Launched in Spring 2025, Susanna’s lively podcast celebrates people and creativity. She talks to artists, designers and makers from across Scotland about their inspiration, challenges and what makes them tick.
Take a listen!
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 Studios
Clare 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
