All items by Gael Hillyard Creative

Contemporary artist and writer from the Scottish Highlands

I have lived in the Highlands for most of my life and have two spaces at the fabulous Inverness Creative Academy. My painting studio is one of the tiniest in Scotland but is filled with hand-decorated furniture and beautiful things. Inspired by Sir John Soane's house in Holborn, a lot of my studio unfolds to reveal huge amounts of equipment, artwork in hand, and materials to be used in upcoming projects.

My second space is my thinking zone, which ironically is vast and has a 16-foot-high ceiling. This is where I write and run the administrative side of my business.

My first role was in helicopter aviation, then I became an interior designer, teaching people all around the world. As a teenager, I did weekend work at a massive 12 room studio and decided to return to art when my own teenager started to become more independent.

I am inspired by architecture, nature, astronomy and the correlation between art and science and was a STEM ambassador for a while when I studied forestry. I am fascinated by the cosmos and consciousness and a lot of this creeps into my work, often in little hidden ways.

I don't have cats, but I do have a baby hamster that stays at home. I am swithering about getting a parrot to keep me company while I work, although I think that may not go down too well with others.

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