"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. Since starting the business in late 2019, I've been combining my love for art and design with my career as a teacher, creating vibrant and charming pieces inspired by the Scottish wildlife and countryside"
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At Brown&bridge, you'll find a thoughtfully curated range of home accessories, kitchenware, cards, and giftware – all designed to bring a splash of rustic charm and warmth into everyday life. My designs feature classic yet modern prints with colour palettes drawn from the natural beauty of the Scottish landscape, celebrating the unique character of Scotland’s wildlife and native breeds.
Every item is proudly handmade in the UK using carefully sourced, environmentally conscious materials and printing methods. From coasters and tea towels to greeting cards and homewares, each piece is crafted to help you bring the personality of the countryside into your home.
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Aesthetic:
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I draw inspiration from the animals I encounter while exploring the Scottish countryside. Their quirky personalities and the often comical ways they interact - with each other and with me as I attempt to photograph them- spark the ideas behind 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 aesthetic 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.
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Practice:
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My practice begins with photographs taken during my outdoor adventures. From these images, I create initial sketches, focusing on capturing the personality and character of each subject through simple line drawings. Once digitised, I separate the lines from the overall shape, allowing me to play with both elements independently. This process introduces a lively, dynamic energy to my work, 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.
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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.
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Design Ethos:
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Independent brand, Slow Design, Made in Great Britain
I consider my work ‘Slow Design’, a little like the slow food movement! The focus is on quality and longevity and I take my time to create designs that I hope will be timeless and classic, yet still have a contemporary edge. Each collection is carefully put together to produce a cohesive range. All products are made in the UK and when choosing suppliers I consider their sustainability credentials and ethos. I like to work with companies who will enable me to test out smaller batches of designs with customers before I make a final design selection that can be produced in larger numbers. I aim to produce high quality, design led products and take pride in using British manufacturing to help me to achieve this.
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The beginnings - when and why did I begin creating my work?
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brown&bridge originated from a desire to recreate the warmth and welcoming feel of a modern 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 about the countryside.
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I have always wanted to combine my Artistic and creative skills but had 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.
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I started Brown and Bridge in 2019, a few months before lockdown, which obviously presented a fair few challenges. For a while I found myself focusing on my main occupation of teaching, yet all the time I was creating the business in the background 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.
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My Inspiration:
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My work captures the feel of the countryside and lifestyle here in Perthshire, Scotland. My designs are based on Scottish wildlife and native breeds but my main focus is on their personalities and characters. I aim to capture these in my drawings so that I can produce designs that will make people smile, and hopefully create little moments of happy whenever someone uses or sees one of my products.
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What make my work unique?
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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!
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How do I see my pieces being used?
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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!
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What’s next?
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By the end of 2025 I would also like to start to supply stockists and continue bringing out the annual Christmas Card collection. I also aim to add new collections by expanding my cast of characters from Scottish wildlife and native breeds and to develop designs for new products. I would also like to highlight my initial sketches and studies too, as these beautiful artworks are otherwise hidden behind the scenes!​
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