I wanted to make everyday things beautiful, using colour and imagery to bring inside a sense of the outdoors and to tell stories of the countryside.
I had always wanted to combine my artistic and creative skills but not quite worked out how. I loved drawing animals and enjoyed seeing the response people had to my work, and I had a passion for design and interiors. It was after I produced a couple of illustrations for friends for their wedding stationery that I began to see a few possibilities and ideas began to form....
I started developing my ideas for brown&bridge in 2019, a few months before lockdown, which obviously presented a few challenges. For a while I found myself focusing on my main occupation of teaching, and in the background I was working on the business and finding my creative voice. Slowly things have come together. Dealing with changes from the pandemic alongside developing a new business and lifestyle has been both difficult and exciting in equal measure. I am grateful, however, that this time has enabled me to learn new skills and think about the shape and format I want my work and business to take.
Aesthetic
I am inspired by the animals I encounter when out in the Scottish Countryside. Their quirky personalities and often comical ways in which they interact - with both each other and me, as I try to photograph them - prompt my designs.
Colour plays a central role in my work. My palettes are thoughtfully curated, harmonious and are deeply rooted in the Scottish landscape and the subjects I capture.
My design style is influenced by artists and designers such as Gary Hume and Orla Kiely, united by a shared appreciation for bold shapes, clean lines, and rich, saturated colour.
Practice
My designs originate from the photographs I take during my outdoor adventures on foot. Initial sketches from these photographs are developed into simple lines drawings, and I place an emphasis on capturing the personality and character of the subject. Drawings are then digitised and by disconnecting the lines of the drawing from the overall shape, I am able to play with both elements independently. By arranging these two elements separately from each other I introduce a lively dynamic energy, reminiscent of the charm found in off-register, misaligned prints. Colour is then added, and a repeat pattern is developed, resulting in a visual narrative with a contemporary yet rustic feel.
The Designs
Each collection features a ‘Portrait’ and a ‘Field and Fold’ design. The Portraits provide a fun element where I can really play with personality and storytelling. The Fields and Folds are repeat patterns that add a countryside flavour to homeware products, capturing stories in classic country farmhouse designs.
What make my work unique?
My designs are created from my own artwork, which I draw from my own source material. Throughout this process I focus on capturing character and personality so that I can bring it across in my work, to make it feel alive. I try to tell a story in each design by considering the subjects’ personalities, quirks and mannerisms – I even imagine the little conversations that might be going on!
How do I see my pieces being used?
I want my designs to be uplifting by bringing character to interiors and the most mundane tasks, so I place my designs on products that will be used every day. As the kitchen is the heart of every home, this seemed a good location to start. I have included a range of cards too to enable you to send cheerful greetings to others!