Student Spotlight: Dumfries House Residency

At Leith School of Art, you worked in a bustling studio in the heart of Leith. What was it like stepping out of that environment and into the estate of Dumfries House?

Rachael: I really liked working on my own! It was completely different to being on the Painting Course – I grew friendships over the course of 2 years and built a support network, so it was strange working without that – but it was great to experience a different environment. At LSA, I was focused on the figure, people and interiors, so moving to a very pastoral setting – walking around drawing whatever I wanted – was really refreshing.

Debbie: It was an opportunity to slow down, take stock and find focus. The studio was huge and airy with beautiful views and plenty of space to lay out your work and your thoughts, and leave them there until you were ready to work with them. The day ran by how hungry you were and how dark it was getting rather than any clock. 

Dumfries House is an ornate 18^th-century building with expansive grounds. Did you find yourself drawn indoors towards the historical interiors, or out into the landscape?
 
Debbie: Definitely indoors. As a French polisher and furniture restorer for 30 years I was in my element in the house. The furniture was outstanding and learning about the history of the building was so interesting. There are also a number of really amazing trees on the estate, from burnished red birches to massive redwoods and a plane tree that I just had to make a bark rubbing of as the patterns were incredible.
 
Rachael: Everywhere! I didn’t have a set project going in, so I was open to responding to whatever. I was inspired by all the different landscapes. They were all quite manicured, and I had wondered whether I might have preferred something wilder…but they were so interesting and beautifully planted. It was a privilege to spend time there and appreciate the gardens. In the house, I spent time transcribing the paintings and tapestries, which wasn’t really a surprise! My work is usually quite busy and messy, and this environment was so ordered and beautiful. I usually prefer looking at the everyday, what’s around me, but this was my everyday for these two weeks.

Observational drawing is central to Leith School of Art, The Royal Drawing School, and the Dumfries House Residency. How did having uninterrupted time and space alter your usual process or lead to new experiments with materials?
 
Rachael: The residency was a fantastic thing to be able to do. I usually work quite quickly, so to draw one thing for an hour and a half was really unusual. I was just letting myself appreciate all the detail, and seeing what happened when I allowed that amount of detail into my work. There were quite a lot of tours going through the house, so at first I would stand up and move out of the way, and listen to the tour. The tour guides and visitors were incredibly respectful of the artists and after a while I would stand up and just start drawing something else, refocusing on a different object or space.

I also have to talk about the print studio – it was awesome! I think I probably would have spent more time painting if it hadn’t been there. It was really well equipped for a small studio. The print studio manager was amazingly helpful. She took me through the etching process, aquatint, monoprinting in the press, soft grounds and sugar lift. It was a fantastic way of regrouping after a period of intense study.

Debbie: Having access to the print studio next door meant that I had the opportunity to try things I never would have like Aquatinting a zinc plate and making plates with carborundum. I had the time to experiment with these at my own pace to get a feel for the process and work out what I could do with them. 

What advice would you give to LSA graduates applying for residencies?
 
Rachael: That’s a really tricky question! Everyone goes in with a different intention. For me, I just tried to be open to everything that was there. If I were to go again, I might set myself a project, just looking at transcribing paintings perhaps. The studio space is amazing – you’d be able to make some really big paintings in there. It really depends on your way of working. I was so used to working for periods of three days in the studio and it was refreshing to not be working to a specific project – I could spend as long as I wanted on one thing. If it takes longer, it takes longer.

Debbie: My advice would be to apply, even if you feel you don’t have much experience or aren’t sure whether you are ready. You don’t need to have everything worked out beforehand. Just being curious and ready to experiment can be just as important.

See more of Rachael's work

See more of Debbie's work

Interested in studying at Leith School of Art?

Our upcoming Open Days are a fantastic opportunity to see our studios, meet the tutors, and learn more about our year-long courses. Applications for 2027/28 entry open on 1 December 2026.